The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-04-26
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From The Massachusetts, Yeoman.
THE WIFE-A SKETCH.


DEATHS icy grasp was laid upon him now,
And ftfully beneath the tyrant's touch,
yifes current was congealing in his veins,
He was too weak to utter all his thoughts,
But some faint murlnuring from his lips escap'd,
Which none but she might hears yet still his
eyes,
Undimm'd spalse forth the fondness of his heart;
And vet sometimes would strange expression
Flash out beneath his dropping heavy lid,
And he would turn his eyes away from her,
And press convulsively her hand in his,
As tho some maddening thought shot thro' his
brain,
Then turn to her again a troubled look,
And send forth all his rising soul in one
Uncam yet fond and halfimploring glance.
What secret feeling crossed his bosom them
saw them once, when in their youthful prime,
When their first dreams of love and life were
bright
With hope, and fragrant flowers were springing
up
Along their pathway through smiling world,
No blightning fell upon their sunny hopes,
To bar the pledging or their hearts fond
thoughts,
And soon their mutual faith and VOWS were
scard-
She gave her heart, her all in confidence
To him who vow'd to love thro' veal or wo;
And when she fondly laid her head upon
His manly breast, she deem'd that o'cr their love
And bliss, no dark'ning cloud of fate would
comet
But though in youth within his heart no thought,
Save of her angel loveness then dwelt
And he had bowd his soul before the shrine,
In all the fond idolatry of love.
There came at last a change across their fate
For when the open gulelessness of youth
Had pass'd to manhood's darker brow Of care,
And he had mingled with the selfish crowd,
The stainless streams of early noble feeling
Changed their first freshness to ming taint;
And now the home that he was wont to call
His paradise was left for haun,s of mirth;
And he would hold his midnight revellings,
Startling the silence of the night by wild
And heartless joyance, till his heart had lost
All trace of purity-then HE him home,
And chide his once ador'd till she would weep,
An he would wake her infant then, to blend
1t wailing with her tears Of bitterness.
And she-,he injurd onc-her heart had swelled
In silence with IFS load of nk'rns griefs,
Until she might no longer keep it down
And then twas broken.-Yet she murmurd not,
Nor told her plant to any save to Heaven,
But calmly drank her bitter cup of wo;
And when her daily lot was still to bear
Unkindness and abuse, she answered not,
Save by her tears, and meeklv bore it all,
And strove TO still her agony ofheart.
And thus he held his waywarlncss to her,
Upon him; for the oft drain'd bowl at last
Had brought its never falling cnrse-and then
The strong endurance Of her love shone forth,
And, all her wrongs forgetting, she became
lowering angel round his couch of pain;
And without one reproaching word or look;
Fondy she tended him, as tho he ne'er
Had dash'd her cup of earthly happiness.-
And now his heart was soften'd and subdu'd:
ne felt that he had wrong'd her-and the stings
Of self.unbraidiner srnnte him he fhnuUht
upon her patient sufferancc of his hate,
And And how she was repaying all her wrongs
With fond devotedness when all the rest
forsook him in his hour of deepest need
And he would oftentimes have crav'd of her
forgiveness of his ills-but she would stop
his words, and with smile would say to him
me past was buried in oblivion.
hut now he felt that life was ebbing fast,
And that he could not leave the world in peace,
without he easd his bosom of its load
ofguilt-and therefore had his eyes such wild
and troubled looks; and when he took her hand
from off his brow, and laid it on her breast,
20 20 still the beatings of her bursting heart,
ra'h'rlng his Weekend powers, so as to throw
INTO INTO, his last attempt some strength of mind,
WI WITH tone so changed from that of by-past time,
mat mat she half started at its hollow sound,
nc sad; 81 know that soon my heart must stop
.s beatings, and be still at deaths cold touch
1nV-hearme now--for l must speak this once,
now now have wrong'd thee, and to pray that this
my MY last departing hour may hear thee bless
NO. Mono that dare not ask thy blessing
aay hear thee pardon him whose tortur'd heart
ran well aton'd for all its crimes,-if pain
ana suffering can atonement make for sin.
tcannot tell thee all that fills my breast,
90. oryoce and sight are falling fast way
S''oP down, and look once more as thou were
,o wont,
n ntnou wilt pardon me.'' She knelt beside
ins bed, and laid her pallid cheek on his,
Th Tha Kindly said, "Oh, speak not thus my love
rhe past IS all forgotten;-nay look up
-"ou must not leave me now."-A groan burs
forth
nan. ms IS too kind-my heart will burst-one kiss
'' p'e's Observation-Disclosures own''--