Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-12-05
MISCELLANY.
BOTH SIDES OF THE PICTURE.


the room and saw his young and beautiful
wife, sitting beside the cradle of her Sleep
ing infant, weeping most bitterly, is the boy
sick q
NO. answered the afflicted lady, she is
quite WELL
Then what is the matter my dear Emily ,
what occasions this flood of tears g Mr..
iAindley seated himself beside his wife, and
took her hand while speaking.
81 lam worn out with this perpetual confine-
ment,' answered Mrs. Lindley; sthis unya-
rying round of dull domestic care
Perpetual confinement, my DEAR! said Mr..
Lindley, did you not spend yesterday with
your mother! and take drive into the coun-
try the day before! Come, dearest, dry your
tears, and listen to an interesting book /
brought home with me, purposely to read IA
loud to you.'
~ our book would be but poor substitute
for society," said Mrs. Lindley, who still sat
with her headinclined, looking the very pic
ture OF sorrow and discomfort; Il am suffer
ing for society; suffering to minule again
with the world as l used to do After a mo-
mentary pause, she continued Sophia was
In Just now-dressed so beautifully ,-on
her way to Mr.. Whitwell's party. All the
world will be there, poor / excepted! y A
fresh gush of tears called anew for the use of
her handkerchief
Young ladies have little else to do than to
attend parties said Mr.. Lindley 'we, hap
p piy Nave engagements and more pre-
Married ladies seem no more confined than
single ones, except myself said Mrs. Lind
ley, who seemed to have heard only the first
part of her husbands remark, Mrs. Long and
Mrs. Southwell, and indeed all my friends are
70 be at Mr.. Viii kell's tonight. No one
but myself Is IN bo kge. Every one beside
can have nursery id, and ali else that is
py.'
Il am sorry that we TAhnot have nursery
maid, since you think 1t would conduce to
your happiness ; though for my own part. l
had rather that my dear Emily should have
the charge OF our darling boy, than entrust
him to the ca any hireling that could be
found.'
Again the - part only of what Mr.. Lind
ley said, seemea-to meet the ear of his wife.
Her voice was never harsh; never loud; but
1t certainly did not sound sweetly, as in
kind of low cultural she replied, Some geu-
tlemen choose to think they can afford but We
ry little to make wife happy!
MIR. Lindley dropped the hand he had till
then held within his, and rising walked the
floor rapidly.-He did not whistle; he did not
sing; but he just made the notes of tune
audible, as he inhaled and exhaled the air
between his scarcely parted lips. After some
ten or fifteen minutes spent in this manner, he
suddenly seized the volume he had mentioned,
and seating himself near the lamp began to
turn the leaves. Meanwhile Mrs. Lindley
neither spoke nor moved. Her head rested
on her hand, and her eyes sought the carpet {;
but no tear fell, for. her feelings Were too
highly excited to permit them longer to flow.
The disturbed husband found his book vain
resource; and after twirling the leaves few
minutes he threw it on the table and left the
room. The next moment his wife heard the
street door close behind him.
Then, indeed, came a fresh flood of tears.
'I'his,' she exclaimed, as she covered her face
with her hands. This is the sympathy he
feels for me! To leave me thus to perfect
solituden Mrs. Lindley was now wrought
up to real agony. The infant at this moment
awoke-and clasping him to her bosom she
cried; Yes, darling, your fathers feelings
are such toward your poor mother, that to a
void her society, he is even willing to leave
you, dearly as he loves you!'
| With the unconscious infant cradled in her
arms, the mother INDUCED herself in looking
| back on the gilded scenes of her youth; OF
rather of her unmarried life; for her youth was
yet, in all its freshness and beauty. Her
freedom from care; from confinement, the
all came thronging upon her:
"Nhile memory, covered with flowers
Restored every rose, but secreted its thorn
In the retrospect, the picture was all bright
ness; all gladness: and was her present lot q!
How great was the contrast No variety
no pleasure; 'all her days We're twins > a
perpetual round of petty household cares, and
d helpless infant always by her side or in
her arms. How dark did disturbed mar-
ination render the review! She thought and
wept, until she verify believed herself the
most wretched woman alive; while at the
bottom of all lay feeling of displeasure d.
| gainst her husband, as if ne were the wilful
cause of all her troubles.
For nearly an hour Mrs. Lindley INDUCED
herself i'll these purely selfish musings, muir
murlngs and regrets, when the clock in 6
neighboring street, striking the hour of nine
aroused her. where can George be 9 she
cried. She felt some alarm; and laying he1
again sleeping infant in the cradle, she went
to the window, aud thence to the door, tc
learn II he were coming. The street was
quite still not footstep was to be heard
and with conflicting feelings she reseatet
herself beside her child. 30, he is cruel I!
thought she; Where can he be I'm his of
flee Tor where; o, where! o, that he woult
Gomez
On the whole, Mrs. Lindley was not only
d rcfiOndi animal but a reasonable and reason
ing woman--and the period had now arrived
for a revulsion offeeling. Other views begar
to present themselves to her mind. 1T is
| myself that am cruelr thought she; 'hov
happy we might have been this evening, hac
L not driven him from me !! How tender hc
was; and how kind, to bring book pur