The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-10-23

be, the superadded horrors of his own situation
never crossed his mind He thought only of Mary,
every faculty was engaged in her; and he watched
her daily for some new symptom with an intensity
of which others more favored can scarcely be con-
scious. She was to him his world, his ALL his very
being was wrapt up in hers: he could not exist if
she was to be taken from him.
As the winter grew more tempestuous, and his
sweet wife still persisted in her visits the ravages
of the disease became more and more perceptbe.
AT first the cheek grew brighter, the eye beamed
out with wilder lustre and he fattered himself that
his former fears were only the creations of un-
bounded love. But soon the short dry cough came
on again, the steps of Mary lacred daily more and
more, the crimsoned cheek grew wan and hollow,
and the voice became weak and tremulous as a
broken reed. And thus week by week that fear
full conquerer- CONSUMPTION, marked mis- hoarly
progress to her heart.
But why should linger on the melancholy pic
turc. Doubt,fear, approaching conviction, and the
measureless agony of certainty followed each 9th
er in Towards bosom. lie begged, he impored
her to postpone for n little while her visits to his
cell, and devoted her whole attention of the recov-
cry of her health, AT first she shook her lead
and answered ouy with tears. But at last, feel
ing her weakness greater than she dared to
acknowledge she consented TO temporary seclu-
sion at home.
All now what could be done to arrest the progress
of the disorder was attempted by heranxous friends;
and for few days they were fatercd with faint
hopes of success, Mary grew stronger, could once
more walk, and began TO speak of renewing her
visits. But then sudden damp fell upon her ex-
pec,ations. She vsntured out one day TO try her
strength for the contemplated visits, storm came
up, and though vehicle was instantly called to
bear her home, she caught few drops ofrain be-
fore it could arrive, In few hours hope was again
trembling in the balance,
The situation fmy poor friend during this pc
riod will not attempt to describe. His only COM
fort was in hearing daily from the bedside of his
wife, and if the messenger was delayed by an acct
dent moment, his impaence knew no bounds
With her manifest Improvement in health, his hopes
rose rapidly and he already began to talk of seeing
her in few days, The revusion filled him with
Fsomcthing Of gaiety, and never saw him sanguine
since the hour of his first Imprisonment. lie even
suffered himself to converse ON the probability of
KS reenling. and once or twice, with faint
smile, wondered what he should do for livelihood
when ho was once more free. Alas the arrow
was already drawn to the head which should vet
culver in his heart.
The news ofhis poor wife relapse fell upon him
like thuuderbolt From that hour he was almost
distracted. lie paced up and down his cell, he
invoked heaven frantically for mercy, he tore his
hair in the extremity ofhis hopelessness and agony
i Oh how sweet were the messages daily sent
from the bedside of that dying wife. Seeming to
care only for her husband, every thought was oc-
cupied with him. She busted herself in making for
him few little triles, even when she could scar
r cely raise herself in bed and night and morning
sent him in her hliering hand iiug, some little
message to cheer his gloomy prison hours. Yet
she grew daily weaker, until even the most SAN
gune gave up hope. Still her thoughts leA not
her husband. When she could no longer labor at
her needle, nor trace the characters that assumed
love, she would tell them 10 bid him not dcspon d.
and that she prayed daily for him, that all might
ye, be well. Oh woman's undying, uncalcua-
ting love.
During this period Of fast 'hickening despair to
Howard, how did he act' My eyes dim with tears
when recall it to mind. | saw him almost daily
cnr midland I ,I,, 1 . I a.
him. lie seemed no more even the shadow of
himself Pale and haggard; worn ont with sleep
less anxiety; unable TO eat his usual food; and tor
tured with constant fears that the catastrophe had
come, which he knew was now inevitable, be stole
abou, his narrow limits the picture of despair. As
the crisis approached he became tortured with an
nnceasing desire to behold his wife once MORE
He almost grew phrcnsied in contemplating the
possibility of no, being allowed to gaze even on her
liieless FORM lie begged, he prayed, he craved
for this permission. But alas il was impossible
With tears enIrcated him to dismiss it from his
mind. One man alone could give him the liberty,
and that man was harder than the neither mill
stone. lie would have died himself sooner than
alleviate one jot the miscrcs of his victim.
'Oh my Cod exclaimed Howard fran,ically,
one afternoon, as he paced his cell wildly to and
fro, when shall this torture end Mary is dying,
and cannot even see her. care nothing now for
the close hot air of these sckly walls, would be
content to live IN them an eternity-to feel my
pulse slacken, my blood wither, my limbs grow
totterlng, any thing, no matter what nor for how
long, if might only behold my dying wife. Am
| to hear that she is dead, and not even kiss her in
her coffin Oh God, was it for this was crea
ted! Mary-NIary' he exclaimed in tones of ag-
ony, are you yet living to bless your unhappy
husband And casting himself upon his humble
couch, he cutched the bed clothes in conyulsiye
agony, grooming in all the utter desolaon of his
feelings.
'Mr D., said the head turnkey, at this mo-
Inent pecping in at the door, 'here-here SIR
There was something so unusual in the mans