The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-02-15
H. BELL, Editor and Proprietor.

know all this? 2" At the question he burs
into an agony of tears. "For Gods sake =
G cried he, ''ifyou have any pity on me, dom
mention my wife; it is the thought of he
that drives me almost to madness l'
"And why not % said |. "She must know
It sooner or later. You cannot keep it lone
> from her, and the intelligence may breaI
upon her in more startling manner thar
If impaired by yourslf. She will soon per-
ceive that something is secretly upon YOU
: mind, and true love will not brook reserve
it feels under-valued and outraged, when
even the sorrows of those it loves are con-
} cealed from it."
80, my friend. but to think what blow
| am to give all her future prospects-how
| am to strike her very soul to the earth. by
telling her that her husband is beggar ;
that she is to forego all the eIegancies of
life-all the pleasures of society-to sink
with me into Indulgence and obscurity."
saw grief was eloquent, and let it have
its flow, for sorrow relieves itself by words.
When his paroxysm had subsidized, and he
had relapsed again into moody silence,
resumed the subject gently, and l urged him
to break his situation at once to his wife.
He shook his head mournfully, but positive.
ly.
"But how are you to keep it from her /?
it is necessary to the alteration of living
nay" observing pang to pass across his
countenance, 'don't let that aff1ict you. |
am sure you never placed your happiness
in outward show--you have yet friends,
who will not think the worse of you for
being less splenddly lodged; and surely it
does not require palace to be happy with
Mary"
81 could be happy with her," cried he,
convulsively, sin howell could 90 down
with her into poverty and the dust--I could
i could, God bless her God bless her l''
cried he, bursting into transport of grief
aud tenderness
sand believe me, my friend" said |,
stepping up and grasping him warmly by
the hand, "believe me, she can be the same
with you. Aye, more it will be a source
efpride and triumph to her. it will call
forth all the latent energies and fervent
sympathies of her nature, for she will rejoice
to prove that she loves you for yourself.-
There is in every true woman's heart
spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant
in the broad daylight of prosperity; but
which kindles up and seems blaze in the
dark hour of adversely, No man knows
what the wife of his bosom is-no man
knows what ministering angel she is, until
he has gone with her through the fiery tri-
ais of this world"
There was something in the earnestness
of my language that caught the excited i'm.
agination Of Leslie. / knew the auditor
had to deal with and following up the
impression had made, finished up by
persuading him TO go home and unburthen
his sad heart to his wife. must confess, |
Notwithstanding all / had said, felt little |
solicitude for the result. | could not meet |
Leslie the next morning without trepidation.
He had made the disclosure.
"And how did she bear it %
"Like an angel. 1t seemed rather to be |
a relief to her mind, for she threw her arms
around my neck and asked me if that was
all that had made me unhappy. But poor
girl" added he, "she cannot realize the
change we must undergo. She has no idea
of poverty but in the abstract she has only
read of it in poetry; where it is allied to
love. She feels as yet no privation--she
suffers no loss of accustomed conveniences
nor elegancies. When we come particu-
larly to experience its sordid cares, its pal
try wants. its lefty humileations, then will
be the trial."
"But," said |, snow that you have got
over the severest task, that of breaking it
to har ha Lot fbo Il 10 tho
secret the better. Have the courage to
appear poor, and you disarm poverty of its
sharpest sting" On this point found Les
lie perfectly prepared. He had no false
pride himself, and as to his wife, she was
only anxious to conform to their altered for
tunes.
Some days afterwards he called upon me
in the evening. He had disposed of his dwei-
ling house, and taken small cottage in
the country few miles from town. He
had busted himself all day in sending out
furniture. The new establishment required
but few articles of the simplest kind. All
the splendid furniture of his last residence
had been sold except his wife's piano. That,
he said, was too closely associated with
himself, it belonged to the little story of
their loves-for some of the sweetest mo.
ments of their courtship were those when
he had leaned over that instrument and
listened to the melting tones of her voice.
could not but smile at this instance of
romantic gallantry in doating husband.
He was now going to the cottage, where
his wife had been all day experimenting its
arrangement. My feelings had been
strongly interested in the progress of this
family story, and as it was fine evening
offered to accompany him.
He was wearied with the fatigues Of the
day, and as he walked out, fell into fit of
gloomy musing. .,
"Poor Mary" at length broke with
heavy sigh from his lips.
sand what of her 2" asked l, has she re-
pinned at the change?
"Repinedl she has been nothing but
sweetness and good humor! Indeed, she