The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-05-17

not brook reserve: it feels undervalued and out
ragged. when even the sorrows of those il loves are
concealed fromi it."
| 'Oh, but, my friend! to think what blow am
to give to all her future prospects-how am to
strike her very soul to the earth, by telling her
that her husband is beg THAT she is to fnrego
all the eegances of lite-all the pleasures of soce
ty-to shrink with me Into Indulgence and obcuri-
ty! To tell her thai have dragged her down from
the sphere in viii. she might have conti..ued to
move il constant brightness the light Of every
eye-he admiration of every hr rt!-How can she
bear poverty She has been brought up il all the
reinements Of opulence How can she bear ne
glectl She has been the idol tf society Oh
!, will break hef heart--it vii. break her heart..'
@fsaw his gref was eloquent, and let it have its
flow; for sorrow relieves itselfby words. When
his paroxysr had subsided, AID he had rela;,sed i-
to moody sileGce, resumed The subject ge. tly aid
urged him to break his situation at to his wife.
He shook hi, head molrnfully, but positively.
But how are you to keep it from herr 1t isne-
cessary she should know ii. that you may take the
steps necessary 10 the alteration OF your circum-
stances. You must change your style of living
nay, observing pang pass across his coumenance,
don let that afflict you. am sure you have nev-
er placed your happiness in outward show-you
have yet friends warm friends, who will not think
and surely it does not require palace to be happy
with Maiy--' 4 could be happy with her, cried
he concIusively, in hovel!-I could 60 down with
her into poverty and the dust!-I could-I could
God bless her!-God bles, herr cried he. bursting
into transport OF grief and tenderness
"And believe me, my friend," said I, stepping
up and grasping him warmly by the hand,' believe
me, she can be the same with you. Ay, more; it
will be source of pride and triumph to her-it
viii call forth all the latent energies and fervent
sylnpathies 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 prosper
iy; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in
/ the dark hour Of adversely. No man knows what
the wife of his bosom is-no man knows what
mini.erng angel she is-unil he has gone with
her tn ongh the fiery trials of this world
There was something in the earnestness ofmy
manner, and the fgurative style of my language
that caught the excited Imagination of Leslie.
knew the audit r / had u deal with; and following
up the impression had made finished by persuad.
ing him to 60 home and unburthen his sad heart to
| his wife.
| mus. confess, notwithstanding all had said,
| felt soma little solcitude for the result. Who
can calculate Oh the fortitude of one whose whole
life has been round o: pleasure' Her gay spirits
might revolt at the dark, downward path of low
humility, suddenly pointed out before her, and
might cling to the sunny regions in which they had
hitherto reveled Besides, ruin in fashionable life
is accompanied by SO many CALLING notifications,
to which, in other ranks, is stranger. In short,
could not meet Leslie, the next morning, without
trepidation. He had made the disclosure.
'And how did she bear t''
Like an angel! 1t seemed rather to bea relief
to her mind for she threw her arms round my neck,
and asked ifthis was all that, had lately made me
unhappy. But, poor girl added he, she cannot
realize the change we must undergo. She has 10
idea ofpovery but in the abstract: she has only
read Of it in poetry, where it is allied to lave. She
feels as yet no privation; she suffers loss of
customed convemences nor elegances. When we
come practically to experience its serdid cares, its
paltry wants. its petty humiIia,ions-then will be
the real trial.
Bat, said !, now that you have got over the
severest task, that of breaking to her the sooner
you let the world into the secret the better. The
disclosure may be mortifying; but then il is single
misery, aid soon over; whereas you otheru ise suf
fer il in anticipation. every hour in the day. It's
not poverty SO much as presence. that harasses a
ruined man the struggle between proud mind
and all emty purse-the keeping up halow show
that must soon come to an end. Have the courage
TO appear poor, and you disarm poverty ofts sharp.
est sting On this point | found Leslie perfectly
prepared He had no false pride himself, AID as 10
hi, wife, she was only anxious to form to their
altered fortunes. Some days afterwards, he called
upon me in the evening. He had disposed of his
clearinghouse, and takena small cottage in the
country, lew miles from town. He had been
busted all day in sendg out furniture. The new
establishment required lew articles, aud those Of
the simplest kidd All the splendid furniture Of
his late residence had teen sold, excepting his
wifes harp. That, he said. was too closely associ
ated with the idea OF herself it belongs to the little
story Of their loves for some of the sweetest mo-
ments Of their courtsbip where those when he had .
leaned over that instrument, to listen to the melt
ing tones other voice. could not but smile at this
instance Of romantic gaIantry in doating hus-
band
He was now going out to the cottage where his
wife had been all day, experimenting its arrange
ment. My feelings had become strongly nterest-
ed in the progress oi this family story, and as il was
a fine evening, offered to accompany hin.
He was wearied with the fatigues ofthe day and
as we walked out, fell into aft Of gloomy musing
Poor Maryp at length broke with heavy sigh,
from his bps 4u 13 ~ II, ~
And what Of her. asked /, has anything hap