Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-04-06
Select Gales.
From The (Lond6n) Peoples Journal.
The Mechanics Wife,
BY MARY i. GILLIES.

but very sweet young creature, as she parted
from her husband in the street.
81 do not know that | shall, -" he replied some
what coldly, as replacing his cigar between his
lips he turned away. There was carelessness
rather than unkindness in his manner, and she
looked after him more in sorrow than reproach.
Taking the hand Of her little boy, she slowly
bent her steps homeward, with that dropping of
the head which bespeaks sadness of heart. 1t
was Saturday night; she had been marketing,
and her little purchases we're contained IN bas'
ket which hung upon her arm. On reaching
home, the very uppermost lloor OF mouse IN a
poor but decent neighborhood, she reused the
fire. seated Philip, her little son, beside it, gave
him piece of bread and butter for his supper,
and began to busy herself in putting away the
few necessaries she had bought By the time
this was done, the dropping head of little Philip
told her he was ready for his pillow. How ten
derby was he taken to his lonely mothers lap
his pretty face washed-his bright hair brushed,
and he arrayed in his snowy bed-gown. Pressed
to her BOSOM she warmed his little feet, her
fond hand returning to them again and again from
the fire. to which she ever now and then held her
open PALM then pressing the soft foot, she kiss
ed it payfully, and provoked the laughter so
sweet to mothers ear These were Philips
first charming lessons; thus were gentleness and
love awakened in his infant spirit by his capable,
but uninsructed, unassisted mother How full
of meaning was his smile-how full of ANNA
ton! and when kneeling in her lap, she joined
his little hands, and babe him ask his Heavenly
Father to bless his earthly parent, how sympa-
thetically he caught the swcety serious look
the calm and holy tone Of his instructress.-
When his little prayer was said, he flung his
arms about her neck, and cheek to cheek they
murmurcd together the uing song which con-
GUIDED this little drama for his eyes slowly clos
ed, and the smile softly passed from his face,
and then he was gently consigned to his snug
and snowy bed.
So far all was sweet would it might be said
all was calm; but the aching void in Susan's
heart was not calmness, it was rather craving
for that mental and social aliment which is nee
essary to every breast and cannot long be health
lily denied to any, The more energetic spirits
seek such associations or stimulants as chance
presents them the gentler submit and suffer- often
perish, in silence.
Susan put little fuel softly on the fire, trim
med her candle, and sat down with the lonely
wOman's companion--her work-basket. A deep
sigh stole from her bosom. Still the ceaseess
needle was piled. Now and then she paused
1t was to wipe away the tears that ao0ud gather
on her lashes. She was Just two and twenty and
had been four years married, during all ofWhch
time, with the brief exception of a few weeks
previous to their settlement in town, she had
thus been left night after night in loneliness
Philip Morris, her husband was an honest, in
dustrlous man, with hundred good qualities;
sober, and solicitous Of securing to his family all
the comforts his means afforded, he brought his
weekly earnings, with very small reservation
for some trifling inGulgenccs for himself to hi,
wife, and, with the utmost trust in her manage
ment and economy, left them to her disposal
But while thus trusting and liberal he seemed
to consider that he acquitted himself of all that
Susan might demand of him. While he sought
improvement for himself, it never occurred to
him that it was her equal right-would be to hel
equal advantage. While he sought the inter
change of thought with other minds, he never
reflected on the utter privatlon of such commun
ion he had cntailed on her. He had taken hel
from the home of her father, small turner
where her mother, a plins-takng woman, had
brought up Susan and several brothers and sis.
tiers, for their station, remarkably we'll Her
fathers heart was ono ever flowing with the milk
of human kindness; and thus, aided by the
cheerful spirits of their cherished children, d
moral sunshine had ever lighted up that lowly
home, and given it a thousand claims upon hel
love and memory, At moments Susan would
look back on the brief time that had been em.
ployed to WOO her from it as dream; the whis-
pered words of Iove-the promises Of devotion
Of endeavors for her happiness-the mighty city
in which she was to dwell (which now appeared
to her maze of mud and stone, i'll exchanged
for the dashed fields, with their sweet breath and
bright atmosphere had all tcldcd to an unde-
Unable Disappointment yet, IN the innocent g
porance Of her heart, she could scarcely have
stated of what she had to complain, She loved
her husband; she was proud of his superior abI.
tiles; and made no mean estimate Of his hlgI
moral character, undebased in the slightest de-
gree by the gross vices which, secluded as wa;
her life, she could not but perceive marked many
around her, subjecting their wives to brutality
and privaton. Compared with such offences,
she persuaded herself that Philips neglect was
very light and venal fault and blamed herself
for feeling it so much. But Susan was one Of
those flowers of humanity that would have am
ply repaid cultivation, and that needed the sun
shine of sympathetic kindness, the air Of the
social atmosphere, to keep them in health and
life. Daily food was scarcely more necessary tc
her physical nature than the interchange OF
thought and kindness was to her spiritual ma
ture; all this her husbands habits and the unso
ciable plans of life in England and especially i'll
London denied her. 1t is ture, except morally
she was uncultivated, but she had talent anc
temperament that would soon have repaid little
kindly care. Too timd too ignorant to peac
her own cause, or urge her claims to him who
had precluded appeal to all" others, she uncom
painingly lived on without change, without slim
ulus or excitement; shut up within the four WALL
of her humble home, walking unrelieved the dul
unvarying round of her domestic duties, with he
spirit full of capabilities unexplored and unex
banded. She grew nervous and hectic, her ap
petite and spirit failed, her frame wasted, while
quiet and unrepining, almost unconscious of he
malady, or its cause, consumption was rapid
developed. She was deemed delicate medicj
advice was sought and medicine and care assay
ed, while none guessed the quick current of fee
ing that flowed beneath the quiet bearing of thu
subdued, decaying woman; it wore the channt
through which it made its secret way, but seen
ed to brighten the spirit it was soon to extil