Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-09-19

ing. she did not complaln-there was not n
single murmer at her illness, or the hard fate
that compelled her to work for her daily bread.
never saw such perfect cheerfulness, and yet
l knew, from the contracted features and teas
ing cough, that she was suffering intensely
The little savage we had seen on our arrival.
proved to be the son of her landladv. who
was also her nurse as well as her waiting
maid
was verymuch interested, and, by the time
we babe her goodbye, had sketched out quite
romance, in which was sure she had been
the principal actor
Poor lady, said ], the instant we were out
of the gate. why do you let her work. aunt /,
Why don't you take her home, you have SO
many vacant rooms-or at least, should think
there were rich people enough in Milton to sup
port her entirely. She does not look fit to hold
a needle. Has she no chldrenl And when
did her husband die, Was she very veal
thy,'
: poured out my questions so fast that aunt
had no time TO answer any of them, and had
been so much engaged that had not noticed a
man reeling along the sidewalk toward us,
until just in time to escape the rude contact of
his touch, from which shrunk, almost Shrek
ing.
who told you that Mrs. Hall was wild
ow, lsabelr said aunt, to divert me from nv
mishap
Nobody: but knew it at once, as soon as
looked at her; how lonely she must be-and
how terribly 10 see ones best friend die, and
You cannot call them back again
Not half so dreadful, DEAR answered she
very seriously, : as to live on from day to dav
and see the gradual death of the soul, while the
body is unwasted. 1t would be happy dav
for Mrs. Hall that made her widow, though
she, poor thing might not think so. That
wretched lnebrate and she pointed to the
man we had just met is her husband; and
this is why she plies her needle when we would
willingly save her from all labor She cannot
bear that he should be indebted to the charity
of strangers
1t was even so, for the poor fellow had
reached the garden gate, and was staggering
/ in
so he goes home to her day after dav,' con-
tlnued aunt; 'and so ii has been since few
years after their marriage When | first
came here, he had a neat shop in the village,
and was considered one of the most promising
young men in the neghborhood. Such an ex-
ccllent workman-such clever felow-so
fond and proud of his wife; and every BODY
| said that Charlotte Adams had married 'out of
all trouble in the country phrase. Poor girl !.
she had only entered sea of misfortunes-for,
from the death of her only child fine little
fellow. they have been going down. 1t is a
common story. First, the shop was given up,
and he worked by the day; not long after,
they moved TO smaller house, and sold most
OF their furniture. 1t was then she first COM
menced sewing, and with all her industry she
could scarcely get along. She could never de-
ny him money when she had it-and this, with
his own earnings, were spent at the tavern
She demonstrated in vain. He would promise
TO do better-in his sober moments he was all
contrition, and called himself wretch to grieve
such good wife. | do not believe she has
ever rcproached him, save by glance Of sor-
rowfnl entreaty, such as | have often seen her
| give when he entered as now he is going to
| her
'"She was never very well, and under re-
| peated trials, and sorrow and modification, her
health gave way. Many a time have | parted
with her, never expecting to see her alive again;
but there is some concealed principle of vitali-
ty which supports her. Perhaps it is the hope
that she will yet see her husband what he has
been. | fear she hopes in vain, for if there
was ever man given over to the demon of in
temperance it is James Hall. But it is for
this reason that she refuses the assistance OF
her acquaintances, and works on from day TO
day, sometimes as now unable to leave her
bed. Ofcourse she is well paid, and has plen-
| ty of work, for every body pities her, and all
admire the wonderful patience, cheerfulness,
|
speaks to any one, even to me, Of her husband s
faults. If she ever mentions him it is to say,
James has been such good nurse this week
he has the kindest heart in the world. =
She is heroine, exclaimed my aunt warm
ly. The best wife ever knew-and if there
is mercy in heaven, she will be repaid for all
| she has suffered in this world
'"Poor LADY, | thought and said hun
dred times that week. suppose must have
tired every body with talking about Mrs. Hall.
And did you ever see her again-dd she
die, Miss Gray = asked Emily Bradford, as Is
abel paused in her narration.
Il told you she made those pretty habit
shirts for me. They were not in fashion in
those days if you will recollect The first
summer after my debut in society passed at
Milton. | never shall forget the second even
ing of my visit. Iyou recollect, there was a
great temperance movement through all our
towns and villages just about that time Re
formed inebriates had become the apostles of
temperance and went from village to village,
rousing the inhabitants by their unlearned but
wonderful eloquence. Mass meetings were
held in the town hall at Milton nightly, and by
unces invitation, for he went heart and hand
with the newly awakened spirit of reform, aunt
and myself accompanied him to one of those
l