Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-01-13
CHAPTER II.

rive yours Hau claSpea slHCe tn0 cOHl-
mencement Of our story. Again it was
January,c ,cold and biting. land stormy even.
ing was closing up dull and lowery day.
,. Alone in humble and poorly furnished
apartment, in On obscure part Of the city,
by the side Of a dminutive coal fire, sat the
wife OF Edward Sheldon. She was busily
engaged IN sewing, and as she rapidly pli-
ed her task, would now and then pause.
rest her head upon her hand, apparently
engaged in deep thought. Once she drop.
ped her work, buried her face in her hands,
and, while her face tremblsd with emotion,
the tears trickled through her fingers, and
fell fast and thick on her lap. But there
was no sound, nor murmur o. complaint;
it was evidently the grief of a contrite
heart, and only Till she had subdued her
emotions, and taken from fitted ebony box
The miniature of her husband, did she give
vent TO her feelings in words.
80, that could recall the past? said
she OF length, in trembling accents. as she
gazed on the faithful resemblance of him
who should have been more to her than
life ITSELF Oh, that could recall my past
welded life, and relive again thuse days
which should have been the happiest, but
were, alas! The most wretched of my life!
The proud, selfish heart. of mine was wear
ing the very life-blood from his generous
heart--so kind, faithful and forgiving! I
could have made him happy, | could have
been happy myself, but alas! it is now TOO
late; have made him an exile from home
and entailed upon myself life of loneli-
ness and misery!" and again she buried
her face in her hands, and wept long and
bitterly. ...s. ..--... ...-....
And well might. she weep, for she had
meri,ed her suffering, but was now an al
tered woman; she had passed through the
btterest ordeal it is woman's lot TO bear
she was deserted wife, and that very de-.
sertion bad proved a blessing 10 her.
FaiIing upon the departure of her hus.
band ito find any clue to his residence, ia rrh.
Ell Than that he had left in the steamship
for Europe; ana believing, like every one
else, that he had left her forever, she i'm.
media,eIy set herselflo work, and by the
necessity of toll, soon learned the value of
that money she had SO foolishly squander-
ed. Nor was this all, the effect upon her
mind and temper was observed by all who
knew her. From the irritable and fault
finding woman, she had become mild and
alniable in her temper, for grief had touch
ed cord of love which prosperity had
never done. Her child, too, her beautiful,
but lssl-hew, in her loneliness, did her
heart yearn for that sweet one, on whom
she cou'd have lavished deeper fountain
of love than had ever sweled in her heart,
when it lay in her bosom and was Graded
in her arms. But the dear one was lost to
hsr-lost, perhaps forever-apd she was
alone in the grief and agony Of her heart
Why did the ringing of the door bell a,
that late hour oG the night, so startls the
lone one? 1t was often rung at that hour,
and she heeded il not, bu, how she started
from her dreamy posture, and pressed her
hands upon her heart which throbbed al
nos: 10 bursting. Again it was rung more
violently than before, and again the color
iorsook, the cheek of The wife, and the
breath seemed stayed on her parted lips
was with every nerve awake she stood in
mute posture of suspense. There was
something in the peculiar manner in which
the cord was pulled that ,wus associated