New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-11-19
THE FIRST CROSS WORD.

| never been IN family where the husband an
| wife seemed more 80.
swell done, Kate" said Mrs Huntington
] laughing, syou have used the word seem onl
twice in that short sentence. And now yol
havea begging way about you, as if you wer
really in earnest to hear something about mar
ried life, before taking the fatal step 1t is vel
Henry is not here to see the look of sadness il
the eye Of his bride elect He might fancy he
heart was fullof misgivings instead Of wedding
| fnery," 'Sa n
| Don't laugh at me, Annette; talk witt. m
as you used to do. Hove Henry, you know, an,
yet have many misgivings about married life
toni mean happy as l should wish to be
You seem to come nearer to it than any one else
Don't you ever"
"Quarrel no, not often, now. We had oul
breakingin I believe 1t must come to all
| sooner or later"
| ''Do tell me about it, will you Annette7"
ssYes, if you are very DESTROYS Of it. Yor
may learn something from it. was a romatit
girl, as you well know, Kate. Some few friends
had, whom I loved dearly but these friend.
ships did not quite satisfy my heart. Something
more it craved / hardly knew what, until
loved my husband. When we were first mar
ried, used to ask mysel-now, do find in thi,
life all which expected to fnd7 Am as hap.
py as thought should be-? Ny heartalways
responded, yes, and more SO. With US, the ro
nance Of married life, if may call it so, held
GU a long time. For my part, I was conscious
OF pleasurable excitement of feeling when We
were together. / enjoyed riding and walking
alone with him. The brightest hours ofthe day
we're those in which we sat down alone together
to talk or read. For long time felt gentle
restraint In his presence. liked to be becom-
ingly dressed, and to feel in tune. When dull,
| made an effort to be social and cheerful if he
was present. had o great fear of getting into
the way Of sitting down stupidity with my hus-
band, or of having nothing to talk about but
the children and the butchers bill. A made a
business of Rendering every pleasant thing
which / read, or heard, or thought, to tell him
and when all these subjects We're exhausted, we
had each Of us hobby we could ride, SO that
we were never silent for want of something to
say. Thus we lived for year or two. l was
very happy. l think people were often sur.
prlsed to see us continue to enjoy each others
society with so much zest
&c But there was this about it. As yet had
nothing to. try me. We were boarding had
ne care, and his tenderness and interest was a
sovereign panacea for the little ills and rough
-nesses which must fall to us in our best estate
This could not last forever. He became more
and more occupied in his business, and / at
length had house and baby to look after.
Then, for the first time our mutual forbearance
was put to the test. Hitherto we had been de.
voted to each other; now the real cares of life
pressed upon us so as often really to absorb our
energies was the first to feel the change, 1t
seemed to me asif something was oversiadow-
ing US. Sometimes l would get sentimental,
and think ne did not love me as he once did As
L look back now, am convinced that here was
my .trst acr0ng step. Indulgence in these moods
weakened my resolution. It was an Injustice to
him Of which | ought not to have been guilty.
1t left me, too, with a wounded feeling, as if /
had been wronged, which began to affect my
spirits.
s'I had for some time carried about this little
sore spot in my heart. III kept the matter all
to myself, for was in part ashamed and in
part too proud to speak of it. Here was an
other wrong step. There is no security of hap
piness in married life, but in the most perfect
confidence.
s'There came season Of damp, chilly weather.
One morning got up very irritable l had
taken cold; my head ached, and my baby had
been worrisome during the night In my kitch-
en- had cross, ignorant servant girl and on
this particular morning she had done her very
worstfor. breakfast The beef-steak was burned
to cinder, the eggs were like bullets, the bread
was half baked, and the coffee, which was our
main stay, was execrable. My husband was
very patient with all this, until he came to the
coffee, and said in half vexed tone,
"'I do wish we could ever have any good
coffee, Annette, why cannot you make it as
mother does:'
'sThis was drop too much for me, and /
boiled over
"' You never think anything on our table fit
to be eaten,' said l. and / almost started at the
sound of my own voice. you had better live at
home, if you are not satisfied, or else provide me
with decent servants. l cannot do verything-
take care of my baby all night, and get the
breakfast too
f@' | did not know before that was 80, geru
unreasonable, said he, in a tone of injured feel
ing. -,
ellie sat few moments, then rose, left his
untasted breakfast, put on his hat and went off.
When / heard the door shut behind him all my
temper left me- went into my room, locked
myself in, sat down and cried like child This
was the first cross UOrd had ever spoken to
my husband. 1t seemed to me as if some sud
den calamity had befallen us. l worked myself
up to such a pitch of feeling, that walked about
the room wringing my hands.
$50, it is all over with u.s., thought I; we
shall never be happy together again in this
world This thought made me unspeakably
miserable. Ifelt as if black pail had fallen
around me, and in the future there was only
darkness In my misery l sought to comfort
myself by blaming him. He need not have
spoken SO to me, at any rate said l, out loud
he might nave seen now felt; 1t was too much
for any one to bear. Tt really was not bit
kind in him. 1t is plain enough he does not
care for my comfort as lie once did. Then tic
be always telling me what nice things his
mother cooks, when he knows am trying to dc
my very best to learn to please him. 1t is really
too bad 49,
"sDon't look so dreadfully sober, Kate MY
baby cried just here, and 1 had to run before
was through with my catalogue of grievances
yet had gone far enough to get we'll on the
wrong track again l began to calm myself
with the reflection, that if there had been a
great wrong done, was not the only one tc
blame for it. 1 was dreadfully sorry that had
spoken cross to him, but thought he ought tc
be sorry, too. Before my badly had finished
crying, came to the conclusion that would
exhibit no signs of penitence until saw some
in him.
$50 bathed by face, that no traces of tears
| might remain, dressed myself with unusual
care, and went down to old Bridget to give some
very particular directions about the dinner.
did this with a martyr like spirit. meant tt
try my best to make him sorry for his injustice
resolved toreproach him with first rate din
ner, good as his mother could cook. To whe
the edge of my delicate reproach, made, will
my own hands, most excellent cup of coffee.
Gone o'clock came at last, though I though
it never would; the door opened, and l heard hi
quick step in the hall. OF all things in thi
world, he was whistling! He came to the tabl'
with bright face, from which every trace o
the mornings cloud had disappeared. and MS h,