Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-01-12

The First Gross Word.

You seem happy, Annette, always.
have never been in a family where the
husband and wife seemed more so.
"Well done, Kate, 'said Mrs. Huntington
laughing, you have used the word "seem
only twice IN that short sentence. And
now you have begging way about you, a:
| if YOU were really in earnest 10 hear some
thing about married life, before taking the
fatal step 1t is we'll Harry is not here tc
see the look of sadness in the eyes of his
bride elect. He might fancy the heart wa:
full of misgivings instead Of wedding fine
"Don't laugh at me, Annette talk With
me as you used to do. love Henry, you
know, and yet have-many missgivings "a
bout married life. see SO few who are
really happy in this relation-T mean hap
py as | should wish to be. You seem to
come nearer to it than any one else. Dc
you ever -?
Quarrel no, not often, now. We had
orr breaking in, l believe it must come
to all sooner or later.
"Do tell me about it, viii you, Annette'
eyes, if you are very desirous of it
You may learn something from it. -,
II was a romantic girl, as you well know
Kate. Some few friends had, whom
loved dearly but these friendships did moi
quite satisfy my heart. Something more
il craved. | hardly knew what, until
loved my husband. When we were first
married, | used sometimes to ask myself
Now, do | find in this life all which ex-
pected to find? Am as happy as thought
| should be My heart always responded,
yes, aud more so. With us the romance
of married life, if may call it so, held on
a long time. For my part, was conscious
of pleasurable excitement of feeling when
we were together, | enjoyed walking and
riding atone with him. The brightest hours
Of the day were those in which we sat alone
together to talk or ad. For long time
| felt gentle restraint in his presence. |
liked to be becomingly dressed and to feel
IN tune. When dull, | made an effort to be
social and cheerful if he was present. |
had great fear Of getting into the way of
sitting down stupidity with my husband, or
of having nothing to talk about but The chill
dren and the butchers bill. | made bus
mess of remembering every pleasant thing
which | read or thought, to tell him, and
when all these subjects were exhausted, we
had each of US hobby we could ride, so
that we were never silent for want of some
thing to say. Thus we lived for a year or
two. | was very happy. | think people
were often surprised to see us continue to
enjoy each others society with so much
Zest.
But there was this about 1t. As yet had
nothing to try me. We were boarding,
had no care, and his tenderness and inter-
est was a sovereign panacea for the little
alls and roughness which must fall to us in
our best estate. This could not last, how
ever, forever. He became more and more
occupied in his business, and at length |
had house and a baby to look after
Then, for the first time, our mutual forbear-
ance was put to the test. Hitherto we had
been devoted to each other; now the real
cares of life pressed upon us so as Often re-
ally to absorb our energies. | was the first
to feel the change. 1t seemed to me as if
something vas oyershadowing us. Some
times | would get sentimental, and think
he did not love me as be once did. As |
look back now, am convinced that here
was my .Erst ,erong step. Indulgence in
these moods weakened my resolution. 1t
was an injustice to him, of which ought
not to have been guilty. 1t left me, too,
with wounded feeling, as if | had been
wronged, which began to affect my spirits
Once, | had for some time carried about
this little sore spot in my heart. | kept the
matter all to myself, for was IN part a
shamed and in part too proud to speak Of
it. Here was another wrong step. There
is no security of happiness in married life
but in the most perfect confidence.
There came season of damp, chilly
weather: One morning got up feeling
very irritable. had taken cold, my head
lched, and my baby had been worrlsome du-
ing the night. In my kitchen l had
cross, Ignorant servant girl, and ON this