Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-04-28

charging her with murder, Janet s,outly
denied all moral cause for depression,
and stood by the physical like heroine.
'One feels differen,lyat at these times,
ma'am, and one canno. help crying for
nothing. 1t does one good and seems
TO relieve me. Robert is kind as kind
can be, and have no fault to find with
any one.' a . a.a-..
And then she sat down on a chair, and
wept as if her heart was breaking.
When she went to bed that night,
she asked pardon for her falsehood.-
But as she looked at her husband ly-
ing there, half drunk, and thought how
handsome and manly he was, she fel,
that she had been justified in lying for
him. And then she pushed his curls
from off his forehead, when he swore
and struck out clumsily, and called her
bad names in his brutal, stupid, drunken
sleep.
The baby was born, aud Rober; less
inclined for home thar ever. He hated
to hear it cry--and what baby will not
cry-and he hated to see his wife nurse
and fondle it. And how are babies to
live. if wives don't nurse them!
Things wen. on in this manner; only
getting worse as Robert fell from weari-
ness TO neglect. from neglect to dislike,
and finally to isl-usage. Every tear
from Janet was reproach vehemently
resented. Every caress In annoyance
brutalIy rejected; her plaintive voice was
the very thing to drive him from home
for amusement, and her forced cheerful.
ness sent him out OF doors for quiet.--
Sad or gay. smiles or tears, love or re.
proach-it was all the same; he would
be illus ed, and find an excuse for him.
self in her conduct.
Another baby was born-almost with
in year-making such rapid advance
toward a pasriarchal condition of house
hold that Robert talked moodily of the
workhouse. But Janet thought that
drink, not babies. would bring him to
the workhouse, if ever he went there.
Things grew worse daily; Janet had
black eyes and bruised lips often now.
and her gait an actions were those of a
person badly famed. Robert had taken
to beat her whenever he was tipsy-
which was almost every nlght--till some.
times she thought he would murder her.
And if it had not been for the children,
she would rather have preferred his put
ting her out of the way, as she called il,
if he would not have been hung for it!
Que morning she rose early, after a
night of heavy, dreamless sleep. But
not SO early as her husband, whose place
by her was empty. AS she glanced a.
round The room, something strange and
unfamiliar struck her. She did not al
first understand wha. it was. but soon
the open drawer, rifed boxes. the scat
tered furniture, told her that she had
been robbed while she slept so heavily
the past night. Trembling she called
her husband, but no one answered. -
Hurrying on few clothes, she ran down
stairs, where scene of infinitely worse
confusion shocked and frightened her
still nore. The little stock Of plate,
partly bought by her own money, partly
given by good Miss Harrington, and
greatly priced, was gone; the best of the
books--not best for their contents but
tor their bindings, which was all Robert
Maylin was likely to think of-had also
gone: the portable little pre,tiness about
the house; and, when Janet came to ex.
anime more minu.ely into matters, a
small sum of money, which she had sav.
ed as a beginning for the children, had
been carried off. All her best gowns
and shawls were missing, and Robert
Maylin with them. An amethyst brooch
which Miss Harrington had given her,
on her wedding day; little alabaster
figure of more beauty than worth; but
which Janet had loved almost like liv-
ing creature; and an old fashioned gold
watch, that had been an heir-loom in
the family for generations. and which
was popularity believed to have belonged
to thai fabulous squire, whom most
country families claim as their original
progenitor--ihese had disappeared, to.
gelher with the rest; and poor Janet felt
utterly berefs OF every possession in the
world!
Search was made through the coun-
try; bur Robert Maylin was not to be
found. Janet was obstinate in her be-
lief in bitches and drunkenness, and Of
ten pressed her conviction that her hus-
band would turn up again somehow
She refused positively to look on him as
the thief, and used to cry bitterly when
her ueighbors, in their rough way, as
serted that her own husband robbed her.
He might desert her because he no long.
er loved; but how could she think him
capable of such wickedness as this!-
However, letter from Liverpool set the
matter at rest. For, wi.hou, touching
on the robbery, Master Robert coolly as
serted his intention of proceeding forth
with to the United States, whittier he
was driven, he said, by the fear Of a large
family, and from whence he would re-
turn when he could suppor. his wife and
children as became him. II was an art
ful letter. and left large margin for fu-
sure events. 1t ended by exhor,ing Ja-
net to be sensible girl. and not to fret
after him; that he should work for her,
and she should be better without him;
in which opinion many of the villagers