Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-03-15
TIE WIFE,s APPEAL.

THE WIFE'S APPEAL.
The clock struck eleven. A woman
sat by the Gireside rocking her baby to
sleep.
The room was a small one ; it was a
poor workman's home; yet there was an
air of ueatncsS and comfort about it.
The floor was swept clean, the fire burn
ed bright and cracked in the chimney,
and the few articles of furniture which
were neatly placed about the room shone
in the fire ght, their clear polish reflect
ing the merry blaze Of the flame.
! Yet the woman seemed to be sad at
| heart, though the elements Of comfort
were about her. She sighed from time to
time as she glanced at the cot in which
her baby was laid. The child moaned
uneasily in its sleep, for it was sick
! i'll.
She stopped down to gaze at it. A
hectic spot burned on either cheek, while
| its lips were parc;.ed and pale. The poor
babe tossed its head uneasily from side to
side. and seemed all unconscious OF the
rocking Of the cradle. which never ceased
to lull it TO its wonted slumber The dis
trcssed mother wrung her hands and wall
cd within herself.
But suddenly she started and rose up
at the sound Of a footstep on the pave
ment without. She listened, the step
passed by; and she sank back into her
chair gain.
"AIas !'' she sighed, sit is not he !
! When will he come %
She listened again. She approached
the door, opened it and looked out. All
was still in the lonely streets the hum OF
the city, though subdued and mulfied by
the falling night, still reached her ears
from the distant thorough(ares hung
high up in the hcavens-shone the fields
of clustering stars, looking down, in their
eternal, Implying gaze, on the turmoil,
the sorrow and the suffering Of this lower
world. The sight of those calm watch
crs-unvarying. impcrishable, eternal, -
is at times full of sadness and mclanclO-
"; at least, SO now did this lone woman
feel, and sadly she turned back to her lit
tie nook, where her child lay. She clo-
sed the door, and sat down again by the
cradle.
All was hushed again, and now she
listened to another distant step in the
street without. Again she stood by the
} door. The clocks OF the city were boom
ing the hour Of twelve far and near.
: The step approached, it was unsteady?
She knew that step. and her heart quail
cd at its sound. She knew its meaning.
All, how bright she once looked at hear
| ing the elastic tread Of her lover, and af-
ter that, of her husband for it was he!
But now, it brought with it only sadness,
despair, and grim forcboding Of sorrow
: to come.
Yet she received him OF old-kissed
him as he entered, and welcomed him
, home again, as she had always done.
1t is very late, William" she said.
"Well, what of that ."
" IFS lonely sitting up"
And who told you to sit up? No
body asked you. What business have
; you to sit up o. and he hiccuPped. s-
The poor woman burst into tears.
Crying again, woman. Well, what
good will that do? You don't think
care for your crying p ..
. "I am afraid not. William. But go to
bed, and we shall talk things over in the
morning.. .. ...
Talk things over? What have you
got to say that you can'G say it now =
| You're going to scold ME, l suppose but
us ali uO uSG.
I No, William, you know well enough
am no scold. | have never spoken an
angry word to you yet, since L became
your wife, and l will not. II a husband
cannot be got to love his wife and have a
regard for her comfort without scOlding,
it were better to give him up at once, "she
said seriously.
"Why, Kate. what do you mean l
! know you have been good wife, and an
! aHectionate one ; but can't a man stay out
when he likes without his wife setting a
crying when he comes home But,
come-let's to bed" -..... E..
No, William must nurse our child.
He's very ILL.," a.- ..... ..
"What Ill?" and 1 didn't know of
| it ! What's the matter %
81 can't tell but he's feverish and
restless, and must watch by him for the
night. Go to bed now, like good, kind
fellow. I hope i: will be all we'll in the
morning" . .-.....-.. .....-
"Well, be it so. But I must have a
kiss of the baby before I go. Aud he
approached the cradle for the purpose.
Intoxicated though he was, he could
see'how much the child suffered; it moan
ed and tossed about as if in pain. He
would, however, have lifted the child up
in his arms, but the mother dissuaded
hint was too i'll for that. He stopped