Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-03-18
4 Select Gale.
THE WIFE'S APPEAL.

oy lUe uTtsiue ROCKING ner OaOy 10 steep.
The room was small one; it was
poor workman's home; yet there was an
air Of neatness and comfort about it. The
floor was slept clean, the fire burned bright
and cracked in the chimney, and the few
articles OF furniture which were neatly
placed about the room shone in the fire.
light, their clear polish rejecting the merry
blaze of the flame.
Yet The woman seemed 10 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-ill,
She stopped down to gaze at i. A hec-
tic spot burned on either cheek, while its
lips were parched and pale. The poor
babe tossed its head uneasily from side to
side, and seemed all unconscious of the
rocking of the cradle, which now ceased
to lull it to its wonted slumber. The dis
tressed mother wrung her hands and walled
within herself.
But suddenly she started aud rose up at
the sound of foostep on the pavement
without. She listened the step passed
by and she sank back in her chair again.
"Alasn' she sighed, cit 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 muffled by
the falling night, still reached her ears
from the distant thoroughfares. Over and
above all streets, lamps, and city thorough
fares, hung high up in the heavens
shone the clustering fields of 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
watchers, unvarying, imperishable, eternal,
ia at times full OF sadness and melancho-
ly; at least, so now did this lone woman
feel, and sadly she turned back into her
little nook, where her child lay. She clo-
sed the door, and set down again by the
cradle.
All was hushed again, and now she lis
tened to another distant step in the street
without. Again she stood by the door,
The clocks of the city were booming the
hour of twelve far and near.
The step approached; it was unsteady
She knew that step, and her heart quailed
at its sound. She knew its meaning. All
how bright she once looked at hearing the
elastic tread Of her lover, and after that, ol
her husband,- for it was he! But now il
brought with it only sadness, despair, and
grim foreboding of sorrow TO come.
Yet she received him as of old-kissed
him as he entered, and welcomed him
home again, as she had always done.
at is very late, William" she said.
"Well what OF that %
"It's lonely sitting up.'
sand who told you 10 sit upi Nobody
asked you. What business have you to
sit up' Nobody asked you. What business
have you TO sit up % and he hiccupped.
The poor woman burst into tears.
"Crying again, woman Well, what
good will that do you' You don't think
care for your crying ?"
"'m afraid not, William. But go. tc
bed, and We shall talk things over in the
morning."
"Talk things over? What have you go
to say, that you can't say it now y! You're
going to scold me, / suppose but it's all o
no use."
"No, William; you know we'll enough
| am no scold. have never spoken al
angry word to you yet, since / became
your wife, and / will not. If a HUSBAND
cannot be got to love his wife and have
regard for her comfort without scolding, i
were better to give him up at once" sh,
said, seriously.
Why, Kate what do you mean I
know you have been good wife, and al
afectionate one; but can't man stay ou
when he likes, without his wife setting
crying whenh he comes homea But come
let's to bed"
"No, William; l must nurse our child
He's very ILL.,"
"What III I and I didn't know OF it
What's the matterl" .-
81 can't tell but he's ieverish and res,
less, and / must watch by him for th
night. Go to bed now, like good, kin
fellow. ! hope il will all be we'll in th
morning."
"Well, be il so. But l must have XII,
of the baby before ! CO." and he approach
ed the cradle for the purpose.