Western Reserve chronicle and weekly transcript of the times. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1854-1855, 1855-03-14

burst of anger and imprecation. Icould
not understand why they quarreled. There
was mystery between them 1 did no
know of; and l did not like to ask them,
: for l was afraid of them both-as much
afraid of Ellen as my husband-and !
felt like reed between them-as if /
should have been crushed beneath any
storm l might chance to wake up. So |
was silent, suffering alone, and bearing
a cheerful face so far as l could.
Ellen wanted me TO turn home with
her. Soon after she came, and soon af.
ter ! heard the first dispute between hem,
she urged me to go back to Hurst Farm;
at once, and for a long time. Weak as
am by nature, it has always been a mar.
vel to me since, how strong 1 was where
my love for my husband was concerned.
1t seemed impossible for me to yield to
any pressure against him. l believe now,
that very angel could not have turned
me from him
At last she said to me, in a low voice /:
"Mary, this is madness lit is almost
sinful! Can you not see-Can you not
hear?" And then she stopped, and
would say no more, though l urged her
to tell me what she meant. For this
terrible mystery began to weigh on me
painfully, and, for all that 1 trembled SO
much to fathom it, 1 had begun to feel
that any truth would be better than such
a life of dread. l seemed to be living
among shadows; my very husband and
sister not real, for their real lives were
hidden from me. But was too timid to
insist on an explanation +; and so things
went on in their old way.
In one respect only changing still more
painfully, still more markedly; in my
husbands conduct towards me. He was
like another creature altogether to me
now, he was so altered. He seldom
spoke to me at all, and he never spoke
kindly. All that 1 did annoyed him, all
that said irritated him and once { the
little widow covered her face with her
hands and shuddered,) he spurned me
with his foot and cursed me, one night in
our own room, when l knelt weeping be-
fore him, supplicating him for PHYS sake
10 tell me how l had offended him. But
L said to myself that he was tired, an
noyed, and that it was irritating to see
loving woman's tears; and so 1 excused
him, as often times before, and went on
loving him all the same-GoD forgive me
for my idolatry!
Things had been very bad of late be-
tween Ellen and my husband. But the
character of their discord was changed.
Instead of reproaching, they watched
each other necessarily. They put me
in mind of fencers-my husband on the
defensive.
Mary" said my sister to me sudden
ly, coming to the sofa wher- l was sit
ting embroidering my poor baby's cap.
"What does your Harry do in life p
What is his profession ?''
She fixed her eyes on me earnestly.
81 do not know, darling" answered
vaguely. "He has no profession that 1
know Of"
''But what fortune has he, then ? Did
he not tell you what his income was and
how obtained, when he married I? To
us, he said only, that he had so much
year thousand year; and he would
say no more. But has he not been more
explicit with you?"
"No," l answered, considering for
indeed, l had never thought of this.
had trusted SO blindly to him in every
thing, that it would have seemed to me
profound insult to have even asked of
his affairs. "NO, he never told me any
thing about his fortune, Ellen. He gives
me money when l want it, and is always
generous. He seems to have plenty
whenever it is asked for, he has it by
him, and gives me even more than re-
quire."
Still her eyes kept looking at me in
that strange manner. "And this is all
you know?''
Eyes, all. What more should 1 wish
to know? Is he not the husband, and
has he not absolute right over every
thing? l have no business to interfere"
The words sound harsher now than they
did then, for spoke lovingly.
Ellen touched the little cap 1 held
"Does not this make you anxious?" she
said. Can you not fear as a mother,
even while you love as wife,"
"Fear, darling? Why? What should
1 fear, or whom! What is therc, Ellen,
on your hearth l then added passion
tely; "Tell me at once for l know that
you have some terrible secret concealed
from me and would rather know any
thing, whatever it may be, than live on
longer in this kind of suspense and an
guish 1t is too much for me to bear,
Ellen"
She took my hands. "Have you
strength" she said earnestly. "Could
YOU really bear the TRUTH" Then see
ing my distress. for l had fallen into
kind of hysterical fiji was very deli
cate then-she shook her head in despair,