The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-11-28

ry won. Mrs. Paley's heart was full OF ten
dcrness and sympathy. Could she have real
zed how much pain her ceaselcfs and use
less grumbling caused her aaectionate hus
band, or she never would indulge the habit
She would not make him unhappy for the
world, and now when the lesson had opened
her eyes she set q guard upon her tongue.
Almost always o habitual grumbler is an
indolsnt person. A man or woman whose
mind is occupied has no time to be discon.
tented. But Mrs. Paley's was q kind OF
moral Incidence. She permitted her noble
faculties to sleep for the time, and discon'
tent stole in while the sentinel was ofguard.
She had chosen new course Of action, but
she had to watch with ccaseless vigilance
Just to curb the disposition to complain
To be indolent was to lose the battle and TO
lose the battle was perhaps to ALLEVIATE the
affections of her husband.
Her best efforts were not wholly success
full. She would forget herself and grumble
before she thought: but John perscvered in
his attempts to effect cure.
There my dear, have bought you nice
pair of chickens said John, ono night just
before Thanksgiving, when he came home
from his daily labor.
They are two-thcy are very nice ones
john replied she. But do you think we
can afford to have chickens-that Is, Of
course you know best what we can afford.
'Oncc in while my dear; we haven't
had any this year.
They are very NICE
'And cost only ten cents pound
VERY cheap
John sat down to tea. Unfortunately the
biscuit were sadly diseased with saleratus /;
indeed they were yellow as saffron.
That salcratus you got yesterday is such
miserable stuff. 1t is not fit to put into
bread
'Humph! you put in four times as much
US was necessary, replied John, rcsortins to
his former tactics. 'Your tea, too, is as fiat
rs dish-water, and tho
Forgive me, John
Il won't say another word, my DEAR
added John with n smile that turned II all
into sunshine.
Il was careless about the biscuit
Never mind, Mary we can make it do
very well. Accidents will happen in the
best regulated families
Shall put some more tea in the tea
pot"
NO my dear, I only said that, the tea is
very good
'Ah sec what you mean.'
1T is all right; you have done nobly, my
lear and byc.and-byc you will forget how
10 complain
Il hope so John, for your sake
And eventually Mary did overcome the
habit. She had all the heart Of woman
needed to make her happy-a good home
a good and kind husband-so that her life
might have been perpetual sunshine, if she
chose to have it so.
Patience and perseverance overcome all
things, and they will overcome the vilcst
habit that ever clung to q SHINING mortal.
With her the palm of victory was disputed
inch by inch, and occasionally the husband
had to tell her the tea was dish-water, that
the cakes tasted Of saleratus, or something
Of the kind but the cure at last was COM
pleted. She learned to look on the bright
side and to ignore he dark side.
To John Paley belonged the credit of the
cure. Another might have become disgust
ed with matrimony, pronounced the whole
thing a humbug, and gone from his home to
seek solace in the company Of the abandon
cd and dissolute. To him the remembrance
of his wifc's devotion in sickness was like
an oasis IN the desert. 1t is true, II was
her duty to take care Of him in sickness;
but her devotion was not bounded by the
mandate Of duty, it was the offspring of love
1t was the hearts tribute, and her hus-
banb saw that her grumbling was only
dark shadow That obscurcd the brightness Of
her character, and he chased the clond away.