The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-09-17
Her husband sighed. but did as he was


Her husband sighed, but did as he was
oid' The tea came up, and he took his
seat, but the chapter was not yet cOncIud-
ed, and SO he was compelled to watt
When, at last, Mrs. Wenlw orlh came to
the table the tea was cold. The meal.
under those circumstances, was dull one.
and the husband, after tea was over, find.
ing his wife absorbed in her book, lav
down on the sofa and finally went to
sleep.
Mrs. Wentworth had been the belle of
the town before her marriage. Tier
sprightlincss and beauty had been the
theme of constant admiration. But these
qualities would have failed to have won
Harry Wentworh's heart, if they had no,
been sustained by most exquisite taste
i'll dress. See Fanny when you would.
she was always carefully attircd and as
Harry Wentworth was particularly faSli.
dious on this point, he thought hims, II
the happlest of men when Fanny, one
bright summer evening" promised 10 be
his.
But unfortunately the bride had no
real habits Of nealness, hut only a love Of
admiration. 1t Was v2ujty that had in.
duccd her while single to hc careful of her
dress; but now that she WAS married Size
gradually gave way to her natural indo
lcnce. The first occasion on which she
did this TO any very gIarinC extent. WAS
the evening on which oUr story opens :;
bu, 1t WAS soon followed up 10y o,Ler cx-
hihitions Of sloveniness.
81 10 wish, Fanny, that YOU would
dhc>S more neatly" said Mr.. Wentworth,
IN vcNcd voice, some months later still.
Night after night | conc nome and lind
you IN that atroeious wrapper"
"lou used to think me pretty enough
IN any Dress" retorted Mrs. Wentworth,
testify
But | never saw Won in one like that
before We were married." replied her nus
band.
"To ne sure not" said Mrs. Wentworth,
and she laughed ironically. II alway,
dressed for company then, and DO 50
now
What could Mr.. Wentworth say? If
his wi:c did not think it necessary to be
neat IN his preseuce-did not consider hun
us worthy of pleasing as the comparative
| strangers whom she called cumpyuv-it
VAS useless to argue with hey; So, after
tea, the slipshod heels still annoying him,
with percepliblc hole IN the stocking to
increase that annoyance, he moodily took
his hat and left the house.
At first Mr.. Wentworth walked MP and
| down The street, but at last, fhigucd with
this, he stepped into debating room at
'achcd to tavern. Here he met several
acquaintanCcs, and gradually falling into
conversation, tie evening passed rapidly
away.
When he went home, Mrs. Wentworth,
looking very sleepy. and little out OF hu.
NOR, accostcd hIm with" Where in the
world have YOU been finished nay
novel an hour ago, and have had nobody
To talk 10 ever since. ! am mopcd to
death. There was ,imc," she ald~d.
poutingIy, when nothing in The world
could have induced you 10 spend an exc
ming away from me-"
Her husband was on the point Of reply.
ing in n similar upbraidIng style, hut he
recollccted that he had expostulated too
often and too vainly, and SO he SAID moth
inc.
1t was a week before Mr.. Wentworth
spent another evening out. llctred sin.
cercly to stay ut home; but his annoy
ance at his wife's s!oveuIincss WAS too
great, and at last he left her again to her
novel and her siipshod shoes.
Mr.. Wcntworth has now become n con
firped visitor Of the debating room, the
members Of which are chiefly married
men; and ii the full truth were known, it
would appear, we believe, that most OF
them, il not all, have wives resembling
Mis- Wentworth. Sometimes there is an
undue quantity ufbrandy-snd.wnler drank
at these meetings, so tlat some members,
and Mr. Wentworth among them, & 4
ceterd desuDi.