Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1857-04-01
THE TWO FACES.

The Court adjourned to the day fxed by
law.
THE TWO FACES.
OF course we never mean to be personal,
but yet we know that tho following life les
son must find application somewhere, else it
would never have been written. Or, like the
preparations Of the universal physician, it
may be laid up for use in case Of disease, or
even taken as u preventive. s
Mrs. Abby Leeman Was thirty years old,
and had been married just ten years She
had an excellent husband, and three good
children. She was naturally kind excel.
lent woman, and meant to do right; she had
one fault; and small as it seemed to her, it
occasioned much unhappiness in the family
circle She was not always happy at home,
nor was she always pleasant, though for the
life Of her, she could not tell what had oc-
| Cured to ruffle her feeling She had every
thing about her calculated to beget Joy, and
her very reasonable wish was answered
But after all she always wore sour face, and
her tongue would run on in strains far from
sweet or accordant.
"What is the matter, Abby?' asked her
husband, as he returned one evening from
the store and found his wife with sour face
on.
Nothing" was the answer, given rather
moodily.
"But something must be the matter. You
don't look so when you are happy
How can help my looks? Can't look
as feel without disturbing your
"Pshaw, Abby-don't talk So" the hus.
band said, at the same time placing his arms
about her neck and kissing her Now tell
me what has happened
Nothing has happened more than usual,
uttered the wife, still unpleasantly "Who
wouldn't be sober, Id like to know, stuck up
here from morning until night with two
squalling young ones to look out for all the
| time"
signalling young ones, repeated Albert
Leeman, while an expression of pain passed
over his features.
There Look at that" cried the wife,
pointing to where her youngest child, q girl
| of four years, was just climbing up to the
tea-table after the sugar-bowl. Get out Of
that you little brat There-take that
| Now let me catch you up there again. Stop
that crying-stop it, | say. You touch that
sugar again, and Ill give you such licking
as you won't want"
The poor child tried in vain to hush its
sobbing, and instinctively crept to its father S
side He placed his arm around the little
one and raised it to his knee, and in a mo-
ment more its Redeemed inhamed cheek,
where the mothers blow had fallen, was pill
lowed upon the fathers bosom
oh, yes" said the wife; "now you'll pet
the brat. I'd like to have you have charge
Of an a II doY Nod ooo bo,v ,n,,ob ,,,t;opno
you'd have n
al would at least remember she was my
child" said he somewhat reproachfully, ssand
also bear in mind the simple fact that the
young disposition may gain all its impulse
from the example it receives at the hands of
its guardian
Oh, yes that's it. OF course, i am always
wrong" And then Abby Leeman put her
apron to her eyes and began to cry
OF course, the husband could say no more
He had often, very often, suffered all this be-
fore, and he had tried to make his wife see
how much real unhappiness she was making
for herself; but she would not listen; or, if
she did, the impression was not lasting. In
fact, she had no patience with her children,
and the single rufile of moment was sure to
make unhappiness for her She loved her
husband fondly; and her children she loved,
too. She was proud Of them, and for their
comfort she would sacrifice any amount of
personal convenience Many and many an
hour of blissful JOY did she pass with her
husband when the sky was clear, but cloud
was sure to bring the storm. For years not
a day passed that had not seen some unpleas-
ant passages between herself and children,
and she would not understand that her very
mode. Of treatment-the disposition she man
Tested and the language she used--was sure
ly warping the minds of the little ones In
pain and anguish her husband had tried to
show her this, but she would not listen; and
then, when she was calm and reasonable, Al
bert could not find it in his power to destroy
the peace by such illusions.
On the present occasion, supper was eaten
almost in silence The husband was panied
and the wife angry. The child once cried
for a lump of sugar, and the mother ierked
a piece upon her plate with the words
There, take it You want everything
you set your eyes on.
The little one ate the sugar in silence,
while the mother felt more dismal still from
this new outburst And thus matters went
on for an hour, and at the end of that time
the door-bell rang, and some company was
introduced. 1t was neighbor and his wife
In moment, the whole expression of Abby
face was changed. Smiles took the place of
frowns, and her words wereas sweet as could
be; and during the whole evening she was
as happy and gay as though a cloud had
never rested upon her brow
ABBY" said her husband, after the visi-
ters had gone, "since we have been married
have not done all in my power to make you
happy? Have you ever expressed an earn
est, heartfelt wish that l have not gratiied? p
II don't know replied the wife,. rather
reluctantly
YES you do know, replied Albert; "and
what wish to know is this Why couldyou
not strive so much to make me happy, as you
will to make those who are not dependent
upon you for happiness When caaie home
this evening worn and Etisued with the Ia
bors of the day, why could you not have met
lne with smile and cheerful welcome 2
because didn't feel like smiling" was
the answer.
''But you smiled the moment Mr.. Bixbee
and his wife came in; and that too, when
your feelings were anything but pleasant
moment before Can you do for their COM
fort what you are unwilling to do for mine z
II do the best can, am sure, sobbed
Mrs. I.eeman. beginning to cry. 81 wish
you'd found wife who could have suited
You better than do never can suit you
never =
Abby was in tears, and her husband could
say no more He could only wish that she
would understand him Oil how often,
when she was kind and good, did he wish
she would always be so; and again when she
was making companv SO happy, how feryeut-
ly did he pray that she would always do the