Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-09-26

| lliC tlilC.
We have, now, an explanation Of the
change in the young husbands state of
mind. There were some truths in what
his mother had said, and this made ii
so much harder to bear. The first
shadow had fallen, that dimned the
brightness 0, his new and happy life.
Sail the defects in lda-very small
to his eyes, even after they were point
ed out by his mothcr--were things of
no moment. He had not'intended her
for household drudge. Was she not
loying-heartcd, accomplished and beau
tiful? True, he had intended her for
the presiding genius of his home; and
there were sober, matter Of fact things
to be done in all homes. But her de-
votion to these would come in good
time.
How Edward came to speak as he did
about the tea and toast, was, almost on
the instant he had gwen utterancc to the
wolds, mystery to himself. He start
ed with the starthe gave his young wife,
and trembled for the effect Of his uttered
words. lie would have given much
could he have recalled them. But they
were said beyond any power Of mnsay-
ing.
The reference Of his mother to the in
different tea with which she had been
served at his table, had not only mofti-
fed him, but made some things distinct
in his memory, which, before, were only
seen din,ly, and as matters Of indiifer-
cnce. Where all was so bright, why
should he turn his eyes upon few frag-
ments OF clouds skirting the fair hori-
ION? lie would not have done so if
left to himself. The clouds might have
spreadunul they were much larger than
q mans hand, before their murky as
pcct would have drawn his vision from
the ali-pervadius brightness.
Ida's hand, which was raising cup
to her lips, fell almost as suddenly as
it palsied; a palencss oyerspread he,
countcnance, her lips had a motion tie.
tween culver and Il spasm. From hel
eyes, winch seemed bound, as by q
spell, to her husbands face, tears roll.
ed out and fell in large drops over hel
Checks
. Never before, since Edward had
jooNcuupo thac dear Young face, had
he seen its brightness so veiled.-
| Never before, had word of his been
answered by anything but smiles and
love responses.
Pm sorry Edward" How the
sad, trcmuIous voice Of Ida rebuked the
, young husbands unkindness. ct
shall not be so again %
And she kept her word. Suddenly
he had awakened her from II bright,
dreamy illusion. She hal been IN a
kind Of faIry-Iand. The hard every
| day working world, with its common
working day wants, by an unlooked- fo1
shifting Of scenes, had struck with al
unIovcIy aspect upon her startled vision
the jagged edges Of the real wounding
painfully her soft ideal. But, oIct
awakened, she never slept again. Il
was the first shadow that fell dimly and
coidly upon her married heart-thc
inst, and to the life experienced, We
need not say the last.
Burnt toast and bad tea To think
that common things like these should
have power to shadow a young heart
basking in the sunlight Of love! Ida
had thought Of her husband as almost
indifferent to the vulgar wants his words
made manifest. She saw clearer now.
lie was but flesh and blood like the rest.
Vcry--vcry tenderly spoken were all
the words OF Edward to his young wife,
during the Swallowed evening that fol-
lowed this first dimming Of their home
light. And Ida, who felt the kindness
of his heart, tried to smile and to seem
as of old. But, somehow, she could not
force ITO existence the smiles she wish
ed to send out as tokens of forgiveness.
Thoughts of the bad tea and burnt
toast, the ''usual"- ah! there lay the
smart evening entertainment she had
provided ; or, rather, suffered to be pro-
vidcd BY unskilful hanls--were her own
any mere skillful? for her returning
husband, haunted her all the while.
IT shall not be so againn' Not
idly uttered were these words. All the
evening she keptrepeating them to her.
self, with steadily increasing purpose
and clearer Vision. edward shall
never have another occasion for re-
Duke"
Several times during the evening the
Young husband was tempted to refer to
the conversation held with his mother,
in explanation Of his own conduct, but
he wisely kept his own counsel. Ofall
things he dreaded an estrangement be-
tween his wife and mother.
On the next morning, Edward no.
ticcd that his young wife left their
chamber earlier than usual, and went
down stairs. Not, however, to Eli their
home with music, as she had often
done. Her matinee was the singing
tea-kettle, not the stringed piano. She
had a heightened color, when she took
her place at the breakfast table, and
poured for her husband the fragrant
coffee made with her own hands. be-