The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-03-27
MisrRllanson5.
r From As oRr, 3ran,A.
Only A Husband.
BY 7. ARTHUR.


was in the voice Of Mrs. Archer; what
pleasant light shonc in her eyes. She Ia
dropped glove which gentleman had lit
ed from the aoor and placed in her hand.
Mr.. Archer, the lady's husband, saw tn
little act Of courtesy, and noticed its rewart
lie would have given almost anything 70
just such u masicll Thank you u!"-'or q
bright glance Us she had thrown upon
stranger. Once. tone and glanccs like thos
had been his reward for any little attention
hc might happen to offer; now, all 'h
small coirtesies of life wers Withdrawn, an
no matter what the act or Its quality, hi
wife received it with a cold indifference, sin
sularly in contrast with her manner towar
other men.
Was il defect Of love Did Mrs Arch
er really lhink more highly Of other men
who showed her polite attentions than sh
did her husbind? Some times chaicd feel
ing of impatience-sometimc Of jealousy
and sometimes ofmourniul regret for sun
nicr days in the far away past, would troubl
the husband sorely. But these were presses
aside, or suffered to die for lack Of falinent
and the dull, cold routine of every day lif
permitted to have its usual course.
On the OCCASION referred to above, Mr.
Archer and his wife were Spending an even
ing at the house of friend, where compan,
had been invited. For days previously. tn
countenancs Of Mrs. Archer had worn il
usual dead calm, its impcrturbed placidit.
its matter-oCcoarse aspect. She had talkeC
with her husband in u kind of dead.leye
tone and IN nner on all subjects that hap
pencd to come up, whether Of first or thirC
importance. Or, if interest happened I,
risc into anything approaching enthusiasm
1t was accompanied by something Of sharp
ness that left on the mind OF Mr.. Archer az
uncomfortable feeling, rs if he we're blainet
for something. And this had been the wife,
aspect even after she had dOnned her com
pany attire, and up to the moment wher
she made her appearance among the guest,
oil the friend To whose house she brought
died up rs Il were in closely compac, bun
die, her smiles and courtesies for public di
pensation.
As he had noticed on many previous oc
casiOns, so did Mr.. Archer notice on this
the remarkable difference between his wife,
home and company, manners-between hoi
treatment Of her husband, and her treatment
ogother gentlemen who happened to cntel
into conversation with her, or offer any polit,
attention. The answer to their words al
ways went forth from lips wreathcd with
smiles and eyes sparkling with pleasure tc
his words, from u cold placid mouth, ant
with II indifferent or averted glances.-
And yet Mrs. Archer was faithful wife il
all her dutiful relations and in her heart
u loving wife to her husband II smiles did
not play in sunny circles over her counte
nance, Us in former times she made the house
hold smile with order and comfort, arrans
ed and secured by her ever busy hands, he
thoughts were no wandering truants t,
other and forbidden fields, but home guests
nor were they busy for herself, hut for he
husband and children in whom her life wa,
bound up. twas not that love for her hus
band had gr5wn dull-answernG not u
mirror answers to facc-that her countc
nance did not light up ut his cominS-tha
she did not meet his word AMI attention
with smiling glanc,s. Had she not giyer
him her heart when she had given him he
hand-had she not promised to be faithful
wife? Was she not true to all of her rela
tons? What more was required Of her
Ia never entered her thoughts. that her hus
hand was weak enough To desire dali,
repetition of the love glanccs with which, il
the season Of young loves ardor, her eye
were ever beaming when they turned upor
his countcnancc.
And yet il was even so. Ii WAS becius
he hoped to live all his after life in tn
warmth Of those glances, that he had wooeC
and won her in the bright days of her youn,
womanhOOd. And when he saw the ligh
growing daily DINNER, and felt its gcnil
warmth diminishing, u shadow fell upon hi
sprt. Very kind, very attentive the hus
band remained. but his wife became awar
Ofa certain coldness towards herself tina
was far from being us pleasant as the lover
like manner with which Inc had frmcrl.
.reated her; and many times she sighed fol
the tones and Slanccs she saw him give L
other ladies, as he sighed for like tokens ol
interest in herself. Both were in error, an,
both in certain sense TO blame.
On the evening referred To, the contris
between the manner of his wife to himsel
and other men, who showed her little atten
tiOnS, was felt with more than usual dis
linetness by Mr.. Archer He was not Jjeal
Gus. for he knew the truth of her character
nor otf:ndel, but hurt. Almost any pric
would he have paid for the brish, returl
another received ior a smiple act, the doubl.
Of which ON his part, would scarcely rccciv
passing notice.
Not loas after this. Mr.. Archer saw hi
wife drop her handkerchief. Stepping for
ward from where he stood talking with a la
dy, he lifted it from the door and placed
in her hand. His eyes were fixed upon he
countcnanee, but she did not 50 much Us re
turn his look, nor make the slightest nc
acknowledgement, merely receiving the hand
kerchiei with quiet in liairence in strisin
contrast with the way in which she ha'
taken the glove from anothers hand. Mr.
Archer was disappointed. The drooPin
flowers in his heart were pining for sur
beams, and he had hop,d for few brigh
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