Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1857-10-07
WHOLE NO. 800.


married? Surely not Of their husbands
household comforts"
"lf you please, mother, we will change
the subject" said the young man, who was
exceedingly panied by the strong language
he had heard. He spoke so firmly that the
matter was dropped, and not again alluded to
at the time.
We have, now an explanation Of the
change in the young husbands state of mind
There was some truth in what his mother
had said, and this made it so much harder to
bear. The first shadow had fallen that dimm-
ed the brightness of his new and happy life.
Still the defects in Ida-very small to his
eyes, even after they were pointed out by
his mother-were things of no moment. He
had not intended her for household drudge.
Was she not loving hearted, accomplished
and beautiful! 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 devotion 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 given utterance to the words,
mystery to himself He started with the
start he gave his young wife, and trembled
for the effect of his uttered words. He would
have given much could he have recalled
them. But they were said beyond any pow
er of unsaying.
The reference of his mother to the indif-
ferent tea with which she had been served at
his table, had not only mortified him, but
made some things distinct in his memory,
which, before, were only seen dimly, and as
matters of Indifference. Where all was 30
bright why should he turn his eyes upon
few fragments of clouds skirting the fair ho-
rizon? He would not have done so if left
to himself The clouds might have spread
until they were much larger than a mans
hand, before their murky aspect would have
drawn his vision from the all l-pervading bright
ness.
Ida's hand, which was raising cup to her
lips, fell almost as suddenly as if palsied;
paleness overspread her countenance, her lips
had motion between quiver and spasm.
From her eyes, which seemed bound, as by
spell, to her husbands face, tears rolled out
and fell in large drops over her cheeks
Never before, since Edward had looked
upon that dear young face, had he seen its
brightness so yelled. Never before, had
word of his been answered by anything but
smiles and love responses.
"Pm sorry, Edward" How the sad,
tremulous voice of Ida rebuked the young
husbands unkindness. at shall not be so
again"
And she kept her word. Suddenly he
had awakened her from bright, dreamy il
lusion. She had been in kind of fairy land
The hard every day working world, with its
common working day wants, by an unlocked
for shifting of scenes, had struck with an un-
lovely aspect upon her startled vision; the
jagged edges of the real wounding painfully
her soft ideal. But, once awakened, she
never slept again. 1t was the first shadow
that fell dimly and coldly upon her married
heart-the first, and to the Inexperienced,
we need not say the last.
I Burnt toast and bad tea To think that
common things like these should have power
to shadow young heart basking in the sun
light of love Ida had thought of her hus-
band as almost Indifferent to the vulgar wants
} his words made manifest. She saw clearer
now. He was but flesh and blood like the
rest.
Very-very tenderly spoken were all the
words Of Edward to his young wife, during
the shadowed evening that followed this first
dimming of their homelight. And Ida, who
felt the kindness of bis heart, tried to smile
and to seem as old. But, somehow, she could
not force into existence the smiles she wished
to send out as tokens of forgiveness
Thoughts of the bad tea and burnt toast, the
usual"-ah! there lay the smart eve
ming entertainment she had provided; or,
rather, suffered to be provided by uuskillful
hands-were her own any more skillful? for
her returning husband, haunted her all the
J while.
1T shall not be SO againF' Not idly ut
tered were these words. All the evening she
kept repeating them to herself, with steadi-
ly increasing purpose and a clearer vision.--
+" Edward shall never have another occasion
for rebuke."
Several times during the evening the young
husband attempted to refer to the con-
versation held with his mother, in explanation
of his own conduct, but he wisely kept his
own counsel. Of all things he dreaded an
arrangement between his wife and mother.
On the next morning, Edward noticed that
4 > n. II IL