The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-02-25

the single ruffle of moment was sure
to make unhappincss 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 confidence
Many and many an hour of blissful JOY
did she pass with her husband when the
sky was clear but a cloud was sure tc
bring -tha- -starm--Ea -5sAaEs- saat q d )
passed that had not seen some unpleas
ant passages between herself and chill
dren, and she would not understand that
her very mode of treatment-the dispo
sition she manifested and the language
she used-was surely warpiug 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, Albert
could not find it in his heart to destroy
hea peace by such illusions.
On the present occasion supper was
was panied and the wife angry. The
child once cried for lump of sugar, and
the mother jerked piece upon her plate
with the words:
"There, take it You want every.
thing 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 mat
ters went on for an hour, aud at the end
of that time the door bell rang, and
some company was introduc 1t was
a neighbor and his wife. In moment,
the whele expression of Abby's face was
changed Smiles took the place of
frowns, and her words were as 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
visitors had gone, ''since we have been
marriedUhave I not done all in my pow
er to make you happy :? Have you ever
expressed an earnest heart.felt wish that
l have not gratifed ?"
81 don't know" replied the wife, rath
er reluctantly.
eyes, you do know" replied Albert i;
"and what l wish to know is this: Why
you could not strive so much to make
me happy as you will to make those who
are not dependent upon you for haPpi-
ness. When l came home this evening
worn and fatigued with the labors of the
day, why could you not have met me
with a smile AID cheerful weloomeS"
"Because I didn't feel like smiling
was the answer.
"But you smiled the moment Mr.. Blk
bee and his wife came in; ard that, too
when your feelings were anything but
pleasant moment before. Can you do
for their comfort what you are not will
ling to do for miner p
II do the best I can, am sure y
sobbed Mrs. Leeman, beginning to cry.
Il wish you'd found a wife who could
have suited you better than do. I
never can suit Tou-never p
Abby was in tears, and her husband
could say 10 more He could only wish
that she would understand him. Oh
how often, when she was kind and good,
did she wish she would always be SO
aud again when she was making compa-
ny so happy, how fervently did he pray
that she would always do the same for
him. She was neat, tidy, industrious
woman, and only her own family knew
of this dark trait in her character.
In the same town with Abby lived
her only sister, who married young
man named Charles Frye. Charles was
some eisht-and-tweuty, and Lydia, his
wife, Abby's sister, three years younger.
this young man was a carpenter by
trade; strong, healthy, generous, and of
superior intellect and intelligence. His
business was good, and though he wore
a paper cap and apron ten or twelve
hours day, yet he was laying up mon
ey. Lydia Frye was unlike her sister
in one respect. That sweet smile which
visitors found upon her face never faded
in her husbands presence, and the words
which the stranger heard her speak to
her child were never more harsh when
alone with her little one. She loved
her child and never did she knowingly
speak word which could bring cloud
upon member of her household.
And between these two sisters there
was an estrapgement. Several times
Lydia had expostulated with Abby on
account of her fractions treatment
of her children, and once she had even
gone SO far as to put her arms about
her sisters child and protect i,
from the mothers rage; and it unfortu-
nateiy happened that on that very eve
ming Mr.. Leeman asked his wife why
she could not be as kind and mild always
as her sister was. Then, added to this
Abby shortly afterwards learned, through
a meddlesome neighbor, that her sister
had given her husband, Albert, some ad-
vice as to how he might best punish his
fractious wife. This capped the eli
max in Abby mind, and from that time
there was no inter course between the
sisters.