Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-06-20

evening, and went home with him. Had
l met Mrs. Wilkins in the street, would
not have recognized in her the happy
bride who, ten years before, blushing in
beauty, l had seen giving her hand in a
fe-partnership. with such loving conf
dence in the future, to the husband oI
her choice. Her countenance was wan
and wasted, all the beautifully rounded
outlines cones her eyes deeply sunken,
were languid almost to indifference her
hair, once richly luxuriant, had fallen off,
until scarce half of it remained, and that
looked dry and crisp, with here and
there premature line of gray. She
stopped slightly, and her motions were
lifeless.
A faint smile parted her lips as I 6 rasp-
ed her hand with all the warmth Of a
genuine friendly interest. But it faded
almost as soon as il. was born. tried to
talk to her in cheerful strain, and did
succeed in awakening brief interest in
the olden time. But the present was too
painfully real thing it would not let
her thoughts indulge in pleasant fancies.
l could not help asking about herself and
her children and this turned the cur
rent of her feelings into its wonted chan
mel i; and | listened to her sad heart-his-
tories, and painful experiences in sick
ness, until my own feelings were deeply
shadowed. 1 pitied her. What SOM
bre, suffering life had been hers Into
what world Of misery, instead of hap
piness, had marriage translated her
AS she talked, / observed her husband
carefully. 1t was plain that he had but
little sympathy with his wife's state OF
feeling. He was sufferer with her,
though in a lighter degree and, as his
sufferings originated IN her, there was,
plainly, certain lack of kindly patience
towards his companion. Several times he
interrupted her, trying to draw her con-
versation into another channel and once
or twice he threw in depreciating SEN
tences, as if she were exaggerating the
unhappy story of life. l learned that
Mrs. Wilkins rarely, if ever, went out OF
her own house. Her duties were very
arduous. and her ability, from i'll health,
small. Every day she worked to bodily
exhaustion, and usually in pain. There
was ne recreation of any kind, bodily or
mental. 1t was living death. No won
der she was dropping, wretehed, ner-
vous woman.
On the next morning, l called to see
my friend at his store, with my mind
made up to have plain talk with him.
! referred to his wife, expressing in re-
gard 10 her my earnest sympathy.
Poor Mary 7 he replied her case is
hopeless, and mine, too. l fear
While there's life, there's hope said
|, using the physicians half-despairing
axiom.
He regarded me little curiously.
How often do you take her out riding?'
| inquired.
He shook his head. Cant afford car
riage hire much as can do to pay the
doctor. No, no, neither of us has time
or money to spend for riding out
Change and fresh air you will find
better and cheaper medicines than doc
tors stuff. Do you take her to the sea-
shore once year ? or TO the springs, or
TO the mountains 2
You are jesting,' he replied, with the
air of one who felt that an undue liberty
had been taken.
Far from it, my friend | answered,
seriously. feel too warm an interest
in you to jest on subject like this
The sea-shore, the springs, the noun
tains, are summer luxuries beyond the
reach of our ability he spoke sadly.
"Do not name them as luxuries in
your case. If the enervated votary of
pleasure and fashion needs them for rec
reation, and to impart new zest to the
years succeeding round of gay exist
ence, how much more essential are they
to the sick, the nervous, the exhausted
toiler in lifes field of earnest labor l
fear, my friend, that you have not thought
wisely of your wife's true position that,
in some sense, you are to blame for her
present i'll health and stale of mental de-
preston
How?' wilkins looked surprised.
The human SOUL l answered, is not
a piece Of senseless machinery; not made
up Of series of iron wheels that can do
their work as well in the dark, under
ground chambers as in the broad day
light. Even the flower must have change
air. sunlight, morning. evening, and
the advancing seasons, for its healthy
growth and maturity. But the human
soul is of higher organization. and Of
multitudinous wants compared with the
flowers. Shut up the flower from the
warm sun and the refreshing air, and will
it not grow sickly? Nay, will itnot fade,
wither, and die ? You are treating your
wife with less consideration than you
would treat house-plant. No wonder
that she is dying daily
Wilkins really looked amazed and /
was for little while in doubt whether he
were offended at my freedom. or astound-
ed at his own blindness. touching the
nature and v--ls of the human soul he
had adjoined q life fe-companionship with
his own.
Natures two best physicians, l went
on. are pure air and exercise. And,
what is better, they charge nothing for
XII