True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-01-28
g Goob Stprg,
THE FIRST QUARREL.
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

Oh man may bear with suffering his heart
Is strong thing, and godlike in the grasp
OF pain that wrings mortality but tear
One chord affection clings to, part one tie
That binds him to womans delicate love,
And his great spirit yieldeth likea reed.
N. P. Willis.
ITO think he would have said that; in
such tone, too. and have not been his
wife but six little months !" Aud a
deeper shadow drited over the beautiful
face {; the small, rosy fingers tossed back
with petuIent mouon HE brown curls
that flowed over the cheeks, and a
fresh flood of tears poured from the soll
eyes.
Those bright. bitter tears. they looked
strangely out of keeping with all the sur.
roundlnys OF the young wife. The pale
light Of the winter day came through the
damask curtains, and filled the taste!ully-
furnished room with a rosy spring like
glow. The fire CURED with its thousand
bright setpenlIne tongues up the black
mouth ot the chimney, and as Ellen
Howard sat there in lis shine, it seemed
ASH only happy thoughts could fnd IL
nesting place IN heart around which
50 many ol eartr's blessings clustered
But thai day for the first time a shad.
ow had drifled across her married life {; it
had originated in some trivial matter, but
the inclination OF the wife and the opln-
ion Of the husband had been brought III
collision, and after considerable putting,
and au angry remark from Ellen, which
she would the next moment gladly have
recalled, Henry Howard had spoken
peremplorlly, almos' angrliy, 10 his young
wife, and letl the house.
She was the only hearth flower" OF
The home whence he had lransplan ed
her, and she had been nurtured in an al
mosphere Of love and Kindness. such AS
little strengthens tile spirit for the trials
and the strife which, sooner or later, all
must encounter.
Henry Howard loved his youig wife
with an intensity Of affection which
strong. proud natures such as his car
alone feel but she never dreamed where
her brown head rested against the hear
whose every pulse thrubbed with love
for her which il is seldom the lot fol
woman to receive, that strong will, ant
resuluteness of purpose, which no cir
cums,ances had evolved to her pelcep
ton, might for time hold in subjngatol
even love for herself.
lie shall not see how his remark
panied me /: will wipe away these tears
and lie shall never dream | have Shet
any, said Mrs. Howard, rising up, aut
pacing her parlor with flushed cheeks ant
an unsteady step. 81 will meet him will
cold poIilcness on his return, and he shal
learn lha, Ellen Howard is not chill
whom he can order at his will, Oh
Henry, Henry! to think, the tear
were dashed away, and the rising sol
hastily swallowed down, but a yer!
bright vision in the past had evoke
them.
" Well, | suppose did speak rathe
hastily TO Nellie, this noon, and lee
half like calling myself a scoundrel fo
IT," sollloquised the young merchant, a
he paced a small room situated al one Ell
ofhis large building that afternoon
with an abstracted air and rather trouble
brow. al dare say the poor child sl'
there all alone, feeling as if her heal
was almost broken, but-hang it he
remark touched my feelings at a pom
where they are most sensitive, and til
words had passed my lips before wa
aware Of it. ought to remember, toe
how l took her (bless her sweet ltI|
self y from home where never a ster
or angry word had met her ear, and l'o'
] told, on that night when she lifted he
blue eyes SO lrustingly to me, and layin
her li,lle hand in my own, promised
be mine, that ! would guard her from th
very shadow of evil. that her happine:
should be far dearer to me Than the Iii
: which would be nothing without heI.
H And now, when she has been Il
sunshine of my home for only six montl
Ihave--Henry Howard. you're
rascal, and there's no use Of denying i
and you don't deserve that little jewel {
wife you have, any more than som
other persons YOU thought didn't"
The heart Of Ellen Howard beat quicI
ly that night as the sun went over Il
house-tops, for her ear caught Il
sound Of a well known football in Il
hall.
Then culver Of pride rippled over 4
red lip, and when her husband enter'
the room, instead Of springing iorwar
as she had always previously done,
receive his caress, she remarked, quietl
lifting her eyes from the pages whi'
she had been for the last two hours pc
using, 2" You are late this evening, He
ry.
Tie voice, the manner, chilled the I'll
of warm feeling which had been gainil
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