Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-12-26
sRSvNt' COLD.
~ f.s. ARrurR.

There WAS an ardor about the young
lover that showed how deeply his heart
was interested, and his betrothed might
Almost be said to live only in its pres
snse. He Aew to her side like steel to
tho magnet, when evening set him free
from business she awaited his certain
coming with trembling joy that per
vaded her whole being. The days were
long that kept them apart; but light
ming footed the hour Of evening. How
eagerly they looked forward to that
blessed time when they would hear the
words spoken that were to make them
one, and the time came at last, though
With slow-pacing steps. Hand in hand,
and heart beating to heart, they enter
Cd . new path Of life, carpeted with
flowers, and moved on with springing
feet, and took their measures to loves
delicious music. Swiftly passed the
FRS. season Of their new existence.
1t was the warm, fragrant blossom
ing spring time, and sunshine filled the
sir with vernal warmth.
"Shall ne ever grow cold to each
other I" said the young man, Leaning
towards his bride, and speaking in a
tone of peculiar tenderness.
This was occasioned by the presence,
IN . small company, of a married coup
10, not two years welded, who were
known to have lost much of loves
young ardor. Their indifference was
20 apparent, as to have become sub
ject Of remark with their friends am
acquaintances.
"Neyer, Leonard, never :" was al
most TREMENDOUSLY whispered back
"That is impossible. Those who tru-
" love, love on forever"
IS And with US it is true" said the
husband. "True, warm, eternal love. D
And each believed it was SO. Let us
follow them little way on their life
journey.
Leonard Williams young and am
bilious merchant, was unwisely try
ing to do large business on small
capital, and Leonard Williams and his
wife were q young couple who thought
rather more of making an appearance
in the social world than was consistent
with their means and prospects. He
had too large q store and too many
goods in it; they lived in too large a
house, with too much furniture in it.
A tranquil spirit is not possible un-
der such circumstances. Overwearing
mental labor and absorbing care must
attend them. 1t has ever been so-it
was 30 with Leonard Williams. Even
before the waning of tie year, his brow
began to wear shadow, and his eyes
10 have an absent expression. There
was fainting warmth in his manner
towards his bride that chilled her heart
at times as If cold airs had blown in
on it suddenly. She was too Dung,
too inexperienced, too ignorant Of the
world to comprehend the causes that
we're at work, undermining, daily the
foundation of their happiness. She
only felt that her husband was chang
ing the warmth was diminishing, and
tiU cloud and the shadow coming in
p4'ce Of sunshine.
Daily and weekly and monthly the
change went on, he getting more and
more absorbed in business, and she
finding certain poor compensation for
heartweariness in dress, gay company,
pleasure, fashionable dissipation. The
GOODNESS Of feeling, as well as Of exte-
sior, was mutual. A few years longer
aud all the little tender courtesies that
marked their intercourse when alone
failed utterly. Williams would meet
his wife on his daily return from BUSH
ness, without changing countenance
or tender word and she met him at
evening, and parted with him on each
succeeding morning With an air Of In
difference that iced over the surface Of
his feelings.
And 50 the year went on /; he strug
cling and starving with the world in the
arena Of business !; and she trying to
End in the unsubstantial, gilded exteri-
or Of things, that pleasure she failed to
extract from the real.
How like mould on . rich garment,
or rust npon FURNISHED steel, did indif-
ference creep over the pleasant surface
Of their lives, dimming the mutual at
traction. Williams had energy Of char
acter, and mind that found new
strength in difficulty. A man Of feeb-
Ter intellect, less hope, and less sugges-
ton, starting wrong, as he did, would
have been driven to the wall in few
years. But Williams discovered his
orror in time to prepare himself for the
impending circumstances. At the close
Of Eve years from the day of his mar
rage, he resolutely looked his affairs in
the face, and saw that, instead Of be-
ing worth many thousands Of dollars,
he was Just on the verge Of bankruptcy.
It took him two years to get safely past
the dangers that beset his way. One
cause Of his trouble lay in the extrava-
gance Of his style Of living. It rather
startled him to find, on examination
Of his own private account, that twenty
thousand dollars had been drawn for
personal expenses. One half Of that
sum, added to his capital, would have
made all safe.
"This will never do" he said to
himself. I'VE are living too extrav-
sgantly. There must be change" !,
But what would his fashionable wife
say to this! Would she be willing to
give up her fashionable home and re-
tire from her gay position? A feeling
q discouragement came over him az
these questions arose IN bis mind
g She mt i've it up-she must Te4
t;ro - = ~ 10 himeelf with nomel