The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1857-10-29


clouds skirting the far horizon? He
would pot have done 80 if left to himself.
The clouds might have spread until very
much larger than mans hand, before
their murky aspect would have drawn his
happy vision from the all-preyailing
brightness.
lda's hand, which was raising q cup to
her lips, fell almost as suddenly as if pal
sled paleness over@p,ead her coorte-
oancc; her lips had motion between a
quiver aud spasm. From her eyes
which seemed bound, as by . spell, to her
husbands face, tears rolled out and fell IN
large drops over her checks.
/ Never before, since Edward had looked
upon that dear young face, had he seen
It's brightness so yelled. Never before.
had word Of his been answered BY any
thing but smiles and love responses.
I'm sorry, Edward. How the sad
tremulous voice Of Ida rebukcd the Young
husbands unkindness. at shall not be
SO again"
And she kept her word. Suddenly he
had awakened her from a bright dreamy
illusion. She had been in a kind of fairy
land. The hard, everyday working world,
with its common working-day wants, by
an unloohed-for shifting of scenery, had
struck with an unlovely aspect upon her
startled vision; the jagged edges of the
real wounding painfully her soft ideal
But, once awakened, she neverslept again.
It was the first shadow that fell dimly and
coldly upon her married heart-the first.
and to the life experienced, we need not
say the last.
Burnt toast and bad. tea. To think
that common things like these should
have power to shadow Young heart bas-
king in the sunlight of love. Ida had
thought of her husband rs almost indif-
ferent to the vulgar wantsshis words made
manifest. She saw clearer now. He was
but flesh an9blood ike the rest.
Very, very tenderly spoken were all the
words Of Edward to his young wife, du-
ring the shadowed evening that followed
this first dimning Of their home light
And Ida, who felt the kindness Of his
heart, tried to smile and seem as Of old.
But, somehow, she could not force into
existence the smiles she wished to send
ont as tokens of forgiveness. Thoughts
OF the bad tea and burnt toast, the usual"
and there lay the smart .-entertain-
ment she had provided or, rather, suffer
ed to be provided by unskillful hands
were her own any more skilful? for her
returning husband haunted her all the
while.
''lt shall not be so again - Not idly
uttered were these words. All the eve
ming she kept repeating them to herself,
with a steadily increasing purpose and a
clearer vision. edward shall never have
another occasion for rebuke."
Several times during the evening. the
Young husband was tempted to refer to
the conversation held with his mother, in
explanation Of his own conduct, but he
wisely kept his own council. Of all
things he dreaded an cstrangomont be
tween his wife and mother.
On the next morning. Edward noticed
that the young wife left her chamber ear
lier than usual and went down stairs. Not,
however, to fill their home with music, as
she had often done. Her matinee was the
singing tea kettle, not the stringad piano.
She had a heightened color, when she took
her place at the breakfast table, and pour
ed for her husband the fragrant coG9e,
made with her own hands, because she
had discovered that her Indifferent cook
was ignorant Of her art. How did she
know the art 1t was almost accidental;
tlre, recollection Of some good housewives
talk had served her ia the right time
The warm praise that Edward bestowed
on the coffee was ample reward
Ida had boughta cook book during the
day That sounds unromantic But it
was even so and she studied it for hours.
During the afternoon her mother-in-law
came in; and Ida urged her to stay for
tea
The old lady accepted the invitation;
not, We are sorry to say in the very best
spirit. She had opened the war on Ed
wards butterfly wife, and she meant to