Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-03-18

| DIG mS pIalL1 anu lIiAHN Ih"e Oh
noyed him sometimes"
"Plain The beauty of her pure
spirit was ever shining through her face,
and if his eyes were not clear enough to
see it, he was unworthy of her."
s'She was not as bright as some other
Romens sndit aluaysstruck me that he
INDUCED in depreciating contrasts"
"She was good, true, faithful, loving,
was answered, 'and these are better
qualities in q wife than mere brilliancy.
Do you remember that evening at Mrs.
Bottoms about year ago P"
avery well.''
"She was there, you know"
eyes. recollect it."
''He firted with pretty Miss Gardner,
who has only her face to recommend
her"
sI remember. It lowered him in my
good opinion. I don't like to see mar
ried men too particular in their atten
tons to snowy young girls"
'Nor 1. Well, happened to catch
the expression of Mrs. Newcomb's face
when her husband was standing at the
piano, turning tho music while Miss
Gardner sang. She was looking at him.
Oh, it was inexpressibly sad A little
while afterward turned again to the
place where she had been sitting all a
lone; but she vas not there. "What
ails Mrs Newcomb? 1 heard lady
ask some minutes later. 'Dear knows!'
was the almost pcttish reply. She's
gone up stairs to have cry all to her
self; something's gone wrong, 1 suppose.
She's hard body to get on with. 1
pity her husband I pitied her, poor
child ! for could understand her heart. ,
"He went great deal into company
without his wife"
ayes and if you asked for her, there
was always an air, or tone, or express
sion in his face, that made you feel as if
he did not regard her as of much con-
sequence. nWhere is Mrs. Newcomb?'
you would inquire. She doesn't go
out or, she's queer little home body
or, the baby sick or, she doesn't en-
Joy company These were the reasons
he would give. It has been on my lips
dozen times to answer, why don't
you stay at home and keep her COM
pany?' And I wish now that 1 had
1t might have quickened in him per
ception of duty, and caused a few more
rays of light to fall on her not always
sunny pathway.
Mr.. Newcomb heard no more. But
wasn't that enough to give him the
heart-ache for years? No, he had notap-
preciated his wife, now lost to him for
ever. She was neither a brilliant nor
a handsome woman; but true as steel
to duty. Love for her husband was a
passion that involved all the elements
of her life. But the delicacy of her
perceptions too soon revealed the sad
truth that, for some cause, she had failed
| " VIII 1IOLu AOI AUopdbO q 1ONC LII al y
degree answering to her OWE. This SO
shadowed her feelings that she often ap-
peared unamiable in his eyes, when she
was only in strife with hidden anguish
Gradually. he grew Indifferent, and
simply because he did not understand
her He imagined her incapable of
deep affection, when every cord in her
soul was thrilling in too painful sensi-
bility.
And so the darkening years went on
and the fevered pulses began to take Q
slower beat. Mr.. Newcomb grew more
and more Indifferent to his nervous, anc
at times fretful, but daily fading wife
Others saw that her days were number
F ed; but he did not take the alarm
; "Mrs. Newcomb looks very thin anc
J feeble" remarked friend. She ism
so strong as she was, but she's tough,
replied the husband. Tough At tn
very moment her overstretched heart
strings were beginning to yieldl An
. he was in robust health-ruddy faced
/! clear-eyed, round hmbed, and with eV
y cry muscle in full vigor. He could nc
It sympathize with the feeble woman NOV
= ing about his house like shadow, nc
comprehend how he was daily e1tir
II gushing life that looked vainly
h him for the food upon which alone
l. could exist.
d "Toughl" If she did linger on for
'r time. it was plying love for her babe
l that kept her alive, gave strength to hi
/ feeble limbs, and endurance to her sinl
IS ing heart. And as she became weake
he seemed rather to receds, than dra
le noar-to grow cold toward her, inste,
lie of tender and compassionate. And
A. her day went down in clouds and raj
Or No, she had not been appreciate