Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-07-08
The Magic Of Words.
BY T. 5. ARTHUR.


was not happy hone. Very little
sunshine streamed in across the thresh.
old. Was it his wife's fault? 4 Wis
itor who saw her in her usual mood
might, if the conclusions were made
from first impressions, lean to this
opinion. She inclined to fretfulness
and impatience; and often scolded the
children when her husband should see
little in them to blame.
The Cranlalls were poor. Mr.. Gran
dali was mechanic, and earned only
mechanics wages Mrs. Crandall was
the mother of five children, the oldest
of them thirteen ye@s old; but their
narrow income left nothing to spare
for the hire of domestic, and so all
the work fell upon her. She was toll
worn and toil-weary at the dying of
each day; and the same, although not
to an equal extent, might be said Of
her husband. He had more strength
for his work, and therefore could en-
dure greater fatigue He had the adj
vantage toe, which was a most impor-
tant one, Of freedom from causes of
nervous excitement, and the inevitable
exhaustion that followed. He labored
on at one kind of work, uninterrupted,
all day long; while she was subject to
perpetual and annoying Interruptions,
incident to her position of mother and
housekceper.
Between Mr.. Crandall and his wife
there did not seem to exist much affec-
ton. They never spoke loving words,
nor manifested, except on rare occa-
sions, any pleasure at meeting, or any
mutual interest. The little courtesies
of life were something unknown in
their cheerless dwelling. Rude, bois-
ferrous, quarrelsome, the children grew
up, bringing discord into the house
that was uncomfortable enough with
out that disagreeable inmate. The
mother scolded and punished in anger,
but saw no good result of her discip-
line. The father sometimes scolded
in concert, but always felt an unpleas-
ant sensation afterward, as if he had
been doing something wrong.
And so the years went on, and the
sunbeams came not across the thresh-
hold into their dwelling. Occasionally
Mr.. Crandall obtained a brief glance
into some other homes; and as the
pleasant vision passed, a sigh would
disturb his bosom. Light and warmth
were there.
Something was wrong in his own
home; that he had felt for great
while-anl he did not wholly blame
his wife. Bat the exact location of
the wrong he could never clearly per-
ceive. In the beginning it was differ
ent Then there was warmth in the
heart, and sunshine in the face of his
wife But it was in his memory,
marked day after day as a dial records
the advancing shadow, how the bright
ness of her face diminished steadily.
until all was eclipsed. ALI if he had
dreamed of the cause But Mr.. Gran
dali was not man who looked inward
upon his own life,-not man who
considered his actions in their effects
upon others. He was, moreover, a
silent, undemonstrative man, rarely
expressing his feelings. He gave few
outward signs by which any one could
read his heart. Here lay the origin
of the trouble at home-the beginning
of the eclipse that left his little world
in almost total darkness, when it
should have been broad MONDAY. Ii
was not enough for Mrs. Crandall, in
the earlier years of their welded life,
to know that her husband loved her
Her heart asked for more. She want
Ell loving looks and loving words also
and for lack of these, its green things
withered, and its blossoms faded
Having told her in the beginning that
he loved her, having af.erward mar
ricd her in proof of his declaration
and having ever since worked daily
for the sustaining of his home, anC
keeping her as far above want as i
was possible for him to do, Mr.. Gran
dali saw no reason why he should b,
all the time passing compliments. HI
couldn't DO it. 1t wasn't in him. Ii,
would have felt ashamed of it as
: weakness.
And so, almost from the beginning
he failed to give those little outwar,
signs of aflection-thosc pleasant to
kens of kindn, SIS so grateful to all
: When his wife said, as was often tn
= case, during the first year that sue
> ceeded their marriage, Thank you
Peter, and smiled gratefully in retur
for some little act of kindness-or ex
pressed pleasure when he came hom
. from his work at evening. drawing he
ann around his neck and kissing hir