Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-06-16

some oihef nomess ana as the pleasant
vision passed, sigh wouli disturb his
bosom. Light and warmth were there.
Something was wrong in his own
home; that he had felt for great while
and be did not wholly blame his wife.
But the exact location of the wrong he
could never clearly perceive. In the be-
ginning ii was different. Then there
was warmth III the heart, and sunshine
in the face Of his wife, But il was in his
memory, marked day after day as dial
records the advancing shadow, how The
brightness of her face diminished sieadi
| II, until all was ecliPsed. All! If be
had dreamed of the cause! Bat Mr..
| Crandall was not man who looked in
ward upon bis own life-not man who
considered his actions in their effects up
on others. He was, moreover, a silent,
undemonstralive man; rarely expressing
bis feelings. lie gave fey 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
lleft lis little world in almost total dark
ness, when it should have been broad
monday. 1t 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.
Sac wanted loving looks and loving word.
also; and for lack of these, its green
things withered and It's blossoms fadei'
Having told her in The teginning that he
loved her; having afierward married her
in proof Of his declaration; and having
ever since worked daily for the comfort of
bis home, and keeping as far above want
as it vas possible for him to do, Mr.
Crandall saw no season why be should
be all the time passing compliments.
He couldn't dc it. Il wasn't in him.
He would have felt ashamed Of it as a
Weaknessl
Aud SO, almost from the beginning,
he failed to give those little outward
signs of affection-lhOse pleasant tokens
of kindness so greatful 10 all. When his
wife said, as was often the case, during
the first year that succeeded their mar
Iiage, Thank you, Peter" and smiled
greatfuIly ia return Tor some little act of
kindness-or expressed pleasure when
he caae home ffom his work at evening,
drawing bis arm around his neck and
kissing him-or told him how lonesome
she felt all day, and what light his
coming brought into their little home
Peter CrandaR felt glow of pleasure in
his heart But it did not come within
the range of his imagination-dul at
best-to conceive that Ike words from
him would be 10 the spirit of his wife.
Ike dew 10 the thirsty ground. And
SO he never expressed pleasure at meet
ing; but rather affected, from kind Of
false pride, a certain coldness. as though
it were lack Of maaliness to act differ
emily. No matter how many little at
ten:ions his wife might show him-no
matter yhat she prepared for his return,
nor with what dainty skill she cooked the
evening and monday meal, he never
praised; and rarely gave even the mea-
gre reward Of expressed qualification
But if things went wrong-if the coffee
Was bad, OF the bread sour, or the meat
burnt in cooking, he was sure 10 speak
out; and not always in over choice
Nords.
As Mrs. Crandsll began 10 fail in out
ward signs Of affection, Peter perceived
their withdrawal as the gradual failing
of sunshine. when clouds gather over the
sky in filmy wells that deepen into OBJ
scuring curtains. But the cause was to
him mystery He fell as of old to his
wife; and worked for her as cheerfully
as in the beginning. The home-feeling
was as strong as ever; and, after. with
drawing from The outer world, when the
night shadows fell, he had the begin
ming of a desire to go abroad from his
humble sanctuary. shorn as it was of
chief attraction-the smiles, and loving
tones, and words of his changing wife.
Fromthis inauspiconus beginning went
on steadily, the unhappy change. the
coming of children, which on their ad-
vent, was Ike the falling down upon
j tI.em Of sunbeams through suddenly riff
ted clouds, increased instead of dimin
ishiug the uBp!easall aspect of things in
The house of Peter Craudal If the
mothers heart had been cheerful and
/ strong-if her husband had not shut out
the light It needed 10 keep its green
things unw;thered and its fIowers in
bloom this would not have been So
The cheerful spirit would have given life
to The body-would have filed every
nerve with vital force, and every muscle
with strength for daily toll. Bat the
children proved more burden than a
com fort. There was, in their home, so
little sunshine, chat few green things
aourished in their hearts; and the open
ing Of flower was rare occurrence
! But thorns to wound, and weeds TO Of