Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-10-15
CHAPTER II.-sECoND DAT,

no such thing as compromising with in in
cessant grumbling. Unlike many others
he could not be driven to the dram.shop,
nor even to the usual haunts of loafers
in the coantry places. He was obsti-
nately bent on staying at home in the
evening. He was fond of reading, and
home was the center Of his thoughts -
Even the perversity of his wife could
not eradicate his deeply seated love for
home.
Still, home was not a pleasant place
to him.-at least not half 50 pleasant as
it might be if Mary loved him. he could
not doubt that. During long illness,
the winter before. she had been urremit-
ting in her devotion. A piece of hot
iron few into his eye. so that the bali of
it had nearly run out. lie had suffered
the most intense agony. Day by day he
had groahed with anguish, and seen the
tears of his wife fall as she witnessed his
suffering. BY night, while he tossed in
agony, she had watched by him, nor
slept for week. His pain was hers +;
and, while he suffered, she never com:
planned Of the watching ard privation
that his illness oc asioned she never
used an unyentle word, even when. worn
out with suffering, he become testy and
impatient.
She loved him she sacrificed all her
comforts for him; and Why should he
not bear with her infrmity? Should he,
| who had been SO tendcrly watched over,
who had been nurscd and nourished so
devotedly by her, cast her out-should
his affection be aienated from her:
1t is true, her fault was gricvous one.
1t gave him continual uneasiness. 1t
Kept him harrasscd from one. weeks end
to the other. II almost embittcred his
very existence. ,,r.
i viii cure her.. said John, while he
was going home one day, as a new idea
penetrated his brain. 'She will find
fault with me when | carry this leg Of
veal home. 1t will be either too large
or too SIN Ill, too fat or too lean, too e cd
or too bad. ! will cure her,
Mary did find iaulr with the veal it
was too fat and too good for persons in
their circumstances. But John held lis
peace and sat down to his supper.
:. What sort of tea is This =! said he. as
he pushed the cup petulantly from hun.
! w hat is the matter with it ? asked
his wife, as,onisAed at such display of
'sulk' ON his part.
: 1t rs too strong of hot water. ]
should like to get a decent cup Of tea
once in my life
why, John :.
1t is nothing but dishwater.'
Il am sorry it don't suit you.
1T never suits me-, he added, as he
broke open a hot biscuit.
Never suits YOU
mo- and at the same moment he
threw the biscuit back upon the plate.-
.Saleratus again
Nv hat Is the matter with the biscuit,
John = asked Mrs. Paley. amazed at the
singular conduct Of her husband.
There are great junks Of saleratus In
it. If there is anything ! detest,lt is the
taste of saleratus in bread
Mary took the broken biscuit and ex'
amined it. There is only single speck
to be seen in it. l will cut 1t out
Pray take another. John.
John. did take another and broke II
oven, but perceived another speckot the
offensive substance, scarcely bigger than
the head Of pin.
Haven't you got any cold bread .h'
asked as he threw it back upon the piats
| "There is none in the house, replied
Poor Mary, readys to burst into tears WIFI
vexation.
Give me a piece of pie, then
Mary brought a nice pie.
Strong enough of cloves to 'trans'e
fellow, said be Strange that l can
get any thing that's fit to eat. ..
The poor wife could bear it no more
Her eyes filed with tears, and she 500
bed aloud. John was not disposed u
carry the lesson any farther. Mary a.
much as she had found fault herself, wa'
extremely sensitive. and she could no
endure the slightest censure
MARY, my dcar,do not weep, sad ne
going to her and impressing kiss upof
her cheek. =,
What is the matter with you, John
You never behaved 50 before ~
n was only holding up q mirror ''
you.' YOU can now tell how feel ~hel
you ind fault with every thing do
Il never wiilagain.'
MY own Mary! Forgive me i'll oaus
ed you pain.
You are too bad. John.
.But no worse than you are almost
every day a;,h.
~
CHAPTER III.-THIRD DAY.
! The battle had been fought and tn
victory won. Mrs. Paiey>s heart wa
full of tenderness and sympathy. Sh'
conld no, have realized the pain that he
useless and ceasel .ss grumbling had caus
ed her husband, or she never would hav'
indulged the habit. She would no
m, ke him. unhappy for the world !; an'
now. when the. lesson had opened ne
ewes. she sat a guard upon her tongue;
Almost, always. an habitual grumole
is an indoleut person. A man or woman
+ whose mind is occupied has no time u
, he discontented. But Mrs. Paleys wa
a Kind of moral lindolence She permit
ted her noble faculties to sleep Tor th'
time. and discomfort stole in while tn
sentinel was of ffguard. She had ohose'