The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-05-13
A RIFT In THE CLOUD.
nY 7. S. ARTHUR.

shop whers he had worked all day, tired and out
Of spirits-came home to his wife who was s'so
tired aud out of spirits.
ga smiling wife and cheerful home-what
Paradise 1t would bo !" said Andrew to himself
as he turned his eyes from the clouded face Of
Mrs Lse, and sat down, with knitted brows and
q moody aspect.
Not a word was spoken by either. Mrs. Ice
was getting supper and she moved about with a
weary step.
"Coms," she said at last, with side glance at
her husband.
There was invitation In the word only, none
in the voice of Mrs Lee.
Andrew arose and went to the table. He was
tempted to sp' ok an angry word, but controlled
himself and kept silence. He could find no fault
with the chop, nor the sweet homemade bread,
nor the fragrant tea They would have cheered
his inward man, if there had only been CLEAN
OF sunshine on the face of his wife. He noticed
that she did not eat.
"Are you not well, Mary" The words were
on his lips, but he did not utter them, for the
face of his wife looked so repellant that he fear
ed an irritating reply. And SO, in moody silence
the twain sat together, until Andrew had fin
ished his supper. AS he pushed his chair back
his wife arose, and CONNIE need clearing off the
table.
"This is purgatory," said Andrew, to himsel
as he commenced walking the floor Of his little
breakfast room, with his hands thrust desperate
ly away down into his trowsers pockets, and his
chin almost touching his breast
After removing all the dishes, and setting
them away in the kitchen. Mrs. Lee spread a
green cloth on the table, and placing fresh
trimmed lamp thereon, went out and shut the
door after her, leaving her husband alone with
his unpleasant feelings. He took long, deep
breath as she did so, paused in his walk, stood
still for some moments, aud then drawing a
paper from his pocket, sat down by the tablt
opened the sheet, and commenced reading. Sing
ularly enough the words upon which his eyes
rested were "Praise your wife, They rather
tended to increase the disturbance Of mind from
which he Was suffering
al should like to find some occasion tor prals-
ing mine.' How quickly his thoughts expressed
that ill.natured sentiment. But his eyes were
on the page before him, and he read on.
Praise your wife, man; Tor PHYS sake, give
her some encouragement; it won't hurt her.
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the paper and
muttered, "Oh yes. That's all very well.-
Praise is cheap enough. But praise her foI
what? For being sullen and making your home
the most disagreeabe place in the world" His
eye fell again to the paper,
"She has made your homa comfortable, your
hearth bright and shining, your food agresable
for PHYS seke, tell her you thank her. if nothing
more She don expect it; it will make hel
but it will do her good for all that, and you
too
1t seemed to Andrew as if this sentence was
written just for him. and just for the OCCASION
1t was the complete answer to his question
Praise her for what?" and he felt it also as a
.rebuke. He read no farther, for thought came
too busy, and in n new direction. Memory was
convicting him of injustice towards his wife
She had always made his home as comfortable
for him as hands could make it, and had he Of
.fered the light return of praise commendation
Had he ever told her OF the praise he had known
or the comfort experienced? He was not able
to recall the time or the occasion. AS ne thot
thus, Mrs Lee came in from the kitchen, and ia
king her work basket from the closet, placed il
son the table, and sitting down without speaking
sbegan to sew. Mr.. Lee glanced almost stealth
ily at her work, and saw that it was the
bosom Of a shirt, which she was stitching neat
ly. He knew that it was or him she was a
work.
"Praise your wife" The words were before
the eyes Of his IN nd, and he could not lool
away from them. But he was not ready TO
this yet. He still felt moody and unforgving
The expression Of his wiies face he Interpreted
TO mean ill-nature, and with ill-nature he haC
no patience. His eyes fell upon the newspape
shat lay spread out before him, and he read tht
sentence
"a kind, cheerful word, spoken in gloomy
home, is like the rift in cloud that let's the sun
shine through"
Lee struggled with himself while longer
His own ill-naturs had TO be conquered first
his moody, accusing spirit had to be subdued. -
But he was coming right, and at last got right
as to will. Next came the question, how he Wal
going to begin. He thought of many things Il
say, yet feared to say them, lest his wife shoulC
meet it with cold rebuff. AT laet, leaning to
wards her and taking hold Of the linen bosom
upon which she was at work, he said, in ocG
carefully modulated with kindness
You are doing that work very beautifully
Mary"
Mrs. Lee made no reply. Bat her husband
did not fail to observe that she lost, almost in
ftantly. that rigid erectness with which she had
been sitting nor that the motion OF her needle
had ,eased.
My shirts are better made. and whittier, thar
any in our shop" said Lee, encouraged to pro
cs6d.
Are they?" Mrs. Less voice was low, ant
had in it a slight huskiness. She did not lurr
her face, but her husband saw that she leaned
little towards him. hs had broken through III,
ice of reserve, and all was easy now. His hanC
was among the clouds, and a few feeble ray
were already struggling through the rift it haC
made.
Yes, Mary" he answered softly, "and Nv,
heard il said more than once, What good wifi
Andrew Lee must have"