Amador weekly ledger., 1858-04-03
ONLY A HUSBAND.
BY T. S. ARTHUR

IL
in the voice Of Mrs. Archer; what pleas
ant light shone in her eyes. She had dropped
a glove which gentleman had lifted from
the floor and placed in her hand
Mr.. Archer, the lady's husband saw the
little act of courtesy, and noticed its reward
He would have given almost anything for
just such a musical "thank youp-for as
bright glance as she had thrown upon a
stranger. Once, tones and glances like these,
had been his reward for any little attentions
he might happen to offer now all the court
estes of life were withdrawn, and no matter
what the act or its quality, his wife received
it with cold Indifference, singularly in con-
trast toward other men.
Was it defect of love Did Mrs. Archer
really think more highly of other men, who
showed her polite attentions than she did of
her husband? Sometimes chafed feeling
of mpatience-sometime of jealousy-and
sometimes of mournful regret for SUMMER days
in the far away past, would trouble the hus-
band sorely But these were passed aside,
or suffered to die for the lack Of aliment and
the dull, cold routine of every day life per-
mitted to have its usual course.
On the occasion referred to above, Mr.
Archer and his wife were spending an eve
ming at the house of friend, where company
had been invited For days previously the
countenance of Mrs. Archer had worn its
usual dead calm, its imperturbed pla-
cidity-its matter of course aspect. She had
talked with her husband in kind of dead
level tone and manner on all subjects that
happened to come up whether Of first or
third Importance. Or, if interest happened
to rise into anything approaching enthusiasm,
it was accompanied by something OF sharp
ness that left on the mind Of Mr.. Archer, an
uncomfortable feeling, as if be were blamed
for something And this had been the
wife's aspect even after she had donned her
company attire, anu up to the moment
when she had made her appearance among
the guests of the friend to whose house she
brought, tied up as it were in closely COM
pacted bundle her smiles and courtesies for
public dispensation.
AS he had noticed on many occasions, so
did Mr.. Archer notice on this, the remarka-
Bile difference between his wife's home and
company manners between the treatment
of her husband, and the treatment of other
gentlemen who happened to enter into con-
versatlon with her, or offer any polite atten-
ton. The answer to their words always
went forth from her lips wreathed with smiles
and eyes sparkling with pleasure; to his
words, from cold placid mouth, and with
half Indifferent or averted glances. And
yet Mrs. Archer was faithful wife in all her
dutiful relations and in heart loving wife
to her husband. If smiles did not play in
sunny circles over her countenance as in for
mer times, she made the household smile with
order and comfort, arranged and secured by
her ever busy hands Her thoughts were no
wandering truants to other and forbidden
fields, but home guests; nor were they busy
for herself, but for the children in whom her
own life was bound up 1t was not that
love of her husband had grown dull--answer-
ing not as mirror answereth the face-that
her countenance did not light up at his COM
ng-that she did not meet bis word and at.
tention with smiling glances Had she not
given her heart when she gave him her hand
had she not promised to be faithful wife
Was she not true to all her relations? What
more was required of her? 1t never entered
her thoughts that her husband was weak
enough to desire daily repetition of the
love gances with which, in the season OF
young loves ardor, her eyes were ever beam
ing when they turned upon his countenance
And vet even so. 1t was because he
hoped to live all his life in the warmth ol
those glances, that he had wooed and won
her in the bright days of her young woman
hood. And when he saw the light growing
daily DINNER, and felt its genial warmth di
minishing, shadow fell upon its spirit. Very
kind, very attentive the husband remained
but the wife became aware of a certain cold
ness towards herself that was far from being
as pleasant as the love-like manner with which
he had formerly treated her +; and many
times she sighed for the tones aud glance.
she saw him give to other ladies, and hC
sigLed for like tokens of interest from her
self. Both were in error, and both in a Ger
tain sense to blame.
On the evening referred to, the contras
between the manner Of his wife to himsel
and to other men who showed her little at
tentions, was felt with more than usual dis
tinctness by Mr.. Archer He was not jeal
GUS. for he knew the truth Of her character
nor offended, but hurt Almost any pric,
would have been paid for the bright return
another received for a simple act, the doubl
of which on his part, would scarcely receiv
passing notice.
Not long after this, Mr.. Archer saw hi
wife drop her handkerchief. Stepping for
ward from where he stood talking with
lady, he lifted it from the floor and placed
in her hand. His eyes were fixed upon he
countenance, but she did not so much as re
turn his look nor make the slightest az
Acknowledgement, merely receiving the hand