Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1858-07-22

, But they were said, beyond any powe
J of unsaying them.
The reference of his mother to the in
t different tea to which she had been serv
ed at his table, had not only mortified
bin, but made some things distinct t.
J his memory, which, before were only
seen dimly, and as things of indiffer
ence. Where all was SO bright, why
should he turn his eyes upon few frag
ments of clouds skirting the horizon Q
He would not have done SO, if left to
himself.
The clouds might have spread until
larger than mans hand, before theil
murky aspect would have driven his hap
py vision from the l-pervading blight
ness. Midas hand, which was raising a
cup to her lips, fell almost as suddenly
as II palsied paleness overspread her
countenance; her lips had motion be-
tween quiver and a spasm. From her
eyes, which seemed bound, as BY spell,
to her husbands face, tears rolled out
and fell in large drops over her cheeks.
Never before, since Edward had look
ed upon that dear young face, had he
seen its brightness so veiled. Never be-
fore had a word of his been answered by
anything but love responses.
I" am sorry, Edward" How the sad
tremulous voice of Ida rebuked the
young husbands unkindness. "It shall
not be SO again.
And she kept her word. Suddenly he
had awakened her from bright, dreamy
illusion. She had been in kind of fairy
land. The hard, every day working
world, with It's common working day
wants, by an unlooked-for shifting of
scenery, had struck with an unlovely as
pect upon her startled vision the jagged
edges of the real wounding her soft ideal.
But, once awakened, she never slept
again. 1t was the. first shadow that fell
dimly and coldly upon her married heart
the first, and to the Inexperienced,
we need not say the last.
Burnt toast and bad Tea. To think
that common Things like these should
have power to shadow young heart,
basking in the sunlight of love. Ida had
thought of her husband as almost indif-
ferent to the vulgar wants his words made
but but fesh and body ike he res rest. = -
Very-very tenderly spoken were all
the words of Edward 10 his young wife,
during the shadowed evening that follow
ed this first dmming of their home light.
And Ida, who felt the kindness of his
heart, tried TO smile and seem as of old.
But, somehow, she could not force into
existence the smiles she wished to send
out as tokens of forgiveness. Thoughts
of the bad tea and burnt toast, the "usu'
al"-ah there lay the smart evening
entertainment she had provided; or,
rather, suffered to be provided by un-
skilled hands-were hers any more skill
full for her returning husband haunted
her all The while.
8" 1t shall not be so again p Not idly
uttered were these words. All the even
ing she kept repeating them to herself,
with steadily increasing purpose and a
clearer vision.
Edward shall never have another oc-
casion for rebuke.'
Several times during the evening, the
young husband was tempted to refer 10
the conversation held with his mother,
in explanation of his own conduct, but
he wisely kept his own counsel. Of all
things he dreaded an estrangement be-
tween his wife and mother.
On the next morning, Edward noticed
that his young wife left the chamber ear
lier than usual, and went down stairs.-
Not, however, to fill their home with
music, as she had often done. Her mat
inee was the singing teakettle, not the
stringed piano. She had heightened
color, when she took her place at the
breakfast table, and poured for her hus-
band the fragrant coffee, made with her
own hands, because she had noticed that
her indifferent cook was ignorant of her
art. How did she know the art 1t
was almost accidental the recollection Of
some good housewives talk had served
her in the right time. The warm praise
bestowed by Edward on the coffee was
an ample reward.
Ida bought a cook book during the
day. That sounds unromantic. But it
was even so and she studied il for hours.
During the afternoon her motherin-l law
came in and Ida urged her to stay to
tea. The old lady accepted the invita-
ton ; not, we are sorry to say, in the