Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-05-27
A NERVOUS WIFE CURED.

arts without knowledge of which i
wife's duties are always felt to b
hard in the beginning. He was ths
envyEof more than one who had aspiredts
the possession Of her hand. ] knew bin
to be industrious, intelligent and kind
hearted; and / felt sure that he had Ia
ken alifescompanion who would be faith
full and loving. The promisewas bright
enough to warrant a prophecy of more
than ordinary happiness.
i They removed to another town. Ten
years afterwards, in passing through
that town, called upon Wilkins, who
met me with the old, frank cerdiality.-
Eyes and face were ina glow of pleas
lure, when, still grasping his hand, / In
quired after bis wife. His ceuntenance
Ichanged instantly. eA '
"Poor Mary!" he said, in sad, dis
couraged way. "She has no health" "
! "Pm sorry" was. my natural re-
lspense.s e xzs aax
! sickness and the loss of cur children
have so worn body and mind that she
is now but a mere shadow of her for
i mer SELF Worst of all, hernerves are
tcompletely shattered. But you must
see her TO meet an old friend will do
her good Will you spend the evening
with us?''e A's hs s'a- ssi
i assented, and then made further in
Iquiries about his family and worldly con-
dition. His story was not very bright
one. The birth of their first cfiild was
followed by aprostrating sickness, which
brought the young mother to the utmost
verge of death. 80
"She has never had good health since,
said Wilkins, in depressed voice.
l''My income was small, and we could
not afford the amount of household as
lsistance, in the beginning, that she
really required; and so everything was
against her restoration to sound health.
Children came rapidly, bringing with
them more exhausting cares. And the
death of8two of our little ones, to which
have referred, seemed to complete the
work OF ruin. She is now hopeless.
invalid, a poor, weak, nervous, unhappy
creature, mere wreck of what you saw
ten years ago, moving, like a fearful
ghost, through her daily round of du.
ties, and only kept alive by the con-
slant and careful attention Of a physi-
elan. don't think the doctor has been
out of my house for two weeks at a
time for six years, and | am sure has
receivedmoret than reehundred pounds
of money in that time. The fact is,
what with doctors bills, nurses, medi-
cines, and the hundred nameless ex-
lpenses a sick and nervous wife entails
upon man, my fortunes have been
marred. They keep me poor" "
| Wilkins spoke in fretful voice. 1t
was plain that he had grown impatient
under the trails to which the bad health
| of his wife had exposed him.
/ called ut his Office again towards
evening, and went home with him
Had I met Mrs. Wilkins in the street, i
would not have recognized in her the
happy bride who, ten years before,
blushing in her beauty, l had seen CIV
ing her hand in life-partnership, with
such loving confidence in the future, to
the husband of her choice. Her coun-
tenance was wan and wasted, all the
beautifully rounded outlines gone; her
eyes, deeply sunken, were languid al
most to indifference; her hair, once richly
fluxuriant, had fallen off, until scarce
half Of it remained, and that looked
dry and crisp, with here and there a pre-
mature line of grey. She stopped slightly
and her motion was lifeless.
/ A faint smile parted her lips as |
grasped her hand with all the warmth
1of genuine friendly interest. But it
j faded almost rs soon as it was born. /
tried to talk with her in acheerful strain,
land did succeed in awakening brief
linterestin the olden time. But the pres
ent was too painfully real; it would not
permit har thoughts to indulge in pleas
4 ant fancies. i could not help asking
her about herself and her children; and
! this.turned-the current of her feelings
into its wonted channel; and l listened
to her sad heart-stories, and painful ex-
perlemce in sickness, until my own feel
lings were deeply Swallowed. l pitied
her. What sembre, suffering life had
been hers! Into what world of mis-
cry, instead of happiness, had mar.
riage translated her.
. As she talked / observed her hus-
: band carefully. It. was plain that he
had but little sympathy with his wife's
state of feeling. He was sufferer with
her, though in higher degree; and,
as ..his ..Sufferings originated in her,
E there was, plainly, a certain lack OF
kindly patience toward his companion.
Several times he interrupted her, try
!, ing to draw the conversation into an.
Il ~, oLannal ond anoa or +xx,.no he
, threw in depreciating sentences, as il
she wereexaggeratingt the unhappy story
tof her life. s - za.
/ learned that Mrs. Wilkins rarely, il
ever, went out of her own house. Hel
/, tduties were very arduous, and her abil
ity, from i'll health, small. Every day
tsho workedte bodily exhaustion, land usu'
ally Ia pain. There was no recreation
q of any kind, bodily or mental. Itwas 8
! living death. Nowonder shewas droop
! ing, wretched, nervous woman.
: Next day called to see my friend
Having made pmy mind to have a plair
talk with him. l referred to his wife
depressing my earnest sympathy in re
lizard to her. sssssstss=- Is ~ -za 3
''Poor Mary" he replied; cher cas-.
, is hopeless, and mine too, fear"
! awhile there's life, there's hope
, said ], using the physicians halfdespar
!. ling axiom. -az
II He regarded nae little curiously.
) 'How often do you take her out:' l in
!. Toured. sss assa ii assanas ss ..saasg ss 1855
RI He shock his head.
"Can't afford carriage hire; tits a:
much as | can do to pay the Doctor
J No, no, neither of us have time nor mo
: neY To snand for ridiiot Ont >, - 80