True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-09-22

and manner Of mournful distress, which
might have been justified, perhaps, il
Mrs. Ashton had picked his pocket as he
was going to church. @
"Wbai is the matter with this shirt :"
asked Chrissey, quietly examining one Of
the discarded garments. IL. seems to
have all the buttons in their places; and
this one, too, is quite perfect; and here
is another. My dear husband, how many
'hirts do you usually wear at !imel"
30! tits all very we'll for you to smile,
mv i, we, but ! do assure you | find sew
erat wh b no means at all Of fastening the
wr;.thana>'. :. We had breakfast late, and
now I shall be detained half an hour,
when / ouch, Il > be away. | know you
mean we'll bn, il YOU had served years
apprenticeship win my mother before z
you were married. itA gIs = san;"s nave Gs'n al
the better for your Eous. 'keeplng' ;,
might have preve utea II al.oge!nes,
thought Chrissey, but the IL 'ougn' wa'
repressed in moment. She ''AeI sa,,ut "
and replaced the scattered apparel, '0.us. ,,
tho snowy cravats. warmed her lsusbA "e ~
overshoes, and saw that the b,sauth =
little communion service. presented by
lady Of the parish. and consecrated to
such sufferers as Maggy Carpenter, was
in readiness. Before he left the house,
MI. Ashton had forgotten both his fret.
fulness and its cause. He kissed his
wife. thanked her for her trouble, pro-
posed that she should send for LiIy to
spend the day with her, and strode away
with his usual elastic step and pleasant
face.
Chrissey watched him from The door
till he turned into the next street, and
then went back to the firesde, and to her
own reflections.
This fretfulness and tendency to be
greatly disturbed at little matters, was
almost her husbands only fault. He
was self sacrificing to the last degree,
faithful and indefaligable as an apostle
almost in his professional labors, liberal
to fault, and in bis administration of
parish matters, wise and conciliating to
all, He could bear injuries, real injuries,
with the greatest patience, and was never
known to harbor resentment.
But with all these good qualities, Mr..
Ashton had one fault-a fault which
threatened to disturb, and finally TO de-.
stroy the comfort of his married life. If
his vile, by extravaganza or bad manage.
ment, had wasted his income and ia.
volved him in difficulties, it is probable
that he would never have spoken an
unkind word TO her; but the fact of a
button being missing. or book removed
from lis place, would produce Iamenta
ton half indignant and half pathetic,
which rung in Chrissey's ears, and made
her heart ache long after Clement had
forgotten the circumstance altogether.
Strange as it may seem. Mr.. Ashton had
never thought Of this habit. of which,
indeed. he was but imperfectly conscious,
as fault.
He thought, indeed, that Il was a pity
he should be SO sensitive, and sometimes
said that he wished he had not such a
love for order and symmetry, for then he
should not be SO often annoyed BY The
dlsorderly habits Of other people. He
said to himself that it was one of his pc
culiar trials-that even Chri.sey, perfect
as she was, did not come up to his idea,
in this respect, but tha. his peculiar trials
as he was pleased to call them, ever be
came trials 10 other people, he did no
imagine. He had, indeed, remarked, il
spite of himself, that Chrissey's face wa
not as cheerful, nor her spirits as light a
when they we're first married and h,
regretted that the cares Of housekeepin,
: should weigh SO heavily upon her bu
nothing was further from his thought
, than that anything in himself could hav
produced the change.
Mr.. Ashton, exhausted with his day'
work, turned towards home with his min,
and heart full of all that he had seen an,
. felt He said very little during dinner
but when the table.cIoth was removed
: and he sat down in his dressing.powl
! and slippers before the fire, he related {
. his wife all the events Of the day, descri
bing, with all the enthusiasm OF his earn
est nature, the patience and holy resie
|, nation he had Witnessed, and ended 5
! saying
"Cerlainly, religion has power to sus
: tain and console, under all trials, an
= under every misfortune NJ
! Except the loss Of button, = replie
Chrissey, seriously. "That is misfo
tune which neither philosophy nor religic
can enable one 10 sustain.'' aal
! The Reverend Mr.. Ashton started /
. though pistol had been discharged
!. his ear. i
]. why. what do you mean, Chrisscyl
"Just what / say" returned Chrissey
y with the same sobernsss. yourself, 4
d instance you can endure. with the grea
n es, resignation, the loss Of friends an
i misfortune ] never saw YOU rufiled !
10 rudeness or abuse from others, or sho
a any impationce under severe pain bl
% the loss Of button from your shirt, or
J. nail from the carpet, gives you 4 psrie
right 10 be unreasonable, unkind, and
% | must say !-unchrisiian."