Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1858-06-03
THE NERVOUS WIFE CURED

! THE NERVOUS WIFE CURED
My fried Wilkins married a sweet youn.
| girl, of quiet, amiable disposition, but in nj
| way skilled in those domestic arts without
knowledge of which a wife's duties are Away
felt to be hard in the beginning He was tn
envy of more than one who had aspred to the
possession Of her hand. / knew him to be in
dustrious, intelligent and kind hearted; and
felt sure that he had taken life-companiol
who would be faithful and loving. The prom
Use was bright enough to warrent prophecy
of more than ordinary happiness.
They removed to another town. Ten year.
afterwards, in passing through that tewn,
called upon Wilkins, who met me with the old
frank cordially. Eyes and face were in {
glow of pleasure, when, still grasping his hand
inquired after his wife. His countenance
changed instantly.
"Poor Mary p he said, in sad, discour
aged way She has no health"
!" Pm sorry" was my natural response.
sickness and the loss of two of our chill
dren have so worn down body and mind that
she is now but shadow of her former self
Worst of all, her nerves are completely shat
tered. But you must see her. To meet an
old friend will do her good. VIII you spend
the evening with US "
I assented, and then made further inquiries
about his family and worldly condition. His
story was not bright one. The birth of
the first child was followed by prostratins
sickness, which brought the young mother to
the utmost verge of death.
She has never had good health since," said
Wilkins, in depressed voice. My income
was small, and we could not afford the amount
of household assistance, in the beginning, that
she really required ; and SO everything was
against her restoration to sound health Chill
dren came rapidly, bringing with them more ex,
hausting cares. And the death of two OF our
little ones, to which have referred, seemed to
complete the work of ruin. She is now a
hopeless invalid, poor, weak, nervous, unhap-
py creature, a mere wreck Of what you saw
ten years ago, moving, like fearful ghost,
through her daily round of duties, and only
kept alive by the constant and careful atten-
ton of physician. l don't thiuk the doctor
has been out of my house for two weeks at a
time for six years, and l am sure has received
more than three hundr pounds of my money
in that time. The fact is, what with doctors
bills, nurses, medicines and the hundred name
less expenses q sick and a nervous wife entails
upon a man, my fortunes have been marred.-
They keep Inc poor" 49,. 1850
Wilkins spoke in fretfal voice. It was
plain that he had grown impatient under the
trials to which the bad health of his wife had
exposed him.
I called at his Office again towards evening
and went home with him. Had met Mrs VIII
knA in the street, would not hove recognized
~, = hn ho hrIo vyha fap hnfn
blushing in beauty, ! had seen giving her hand
in a life-partuership, with such loving confidence
in the future, to the husband of her choice
Her couutenance was wan and wasted, all
the beautifully rounded outlines gone her eyes,
deeply sunken, were languid almost to indiffer-
ence; her hair, once richly luxurant, had fallen
off, until scarce half of it remained, and that
looked dry and crisp, with here and there "a
premature line Of grey. She stopped slightly,
aud her motions were lifeless. r.
A faiut smile parted her lips as grasped
her hand with all the warmth Of a genuine
friendly interest. But it faded almost as soon
as it was born. tried to talk with her in a
cheerful strain, and did succeed in awakening a
brief interest III the olden time. But the pres
ent was too painfully real; it would not per-
nit her thoughts to indulge in pleasant faucies.
could not help asking about herself and her
children and this turned the current of her
feelings into its wonted channel and I,listen-
ed to her sad heart-steries, and painful expert
ences in sickness, until my own feelings were
deeply shadowed / pitied her What o
sombre, suffering life had been hers !! Into
what world Of misery, instead of happiness,
had marriage translated her
As she talked observed her husband care
fully. 1t was plain that be had but little SYM
patty with his wife's state Of feeling. He
was sufferer with her, though 10 lighter de-
gree and, as his sufferiags originated in her,
there was, plainly, a certain lack of kindly pa
thence towards his companion. Several times
be Interrupted her, trying to draw the CONVEX
sation into another channel aud once or twice
he threw in depreeiating sentences, as it she
W. exaggerating the unhappy story Of .he'
1 learn that Mrs. Wilkins rarely, if ever
went cut of her own house. Her duties wers
very arduous, and her ability, from i'll health
small. Every day she worked to bodily ex
haustion, and usually pain. There was no re.
creation of any kind, bodily Or mental Ii
was q living death. No wonder she was droop.
ing, wretched, nervous woman.
Next day, called to see my friend, having
made up my mind to have plain talk with
him. l referred to his wife, expressing my
earnest sympathy in regard to her.
"Poor Mary p he replied; her case il
hopeless, and mine, too, faar.n
"While there's life, there's hope, !" said /, us
ing the physicians half-despairipg axiom.
He regarded me little curiS6sly.
How often do you take hersont |" in
quired.
He shock his head
" Can't afford carriage hire; 'tit as much a,
/ can do to pay the doctor. No, mo, neithe
Of Us have time nor money to speIM for riding
out"
Change, and fresh air, you wiIl6nd bette
and cheaper medicines than doctors stuff. d.
won taxa her In the seaside in tha eSaocnror 7t