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

band, Ida saw a change there also. Il
was clouded-not heavily clouded-bul
: still in shadow. Steadily and earnestly
she looked at him, until he turned his
face partly away to escape the searching
scrutiny.
You are not well, Edward" Ida
looked serious-almost concerned.
"Don't trouble yourself. l am very
WELL"
He smiled and patted her cheek play
fully-or, rather, with an attempt at play
fulness. Ida was not deceived. A change
had passed over her husband. Some
thing was wrong. He was not as he had
been.
In due time lea was announced, and
the little family party gathered around
the neat table in The breakfast room.
:" Burnt toast and dish-w water tea as
usual y These were The first words
spoken by the young husband, after sit
ting down to the table and the manner
in which they were uttered, left Ida in no
doubt as TO the state of his feelings
How suddenly was the fine gold dimmed
A few hours earlier The young husband
had called to see his mother, an orderly,
industrious woman, and notable house
keeper. AS usual, he was full of the
praise of his beautiful young wife, in
whom he had yet seen nothing to blame
nothing below perfection. But his
mother had looked at her with different
eyes. Living in the world was, with her,
no holiday affair, and marriage no mere
honeymoon. She was too serious in all
her views and feelings to have much pa
tience with what she termed mere play
day life. A little jealous of her sons
affection, she was, withal and It's going
forth to another, with an ardor so differ
ent from what it had ever gone forth to
herself, made her feel cold toward the
dear little wife of Edward, who was its
favored object.
'It is time" she said, with distance
of manner that surprised her son, " for
you and Ida to be little more serious.
The honeymoon is over, and the quicker
you come down TO sober realities, the |
better. There is one thing about Ida !
that rather dISaDDOIntS me -
Edward was too much surprised at
this unexpected annunciation, to speak.
His mother went on.
"She's no house -kceper-"
"She's young, mother she will
learn" he said, interrupting her.
"She had no right TO marry until she
knew how to make cup of tea p The
old lady spoke with considerable aspcri-
ty.
"Mother p
Il say just what mean. Not sin
gle cup of tea have yet tasted in your
house, that was fit to drink don't
know how you can put up with such
stuff. You wouldn't have done it at my
table, | am sure"
"Please, mother, don't talk any more
about Ida. l can't bear to hear it.
You can't bear to hear the truth, Ed
ward. Ispeak for Ida's good and yours
too She's wife now, not mere sweet
heart. And she's your housekeeper be-
sides. with something more to do and to
care for than dress, music, party going
and enjoyment, | must say. as | said a.
little while ago, that | am disappointed
in her. What are girls thinking about,
now days, when they get married ?
Surely not of their husbands household
comforts"
"Ifyou please, mother, we will change
the subject" said the young man, who
was exceedingly panied by the strong
language he had heard. He spoke SO
firmly, that the matter was dropped, and
not again alluded to at the time.
We have now, an explanation of the
change in the young husbands state of
mind. There was some truth in what
his mother had said, and this made it so
much the harder TO bear. The first
shadow had fallen, that dimmed the
brightness of this new and happy life.
Still the defects in Ida-very small to
his eyes, even after they were pointed out
to him by his mother--were things of no
MON ent. He had not intended her for a
household drudge. Was she not loving
hearted, accomplished and beautiful ?
What more could he ask True he
had intended her for the presiding geni
us of his house and there were sober,
matter-offact things to be done in all
homes. But her devotion to these would
all come in good time.
How Edward came to speak as he did
about the tea and toast, was, almost on
tha instant ba had piyan ufterance tn h;s