Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1859-12-08
Miscellaneous.
"A Wife,s Rem0rSe.

or tnlS constant giving up-Wny uon
give up?''
"Mary Mary cried a quiverine
voice.
Coming. coming replied the .wo
man. sOh DEAR hesv / nave to run! Hs
is so impatient and / must always bt
there; men ought never to be sick, they
make so much trouble"
There was but little tenderness in the
voice that answered the faint queries ol
the sick man, and yet Mrs. North wa:
not hard-hearted woman. Her char.
arter leaned somewhat to the selfish, and
being in robust health, she had no knowl'
edge of the heart-wearing that continual
pull-backs cause to men of the stongest
wills,
90 dear" sighed the man, half child.
ishly, "it seems as if my head never did
ache as it does now"
1--WE heara you say that hundred
times" said Mrs. Nash, not in the soft
est manner.
"But I'm sure it's worse-if you'll on.
ly pull the curtain down-the least light
strikes through my eyes even when they
are shut"
"Up again." thought the wife, rising
somewhat impatiently, scattering her
work with some noise as she did so, and
needless of the groan that followed, she
let the blind fall heavily.
"I'm great deal of trouble" said the
sick man, seeing the cloud on his wife's
brow.
80 non'-her face cleared up-you're
notional of course; all men are-men do
not knew what sickness is and they are
so much frightened at the least pain,"
"But this is terrible !" cried the inva-
lid, pressing his closed eyes together.
0 how he longed to have some sooth-
ing hand upon his temples! but he would
not ask his wife because he saw that she
had snatched up her sowing and was
absorbed in its contemplation.
Hours passed, and the pulse leaped
madly, the eyes grew strained, and eros
sed with veins, the temples huttered with
the throbbing flesh, and strange words
came thickly on the stiffness of the cham
Der.
Mrs. Nash had been down stairs pre-
pairing supper; she had just laughingly
said, in reply to her neighbOr's question
her husband
20! going TO die, as you men all are, if
you happen to cut your finger"
Little she thought how true the pro-
phecy she so unthinkingly uttered. In
another moment her eldest son came into
the room.
Isn't it funny 2" he cried, "pa don't
know me. He called me Mr.. Morris,
and asked me if l had that will made
out"
"What do you mean, child z" His mo-
ther paused in the midst of her work.
HE don't know me, because / kept
calling pa, and he would look at me so
strange and keep asking me if | had THAT
will all made out"
Her cheek paIing a little, Mrs. Nash
hurried up to the chamber above. Her
husband was talking wildly TO himself,
and his appearance had changed fright
fully. Now, seriously alarmed, she sent
for the physician. who was all wonder that
he had been called at so late an hour.
1.-THE man must have shown symptoms
of more than ordinary distress this NOR
ning," he said "did he make complaint
of nothing but an ordinary headache 60
The wife was forced to confess that the
symptoms had been unusually severe, but
he was so liable TO these attacks that she
did not think much of it. Her heart,
however, condemned her. She was con-
science smitten that the means and COM
plants of her poor, sick husband had irri-
tated her to an unusual degree, and that
she had born far from patiently with him.
Now she was ready to make all amends.
With tears and loving thodghts she how
cred over that sick-bed, accusing her
seIf-as every wild cry for her rang out,
still there was no consciousness, still he
felt not the kind hand saw not the stream
ing eyes-of being the cause of all his
through her selfish neg
lect.
Tears, hot and copious, wild prayers
to heaven, sweet and fervent words of
love availed nothing. The death hour
came, and with it consciousness. Ar
rows could not have pierced that sad heart
as did the last words of that dying man:
Dearest, you have been good wife
to me-"
The meek face looked calmly white
amidst the easements Of the grave, but
it was scarce whittier than the face that
bent over it. o! what would that wretch
ed heart have given TO recall those cold,
careless words that were ringing in her
ears at every step. This was the thought
that gave anguish unparalleled. as her
trembling steps led her to his open grave
AS she looked her last upon the manly
face that had ever had smile for her.
O! to live with this consciousness! To
bear burden so heavy-these were to be
her punishment.
"If | had Been tender to him that day.
she often sobbed out as she accused
herself-.'if / had only kissed the hot
brow and bathed IT more carefully-if
had only put down that feeling that /
would not humor his fancied indisposition
II would give worlds" But the sor-