Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-09-17
A wIFE'S RENIORsE.

:. Sick-sick again ~ said the heedless wife.
with petuience. II m 30 tired of seeing a pale
face from morning till night, of hearing eroans,
OF mixing doses. 1t seems to me there is little
need OF this constant giving up. Why don't L
give up''
Mary Mary ," cried a quivering voice.
Coming, coming" replied the woman.
Oh, dear, how / have TO run. He's 80 i'm
patient, and 1 must always be 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 Of the sick
man; and yet Mrs. Nash was not heard heart
ed OF an unfeeling woman. Her character
leaned somewhat to the side of selfshness. and
being in robust health, she had no knowledge
OF the heart-wsaring, that continual r.,ll backs
cause to men of the strongest wills
oh, dear ~ sighed the man, half childish
ly, . 1t seems as If my head never did ache as
il does now"
I've heard you say that hundred times. ~
said Mrs. Nash, not in the sOftest manner.
"But m sure it's worse. If you'll only pull
the curtain dOwn-the least light strikes
through my eyes, even when they are shut"
up again, thought the wife, rising some
what impstiently, scattering her work with
some noise as she did so, and, needless of the
grosn that followed, let the blind fall heavily
I'm great deal of trouble" said the sick
man, seeing the cloud on his wife's brow.
''Oh, nO.'-her face cleared up-.'you're no.
tionai, OF course-all men are Men don't
know what sickness is, and they re so frighten-
ed at the least pain"
Bat this Is terrible" cried the invalid.
pressing his closed eyelids together.
Oh, how he lOnged to have a soothing hand
upon his temples; but he would not ask his
wife, because he saw that she had snatched M
her sewing, and was again engaged in its COM
pletiOn.
Hours passed. and the pulse leaped madIy,
the eyes grew strained and crossed with veins,
the temples huttered with the throbbing flesh.
and strange words came thickly on the still
ness of the chamber
Mrs. Nash had been down stairs preparinp
supper. She had just laughingly said, in reply
band: -. " N-
"Oh, going to die, as you men all are if YOU
happen to cut your finger"
Little she thought how truo was the prophesy
she SO unthinkingly uttered In another mo-
ment her eldest son came into the room
Isn't it funny" he cried: ssps don't know
me. He called me Mr.. Morris, and asked me
II had that will all made out "
what do You mean, child!" His mother
paused in the midst Of her work.
HE don't know me, because kept calling
Ps, anu ne iooked at me so strange, and kept
asking If had that will all made OUT
Her cheek paling little, Mrs Nash hurried
up to the chamber above. Her husband was
taking wildly to himself, and his Appearance
had changed frightfully. Seriously alarmed.
sne sent Tor the physician, who was all wonder
that ne had been called at so late an hour
The man must have shown symptoms of
more than ordinary distress this morning - he
said. "Did he make complaints of nothing but
an ordinary headsche!" -
The wife was forced to confess that the
symptoms had been unusually severe but he
was 50 liable to these attacks that she didn't
think much OF it. Her heart, however, con-
demned her She was conscious that the
moans and complaints of her poor sick hus-
oa9d nsd irrltated her to an unusual degree,
and that she had borne far from patiently
with him. Now she was ready to make All
amends With tears and loving thought she
lowered over that sick bed, accusing herself
as every wild cry for her rang out, and still
there was no ocOnsciousness-stiflh he felt not the
kind hand, saw moi the streaming eyes-of be-
ing tne cause Gt all MS wretchcdness through
her selfish neglect
Tears, hot and eopious, wild prayers to heav-
en-, sweet and fervent words of love availed
nothing. The death hour came, and with n
CONSEQUENCES. Arrows could not have pierced
that sad heart as did the last words of the dy-
ing man:
Dearest; you have been good wife to
me-
The meek face looked calmly white sm;ds,
the easements Of the grave, but it was scarcely
whittier than the face that bent over it. Oh
what would that wretched heart have given 10
recall those cold, careless words that were
ringing IN her own ears at every step There
was the thought that gave anguish uuparal-
leled, as her trembling steps led her TO his
open grave-as she looked her last upon the
dear manly face that had ever had a smile for
her. Oh to live with this consciousness 10
bear a burden so heavy-these were to her
punishment.
If had been tender to him that day, " she
often sobbsd out, as she accused herself .'if I
had only kissed the hot brow, ard batbed II
more earefully-if L had only put down that
feeling that would not hum0r his fancied in
disposition, / would give worlds" But the
sorrow, dreadful as it was, bss not been with
out its salutary influence Now. the widowed
woman Is the welcome visitor by the bedside
oi the sick. Her gentle voice soothes as the
voice OF mother-her hands touch is like the
pressure Of velvet, her very apathy is as the
sweetest cordial. And il ever she il tempted
to think an impatient thought, or give EXPIRES
sion to a selfish wish, there comes up before
her the vision OF pale face that, but for her
neglect might be smiling ON her nOw-apd
with the rebake working patience in her hear,
she goes about her Masters work.-.Hofhsr's
Journal.