The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-08-10
for tbe Dome Girtle,
The Wife's Experiment.

MA, why don't you ever dress .up?' asked
little Nellie Thornton as her mother finished
brushing the childs hair, and tying her clean
apron There was momentary surprise on
Mrs Thorntons face; but she answered, care
lessly. 'Oh, no one cares how I look
Don't Pa love to see you look pretty? per-
sisted the child. The mother did not reply
but involunt ntaiily she glanced at her sloveny
attire. the faded and worn calico dress and
dingy apron, both bearing witness to an init.
mate acquaintance with the dish pan and
stove-the slip-shod shoes. and soiled stock
iDgs-and she could not help remembering
how she had that morning appeared with un
combed hair, and prepared her husbands
breakfast before he left home for the neigh
boring market town. Sure enough! mused
she, how do lookr And then Memory
pointed back few years to neatly and
tastefully dressed maiden, sometimes busy in
her fathers house, again mingling with her
young companions, but never untidy in her
appearance, always fresh and blooming; and
this she knew, full well. was picture of her.
self, when Charles Thornton FIRST won her
young heart. Such was the bride he had ia
ken to his pleasant home-how had matured
life fulfilled the prophecy of youth?
She was still comely in features graceful in
form, but few would call her handsome or an
accomplished woman; for alasl all other char
acteristcs woman overshadowed by this re-
pulsive trait Yet she loved 10 see others
neat, and her house and chillrhn did not seem
to belong to her, so well kept and tidy did
they always look. AS housekeeper she ex
celled, and her husband was long in acknow-
edging to himself the urwelcome fact he had
married an ncorrigible sloven.
When, like too many other young wives, she
began TO grow negligent in rngard to her
dress, he readily excused her in his own n ind !,
and thought she is not well,' or she has so
much to do;' and rerceiving no abatement in
his kind attentions. she naturally concluded
he was perfectly satisfied. AS her family
pany, she became still more careless of her
personal appearance, and contented herself
i. with seeing that nothing was lacking which
could contribute to the comfort of her hus-
+ band and children. never supposing that so
! trivial matter as her own apparel could pos
siby affect their happiness. All this chuin of
circums ances hitherto unthought of passed
= before her, the little prattler at her side re-
peated the qrery,-Don't Pa love to see you
I look pretty?'
INV oh chn md har
;r solve was taken-she would try an expert
% ment, and prove whether Mr.. Thornton were
really Indifferent on the subject; or not. Civ.
ing Nellie picture book with which to amuse
> herself she went to her own room. mentally
rs exclaimng, 'at any rate, I'll never put on this
,t rig again-not even washing day. She pro
N ceeded to her clothes-press and removed one
dress after another;-some we're ragged, 9th
ers faded, all out of style, and some unfit tc
u wear,-at length she found one which hat
a' long ago been laid aside as too light to wea
'S about the house. 1t was a nice French print
,S rose colored and white, and she remembered
~ - had once been favorite with her hnsband-
A'' The old adage, fashions come round in seve
years. seemed true il this case; for the dres
res was made in the then prevailing style.
*. This is just the thing she thought, an
he she fastened to perform her toilet, saying t
,e; herself, Il must alter my dark gingham /
wear mornings, and get it all ready befor
r. Charles comes home.' Then she released he
ID long, dark hair from its imprisonment in
~ most ungracefu twist and carefully brushin
i its still glossy waves, she plated it in tn
broad braids which Charles used so much t
admire in the days of her girlhood. The III
''S wonted task brought back many reminiscenc'
Ia of those long vanished years, and tears gil
'eh tened in her eyes as she thought of the mar
'as' changes. Time had wrought in those she To-
ed, but she murmnred. What hath sadne
g. like the change that in ourselves we fndT-
Ken In that hour she realized how an apparent
hen trivial fault had gained the mastery over be
land imperceptiby had placed barrier b