The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-07-27
for TIE SDonle y Gmtle,
The Magic Of Words.
By T. s. ARTHUR

- . . .H
Peter Crandal was not an i'll natured. cap.
tious. or fault-fnding man, and yet the home
of Peter Urandall was not happy home.-
Very little sunshine streamed in across the
threshold. Was it bis wife's fault A vis-
itor who saw her in her usual mood, might, if
his conclusions were made from first Impress
ions. lean to this opinion. She inclined to
fretfulness and impatience; and often scoIded
the children when her husband should see lit.
tie in them to blame.
The Crandas were poor. Mr.. Crandall
was mechanic, and earned only mechanics
wages. Mrs. Crandal was mother of five chill
dren, the oldest of them thirteen years old
but their narrow income left nothing to spare
for the hire of domestic. and so all the work
fell upon her. She was toi-worn and toll
weary at the dying of each day; and the same,
although not to an equal extent might be said
of her husband. He had more strength for
fatigue. He had the advantage, too, which
was the most important 0ne-offreedom from
causes of nervous excitement and the newt
able exhaustion that followed He labored
on at one kind of work. uninterrupted all day
longs while she was subject to perpetual and
annoying nterruptionsincident to her position
of mother and housekeeper
Between Peter Crandall and his wife there
did not seem to exist much affection. They
never spoke loving words, nor manifested. ex-
cept on rare occasions, any pleasure at meet
ing, or any mutual interest. The little cour-
tesies of life were something unknown in their
cherries dwelling. Rude, boisterous, quarrel
some, the children grew up, bringing discord
into the house that was uncomfortable enough
without that disagreeable inmate. The moth
er scolded and punished in anger; but saw no
good result of her discipline The father
lsometimes scolded 10 concert; but always felt
an unpleasant sensation afteward, as if he had
been doing something wrong.
u And so the years went on. and the sum
, beams came not across the threshold into their
dwelling Occasionally Mr.. Crandall obtain
led a brief glance into some other homes;and
| as the pleasant vision passed, a sigh would
, disturb his bosom. Light and warmth were
, there -.-.
3 Something was wrong in his own home ;that
(; he had felt for great while-and be did not
!. wholly blame his wife. But the exact loca,
D ton of the wrong he could never clearly per.
ceive. In the beginning it was different. Then
there was warmth 10 the heart, and sunshine
in the face Of his wife. But it was in hit
i memory, marked day after day as dial record
p the advancing shadow, how the brightness o
q her face diminished steadily, until all wa
eclipsed All! If he had dreamed of tn
. lcausel But Mr.. Crandall was not man wh,
looked inward upon his own life-not ma
who considered his actions in their effects upo
others. He was, moreover, silent, undeu
= onsirative man; rarely expressing his feeling
:, He gave few outward signs by which any on
icoulG read his heart. Here lay the origin {
a the trouble at home the beginning of tb
eclipse that left his little world in almost to,l
darkness, when it should have been broa
of MONDAY. It was not enough for Mrs. Graz
,k dali, 10 the earlier years Of their welded lif
TO know that her husband loved her. He
Id heart asked for more. She wanted loviD
,r. looks and loving words also and for lack (
these, its green things withered. and its bio