The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-11-18
A Rift in the Cloud.
BY T. 8. ARTHUR.

v,
and out of spirits camo homo to his wife
who was also tired, and out OF spirits.
"a smiling wifc, aud cheerful home
what paradise it would he" said Andrew to
himself as he turned his eyes from tho
coudcd face OF Mrs. Lee, and sat down, with
knitted brows, and moody aspect.
Not word was spoken by either. Mrs
Lee was getting supper, and sho moved
about with weary step.
Como, che said at last, with side glance
at her husband.
There was invitation in tho word only.
mono in tho voice of Mrs. Lee.
Andrew arose and went to tho table. He
was tempted to speak an angry word, but
controlled himself, and kept silence, lie
could find no fault with tho chop, nor tho
sweet homemade bread. nor tho fragrant
t0a. They would have choered his inward
man, it shore had only been CLEAN OF sun.
| shine on tho face of his wife. He noticed
that sho did not cat
Are you not well, Mary 2" Tho words
were on his lips, but he dtd not utter thom,
for tho faco of his wife looked so ropelant.
that he feared an irritating reply. And so,
in moody silence, tho twain sat together
until Andrew had finished his supper. As
no pushed his chair back, his wife arose, and
commenced clearing off tho table.
This is purgatory !" said Leo to himself,
as he commenced walking the floor of their
little breakfast room, with his hands thrust
desperately away down into his trousers
pockets, and his chin almost touching his
breast.
Attor removing all the dishes, and taking
them into the kitchen, Mrs. Ice spread u
greon cover on the table, aud placing fresh
! trimmed lamp thereon. went out, and shut
| the door after her, leaving hor husband alone
with his unpleasant feelings. IIc took
long, deep, breath as she did so, paused in
his walk stood still for somo moments, and
thon drawing q paper from his pocket, sat
down by the tablo, opened the sheet, and
commenced reading. Singularly enough
tho words upon which his eyes rested wcro
Praise your wifc:" They rather tended to
! increase tho disturbance of mind from which
! hU was suffering
81 should like to find somo occasion for
! praising mine" How quickly his thoughts
expressed that i'll naturod sentiment. But
his Dyes woro on tho page before him, and
he read on.
Praise your wife, man; for PHYS sake
give her n little encouragement il won't
hurt her."
Androw Leo raised his eyes from tho pa.
per.and mnttored, "oh, yes. That's all worry
well. Praise is cheap enough. But praise
her for what: For boing sullon, and
making your Gomc tho most dsagrcoable
place in tho world :" His oyes fell again to
tho spapGr,
"She has made your homo comfortable,
your heart bright and shining, your food
agreeable; for PHYS sako, toll her you
thank her, if nothing more. Sho don't OK.
poet it; it will make her eyes open wider
than they have for ton years; out it will do
her good for all that, and you too"
1t seemed TO Andrew as if this sentence
were written just for him, and just for tho
occasion. 1t was tho complete answer to
his question, "praisn her for what = and he
felt ii also rs a robuko. He road no further,
for thought came to busy, and in new di.
rectlon. Memory was cOnvicting him of in
Justice toward bis wife. Sho had nlways
made his homo as comfortable for him as
hands could mako it, and had he offered the
light return Of commentator Had no
ever told her of tho satisfaction lie had
known, or tho comfort. experienced ? Hu
was not able to recall tho time or tho
occasion. AZ ho thought thus Mrs Lee
camo in from tho Kitchen and taking her
work basket from tho closot, placed it on
tho table, and sitting down, without spoak-
ing, began to sew. Mr.. Lee glanced almost
stcathily at tho work in her hands, and saw
chat was tho bosom of n shirt which sho was
stitching neatly. He know that it was for
him that sho was ut work.
\ Praise your wife" Tho words wcro be.
J foro the eyes of his mind, and ho could not
look away from them. But no was not
ready for this yot. He still felt moody and
unforgivng. Tho expression of his wife's
taco he interpreted to mean i'll nature, and
with i'll nature no had no patience. His
/ eyes fell upon tho newspaper that lay spread
, out before him. and he read tho sentence
"a kind, cheerful word spoken in q
gloomy home, is like tho rift in cloud that
lots tho sunshine through"
, Lee struggled with himsolfa while longer
: His own i'll nature had to bo conquered first
his moody accusing spirit had to be subdued
But ho was coming tight, and at last gol
d right as to will. Next camo tho question
2 as to how hc should begin. Ho thought O.
many things to say, yct feared to say thon
, lest his wifo should meet his advances witt
a cold rebuff. At last, leaning toward her
and taking hold of tho linoD bosom upor
which sho was at work. he said, in a voic,
;, carefully modulated with kindness.
You are doing that work worry beauti
fully. Mary"
NlIs. lllhub ltplJ bht nus
band did not fail to observe that sho lost
d almost instantly, that rigid erectnoss will
+. which she had been sitting, nor that The
motion of her needle had ceased.
my shrts are better made, and whittier
than those of any othor men iu our shop
} said Lee encouraged to go on.
d "Are thoy :" Mrs. Lees voice was low
> and had in it a slight huskinnss. She did
not turn her face. but her husband saw that
she leaned n little towards him. He haG
broken the ico of reserve, and all was easy
now. His hand was among tho clouds, and
, fow foebIo rays were already struggling
through tho rift it had made
Eyes, Mary" he answered, softly "and
Two heard il said more than once, what a
good wifo Andrew Leo must have"
Mrs Leo turned her face towards her
husband, There was light in it, and light
in her eye. But thore was something in
the expression of the countonanco that puz,
zlod him.
"Do you think so :" she asked, quite
scberly.
"What a question !" calculated Andrew
Lee, starting up, and going around to the
sido of tho tahlo WHARF hia wifo waa ailtinn