M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-01-06

real nnhappiness she.--was, ,maklng Tor
herself; bntshe would not listen 4 or,
if she did, the. impression was nQ'
lasting: In fact, she had no patience
with her children, and the single rnf.
| file of a moment was sure to make I'M
happiness for her. She loved her hus'
band fondly; and her children she
loved, too, She was proud OF them,
and for their comfort she would sac.
rifce any amount of personal con-
venierce. Many and many an hour
of blissful JOY did she pass with hel
husband when the sky was clear; but
q cloud was sure to bring the storm
For years not day passed that had
not seen some unpleasant passages be-
tween herself and children, and she
would not understand that her very
mode of treatment-the disposition
she manifested and the language she
used-wqs surely warping the minds
OF the little ones. In pain and an
guish. her husband had tried to show
her this, but she would not listen; and
then when she was calm and reason
able, Albert could not find it in his
heart to destroy the peace by such al
lusions.
On the present occasion supper was
eaten almost in silence. The husband
was panied and the wife angry. The
child once cried for a lump of sugar,
and the mother jerked a piece upon
her plato with the words:
"There, take it! You want every
thing you set your eyes on"
The little one ate the sugar in 81.
lencc, while the mother felt more dis
NAL still from this new out6urSt, And
thus matters went Oh for an hour, and
at the end Of that time the door bell
rang, and some company was intro
duced. 1t was u neighbor and his
wife. In q moment, the whole OK
preston Of Abby's face was changed.
Smiles took the place Of lrowns, and
her words were rs sweet as could be;
and during the whole evening she was
as happy and gay as though a cloul
had never rested upon her brow.
"Abby," said her husband, after
the visitors had gone, "since we have
been married have | not done all in
my power to make you happy2 Have
you ever expressed an earnest heart
felt wish that | have not gratified"
81 don't know" replied the wife,
ratherreluctantly.
"Yes, you do know replied AL
bert; "and what | wish to know is
this: Why you could not strive SO
much to make me happy as you will
to make those who are not dependent
upon you for happiness. When |
came home this evening, worn and ia
tigued with the labors OF the day, why
could you not have met me with a
smile and cheerful weIcomeP
"Bocause didn't feel like smiling"
was the answer.
"But you smiled the moment Mr..
Bixbce and his wife came in; and that,
too, when your feelings were anything
but pleasant moment before. Can
you do for their comfort what you are
not willing to do for mine!"
II do the best | can, | am sure,"
sObbed Mrs. Leeman, beginning to
cry. ~ wish you'd found a wife who
could have suited you betterthan do.
| never can suit you-never!"
Abby was in tears, and her husband
could say no more. He could only
wish that she would understand him.
Oh! how often, when she was kind
and good, did he wish she would al
ways be so; and again when sic was
making company 50 happy, how fer
vently did he pray that she would al
ways do the same for him. She WAS
a neat, tidy, Industrious woman, and
only her own family knew OF this dark
trait in her character.
In the same town with Abby lived
her only sister, who married young
man named Charles Frye. Charles
was some eiglt-andtwenty and Lyd-
ia, his wife, Abby's sister, three years
younger. This young man was a
carpenter by trade; strong, healthy.
generous, and Of superior intellect
and intelligence. His business was
good, and though he wore a paper
cap and apron ten or twelve hours "a
day, yet he was laying up money
lydia Frye was unlike her sister in
one respect. That sweet smile which
visitors found upon her face never fad.
ed in her husbands presence, and the
words which the stranger heard her
speak to her child were never more
harsh when alone with her little one.
She loved her husband and she loved
her child; and never did she knowing
ly speak a word which could bring a
cloud upon a member of her house
hold. ....-....
And between these two sisters there
was an enstrangement. Several times
Lydia had expostulated with Abby on
account of her tractious treatment of
her children, and once she had even