The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-01-05
HOME COMFORTS.
TALE FOR TKUANT HUsBAN Ds.

"Where are you going, George?" asked
Mrs Wilson, as her husband rose from the tea
table and took his hat.
"Oh I'm going out, was the careless re-
sponse.
"But where?" asked his wife.
"What odds doesit make, Emma?" returned
her husband. I'I shall be back at my usual
time"
The young wife hesitated, and quick flush
overspread her face. She seemed to have
made up her mind to speak plainly upon
subject which had lain uneasily upon her heart
for some time, and she could not let the op-
portunity pass 1t required an effort, but she
persevered.
"Let me tell you what odds it makes tome"
she said, in kind but tremulous tone. off
l cannot have your company here at home, L
should at least feel much better if l knew
where you were"
"But you know that am safe, Emma, and
what more can you ask ?'
'I do not know that you are safe, George.
1 know nothingabout you when you are away"
"Pooh, pooh Would you have it that
am not capable of taking care of myselfT"
"You put a wrong construction upon my
words. George. If did not love you as do
l might not be thus uneasy. When you are at
your place of business / never feel thus, be-
cause l know l can seek and find you at any
moment; but when you are absent during these
long evenings l get to wondering where you
are. Then | begin to fell lonesome, and so
one thought follows another until I feel
troubled and uneasy. Oh, if you would only
stay with me portion of your eveningsp'
'Aha, thought that was what you were
aiming at, said George, with playful shake
of the head "You would have me here every
+ evening"
"Well can you wonder at it 2" returned En-
ma. al used to be very happy when you came
to spend an evening with me before we were
married, and 1 know 1 should be very happy
in your society now" -f
"Ah," said George with a smile, 'fthose were
business meetings. We were arranging them
for the future"
"And why not continue to do so, my hus-
band? 1 ann sure we would be as happy now
as ever. If you will remember, one of our
plans was to make home"
"And haven't we got one, Emma?"
awe have certainly place in which to live"
answered the wife somewhat evasively.
"And it is our home," pursued George
'EAnd," he added with a sort of confident -four
ish, "home is the wife's peculiar province. She
has charge of it, and all her work is there,
willie the duties of the husband call him to
other scenes"
"Wel, 1 admit that, so far as certain duties
must remember that we both need relaxation
from labor; we need time for social as mental
Improvement and enjoyment; and what time
have we for this, save evenings? s?-Wh by
should not this be my home of an evening, as
we'll as in daytime or night %
"Well, isn't itY" asked George.
"How can it be, if you are not here? What
makes home for children, if it be not the
abode of the parents What home a hus-
band have where there is no wife And what
real home comforts can a wife enjoy where
there is no husband? You do not consider how
lonesome am all alone here during these long
evenings. They are in the very seasons when
| am at leisure to enjoy your companionship
if it be worth enjoying. They are the seasons
when the happiest hours of home life might
be passed. Come, will you not spend few of
your evenings with me ?"
"You see enough of me as it isl said the
husband lightly
"Allow me to be the best judge of that,
George. You would be very lonesome here,
all alone
"Not if it my place of business it is
of yours" returned the young man. "Y ou
are used to staying here. All wives belong to
home"
"Just remember, my husband, that previous
to our marriage, 1 had pleasant society ali the
time. Of course / remained at home much of
my time; but had a fatherand mother there
and our evenings were happily spent Final
| ly gave up all for you. [ left the old home,
and sought home with my husband. And
now have l not got right to expect some of
your companionship? How would you like to
have me away every evening, while you were
obliged to remain here alone ?"
'ANhy, [ should like it well enough"
'Ah, but you would not be willing to try
it?"
eyes would" said George at venture.
f'Will you remain here every evening next
week, and let me spend my time among my
female friends?" -
"Certainly WILL" he replied; "and assure
you shall not be so lonesome as you imag-
ine"
eTWith this the husband went out, and was
soon among his friends. He was steady, in
dustrious man, and loved his wife truly; but,
like thousands of others, he had contracted
habit of spending his evenings abroad, and
thought it no harm. His only practical idea
of home seemed to be, that it was place
which his wife took care of, and where he
could eat, drink, and sleep, as long as he could
pay for it. In short, he treated it as sort of
private boarding house, of which his wife was
landlady, and if he paid all the bills, he con-
sidered his duty done His wife had frequent
ly asked him to stay at home with her, but she
had never ventured upon any agreement be-
fore, and he had no conception of how much
she missed him. She always seemed happy
when he came home, and he supposed She
could always be so.
Monday evening came, and George Wilson
remained true to his promise. His wife put ON
her bonnet and shawl, and he said he would
remain and "keep house"
"What will you do while am gomez
Emma asked.
ooh, I shall read and sing, and enjoy my
self generally.
The wife went out and the husband was left
alone He had an interesting book, and he
began to read it. He read till eight o'clock,
and then he began to yawn and look frequent
ly at the clock. The book did not interest
him as usual. Ever and anon he would come