Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-08-09

THE WIFE'S EXPERIMENT.

"Ma, why don't you ever dress up"'
asked little Nellie Thornton, as her mother
finished brushing the child's hair, and
tying her clean apron. There was mo-
menlary surprise on Mrs. Thornton's face,
but she answered carelessly: "Oh, no
one cares how look ....
Don't Pa love to see you look pretty?"
persisted the child. The mother did not
reply, but nvountarily she glanced at her
slovenly attire, the faded and worn calico
dress anG dingy apron, both bearing wit
ness to an intimate acquaintance with the
dish-pan and stove--lhe slip-shod shoes
and soleG stockings--and she could not
help remembering Eow she had that morn
ing appeared with uncombed hair, and
prepared her husbands breakfast before
he left home for the neighboring market
town. Sure enough!" unused she, chow
do lookl" And then memory pointed
back few years to u neatly and tastefully
dressed maiden, sometimes busy in her
fathers house, again mingIng with her
young companions, but never untidy in
her appearance, always fresh and bloom
ing; aud this she knew, full well, was a
picture of herself when Charles Thornton
first won her young heart. Such was the
bride he had taken TO his pleasant home
how had mature life fulfilled the prophecy
Of youth?
She was still comey in features, graceful
in form. but few could call her handsome
or an accomplished woman; for, alas, all
other characteristics were overshadowed
by this repulsve trait. Yet she loved to
see others neat, and her house and chill
dren did not seem to belong to her, SO
vel kept and tidy did they always look.
As housekeeper she excel.ed, and her
husband was long in acknowledging to
himself the unwelcome fact that he had
married an ncorrigible sloyen.
When, like too many other young wives,
she began to grow negligent in regard to
her dress, he readily excused her in his
own mind, and thought "she is not well, "
or "she has SO much to do" and perceiv-
ing no abatement in his kind attentions,
she naturally concluded he was perfectly
satisfied. AS her family cares increased,
and she went less into company, she be-
came still more careless of her personal
appearance, and contented herself 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
possibly affect their own happiness. All
this chain of circumstances hitherto un-
thought of passed before her, as the little
pratller at her side repeated the query
Don't Pa love to see you look pretty?'
Eyes, nly child" she answered, and
her resolve was taken-she would try an
experiment and prove whether Mr.. Thorn
ton were really Indifferent on the subject
or not. Giving Nellie picture book with
which to amuse herself, she went to her
own room, mentally exclaiming, "at any
rate, III never put OH this rig again--not
even washing day" She proceeded to her
clothes-press and removed one dress after
another-some were ragged, others faded,
all out of style, and some unfit to wear
ab leDbIu she iouuu ouc winch Hdu lohS
been laid aside, as "too light to wear about
the house," 1t was nice French print,
rose-colored and white, and she remem-
bered had once been favorte with her
husband. The old adage "1ashions come
round in seven years" f" seemed true in this
case; for the dress was made ID the then
style.
"This is just the thing" she thought,
and she hastened to perform her toilette,
saying to herself, "I must alter my dark
gingham to wear mornings. Then she
her long, dark hair from its i'm
ina most ungraceful twist, and
carefully brushing its still glossy waves.
she plated it in the broad braids which
Charles used, SO much to admire, in the
days Of her girlhood. The unwonted task
brought back many "reminiscences Of those
long vanished years, and tears glistened
in her eyes as she tho't of the many chan
ges Time had wrought in those she loved;
but she murmured, a"wbat hath sadness
like the change that in ourselves we fnd?'
In that hour she realized how an appar-
emily trivial fault had gained the mastery
I ,bl,, had r,la1oH a