The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-05-20

TIE wIFIIS EXPERIMENT..

Ma, why don't you ever dress upF ask
ed little Nellie Thornton, rs her mother
finished brushing lhechild's hair, and tying
her clean apron. There WIS momentary
surprise on Mrs. Thornton's face; but she
answered, carelessIy, oh, no one cares how
| look
Don't Pu love to see you look pretty?
persisted the child. The mother did not
reply, but involuntary she glanced at her
sIovenly attire, the faded aud worn calico
dress and dingy apron, both bearing wit
ness to an intimate acquaintance with the
dish-pan and stove-tlie slip-shod shoes,
and soicd stockings-and she could not
help remembering how she had that morn
ing appeared with uncomLcd hair, and pre-
pared her husbands breakfast before he
left home for the neighboring markct-town.
Sure enough" unused she, how do look ."
And then Memory pointed back few years
10 a neatly and tastciully-dressed maiden,
sometimes busy in her fathers house. again
mingling with her young companions but
never un,idy in tcr appearance, always
fresh and blooming; and this she knew, full
well, was picture of herself, when Charles
Thornton first won her Young heart. Such
was the bride lie had taken to his pleasant
homc,-how had mature life fulfilled the
prophecy Of youth?
She was still eomely in features, graceful
in form, but few would call her a handsome
or an accomplished woman; for, alas +! all
other characteristic were over-shadowed BY
this rcpulslve trait. Yet she loved to see
others neat, and her house and children did
not seem to belong to her, SO well kept and
tidy did they always look. AS house.
keeper she cxcellcd, and her husband was
long in acknowledging to himself the un.
welcome fact that ho had married an in.
corrigiblc sloven.
When, like too many other young wives
she began to grow negligent in regard tc
her dress, he readily excused her in his owr
mind, and thought she is not WE'LL or, SHE
has so much to do and perceiving nc
abatement in his kind attentions, she natur
ally concluded he was perfectly satisfied
AS her family cares increased, and she wen
less into company, she went less into com
pany, she went less into company, she be
came still more careless of her personal ap
pcarancc, and contentcd herself with see
ing that nothing was lacking which cou
. contribute to the comfort of her lusban
and children, never supposng that SO trivis
a matter as her own apparel could possibl
! affect their happiness. All this chain {
e circumstances hitherto unthought Of passe
y before her, as tho little rrattler at her sid
- repeated the query,-Don't Pa love to sc
you look pretty?
p Yes, my child she answered, and h
i resolve was taken,- she would try an e
e pertinent, and prove whether Mr.. Thor
= ton were really Indifferent on the sutjet
o or not. Giving Nellie picture-book vii
= which TO amuse herself, sho went to Il
Il own room, mentally exclaiming, "at Al
% rate, I'll never put on this rig again-n
1t even washing day" She proceeded to h
d clothcs-press and removed one DIRE
e after another.-some were ragged, otht
y faced, all out ofslyle, and some unfit to we
II, at length she found one which had 10
g ago been laid aside, rs "too light to VIZ
about the house." 1t was nice Fren
print, rose colored and white, and she
membered it had once been afavorite with
- husband. The old adage, fashions VIII
% come around in seven years" seemed II
49, in this case; for the dress was made in
-, then prevailing style,
~ "This is just the thing" she thoug
~ and she fastened to perform her toi
~ saying to herself, II must alter my d.
-. gingham to wear mornings, and get it
; ready before Charles comes home"
~, Then she released her long, dark
~ from its imprisonment in most ungrs
y, w. fuI twist, and carefully brushing its
wv glossy waves, she plated it in the br
~ braids which Charles used SO much
-, admire in the days Of her grlhood.
y. The unwonted task brought back m
!. "reminiscences Of these long vanished ye
Ar and tears glistened in her eyes as
-, thought Of the many changes Time
:. wrought in those she loved, but she
o. INJURED, "Wbat hath sadness like the cha
that in ourselves we find I" In that
49,. she realized, how an apparently trivial
had gained the mastery over her, and
perceptibly had placed barrier betv
not her and. The one she best loved. True
rep never chided her,-never apparently not
.o's .:"s her altered appearance,-but she we'll k
Il s,I to he no longer urged her going into so
ards nor did he seem to care about receiving
2. ~.,. l,o,,o ha q,