Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-04-07
THE WIFE.
BT WASHINGTON IRVING.

ttudc with which women sustain the most
overwhelming rcverScS Of fortune. Those dis
asters which break down the spirit Of man,
and PROSTATE him in the dust, seem TO call
forth all the energies of the softer sex, and
give such inlrepidity and elevation to the
character, that at times it approaches to sub
Unity. Nothing can be more touching than
to behold soft tender female, who has been
all weakness and dependence, and alive to cv-
cry trivial rOughncSS, while tIeading the pros
porous paths Of life, suddenly rising in mental
force to be the comforter and support of her
husband, under misfortune, aud abiding with
unshrinking firmness the bitter blasts Of ad-
vcrSity
As the vine which has long twincd its grace
| ful foliage about the oak and been lifted hv it
intn sunshine, will, when the hardy plant is
riltcd by the thundcrbolt, cling around it with
carcSsing tcndIilS, and bind up its shattered
houghS, 50 is it beautifully ordered hv Prov-
dcnce that woman, who is the mere dcpcnd-
rnt ard ornament Of man in his happy hours,
should he his stay and Soacc when Smittcn
with sudden calamity; winding herself into
the rugged recesSes of his nature. trndrrlv
supporting the dropping head, and binding ".
the broken heart.
| was once congratulating friend, who had
around him a blOoming family, knit together
: iR-the- -EtEaHgpAt- -atiectiut." ." l-cau- wish no
better lot, said he, with enthusiasm, "than
4 TO have u wife and children. II YOU are pros
| porous, there they are to share your PROSPER
ity; il otherwise there they are to comfort
yuu." And indeed, ! have observed that n
married man. falling into misfortune is more
apt to retrieve his situation in the world than
a single one; partly because he is more stim.
ulatcd to cXer!on by the necessities of the
helpless and beloved beings who depend upon
! him for subsistence, but chiefly because his
spirits are -suothcd and-rclicycd- by domestic
cndrarmcnt>, and his self respect kept alive
by finding that though all abroad is darkness
and humiliation, yet there is still II little world
Of love at home, Of which he is the monarch.
I Whereas, n single man is apt to run to waste
and sclGncglect; to fancy himself lonely and
abandoned, and his heart to fall to rnin, like
some deserted mansion, for want Of an inhab-
| liant.
These observations call to mind little do
mcstic story, of which was once a witness.
My intimate friend Leslie had married beau.
-tlful and accomplished girl. who had been
brought up in fashionable life She had, it
is true, no fortune, hut that Of nv friend was
g dnu lIC III lIlC dulltlUullOn
of indulging her in every elegant pursuit, and
administering to those delicate tastes and fan.
cics that spread kind of witchcrv about the
sex. Her lfr," said he, shall be like a
fairy tale"
The very difference Of their character pro-
durrd harmonious combination he was of
a romantic and serious cast; she was all life
and gadncs>. ! have often noticed the mute
rapture with which he would gaze upon he,
in company, Of which her Sprightlv powers
made her the delight and how, in the midst
Of applause, her eve would still turn to him,
as if there alone she sought favor and accept.
arce. When hanging on his arm, her slender
form coniraSted finely with his tall, manly
person. The fond, confiding air with which
she looked up to him, seemed to call forth n
flush of triumphant pride and chcriShing ten
dcrncSS, as if he dotted ON his lovely burden
for its hcplrsSnrSS. Never did a couple set
forward ON the tiowcry path of early and well
situated marriage with larer prospect Of
felicity.
1t was the misfortune Of my friend. how
ever, to have embarked his property in large
/ SpeculatiOns he was not married many
months, wh,n, by a succession of sudden dis
a>ttrs, it was swept from him, and he found
himself reduced almost to pcnurv. For "a
time he kept his situation to himself and went
about with a hlggard countrnance and n
breaking heart. His life was but a protractcd
-a-eRf ;-ana what rendered it H4aEe- -iH>Hppert-
able, was the necessity Of keeping mp smile
in the presence of his wifi. for he cnnld not
bring himself to Ovrrwlclm her with the SAD
news. She saw, however, with the qnick eve
of affection. that all was not well with him
She marked his altered looks and Stihrd SghS.
and was not to be deceived by his >ickly and
vivid attempts at chcerfuneSS She taSked
all her sprightly power and tender blandiSh
mcntS to win him back to happiness; but She
only drove the arrow deeper into his soul
The more he saw cause to love her, the more
toruring was the thought that he was soon to
make her wrctchcd. \ little while, thought
he, and the smile will vanish from that cheek
the song will die away from those lipS-the
luStre Of those eyes will lie qucnchcd with
sorrow: and the happy heart which now beats
lightly in that bosom will be weighed down
like mine, by the cares and miscrics of the
world.
At length he came to me one day and re-
lated his whole situation, in tone of deep
despair When heard him through, | in
quirrd, "Docs your wife know all this ~
At the question he burst into an agony ,f
tears. For Gods sake" erica he, "if YOU
have any pity on me- don't mention my wife q;
it is the thought Of her that drives me almost
to madness"
"And why not 2" said I. "Shc must know
it sooner or later; yon cannot keep il long
from her. and the intelligence may break upon
her in more startling manner than if impart.
ed by yourself; for the accents of those we
love soften the harshcr tidings. Besides, YOU
are dcprivinG Yourself Of the comforts of her
sympathy; and not merely that, but enlan-
gcring the only bond that can keep hearts to-
gether-an unrcServcd community of thought
and feeling. She will soon perceive that some
thing is secretly prcli ing upon your mind, and
true love will not brook reserve; it feels un-
dervalned and outraged, when even the sor.
rows of those it loves are concealed from it,"
"Ohl but my friend to think what blow
| am to give to all her future prospects. How
am | TO strike her very soul to the earth. bv
telling her that her husband is beggar that
she is to forego all the elcgancies Of lifc-all
the pleasures Of gay sOcicty-to shrink. with
me, into indigence and obscurity! TO tell
her that have dragged her down from the
sphere in which she might have continued to
move in constant brightncss-thc light of cv.
cry eyc-thc admiration of every heart How
can she bear poverty ?-she has been the idol
Of society. Oh. it will break her heart, it
will break her hearth
! saw his grief was eloquent, and let it
have its flow, for sorrow relieves itself by
words When his paroxysm had subsidized,
and he had relapsed into moody silence, I re.
sumed the subject gently. and urged him 10
break his situation at once to his wife. lie