The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-09-14
ONLY A HUSBAND.

! ant nRht shone IN her eyes. she ha'i drop
ped glove which a gentleman had lifted
from the floor and placed in her hand.
Mr.. Archer the lady's husband, saw the
! little act of courtesy and notirc'l its r..
reward. lie would have given almost any
th ng for just such musical Thank
you for as bright glance as she had
; thrown upon a stranger. Once, tones aud
! glanccs like these had been his reward for
any little attentions he might happen To
offer; now, all the small courresies Of life
were Withdrawn. and DO matter what the
act or its quality, his wife received it with
cold Indifference, sincularly in contrast
with her manner toward other men.
/ Was it defect Of lovca Did Mrs.
! Archer really think more highly Of other
men, who showed her polite attentions.
than she did Of her husbandl Sometimes
a clafed feeling Of impalience-sometimes
OF jealousy and sometimes of mourntul
regret for SUMMER days in the far away
past would trouble !he husband sorely.-
But these were pushed aside, or suffered to
die for lack Of aliment, and the dull, cold
Nrcutine Of every day life permitted to have
fits usual course.
On the occasion referred to above, Mr..
Archer and his wife were spending an
evening at the house Of friend, where
company had been invited. For days pre-
viouslv the counenance Of Mrs. Archer
had worn its usual dead calm, its irnpertur-
bed plac;dity-its matter. .of.conrsc aspect.
She had talked with her husband in kind
OF dead level tone and manner on all sub
jects that happeued to come up, whether Of
first or third Importance. Or. if interest
happened 10 rise into anything approaching
enthusiasm, it was accompanied by some
thing Of sharpness, that left on the mind Of
Mr. Archer an uncomfortable feeling, as If
he we're blamed for something. And this
had been the wfes aspect even after she
had donned her company attire, and up to
the moment when she made her appear
ance among the guests of the friend to
whose house she bronght. tied up, as it
were, in closely compacted bundle, her
smiles aud courIesies for public dispense
ton.
AS he had noticed on many previous oc-
casions, so did Mr.. Archer notice on this,
the remarkable difference between his wifes
Homeland company manDefs- between her
treatment Of her husband and her treat.
ment Of other geniemeh who happenedae
enter into conversation with her.. or.offef'
any polite attention. The answer to THAR
words always went forth from lips wrca,hed
with smiles and eyes sparkling with plcas'fe;
TO his words, from cold, placid mouth
and with half indifferent. or ave,ird glanccs.
! And yet, Mrs. Archer was faithful wife in
al her du'ifu! relations. and in heart low
! ing wife TO her husband. If smiles did not
! play in sunny circles over her coun.enance,
rs in former times, she made The ', -hold
smile with order and comfort, II. g., d and
secured by her ever busy hnds. Her
| Thoughts wero no wandering ,ruants TO other
and forbidden fields. hut home guests; nor
were they busy for herself, but for the hus-
band and children. in whom her own life y a..
bSund up. 1t was not that love for her
husband had grown answering no,
rs mirror answere.h to face-that her coun-
tenance did not light up at his coming
that SHE did not meet lis word and attep-
tions with smiling glances. Had she not
given him her hand-had she not promised
to be a faithful wife? Was she not true iD
all her relations? What more was reouir
ed of her? 1t never entered into her
thoughts that her husband was weak
enough to desire daily repetition Of the
love g!ances with which in the season Of
yonDg loves ardor, her eyes were ever
beaming when they turued upon bis coun-
tenance. Ill ~,
And vet it was even So 1ts3as becattse
he had hoped to live all his after life in the
warmth Of those glsnces, that he had WOO.
ed and won her in the bright days Of her
womahhood.~ "A nd when he saw the light
growing daily DINNER, and DINNER; and
felt it's genial warmth diminishing. sbad-
ow fell upon his sririt., Very kind, rery
a,tentivesAbe husband ,regained, .bpt bis
wife; became. a7afs 5of a scsstaing cold ness
toward herself that was far from being as
pleasant ss the lover5]ike manner with
which he'6ad formerly treated her; and
many times esighed for the tones and
glances she saw him give to other ladies,
as sesighsd'f 'for. like tokens Of Einietesf from
herself. Both were,in srot, and both in 4
certain sense to blame. ~
.aOuahsseveuingE referred I'd. tbs coptras.
between the manner Of his' wife to himself
and to other men VINO showed hsr httIes at-
fopF;ooo 10. fat SpSgt, - a.