Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-08-10

which bad ordained that day high priest
to man, and its robe was like the robe OF
Aaron's ephod, all of blue, and its bells
were the early winds ringing to and fro in
the still mir, and on the forehead Of the
morning was written, so that all eyes might
read-'All His works do praise him.
But Mrs. Melissy Parsons heard and saw
noue of these things. Down among the
fogs and darkness of her own narrow fret
ful cares and anxielies, she walked with
warped vision and angry thoughts, Which
seethed and flashed iuto rebellion andlha-
tired. For her there was no beauty in that
autumn day, no token of Gods love aud
care for man iu its sweet face-no voice
calling her to prayer aud praise in the whiS'
per of the winds or the song of birds.
Mrs. Melissa Parsons had been remarka-
bly, pretty girl in her youth, and thirty sew.
ell years had made her fur aud comely
woman.
Her husband was a somewhat phlegmat.
ic man, stubborn aud opnionated, and
as his early life and social atmosphere had
not enlarged nor softened his character, the
hardest and most disagreeable part of it
expanded with his years. He loved money.
and as the aesthetic part of his nature had
never been cultivated, he regarded it as
wastefulness and extravaganza to indulge
in much grace or beauty of surroundings.
Still there was another side to the man /;
his affections were deep and tender, and q
judicious and loving woman could have
reached him TO almost any degree through
thoca Int Mre D,rsonc 4
her husband. She was an impulsive, high
spirited, and really warm m.hcarted woman,
with a good deal Of petty social ambition,
and she aud her husband were constantly
jarring each other.
His obstuacy always inAamed her anger,
while her imperious temper only hardened
him into fresh stubbornnesS, and so the cur.
rent of their lives ran most inharmoniouSly
and was constantly interrupted by jars and
chickering's, and angry alterations That
one fair and precious lily OF tenderness,
whose grace aud beauty filled her youth
with fragrance, cast its leaves, and at last
only its root was left and what dews or
sunshine could nourish it in soil tha t
grew more barren year by year--a soil
overgrown with thistles, and rank and moi
some weedS2
Yet all these years the barns and store
houses the land and gold of Isaac Parsons
increased and G cd Seut chldren--two boys
and girl-to soften the hearts of the fa,
ther and mother, and to be 10 them angels
of new covenant Of household peace and
tenderness. But, alas the sweet faces,
and all the beautiful ministrations of child
hood never accomplish their mission and,
with hearts and tempers fretted, and sour.
ed, and worn, Mr.. and Mrs. Parsons count.
ed the years going over them, and both
felt that their marriage had been a mistake
and misery, and with blind eyes that
would not see, aud hard hearts that would
not understand, each blamed the other
and mutual recgimination only produced
fresh bitterness.
A last crisis came. Mrs. Parsons had
set her heart that autumn upon new mar.
lor carpet which was 10 no wise uureason.
able, aud in which her husband ought to
have indulged her, but the manner of her
request which was in reality command
at once reused the Inherent stubborness OF
the man, and he fatty refused her. Then
followed passionate words and angry re.
torts, ill the husband aud wife separated
with mutual bitterness and rage.
But as Mrs. Parsons took up her denu.
ded chicken and plunged it in O pan of hot
water, her eyes glanced on the weekly pa.
per, which lay on the table, aud they set.
tied upon this passage, which completed a
short sketch-'Who, when be was rcvileG
revied not again, but committed his canse
to Him that judgeth righteousIy.' ....
And these words stole, in still, rebuk-
ing voice, through the stormy soul of Mrs.
Parsons. She had read them innumerable
times before, and they had had for her no
special message nor meaning, but now G cd
had sent his angel to drop them in her
heart and in moment something of the
real sin and wrong of her life rose up and
confronted her.
She sat down in q low chair by her kitch.
en- table, aud rested her forehead Oh her
hand, the hard, fretfu, angry look went
ont from her face, aud was succeeded by a
soft, thoughtful expression, and the sun.
shine hovered in yearning, golden, shifting
beauty about her,
And the years of Mrs Parsons, rose up
like pale, sorrowful faces from the dead.
and looked reproachfully upon her, aud
suddenly, in sharp, clear strong features,
stood revealed to her reused conscience the
heavy part she had borne in all the sin and
misery that had blasted her married life.
And then the woman's memory went
back to her first acquaintance with Isaac
ParSons--he had chosen her from among a
score of others who enyied her that good
fortune, and how those early days of Iheir
courtship came over the softened heart o
the woman, as the first winds of spring
up from the south, and go softly over the
bare, despairing earth, Then she saw
herself once more shy, tremulous, joyfu
bride at the altar, leaning on the strong
arm aud tender heart, to whom she gave
self gladly and trustingly, as a woman
should.
And she remembered that morning lit
tie later, when her proud and happy young
husband brought her 10 the house whicl
had been his fathers, and how for littl
while the thought of her being mistress o
the great old farm house fairly frightene,
the wits out Of her.