The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-01-25
NO. %.
A Rift in the Cloud.
BY 7. 8. ARIiIC r.

andreW Lee came home at evening
from the shop where he had worked all
day, tired aud out of spirits; came home
to his wife, who was also tired and out of
spirits.
"A smiling wife and cheerful home
what paradise it would be"' said An
drew to himself, as lie turned his eyes
from the clouded face Of Mrs Lee, and sal,
down. with knitted brows and q moody
aspect.
No, word WAS spoken by either. Mrs
Lee was getting supper and she moved
about with a weary step.
Come" she said at last, with side
glance at her husband
Th.re was invitation in the word oniv.
none in the voice Of Mrs. Lee.
Andrew arose and went TO the table
lie WAS tempted to speak an angry word,
but controlled himsel, and kept silence
lie could find no fault with the chop, nor
the sweet home made bread, nor the fra
grant tea. They would have cheers ed his
inward man. if there had only been a
9team of sunshine or The face Of bis wife.
lie noticed that che did not eat
Are you not well, Mary Z" The
words were on his lips, he did not utter
them for the face of his wife looked to re-
pellent, that he feared an rr'atng reply
And 80 in moody silence the twain sat to
gether until Andrew had flushed his sup
per
AS he pushed his chair back his wife
arose and commenced clearing off the Ia
bic.
"This is parSa'ory T. said lae to him
self. as he commenced walking the floor
of their breakfast room, with his hands
thrust Desperately away down iato his
trowsers pockets, and his chin almost touch.
| ing his breast.
After removing ali the dishes, and
taking them into the Kitchen Mrs. Lee
| spfead green cover on the table, and
| placing fresh trim nel lamp there on,
went out, and shut the door after her,
leaving her husband alone with his On
| pleasant feelings. He took a long deep
breath, as she did 50. paused in his walk,
stood still for some moments, and then
drawing paper from his pocket, sat down
| hv the table, opened the sheet and com
menred rea1ug. Singularlr CROUCH, the
words upon which his eyes rested were
Praise Your Wife" They rather tended
| 10 inc, ease The disturbance of mind which
he was suffering
Il should ike to find some oc"a>ioa
for praj,i. e mine" How quickly III
thoughts expressed rhaj Ill rarwed SEMI
| ;rrenf. But his EYES weie on The page be
tore him ami he csI ou.
" rrai>e lour wife, rI.n for pitAA's sake
give Ter n Ii,tle ercouras semeut; it wonD
! hurt her.
Aud ew Lee raised his eyes from the
pare, aud mnttered :" Oh yes tha.'s all
very well. Praise i cheap enough. Bul
praise her for what? For being sullen
and making our home the most disagrera
bic place in the world u His eye fell
again to the paper.
"She has made your home comfortable
your hearth brigh, and shining. your food
agreeable; for rity's sake tell her yon
thank her, if nothing more. She don'r
expect it i, will make her eyes open wild
er .han ihev have for ten years; but il
viii! do her good for all that, and you too
|. seemed TO Andrew as if this sentence
were written Just for him, and just for the
occasion. /, was the complete answer &,
his question. "Prai-e her for whatl" and
he felt almost "a rebuks. He read no
further. for thoughts came too busy, aud il
a new direction. Memory was convcting
him Of iuj lstice towards his wife Shl
had ALWAYS made his home as comfortable
for him as hands could make, and had lie
offered .he light retuln Of prsi-e o, com
5 mendation Had he ever told her Of the
sal isti,ction lie had known or the comfort
he had experienced? He WAS not able to
recall The :ilne or the occasion. AS he
thought thus. Mrs Lee came in from the
kitchen, and taking her working basker
from the closet, placed i, on the table and
sitting down without speaking. began to
. sew. Mr.. Lee glanced almost siesIthilv
al the work in her hands. aud saw that il
: was the bosom of his shirt, which she WA.
stitching neatly. lie knew that it was
for him that she was at wo,k
Praise YOUR wifi" The words were
before the eyes Of his mind. and lie could
not look away from them But he was mol
really for Ibis vet. lie sill fe.t moody and
. unforgiviHy. The expression Of his wife's
face interpreted to mean ilnature and with
| ihi'iohui' iiC h''i W. l'NN'CiNV' iiiH 1pN tCii
upon the ne sspaper that lay spread ou;
before him aud he read the sentence:
"a kind, cheerful word, spoken in A
gloomy home, is IKE tie lift in the cloud
that let's the shunshine through
Lee struggled with himself a while Ion
GER. His own i'll nature had to be con
qnered first; his moody, accusing spirit
had to he suhdued. But lie was coming
right, and at last got right as TO will
, Next came The question as to how lie
should begin. He thought ofmany 'lings
TO say. yet feared 10 say them lest his life
should meet his advances with cold re-
buff. At last leaning towards her. and
taking hold OF the linen bosom upon which
she was at V ork, lie sail. in voice care
' fuliv rnodula'ed with kindness. 7 e.
"You are doing that work very beauti.
fJlIv, MARY -~fa
Mrs Lee made no reply. But her llus
band did not fail 20 observe that she lost
Amos, Instantly that rigid erectness with
which she had been sitting, ror that tie
, lno,ion of her needle had ceased.