Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-19

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heard, accompanied by a sob as he crossed |
the threshold. he closed the door with a
bang, muttering that he would GO down to
Barret's and see il he couldn't get meal fit |
to eat there, and was proceeding to put on |
bis coat in the hall, preparatory to going out |
when he felt touch upon his arm. He turned /
and saw his mother standing beside him.
If there was any person in the world /
whom Arthur Jones thoroughly loved and |
respected, that person was his mother, or, to |
speak more strictly in accordance with fact |
his stepmother. She was, in truth, most |
admirable woman; and entering her husbands |
family, when his children were very young, |
had fulfilled all her duties in the most ex-
emplary manner. Her nature was large, |
genial and loving. Love was the handspring |
Of all her actions, and when it is added that |
she was strictly JUST and possessed Of we'll !
cultivated mind, and a most excellent judg |
ment it will readily be perceived that she i'm
pressed all who knew her as person OF |
singularly harmonious character.
It is inevitable that such woman must |
WELD an important influence IN whatever
sphere she enters. And this aseminently true
in the case of Mrs. Jones. at the time our
story opens she was guest beneath Arthur's |
roof, and bad been panied witness Of the
scene Just described. It was she WHO had
followed him into the hall, and who now laid
gentle hand upon the arm Of the angry
man.
Habitual respect compelled all external re-
straint of Arthur's irritation, as he turned and
met the sorrowful gaze of the clear, serene |
eyes that looked into his. He waited a
moment for her to speak, then said, in tones
that in their gentleness, contrasted strangely |
with the loud, harsh ones his voice had as
sumed in addressing his wife;
" Did you wish to speak to me, mother Z"
4" Yes, my son." Mrs. Jones replied
% Will you come into the library with mo for
momentP The habit Of acquiescence in
her wishes made him follow her.
/ Arter they had sested sA--'----'----. Nc
JUues SAID.
al never wish to interfere between husband
and wife, but am sure, Arthur, you are 50
fully convinced Of my affection Tor you that
you will, without anger, allow me to ask If
you are in the habit of addressing your wife
as you did just now 2"
Arthur looked confused. He had all the
loot Of a child-eulprit at the mothers knee,
as he answered:
az an afraid have spoken pretty harshly
to he=, sometimes"
20 And do you think yourself justified"
Mrs. Jones began
"Maybe not mother, her son interrupted.
81 But just see here, he spoke with the old
boyish eagerness Of selfdetence, "see, na'am,
what can fellow do when he never has
decent meal in his own house; and when he
comes home tired to death after hard days
work, his wife ereeps down stairs, pale ss q
ghost with her hair tucked behind her ears,
and her morning wrapper still on, and sits
Il down without a word of interference or
apology, to the hali-laid table, and the half
dressed food that her servants choose to pre-
pare for us and shuffles off all responsibility
by declaring that she is $50 nervous y
God forgive you, Arthur" said his
! mother, slowly. "This is worse even, than
1 feared. In condemning Alice so utterly,
. my son, has it never occurred 10 you that you
may be in the wrOngP
r 1But, in the name Of all that is good, J"
Arthur exclaimed, "what has Alice to do, or
I bear that should make her nervous p
"A great deal, my son. In the first place,
+. she has never recovered from the terror and
fright of that dreadful accident four years ago,
Q when so many persons lost their lives in that
railroad collision; when she saw the dead
and the wounded all around her; listened to
J. n
an hour suspense before you were extrcated,
alive, and almost unhurt, from the ruins OF
j. the car in which you had been seated. Then
: followed that long illness, then the birth Of
/ little Alice, and, in quick succession, of the
! two younger ones. She has three children
: under four years Of age all sickly, irritable
little creatures, requiring constant care and
patience. and awakening constant anxiety
$ A strong woman, of the frmest constitu-
+ ton, would droop under the great and un-
ceasing strain, both physical and mental Of
four such years; and Alice was always deli
cate She is confined almost entirely to the
2 nursery, for even if she were willing TO trust
these puny children to the sole care Of a hire
ling, one girl could not give them all the at
: tention they require. Her infant is trouble
s some at night and since you have gone to
'l sleep in another room, she takes little Johnny
j, to her bed, and, with the two, gets hardly
u any sleep. All the care OF the household
i devolves upon her. Tell me, my son, you
, who are brave and honorable, when not self
deceived, do you think your conduct just or
= kiCd5 or even what Alice would have right
to expect If she were an upper servant and
not your wife, whom you have sworn to
: love and cherish p
Arthur was silent. If any other than his
mother had addressed him in such terms, be
would have retorted angrily But hahtual
respect kept him silent, and the geSza mt
helped him to control his anger, and 10 con-
slider the statements he had heard. The first
: words be said were;
IN q You really think, then, mother, that
Alice isill-that what have been accustomed
ID to sneer at, as mere nervousness, is caused
!. by, or is actual disease ~
y "Produced by great number Of causes
IN no doubt, such as / have mentioned. The
whole system is weakened by undue exerton,
lone-continued, by unfavorable conditions o.
various kinds, and see no reason why ii
lie may not be asserted that the evident disorder
y. Of the nervous system is real illness. Ifnot
she added with peculiar smile, il is SC
nearly hkei it as TO be quite undistinguish'
able"
Alice complained much Of her heart, o
q pains and palpitatiOns, and deathly sinkings
n year ago" Arthur said. 81 remember
= felt alarmed for her feet and hands woulC
u grow cold, and she would seem like one dy
ing. But l spoke to the doctor, and be sale
there was no disease Of the heart, and tha.
the sensations of which she complained vert
merely nervous. Since then have laughed
at her complaints, and sometimes have beer
angry at inconFenient times. And recently
a.. lshesays nothing about them" q
to Sand yet she was, as you say, like on
ldying for two hours this very day. Sh
q