The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-06-27

i ana as his early. lllo anu SOCIAL 3CLIlOS-i
phere had not enlarged nor softened
his character, the hardest and most dis
agreeable part of it had expanded with
his years. He loved money, and as the
asthetic part of his nature had meyer
been cultivated, be regarded it as
wastefulness and extravaganza to in
dulge in such grace or beauty Of sur
roundings. s.'a5l / q 'sdo2ss II 81 q
Still there was another side to the
man; his affections were deep and ten
der, and a judicious and loving woman
could have reached and influenced him
to almost any degree through these.
But Mrs. Parsons never understood her
husband. She was an implusive, high
spirited, and really warm hearted
woman, with, a good deal, of petty
social ambition and she and her hus-
band were constantly jarring each
other. .~ N
| His obstinacy always inflamed her
anger, while her imperious temper only
hardened him into fresh stubbornness,
and so the current of their. lives ran
most inharmoniously, and was constant
ly interrupted by jars and chickering's,
and angry alterations. That one fair
and precious lily of tenderness, whose
grace and beauty filled her youth with
fragrance cast its leaves, and at last
only the root was left and what dews
or sunshine should nourish it in soil
that grew more barren year by year
a soil overgrown with thistles, and rank
and noisome weeds T? i@f s"' ''op r"
| Yet all these years the barns and
store-houses, the lands and gold of
Isaac Parsons increased, and God sent
children ~ two boys and girl = to
soften the hearts of the father and
mother, and to be to them angels Of a
new covenant of household peace and
tenderness. But, alas! alas the sweet
faces, and all the beautiful ministrations
of childhood never accomplished their
mission and with hearts and tempers
fretted, and soured, and worn, Mr..
and Mrs. Parsons counted the years
going over them, and both felt that
their marriage had been a mistake and
a misery, and with blind eyes that
would not see, and hard hearts that
would not understand, each blamed the
other, and mutual recriminations only
produced fresh bitterness.
! At last the crisis came. Mrs. Par
sons had set her heart that autumn up
on new parlor carpet, which was in
no wise unreasonable, and in which
her husband ought to have INDUCED
her, but the manner of her request,
which was in reality command, at
once reused the inherent stubbornness
of the man, and he fatty refused her.
r Then followed passionate words and
: angry retorts, till the husband and wife
) separated with mutual bitterness and
rage. "''
But as Mrs. Parsons took up her de.
f nuded chicken and plunged it in a pan
e of hot water, her eye glanced on the
! weekly paper, which lay on the table,
and they settled upon this passage
which completed short sketch
"Who, when he was not reviled, re-
e viled not again, but committed his
r cause to Him that judgeth righteously.'
t And these words stole, in still Sc
D rene rebuking voice, through the
stormy sSpl of Mrs. Parsons. She mac
t read theh innumerable times before
and they had had for her no specia
}, message ol meaning, but now God had
: sent his angel to drop them in hel
heart; and in moment something o
r the real sin and wrong of her life rose
n up and confronted her. 81,
4 She sat down in a low chair by he
/. kitchen table, and rested her forehead
) on her hand. The hard, fretful, angr,
v look went out of her face, and was sue
: ceeded by soft thoughtful expression
G and the sunshine hovered in yearning
it golden shifting beauty about her. 81
And the years of Mrs. Parsons ros
e up like pale, sorrowful faces from tn
s dead, and looked reproachfully upo
=, her, and suddenly, in sharp, clear
l. strong features, stood revealed to he
n reused conscience the heavy part sh
d had borne in the sin and misery tina
e had blasted her married life. N-'''
\. And when the woman's memor
ts went back to her first acquaintanc
10 with Isaan Parsons-he had chose
IS her from among a score of others VIII
'e envied her that good fortune, and no,
e. those early days of their courtship cam
rs over the softened heart of the woman
Il, as the first winds of spring came u
m from the south, and so softly over th
ID bare, despairing earth. Then she sa'
IS herself once more shy, tremp Il
joyful bride, at the altar, leaning G.,Ch
IN strong arm and tender heart, to whol
IN she gave herself gladly and trustingl.
of as woman should. Z" i'i-i -
ul ycAnd she remembered that mornin
I'd little later, when her proud and hal
a py young husband brought her to th
as home which had been his fathers, an
Of now for little while the thought of ht
is being mistress Of that great oldsfarn
I'd house fairly frightened the wits out {
as her. vef bra .roo Qes h
= She meant to make it sweet an
happy home for Isaac Parsons. Sh
I'd remembered, as though it had hal
IN pened yesterday, the little plans an
er contrivances she had made for his su
IS, prise, and their mutual comfort.
I'd But the quarrel came. How we
I'd She remembered it, and how clearly 81
ar saw now the foolish and sirfill mart ST