Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-06-04
Ten Years After Marriage.
BY I. S. ARTHUR.

Ten years since the wedding day. Mrs
Howland was alone. She had left he
husband in the little room where the
usually sat together through the evenings
while she put the children to bed
Mrs. Rowland did not feel inclined t.
return to the family sitting room, wher,
she had left her husband; but remained
in the chamber with her sleeping ones, in
a musing. brooding, unhappy state ot
mind. Something of coldneSs and aliena
tica had been growing up between heI
and her husband for a long time past
The old tenderness of manner, which had
been SO sweet, was all gone. He was
kind, thoughtful in regard to her com,
fort honorable and true; but getting more
| formal and less affectionate in manner ev.
cry day. His wife, who had loved him
tenderly, and who still loved him-had
failed, in her life, to give the adequate re-
aponse to his; had, in the fret and fever
OF 4 disciplinary existence, suffered her
self to walk amid disturbing and unbeau-
tiful elements, instead of taking her place
serenely by his side And so inharmoni-
Gus things had been permitted to lar,
where all might have been peace.
1t was pressing upon the mind of
Mrs. Rowland, that her husband had
ceased to love her, and this conviction
was taking all the sweetness from her life
1t did not once occur To her that she
herself was growing ualoVely- That slse
had laid aside nearly all the external
things by which, when maiden, she
had sought to win him. The sunny
countenaRoe; the allHring voice and man
ner; the scrupulous attire; the defer
ence to his tastes and opinions; the guard
upon temper; the womanly elevation of
character that made her seem as one
who ruled in the kingdom of her own
soul. This was the being he had loved :;
this this woman he had taken to walk
with him through life. Alas. for the fn-
ding idea! He had found, instead, one
who made scarcely an effort at self gov
ernment; whose feelings and impulses
were her springs of action. Deeply, pas
sionately she loved him; but only wise,
self abnegating love blesses both itself and
the object of its devotion. Without some
change on the part of Mrs. Rowland, it
was impossible for them to grow together
at once.
For nearly half an hour after her chill
dren were asleep, the mother sat, in her
wretched mood. apart from her husband,
and feeling no inclination to Join him.
'.Al love has died" she said. 81 am
nothing now" And as she said this. her
heart shivered with an instructive realiza-
ton of what her words involved. Then
fear for the loss of the thing as precious as
husbands love, seized upon her soul, and
inspired new purpose. A love worth
winning. was surely worth an effort to re-
tain. And was not the way to win the
way to keep? A new light broke into Mrs.
Howland's mind. She began to see things
in herself that were very far from being
in harmony with her life when a maiden
things that would certainly have repelled
a lover, and were they bonds for hus-
bands
These thoughts startled the awakening
wife. Then old memories were revived,
bringing back old states. Pictures, warm
with the hues of love, came out of the
dim past.
as the cup broken, and the wine spill
ed p She asked of herself. God for
bid ~ came from her lips, in audible ut
terance. Then she left the chamber where
her children slept, and with silent feet
went slowly to the apartment in which she
had left her husband alone. On the way
she paused, and stood still for moment,
then returned. The gaswas burning low.
She threwup the light, caught reflection
Of herself in toilette glass. One glance
suficed. That was not the style in which |
.he had appeared before her lover. TAX
ing down her hair, she applied the comb |
rapidly for some minutes and then ar
ranged the glossy masses with taste and
skill. Next the soiled tumbler wrapper
was removed, and her person attired in o |
neatly fitting dress, around the neck of
which wa lad snowy linen collar, fasten-
ed by small coral pin, her husbands
gift of other days. Already her cheeks
were in glow, and her eyes filled with
hight. One long glance at the mirror re-
realed a wonderful transformation. How
The old memories were crowding in upon
her! How stt her heart was growing 7
How full Of tenderness was every thought
Of her husband Her Ii ipS were athirst for
kisses
And now Mrs. Rowland left the cham
Der again. Her slippered feet gave. no
;ound as they moved over the carpet. and
;he came 20 the open of the sitting-room.
without betraying q sign Of her approach.
There she stood still. Mr.. Howland was
not at the table reading, as she had left
him but at his secretary whieh~as open.
He was reclining his head on one hand,
md was gazing down at something held
n the other, and seemed wholly absorbed.
For more than a minute he remained in