Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-05-11
OHIO, SUNDAY MORNING. MAY Il, 1862,

~ ~ 'yyop ioVeiy III temper ana lovely in perI
son her heart sunk; IL grew darker and
oMk.r I1, arouno her; life seemed cruising oul.
who Is it2" This question marked change
in the current of Mrs. HoWland's thouohts,
Rapidly she passed In review one lady friend
Tor another, but without an incident to fx aug
picioD. Then times and seasons mi which her
husband Was absent from home, were dwelt up.
on Once week regularly he went out In the
evening occasionally twice. The regular ab.
sence wastor the purpose OF attending a literary
eociety--at least 10 he had informed bia Wife.
Now, for the first time, doubt of his truth crent
In; and this doubt was as the sweeping a wav az
all the foundation on which her soui had ,osted
For long time Mr. HoWland remained sit.
ting at hs secretary, with hls face buried in bIa
arms. AT length, rising with SLOW, weary mo,
tioD, as Of one exhausted by bodily or mental
eIertion, he drew out bis watch.
HALF past niue" was calculated, In surprise.
And then he looked through the door, over To-
wards the chambers to which his wife vent with
the children, and stood listenipg for come aound.
All was silent For short time he moved In an
uneasy irresoute way about the room, and sit-
ting down, tried 10 find relief In the pages OF
book, but In little while the volume closed
10 bis hands. Thought was too busy In another
direction to dwell even with fayorite author,
"Ten o'clock" The bell was ringing its
clear notes from neighboriDg steepIe. Mr..
Howland started up, and turning out the liRht
went TO the sleeping rooms. His wife was In
bed. He spoke to her, but che did not ansWer.
care you asleep7" No motion or response of
any kind She lay with her face nearly hidden
under the bed clothes. He looked at her ln
strange, earnest manner for some moments, and
then, moving about noiselessly, prepared for
rest The day had been one of much activity,
aud Mr.. HoWlOnd was weary enough for sleep.
Soon after his head touched the pillow, be was
In the land Of dreams. His deep breathing had
scarcely given evidence Of the fact, ere light
movement on the part Of Mrs. Howland showed
her to be awake. Presently che drew the clothes
from her face, and raised herself cautiously.
The heavy breathing Of her husband was not
interrupted She sat up 10 bed-he still slept
on: she glided from beneath tho covering, and
groping In the darkness, found her husbands
vest, from which she took key.
"Moher" The slight noise made In open.
ing the chamber door, had disturbed one of the
children. Mrs. .Howland stood still, holding her
breath. The call was not repeated, and abe
went out cropping her way along the passage
with hand on the wall. Entering the room
che sought, she closed the door behind her, and
drew the bolt, fastening herself In. Now all
her motions became hurried and nervous After
lighting the gas, che went TO her husbands Sec
retsry, aud with the key In her possession, uu.
locked one OF the private drawers. Her hand
shook 90 that the key ratified Oh the scutcheon
before way was found into the wards. The
first object that met her view. as the drawer
came open, vase morocco miniature case, which
she seized upon with clutch as eager as that
of bird of prey, and bearing It to the gas light,
unloosed the clasp, and exposed the face Of her
rival! H~
Il was q young aud lovely face, and the eyes
looked up into hers with tender sweet ex-
preston. Away from the pure forehead, the
hair of golden auburn fell smoothly back, and
lay 10 curls upon her neck, tina. was whittier and
purer than alabaster. The lips were full, soft,
and arching for a flight OF arrows. Loves
Witchery was in the pictured countenance
Still, very still, did the wife sit and gaze
down upon her rivals face-that face on which,
scarce an hour before, she had seen her
husbands kisses laid. Still, very still, she sat,
the tears creeping out Of her eyes, falling slow
ly over her cheeks, and dropping upon the
miniature. Wac Jealous Of that rivalf No!
Her heart was too glad for Jealousy, too full of
Joy, too wild with new.bo happiness. The
bide of ten years ago was the rival OF to-day;
and the heart of her husband was true to his
marriage VOWS. IL was no fault of his that he
could not love what had become unl0vely.
Not unloVely 10 the poorer signifcation of that
word, as indicating changes wrought by the
wearing hand OF timej but unlovely through in
dulgence In impatience and fretfulness, and in
the neglect Of self-discipline; uulovely, also,
from carelessness Of attire and personal neat
ness. .-
With the image of herself ss she was ten
years before, and With the image of her hus.
band fOndiy, passionately kissing that image,
dwelling in her Imagination, Mrs. Howlsnd
went back to her bed. She had suddenly
awakened as from dream: and the language
of her heart was-"Thank God that / am
aWske!" .-
As they sat al breakfast on the next morning,
Mrs. Rowland noticed q change in the expires.
sion Of her husbands face 90 he looked at her
across the table, letting his eyes dwell upon her
with unusual interest. 1t was pleased, almost
sdmiring expression. She wss in no doubt as
to the cause, for she had attired herself with
sCrupulous care in clean, bright morning wrap
per, and wore cap, fastened at one side with
ruby hsir-pin, and ornRmented with two or
three small pink bows and sprig Of hoaers.
A plain linen collar, pinned with q cameo,
around her neck. And better than all, she had
banished every sign of discomfort aud fre.ful-
ness rom her face. Je 9...
Chow sweet mother looks this morning." said
nr. HoWland, glanclng at one OF the children
who sat near her, and smiling one Of his old,
bright smiles. -
"DOn't she," answered the little one, lifting
her very little mouth TO mamma fora kiss. 90
"Me kisB too-mamma 90 beautiful ~ And
little Allie scrambled down from her chair, In
new born admiration of her mother, and put up
her rosy mouth. e. ..rfa 81
sand me, too, exclaimed Mr.. Rowland,
passing around the table, laying his lips softly
and lingeringly upon the lips of his wife. He
saw, as he looked across the table, on resuming
his seat, that her eyes we're dim with tears.
He knew they were tears of pleasure, but did
not imagine how deeply her heart was stirred,
nor how full Of precious memories and golden
hopes the moment was crowded, HH-
Ten years after marriage. Loves lamp was
burning low, the oil nearly exhausted; the wife
grown 60 unattractlve that the husbands heart
was turning back in worship of the bride. But
the lamp has blazed up again--:here is o supply
of oil A beauty, beyond any bridal beauty, In.
vests the wife; and il shall grow more womanly,
more luxurlant more enchanting as the days
succeed each other and years progress, until the