Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-05-11
TEN YEARS AFTER MARRIAGE.
BY T Q. ARTHUR.


Ten years since the wedding day Mrs. How.
land was alono. She had left her husband in the
little room where they usually sat together
through the evenings, while she put the child
rem to bed. ~.
Mrs. Rowland did not feel inclined to return
to the family sitting room, where she had LETT
hor husband; but remained in the chamber with
her sleeping ones, In q musiDg, brooding, un-
happy state of mind. Something Of coldness
and alienation had been growing up between her
and her husband for long time past. The old
tenderness of manner, which had been so sweet,
was all gone. He was kind, thoughtful in regard
to her comfort, honorable and true; but getting
more formal and less sffeotionate In manner
every day. His wife, who had loved him ten.
derly, and who still loved hm-had failed, iu
her life, to give the adequate response to his;
had, In the fret aud fever of disciplinary exis.
tence, suffered herself to walk amid disturbing
and unbesuIiful elements, instead of taking her
place serenely by his side. And so inharnoni-
Gus things had been permitted to Jar, where all
might have been peace.
IL was pressing upon the mind of Mrs. How.
land 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 unlovely. That she
had laid aside nearly all the external things BY
which, when maiden, she had sought to win
him. The sunny countenance; the allurinR
voice and manner; the ecrupulous attire; the de-
ference to his tastes and opinions; the guard up
on her temper; the womanly elevation Of charac.
ter that made her seem as one who ruled In the
kingdom of her own soul This was the being
he had loved; this the woman he had taken &c
walk with him through life. Alas, for the ia.
ding Idea! He bad found, instead, one who made
scarcely an effort atself government whose
feelings end impulses were her springs OF action,
Deeply, passiOnately che loved him; but only q
wise, self abnegating Iove blesses both itself
and the object of its devotion. Without some
change on the part of Mrs Howlaud, it was
impossible for them to grow together at once.
For nearly half an hour after her children we're
asleep, the mother sat, In her Wretched mood,
apart from her husband, and feeling no inclln.
alton to join him. "All love has died" che
said ri am nothing now" And as she said
this, her heart shivered with an instructive re-
al zltion of what her words involved. Then
fear for the loss Of the thing as precious as hus.
bands love, seized upon her soul, and inspired
q new purpose, A love worth winning, was
surely worth an effort to retain. And was no.
the way to win the way to keep7 A new light
broke into Mrs. Howland's mind. She began
to see things In herself that we're very far from
being In harmony with her life when maiden;
things that would certainly have repelled
lover, and were they bonds for husband7
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.
"ls the cup broken, and the wine spilled2" she
asked of herself "God forbid!" came from
her lips, In audible utteranoe. Then she left the
chamber where her children slept, and with 81
lent 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 gas was burning low She
threw up the light, caught reflection of herself
In a toilette glass. One glance suficed. That
was NOS the style in which she had appeared be-
fore her lover. Taking down her hair, she ap-
piled the comb rapidly for some minutes and
then arranged the glossy masses with taste and
skill. Next the soiled tumbler wrapper was re-
moved, and her person attired in neatly fit
ting dress, around the neck of which was laid
snowy linen collar, fastened by small coral pin,
her husband's gift of other days. Already her
cheeks were in glow, and her eyes flled with
light. One long glance at the mirror revealed
wonderful transformation. How the old
memories were crowding In upon her! How soft
her heart was growing! How full Of tenderness
was every thought of her husband! Her lips
were a,hirst for kisses!
And now Mrs. Rowland left the chamber
again. Her slippered feeS gave no sound as
they mooVed over the carpet, and she came to the
open door Of the sittiDg-room, without betray-
ing 0 sign Of her approach. There she stood
still. Mr.. Rowland was not at the table reading,
as she had lett him; but at his secretary, which
was open. He was reclining his head on one
hand, and gazing down upon something held in
tho other, and seemed wholly absorbed For
more than minute he remained In this fixed
attitude, his wife as still as himself Then
long sigh trembled on the air; and then, lifting
the object on which his gsze was rveted, Mr..
Howland pressed it to his lips, kissing it almost
passionately three or four times. A wild throb
lesped along Mrs. HoWland's veins. Then her
heart grew still, as In the presence Of some un-
known, but stupendous evil. Something i'm pelled
her to spring forward and read his mystery, and
something as strongly held her back As che
stood, pale now and In tremor, the object was
kissed again, and then returned to drawer in
the secretary from which it had been taken. In
this act, for an instant, the miniature of a lady
met the gaze of Mrs. Rowland! Locking the
drawer, her husband placed the key in his pock-
ct, and then resting both arms on the writing
leaf OF the secretary, buried his face in them,
and eat motionless. ~
Turning away az noiseleas as she had ap.
preached, Mrs Howland fed back TO her cham.
Der In wild alright, and sat down painting in be-.
Wilderment As soon as thought began TO move
in deierminate way,the FIRST reeult was ASod
OF Indignation, burning sense Of wrong; and
1t was only by an effort that the outraged wife
could hold herself back from conf, onting her
husband and demanding TO see the miniature
A e6lmer, bat not lesa painful state succeeded,