The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-05-22
Ten Years After Marriage.
BY T. S. ARTHUR.

Ten years since the wedding day.
Mrs. Howland was alone. She had left
her husband in the little room where
they usually sat together through the
evenings while she put the children to
bed.
Mrs. Howland did not feel inclined
to return to the family sitting room,
where she had left her husband but
remained in the chamber with her
sleeping little ones, in musing brood
ing, unhappy state of mind. Some
thing of GOODNESS and alienation had
been growing up between her and her
husband for a long time past. The old
tenderness of manner, which had been
so sweet, was all gone. He was kind
and thoughtful in regard to her com
fort, honorable and true but getting
more formal and less affectionate in
manner every day. His wife, who had
loved him very tenderly, and who still
loved him-had failed, in her life, to
give the adequate response to his; had,
in the fret and fever Of a disciplinary
existence, suffered himself to walk
amid disturbing and unbeautiful ele.
ments, instead of taking her place Sc
renely by his side. And so inharmoni
Gus things had been permitted to jar
where all might have been peace
1t was pressing npon the mind OF
Mrs. Howland that her husband had
ceased to love her; and this conviction
was taking ali the sweetness of her life
1t did not once occur to her that she
herself was growing unlovely. Thai
she had laid aside nearly all the exter
nal things bv which, wher maiden
she sought to win him. The sum,
countenance the alluring voice and
manner; the scrupulous attire the de
ference to his tastes and opinions; the
guard upon her temper; the womanly
elevation of character that made hel
seem as one who rnlpd in the kingdom
of her own soul. This was the heins
he had loved; this the woman he hat
taken to walk with him through life
Alas for the fading idea! He hai
found, instead, one who made scarceI,
an effort at selfgovernment; who's,
feelings and impulses were her spring
of action. Deeply, passionatelv sh,
loved him; bnt only wise, selfabne
eating love blesses both himself an,
the object of its devotion. Withou
some change on the part of Mrs. How
land, it was impossible for them t
grow together at once.
| For nearly half an hour after he
children were asleep, the mother sat. il
her wretched mood, apart from her hus
band, and feeling no inclination to joi
him. " All love has died." she said
Z" I am nothing now" And as she sal,
this, her heart shivered with an instinc
tive realization Of what her words in
volved. Then fear for the loss of tn
thing so precious as husbands love
seized upon her soul, and inspired
new purpose. A love worth winning
was surely worth an effort to retain
And was not the way to win the wa
to keep? A new light broke into Mrs
Howland's mind. She began to Sc
things in herself that were very fa
Will itt
when maiden; things that would Gel
tainly have repelled a lover, and wer
they bonds of husband?
These thoughts startled the awaken
ing wife. Then old memories wer
; received, bringing back old state.
; Pictures, warm with the hues of low,
came out of the dim past.
"Is the cup broken, and the win
spilled P" she asked of herself SEQ
forbid ]" came from her lips, in audibl
utterance. Then she left the chambt
where her children slept and with siler
feet went slowly to the apartment
9 which she had left her husband alon
On the way she paused, stood still fl
+ moment, then returned. The gas W.
+ burning low. She threw up the ligh
I and caught reflection of herself in
: toilette glass. One glance snffice'
!, That was not the style in which ST
a had appeared before her lover. Ia
b ing down her hair, she applied Il
; comb rapidly for some minutes an
I then arranged the glossy masses viii
!, taste and skill. Next the soiled tur
f bled Wrapper was removed, and h
g person attired in a neatly fitting dres
around the neck of which was laid
snowy linen collar, fastened by smi