The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-08-04

uau TuSHeu over MN w uiop C'Ci III"
end hurry out there and bury all his
pain and anguish under the dark, crum
pied sheet Of water. But John, in his
secret distress, knew that this temptation
was the voice Of the devil entering into
his soul he was man who feared God
and kept his commpndments-he put the
temptation aside.
The young husband had not doubted
his wife's heart for moment /; but he
expected to see her almost stricken TO the
earth, with the first tidings of the ruin
of the house in which he was the heavi-t
est partner. He knew that her youth
had been nurtured in all the grace and
luxury that wealth confers, and he feared
the thought of going out into the chill
and darkness Of poverty. He had not
looked for loud lamentations, or bitter
reproaches, but he dreaded the silent
tears, the mute despair Of the white face.
So John Malcolm raised his hot face,
stained with the tears that were shed for
her sake, and looked into the eyes of his
wife and she answered him with smile
that set even her face in new sacred
ness and beauty to her husbands eye
smile so sweet and tender to him, so
brave and defiant for the worst the world
could do for them, that it said to him
at once all that her words would, and
could not.
"Ah, Mary, my wife," said the mer-
chant, q | thought when came into my
house, an hour ago, that | was ruined
man | feel now as though was very
rich one.''
Ruined, with me and the children,
John % and now there was some faint
reproach in her voice but she clung
closer to him.
"But, Mary, poor child, you don't
know what it is 10 be poor, and give
up so much of ease and luxury TO which
you've been accustomed"
"You say that, John, before you've
tried me, and seen what springs of cour-
age and powers of self-sacrafice there are
in my nature" The noble words had a
fitting of emphasis in the sweet smile
in the steadfast dauntless tone.
"But we shall have TO give up the
house, Mary"
"Well, we can feel just as happy in a
smaller one. Our love has had a broader
foundation than stately rooms and costly
furniture. Well take cozy little cot.
tage somewhere in the country, and fol
three servants get along with one"
Hearing these words, John Malcolm
looked at his wife but he did not say
then what was in his heart--a thanksgiv
ing to God for the angel He had sent tc
walk with him. He took her hand ant
, held it close to his, while he told her o
temptation which had beset him before
the failure of his house became certain
a temptation by yielding TO which h
r could have saved himself from failure
But it must have been by dishones
9 means. by taking disadvantage of other
in power--in short, by fraud, whicl
e
! though mans laws never could reach
I Gods did, with the eternal "Do unit
others as We would they should do unit
YOU ..
: " Oh, thank God thank God yo
r were delivered from this evil | ha
h rather you should go down to your gray
v without dollar than have committe
Q this SIM" said Mary Malcolm; and III
u tears were bright IN her. blue eyes.
u And afterwards there fell little S
lence between those two, husband an
II wife. II was broken by the latter. St
: looked up in the mans face, and her Ii
tie fingers siited themselves through Il
dark hair that had no shocks of gra,
:. and her look, bright. grateful, lovini
. touched and covered great deal.
'' What is il. Mary %
q was thinking, John. how muc
:" better off to-day am than thousands
wives throughout the land. How mar
=, there are who sit in their lonely home
- wearing the slow hours away with hop
- and fears for the husbands who ha
~ gone 10 the war, aud whose dreams a
y. filed with visions Of baule fields, whe
y the one loved face lies white ard ghas
on the sodden grass, with no hand
''' offer the last cup of cold water, no ear
!! catch the last, low word. Alb, Joh
"0 my eyes have never searched. as
many eager eyes do, for your nal
= among he lists Of dead and wounde
~ and failed seems a word to thank G
- for, when think OF that"