Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-06-18


an spprosehiDg trouble. At the hou
when I expected my husbands return
: sat waiting for him, still In the bette
state my repentence had wrought
Love had unfolded all her sweetee
flowers. and ] would delight him wit
their odors. But ] waited in vain
He did not come. He never cam
back"
"ob, Aunt Jsuei" exclaimed Helen
Igrasping the old lady's arm. Th,
shock Of this declaration had driver
the color from her face. After q few
moments, the aunt resumed:
"Days, weeks, months passed. Blu
no word nor sign from him. AfteI
leaving home, he went to the stor'
where he was employed as sclerk, ant
asked for the amount Of salary tina
was due him. Taking this he wen
away; and beyond there was no trse,
Of him. / will not attempt descrip'
ton Of what I suffered. Reason was
nearly lost. Others blamed him, buI
I did not; for after it was too late tc
profit by clearness Of vision, l saw the
hereditary and acquired peculiaritiei
of bis character, which were as 9
second nature, and in regard TO which
I had concealed nothing; but instead.
chafed and pricked him IN the tenderesi
places. The foundations of his charac-
ter were good, and I might have built
upon them temple Of happiness
wherein to dwell secure amid the fer
cest storms OF life. But / failed TO build,
and so have been out in the storms for
these many years.
"For two years 1 lived in suspense.
No word came. in all that time, from
my absent husband. One day letter
arrived from city in the far Vest
The address was in a woman's hand.
The writer was stranger. She said
that a man was lying sick in her
fathers house. He had come over
with party across the plains from the
Pacific coast. She thought him very
i'll. and that be might not recover
They had asked bin about his friends,
and if there was any one to whom he
would like word sent. At first, he
said there was no one; but afterwards.
as he grew worse, said she might write
to me these words: May Sod pardon
us both, Jane. We were equally at
fault. There is no anger left in my
heart. 1t died out long and long ago.
Forgive nae, as / forgive you
"In less than a week was in that
far of western city-not two late,
thank God! to End my long lost hus-
band affve; to take his dying head upon
my breast; to warm his lips with burn
ing kisses; to see love in his eyes ere
the veil of night dropped over them"
For little while the old floods OF
feeling swept across the heart Of Aunt
Jane.
81 have uncovered my life for you,
Helen" she said. on growing calm
again. "You have seen the skeleton
in my house. Be warned by the sad
experiences I have known. Keep
loves lamp ever trimmed and brightly
burning. Let all these little wrang-
lings cease. They mar the present
enjoyment. and gravely threaten the
future. Trlfies light as air may give
occasion for disagreements Of the sad
dest character. The cloud no bigger
than a mans hand may quickly cover
the sky, and breed desolating tenn
pest"
AS the day drew to close, Mrs.
Orton felt shadow Of apprehension
creeping over her. What il her hus-
band, offended by the sharp things she
had uttered at the breakfast time,
should have determined to go away
More than once, In half serious man
ner, be had threatened to do this very
thing; and she had answered, secure
in her con6dence--"Go!"
Prompt to the usual hour, his step
was in the ball; and swifter than ever
she had gone down the stairs did Helen
fly to meet him. The young husband
noted, as pleasant thing, this over
dow of love, but never knew the cause.
As it takes two to wrangle, all petty
strife ceased at once between Helen
and her husband. If he was captious,
or said sharp words. or criticised her
acts or speech, she answered pleasant
", and he was disarmed. No long
time passed before they were as tender
Of each others feelings. and as con-
siderate in their conduct, as during
loves morning hours. And why
should not this always be SO? Love
has better signs than sharp words,
fault findings, and unamisble banter.