Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-08-25
CHAPTER II.

more than year she and her devoted hus- |
band had Mt known the meaning of mat
rimonial strife 1t was a new state Of ex-
istence to her, and while the novelty of the
thing lasted she was as happy as the day
was long.
But in the course of events she was de-
prived of the pleasure of gong abroad
much. and the pretty home in which she
had spent year of joy began to rust on
her Imagination. Not that her husband
was less devoted, though he might not have
been quite so dreamy and sentimental as
he was in the days Of their cOurtship. yet
be was all that q reasonable wife could ex-
pect He was indulgent, kind, and SYM
pathized deeply with her. in all those mat
tiers wherein young wife needs tender
ness and care.
Little Bobby was born; but TIE little
stranger made such heap of work for the
fond mother, that she declared she would
die under the inhiction. She would not
listen to her husbands suggestion to keep
girl. She had kind of vanity in her
composition, whicb.led her to endure rath-
er than subject her husbands purse to such
an expenditure, She feared folks would
say she was not as smart as she wished
to be considered, or that Thomas relations
would deem her extravagant and lazy.
She continued to do her work, though
each day was day of misery. Before she
got breakfast, dinner or tea, she sat and
moped over it, thinking what terrible
job 1t was for her to perform. She dread
ed washing day from about Friday morn>
ing; and over the wesh-tub she was a. mis-
cradle as sOapsuds and rubbinS-bOard
coeld possibly make her.
The reader may imagine she was lazy;
but do not think so. She lived in
world of trouble;' she looked upon the
dark side of everything. OF course there
were many kardships she was called upon
to endure-as who is not? She was oblig-
ed to keep occupied most Of the time in the
duties of the household aud tie care of the
baby. Her position was undoubtedly one
Of trial and vexation, as those who are ex-
perienceG in these matters will readily I'M
derstand.
But the principal difficulty was to be
found in Mrs. Buffers unhappy disposi~
ton. She was not cheerful and contented
with her lot. Her morbid Imagination
magrifed the little trials Of everyday life
into monstrOus woes, ard she suffered in
tolorsbly in her mind, which was commu-
nicated to the body. She was the most
miserable of wOmen-the most unreasona-
bly, miserable.
or course her husband, who was of a
directly opposite temperament, was rend-
cred miserable, also. Mrs Butler seemed
so welded to her VICE. that every effort on
his part to alleviate it was promptly re
pulsed. He bad grown Disguised. His
| wife was always complaining. He never
| came into the house without being assailed
by relation Of her woes. He cursed his
stars-blamed himself for ever becoming q
| husband.
But then, poor fellow, what could he
| do? Mary was as gentle and pleasant
maiden before her marriage as one often
| finds. She had never been placed in
position to try her character. He might
! have heard her fret over that sort; but he
never dreamed that tempest could ever
blow out of such little cloud. 1t was only
when she felt the could touch Of life's re-
alities, that she showed out exactly what
she was.
1t was too late now; the mischief had
been done. She was his wife; she was the
mother Of little Bobby. He loved her STILL
though his affections had been terribly
shocked by her thoughtIess grumbling.
| Mary had promised to do better; but,
alas for the vanity of human promises. they
were words written 10 sand The habit had
| become deeprOOted. Thomas was in des-
pair. He had tried by threats and by
| persuasons to make her reasonable, but all
in vain. His house was hell to him. If
she had scOlded at him, been negligent of
| her household duties, a gadder in the
streets. a gossip-anything but grumbler,
he felt that he could have endured it, loved
her, and continued to be happy.
But it was an ever-present leaf Of woe
! her cOuntenance presented to him, and
when home had ceased to be a pleasant
place, he gradually absented himself, and
the still loving but incorrigiDle wife smelt
the rum 10 his breath, when be returned
| from his evening amusements.
| One night, about two months after the
| conversation we have narrated, as she clock
was striking the midnight hour, he was
brought home, helplessly druOk, in the
arms of two wstcbmen, who had picked
him mp in the st eet
What sight for a young and loving
wife to behold the father of her child drunk!
They placed him in bed, and she spent a
sleepless night in weeping over his sense
less, embruted form. Oh, the agony of that
bitter time Her husband drunkard
she drunksrd's wife Earth has its mis-
cries, but none like those Of the inebriate's
! wife.
Want, shame. the poOr-house, the court
and the prison rose before her with terri
BILE vividness. A t.ain of woes-real woes
80 long that she could not see the end of
it, marched in solemn process before her.
There was her child in rags, her husband,
homeless. idle, degraced sot There was
the gaunt fOrH of hunger. the glaring eyes
of the demons of crime-there was eyerv-
thing there from which the heart of wo-
man would instInctiyely shrink
Thomas rose the next morning, and eat
his breakfast in silence the silence which
sshame seemed to impose upon him. He
was about to leave the house for his work
shop, when Mary spoke.