Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-02-28
SELECT TALE.
THE ,rRUE WIFE.
BY VIRGINIA 2. TOWNSEND.

| words were auurcSScu-ln way WHICH
showed that it had struck and hurt her.
She was scolloping q child's skirt, and the
needlework had followed her rapid fingers
along the flannel like aline of snowy foam :;
but now the work feal, unheeded to the
floor. nii IN Hs1l
"Ah. John, has Il come to that 2" asked
Mary, the wife of John Malcolm and the
soft bloom in her cheeks vanished away, and
the words were spoken with kind of gasp,
| as though lust beneath them lay mighty
swell and rush of feelings that we'll nigh
overpowered her voice.
'Yes, Mary, it must come God knows
I've struggled as hard rs any man could to
weather the storm, and could have done it
too, if those Western houses hadn't gone un-
der. But they'll carry US with it."
81 can't realize 1t yet, john" she said
looking at him in alfbewildered, half
frightened way, that was pitiful to sec the
shock, for the moment. had half stunned
her.
90 Mary it was hardest for your sake !"
and the words came in sharp groan which
is terrible to hear from the lips of strong
man. The tones reused her at once into
| full consciousness of what had befallen them
and of the part she must bear in it.
"Don't John--dont take il so hard," her
voice struggling up through sob into a
note of cheerfulness, and her lips fashioAing
a smile, which, though weak at first, you
felt certain would grow stronger, all the
stronger each moment just as you feel the
| sweet promise of the day when the first faint
sunbeams struggle weakly out of the morn
| ing's mist.
II could have borne up, Mary if it hadn't
! been for you and the children; but that
| thought cuts me to the core-it's more than
| | can besrn
And for the first time the young wife and
mother heard sob from the lips of her hus
band, as he bowed down on the arm of his
chair. The pride of his manhood gave way
| at last, and John Malcolm wept like little
child Then the womans heart, the wo-
mans power to cheer, and comfort, and
strengthen, reused themselves; the waves
| went over her but one moment, and then
| Mary Malcolm forgot herself, and rose up to
| the height of her true womanhood-to the
exaltation of self sacrifice.
"John," said the soft, brave voice, "don't
say that again. Let everything else fail
| the heart Of your wife never will"
And now she had come close to him, and
he felt her small arms about his neck, and
her head lay on his shoulder, as tender, as
confding as in their days of brightest pros
perity. All through one day he had been
looking forward to this hour, and shrinking
away from it; and once or twice-God for
give him-he had 1tlance@. out of his office
window to the river, which rolled its dark
sullen waters in the distance, and fierce
temptation had rushed over him, to drop
| everything and hurry out there and bury all
his pain and anguish under the dark, crum-
pied sheet of water But John, in his Sc
cret distress, knew that the temptation was
the voice of the devil entering hls SOUL
he was man who feared God and kept his
commandments-he put the temptation
aside. -.t.
The young husband had not doubted his
wifc'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 heaviest partner. He
knew that her youth had been nurturcd in
all the grace and luxury that wealth confers,
and he feared the thought of going into the
chill and darkness of poverty. He had not
| looked for loud lamentations, or bitter re-
proaches, 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 a smile
that set her face in new sacredness and
beauty to Eer husbands eye-a smile so
sweet and tender to him, so brave and def
ant for the worst the world could do for
them, and it said to him at once all that her
words would and could not.
"Ah, Mary, my wife," said the merchant,
II thought when l came into my house an
hour ago, that l was ruined man; feel
now rs though was a very rich one.'
"Ruined, with me and the children,
I'll c.,
IN her voice; but she clung closer to him.
"But, Mary, poor child, you don't know
| what it is to he poor, to give up SO much of
grace and luxury, to which you have been
accustomed"
"You say that, John, before you've tried
me, and seen what springs of courage and
powers OF self sacrifice they are in my ma
| turen
The noble words had fitting emphasis
in the sweet smile-in the steadfast, daunt-
| less tones
But we shall have to give up the house,
Mary"
"Well, We can feel just as happy in a
smaller one. Our love has broader foun-
dation than stately rooms and costly furni-
| ture. Wen take cosy little cottage some
where in the country, and for three servants
get along with one"
| Hearing these words, John Malcolm look
ed at his wife, but he did not say then what
was in his heart-a thanksgiving 10 God for
the angel He had sent 10 walk with him.
He took her hand and held il close in his,
while he told her of temptation which had
beset him before the failure Of his house be-
came certain--a temptation by yielding to
which he could have saved himself from
failure But 1t must have been by dishonest
means, by taking advantage Of Others in his
power-in short, by fraud, which, though
mans laws never could reach, Gods did,
with that etcrnal--"Do unto Others as ye
would they should do unto you"
20, thank God thank God thank God,
you were delivered from this evil. had
rather you should 90 down to your grave
without G dollar than have committed this
sin," said Mary Malcolm; and the tears
were bright In her blue eyes.
And afterwards there fell little silence
between those two, husband and wife. II
WAS broken by the latter. she looked into
tho mans face, and her little fingers siited
themselves through this dark hair that had
no specks of gray, and her lock, bright,