Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-04-16

This address succeeded In INDUCING Tue
lovely weeper TO withdraw the handkerchiei
from her face, aud softly to ask: do you
think so then why were you so hard upon
me:" M
swell, now you see, / come to you to sue
for peace pleaded Alfred; and taking bis
wife in his arms he whispered, snow you will
say those few words for love of me-s"
Poor husband never was he more mista-
ken than in supposing his gentle wife had
Welded for she tore herself from his en-
| brace, more angry than ever, with the words,
"What, even now? still you ask this! you
would begin the quarrel again :"
al have come to you dear wife, to soften
YOU with kind words when you were angry;
now it is for you to yield something"
Emma seemed to struggle with herself;
she longed to be at peace with her husband,
whom she fondly loved; she had only to
whisper the words he asked her for, and all
would be right between them; but pride came
to the rescue. What after all her deter
mination, should she yield at last - So she
wound up all her powers of resistance INTO
one firm, resolute No! once for all, No!
Then the aggrieved husband broke out into
the following speech: at is enough, then
you know that it would please me that you
should do this, and you win not do It. My
Il
my request, and you will not fulfill it. II
may be caprice on my part, but your love
! should accommodate itself to my caprice.
The words are nothing, but the proof of your
affection is much, and that proof you win moi
give me. / have entreated, reasoned, com
manded, tried every mode, but in vain; and
you profess to love me, you cannot In one 1T
tie instance conquer a caprice, not even tc
| show kindness to your husband! Never
say again that you love me II
This compendium of accusations was ut
tered while the speaker was pacing up ano
down the pretty parlor in very excited
state, and elected from the accused, who
leaned with her arms on the table, as If fol
support under her unwonted trials, the fol
lowing reply: f1r O. 81 i a.
"What right have you to accuse me of per
verseness or caprice? You acknowledge
that it is folly to ask me TO say those words
and yet you persist. 1t would degrade me
knowingly to commit folly, and yet you ash
me thus deliberately tie degrade myself Il
this love And then you see that yonr con
duet pains me-" here the tears flowed plenti
| fully again "yet you continue cold and un
moved. On whose side, then, is the per
yerseness? where is the lack of affection :"
How much more might have been said OF
Il
| moment Hal respectfully announced the ap
proach of the expected visitors. ALFRED
whispered to his wife caution not to let hel
parents see that she had been agitated, ant
she replied, don't care; they may know
all am not to blame;" and in this con
seriousness of injured innocence, Emma fol
lowed her husband to greet the beloved
guests at the door.
SQUIRE Oldfield and his wife Catherine wer,
a hearty, handsome, elderly couple, who hat
toiled up the hill of life together successfully
and were now, as the poet expresses it, goin:
down it hand in hand, a kindly, honest, Low
| ing pair, After the first greetings wer'
over, Catharine rallied her daughter, a
mothers will do sometimes, on the fact o
making herself scarce at the parental home
stead but, on Emma's attempting to apollo
| gize, kindly added, "Oh, know how it is, m,
dear child; young wife has something els
to do than to be always running after her OLD
mother" y
"That is how the world wags, wife," sale
the squire; "she must leave father anC
mother, as the holy writing saith: but yol
think of us often, my child, I am sure"
So they seated themselves to the amply
spread breakfast-table and the old gentle
man, declaring that his long walk had mad,
Il
| glass of wine for each of the party, and pro
posed "many happy returns of the day."
Now, it occurred simultaneously to on
young couple, that many returns of such
morning as they had passed together would
not be desirable; but instead of keeping thi
| consciousness to themselves, and accomplish
ing silent reconciliation, Alfred raised hi
glass with trembling hand, and the more i'm
pulsive Emma was obliged to put her owl
down on the table again while she wiped he
eyes. This action did not escape the motto,
of the worthy old man.
| "What is this ?" asked he /; shave offend
ed Ny sol-in-law, you look embarrassed
and Emma 3 in tears; what has happened 2
Alfred, finding that the whole matter mus
come out, motioned to Hal to leave the room
and tried to explain: sit is little matte
not worth mentioning; only my Emma is
| little too obstinate"
| Unfortunate young man /! it certainly nigh
be said of him on this particular morning
that he could not open his mouth withou
"putting his foot in it." His remark reopen
ed the food-gates of his wife's grief, who de-
clared that she had struggled against it il
vain, but the sense of injustice in being
styled obstinate, capricious, and perverse
was more than she could bear.
Great was the confusion amongst that small
breakfast party. The father said, " Histl-
old wife, do not NEEDLE with the young folk
| quarrePs;" but the mother opined that per
| haps, if they were to hear how matters stood
something satisfactory might be accom-
plished in the way of arbitration. So the
point was yielded, and Alfred was requested
to tell his story When it was ended, tn,
young wife appealed: "There, mother Their,
father now you hear him; you can tell if
have ever been Perverse." sass. !.
"Well, child" said the old man, with &
mischeivous twinkle in his eye, and studied
hesitation, well-perhaps-no ..,..s,
snow, husband" interposed Catharine
"you do Emma wrong; she never was per
verse. Be easy, dear child, do not vex your
self, it will soon be all right"
| "Ah, but he still insists that shall say the
words" sobbed Emma .. -tf ,..-o..
"Ah, my son, is it So? asked the moth
er, with the faintest shade of anger in he
tone. ~
spray let the matter rest" said the son.
"Let me beg of you not to spoil my break
FAST" said Squire 0ldfield, good humoredly
"you are little simpleton, Emma and you
my son, will find it is as well to overlook ;
little self will in young bride. She will
soon cure herself of it, like my old wife there
you see she exercises no contradiction, she full
| fills my slightest wish; and / were to ask he
to say, Very good, the table is set she woul'
say it at once" ~ n3
| "Indeed / would not though" said the ell
DERBY dame, rather sharply.
7"What not if we're to ask your"
| "Certainly not" sd
i l. ,nt in ar naof. null