The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-22
SAINT PAUL. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 1854.

specting which he had thoroughly made up
his mind. Moreover, he was naturally OF
a somewhat practical tendency, and the
mercantile life in which he was engrOssed
had certainly been little calculated to de-
velop that tender and healthful sentiment
| which gathers its sweet blossoms about
ones home, and fills it with beauty and
| fragrance.
Edward Dexter meant to be good hus-
band, loving and watchful father. He
supplied the wants of his wife and family
cheerfully, and for its sake, as he believed,
devoeed himself assiduously to bis bust
ness; and he would have been amazed and
indignant if any one had insinuated that
he was not above reproach in both of these
relations. But the dew and the sunshine
of tender and loving words did not fall
softly, day by day, on the roots of that
vine under whose shadow he sat- Its
green and goodly tendrils were not full of
the golden blossoms and fruits of all sweet
and gracious mini>trations, and the heart
of his wife often ached with dumb, sad,
yearning pain for something of tie lost
sweetness of her youth. And there broke
dimly into the mind of the husband and
father, for the first time in all the years of
his married life, conception of this truth
He remembered when Charlatte had
suggested some Christmas presents for their
boy and girl. that he had answered, hasti-
ly, "Nonsense, Charlotte; I've got bust
ness of more importance to attend to than
hunting up baby-toys; besides, it's fool
ish waste Of money, any way, and don't
approve of indulging the children in such
follies. You can do as you like about it,
however" And remembering his speech,
Edward Dexter recalled the rained look
on his wife's face, and the words sounded
cold and unsympathetic to him, as they
did not at the time. "Poor Charlotte -
he said to himself And then his thoughts
strayed back down the long avenue which
wound through the past years ofhis married
life.
He saw Charlotte Dexter no more as the
mistress of his home, the mother of his
children-but he saw her in the Joy AMI
bloom of her maidenhood, when the shy
roses first began to widen in her cheeks as
she felt his glance on her face. He saw
the brightness in her eyes, the smiles on
her lips, and her breaks of light laughter
went down ia his heart like the ripple of
pleasant waters. He saw her as she stood
one morning in her youthful loveliness by
his side, and once more the solemn voice
of the minister, as he bound their lives
into one with those holy words, "hus
band " and "wife" came back to him.
And then he remembered what true and
loyal wife Charlotte Dexter had been to
him through all these years, what fond
and devoted mother; and as his gaze swept
over the years, he felt that all the right
and holy claims of her womanhood had
not been recognized that there must have
been many hours when her woman 3 heart
had ached for sympatbies and appreciation
which she had never received. There
must have been something chilling and
barren in her life, for which his own rose
up and rebuked him And it was not
enough that he could say to himself, "I
have been a careful proviaer, kind hus-
band to my wife, good father to my chill
dren.'
"Why, Edward, how long have you
cen at home?" -.....'.....
These words were the first which started
the husband from his re7ery. He turned
from the fire, and saw his wife standing
near him, the first surprise on finding
him there not quite gone out of her face.
He looked at her with a new tenderness
and interest, Maternity had paled the
roses in her cheeks, and the soft hazel eyes
had lost something of their luster. They
had chastened expression, and the lips,
though they were sweet ones still, had not
the old smile drifting about and breaking
over them, as though her heart was like q
fountain which run over with sweet-leapina
waters The face of Charlotte Dexter was
not unhappy, but there was some brig ght-
ness gone out of it, for which, in that
moment of revelation, Edward Dexter held
himself responsible.
81 came in little while ago. Aren't
you feeling well, Charlotte ?''
40, yes; quite as usual. What makes
yon ask me, Edwa-d?" via.
He had detected little shadow on her
face when he first saw her, and he guessed
rightly that she was thinking of the Christ
mas gift of her friend.
because you are not looking quite SC
bright as like to see you, my dear little
wife" eA- e.,- $3.50 IS a
The tones and the words were not ike
those Charlotte Dexter was accustomed to-
She looked up in surprise, and as she met
the smile and tenderness in her husband /
| eye, change came over her face. There
was quick leap of brightness, like tina,
which he remembeaed in her girlhood and
then it melted suddenly in gush of ten.
der feelings, and the tears stood bright in
her hazel eyes. $500 - 92iq' e.
The sight moved Edward Dexter
strangly. He put his arm around hi.
wife's waist. and drew her to him ant
kissed her as he used to in the old days
before she had belonged to him. Char
lotte Dexter drew long breath, muct
like tired, grieved child who has beer