Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-07-02

with glossy curls, against her knee. She
sprung at my voice, and was in my lap at
q bound. What thrill Of pleasure the
tight clasp Of her arms sent to my heart
Oh love, thou art full Of blessing!
From that moment felt kinder toward
my neigbbor. He had done me good-had
played before me as David played before
Saul, exercising the evil spirit Of discon>
tent. There was no longer q repellent
sphere, and soon all my little ones were
close around me, and happy As in other
times with their father.
After they were all in bed, and sat
alone with my wife, the cares that "infest
the day" made q new assault upon me,
and vigorously strove to regain their lost
empire 10 my mind. felt their approach
es, and the gradual receding Of cheerful
thoughts with every advancing step they
made. In my struggle to maintain that
tranquility which so strengthens the soul
for work and duty arose and walked the
floor. My wife looked up to me with in.
quiry on her face. Then she let her eyes
fall upon her needle work, aud as glanced
toward her at every turn in my walk, l
saw an expression Of tender concern on
her lips. She understood that was not
at ease in my mind, and the knowledge
troubled her.
"How wrong in me-" said in self
rebuke, ",hus to let idle brooding over
mere outside things, which such brooding
can in no way effect, trouble the peace Of
home;' and made new effort to rise
again into SUMMER region. But the fend
had me in his clutches again, and could
not release myself. Now it was that my
David came to my relief. Suddenly bis
clear notes rang out in the air, Away
with Melancholy"
can not tell which worked the instant
revulsiou of feeling that came--the cheer.
ful air, the words Of tho song which were
called to remembrance by the air, or the
associations Of by.gono years that were
revived. But the spell was potent and
complete. was myself again.
During tho evening the voice Of my
wife broke out several times into snatches
Of song q thing quite unusual Of late, for
life's sober realities had taken the music
from her as we'll as from her husband.-
We we're growing graver every day. 1t
was pleasant to hear her Aute.tones again,
very pleasant, and my ear harkened low
inslv. The cause Of this ftful warblng
recognized each time as the notes died
away. They were responsible to our
neighbor.
did not then remark upon the circum-
stance. One reason OF this lay in the fact
that I had spoken lightly Of our neighbours
whistlng propensity, which struck me in
the bes:nn;n: g. vulgar; and I did not
care to acknowledge myself so largely bis
debtor as really was.
We we're in our bedroom, and about re-
| firing for the night. when loud voices, as
! if ia strife, came discordant'y through the
thin party walls, from our neiEhbors on
the other side. Something had gone
wrong there, and angry passions were in
the ascendant.
"How very disagreeable" I remarked.
1.-THE mans bru,e2 ~ said my wife,
emphatically. lie does nothing, it
seems to me-, but wrangle in his family.
Pity that he hadn't som ething of the pleas
ant temper of our neighbor on the other
side.'
"That is a moro agreeable sound, l
must confess was my answer rs the
notes of What Fairy like Music steals
over the Sea" rose swectly on the air.
"Far moro agreeable returned my
wife.
"He plays we'll on his instrument" I
said, smiling. My ear was following the
notes in pleased recognition. We stood
listening until our neighbor passed to
another air, see to Mrs. Hemans' beautiful
words "Comc to the Sunset Tree" To q
slow soft, tender measure the notes fell,
vet still We heard them with singular dis
tinctness through the intervening wall,
jus. little muf1led, but sweeter for the
obstruction.
"The day Is past and gone,
| The woodman's axe lies free,
And the reapers work IL done."
My wife recalled these lnes from her
memory, repeating them in subdued,
tranquilizing tone. The air was still
sounding in our cars, but We DO longer
recognized its impression on the external
senses. It had dohe its work Of recalling
the beautiful Evening Hymn Of the Switz.