The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-04-05


accident, tri6ng matter in itself, yet it
gave me pain. That very morning my
impatience had dispeased my husband
and he had spoken harshly to me, arousirg
in me a feeling of resentment. The dis
placement of the ring seemed ominous,
and something said to me, 1T was your
own act; it foretokens i'll, and that i'll TO
come by you. You removed the ring,
toolishly am, thoughtlcssly foolishly and
thoughtlessly you will break the bond it
symbols. You began the wrong this
morning. You provoked your husband
TO injustice. And you did it knowing
that he could not bear an impatient
word
",ut he ought to have borne it. You
bore from him us well as from others"
"Do not mistake me; l am not ex-
cusing him; but it was ruinous folly in
me to treat him according to what he
ought TO have been, instead Of what he
was and what knew him 10 be. Is the
pearl hawed, broken? Handle it care
fully that it be not lost. My pearl was
tiawcd, but priceless for all that, and
never to be replaced. loved my hus-
band better than my life, IN spite of all
his faults. His ruin has proved Inc that.
How much better would it have been had
| adapted myself to him in the talings,
instead Of driving him from pe by my
own. We should make the best of our
friends rs as t,cy are, and so make them
better. did not make the best of mine.
Instead Of encouraging my husbands yir-
tues, condemned his faults. They only
increased. Then new faults developed
themselves, new and greater ones. Still
kept ON my unwise course. blamed
him. His pride was wounded, and his
love and my influence were wcakcned.-
Again | wiped off my weddngring. |.
held it up to my husband.
"'A bad omenl' ! said.
slow came it Oft
"I wiped it Off
"'And you'll wipe it off forever if you
do not louk out he said. Let Inc look
at it,
"lIe took 1t, looked at the inscription,
Till death
"'Iill death y he read aloud. 1T
won't hold ne ill then. o, that | ever
put it on your hand and he dashed it
to the floor.
81 was indignant at the rudeness and
insult I picked up the ring, replaced it
on my finger, and ioi a long time main
tanned naughty and conlemptuous ST.
lcnce, condemning my husband. plying
myself and deplcring my unhappy lot"
''As was proper" l commented, i'll
warm sympathy with my wronged and
unfortunate aunt.
Gas was unwise," she answered. 81
was warned and had better have needed
the warning; tried TO save what little
was lett TO me in my husband tried to
please him and regain his love, to make
him rejoice in me as his wife once more
But l sat, injured and moody, and he
went and came, leaving me and meeting
me with carclesSness and neglect. His
vices were growing fast. Il was not to
blame,' | said. 4 had done my duties
lie had been 'icious before | knew hm,
and this made my hands seem all the
cleaner. But the matter was not one of
blame or eXoneration for me, merely
My husbands fate was in question; my
own fate, too, bound up as was with
hin. Yet sat still and nursed myself
and left him TO himself.
''Not many years, and / removed my
wedding-ring from my finger to replace it
never again, for had broken the bond of
which it was the symbol. My self-respect,
even my safety had required this, my
husband had bccome so degraded, so un-
safe.
Snow were my eyes opened. saw
my folly; all had done, all l had left
undone. What failure had been my
welded life Given to the man | loved,
married to him, vowed to his welfare,
how had | kept my vows! l had guided
his house, mothered his babes, maintain
ed his name in honor, but the best things
| had not done. had not met his wants
and needs; | had not satisfied his heart,
nor fed his life. had, as thought, de-
voted myself TO duty, and yet had not
seen that my first duty was TO him to
whom | had joined myself as help.mcet
to secure his happiness and virtue, ii by
any power might. How had failed
utterly failed and all was lost. | looked
through binding tears at the dear we'd
ding-ring, before laid it away, and went
back to the glad moment when my !us-
band placed it cn my finger, proud, hope
ful, happy and confident in me. so lit
tic did we know of what was before us
then. How had we both been disap-
pointed! How different might have been
our fate ! 1Hep, too late, could blame
myself. Had | been worthier, had ]
been lovelier, more patient and cheerful,
smaie,-tenpaei, child, it had been diff
erent. / should have made happier
home, II more loving husband, better
man. "God forgive me = cried. God |
forgive me Lay not this sin 10 my
charged But it was laid to my charge.
There was stain upon my gar,Gcnts -
The cry Of blood came up from the
ground into my ears. And approaching
and condemning myself must hold my
solitary way to death Guard well your
wedding-ring, my dear. Guard it with
something better thar a diamond-a |
eheerful honnv tamner