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

rom the Watchman and Reflect,

a Guard Tor the WG+.d1ES-rlnG.
! had been but short time married,
and was looking at my wcdding-ring,
turning it on my finger. My husband
had placed it there in his love, a precious
sign Of our beautiful union. kissed it,
Aunt Sargent was looking at me.
"Guard it well. child. Guard it well ~
she said eml haticalIy. 'Ncvcr let it
pass from its placc-acrer r.
81 never mean it. 1t would distress
me to have it pass even the first joint
mean TO ask George to give me dia-
mond guard for it."
"Thc best jewel TO guard the wedding
is a s,uny temper, child--the best jewel"
"Iou were not married with ring,
aunt" said
"Yes, child, / was. Yes, l was"
''l}ut you wear none"
"No. My ring, dear as yours once,
too often slipped from my finger, and now
it is laid away, TO be worn never again"
Aunt Sargent had been unhappy in
her marriage, and looked teartully into
her face. She was looking teariuly at
her bare ring finger.
eyes" she resumed, "my wedding
ring was once as dear as yours my union
with my beloved ms dcar--broben now
and / had to break it, If had only
known to guard my ring, the dear ring |
had hoped to wear even IN my coffin"
care you blaming yourself, aunt |
thought you were unfortunate in your
marriage"
"Pcrhaps I was; yes, was unfortu-
nate. Still am not without blame |
might have done better and would, had |
only known"
''But if you did not know, how can
you blame yoursclfP'
"No, | did not know" she said, slow
ly. "IIad known, how difierer tly would
| have done p
"EIow would you have done ?'
81 would have guarded my wedding
ring and my welded life as well, by a
loving and forgiving temper, bright and
beautiful spirit always. So, would have
held bound to me the heart that loved
me, the man loved"
'Could you have done it p
81 think | could"
''Hc was not worth the binding, aunt
he has proved himself worthless"
"Worhless now; but not worthless
when first loved him; when / took his
name and joined my destiny TO his. 1t
was step by step that he went down, and
perhaps / could have saved him. To
have saved my husband for my heart and
for my life; saved their father for my
children; what would | not have done I
This is my story from the beginning. |
tried TO do what was right and best in
every thing, and wanted others to do the
same. But | was irritable, easily troub-
led, and ready TO complain and trouble
others Life came hard 10 me .as to
many another, and | did not learn to
make it easy. loaded himself with lit
tie burdens, till l was weighed down,
ovcrstrained by them, dwelt upon little
vexations till was uncomfortable, and
then expected my husband to share my
weariness and discomfort"
"Ilc ought to have shared them"
$50 | thought. But he would not. II
was not in him to do 1t. lie fled from
them and fleeing from them, fed from
me, and lost the safety of his home.
blamed him as negligent, undutiful, and
selfish, approved myself as dutifuI, and
kept my course"
"What ought you to have done p
'Without relinquishing care or neg
lecting duty, l ought to have been at
all times bright, and cheerful, and joyous;
| ought to have suited myself to my hus-
bands moods, pleased him, made bis
home his delight, and kept him from
"Could you have done it in your hard
and difficult circumstances ?"
"CouM IL What could | not have
done TO save him :. | would not have ex-
hausted him with household cares and
vexations had he been dying, | would
not tfon have needed them myself. L
could and would have done aud borne for
him every thing humanity can do and
bear, had / only known. 1 had not heen