Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-02-06

commenced reading olngularly enough
the words upon which his eye rested were
''Praise your wife" They rather tended +
increase the disturbance of mind from whicl
he was suffering.
II should like to find one occasion 70
praising mine" How quickly his thought
expressed that ill-natured sentiment. Blu
his eyes were on the page before him. ant
he read on
"Praise your wife, man; for PHYS SAX,
lgive her a little encouragement. It won
hurt her."
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the pa
per and muttered, "Oh, yes; that's all very
well. Praise is cheap enough. But prais,
her for whatG For being sullen, and making
your home the most disagreeable place in the
world?" His eyes fell again to the paper.
"She has made your home comfortable
your hearth bright and shining, your foot
agreeable; for PHYS sake tell her you thanh
her, if nothing more. She don't expect it.
it will make her eyes open wider than they
have for ten years; but it will do her good
for all that, and you too"
1t seemed to Andrew as if this sentence
were written just for him, and just for the
occasion. 1t was the complete answer to his
question, 'Praise her for what?" and he
felt it also as a rebuke. He read no further.
for thought came too busy, and in new di.
rectlon. Memory was convicting him of in
justice toward his wife. She had always
made his home as comfortable for him as
hands could make it, and had he offered the
slight return of praise or commendation?-
Had he ever told her of the satisfaction he
had known, or the comfort experienced? He
was not able to recall the time or occasion
AS he thought thus, Mrs Lee came in from
the kitchen, and taking her work basket
from a closet, placed it on the table, and
sitting down without speaking, began to
sew Mr.. Lee glanced almost stealthily at
the work in her hands, and saw that it was
Tor him that she was at work.
Praise your wife" The words were be-
fore the eyes of his mind, and he could not
look away from them. But he was not
ready for this yet. He still felt moody and
untorgiving The expression of his wife's
face he interpreted to mean ill.nature. and
with ill-nature he had no patience. His eyes
iell upon the newspaper that lay spread out
before him, and he read the sentence:
"a kind, cheerful word, spoken in
gloomy home, is the little rift in a cloud that
lets the sunshine through
Lee struggled with himself a while longer
His own ill-nature had to be conquered first;
his moody, accusing spirit had to be sub.
dued. But he was coming right, and at last
got right as to will. Next came the question
as to how he should begin. He thought of
many things to say, yet feared to say them
lest his wife should meet his advances with
a cold rebuff. AT last, leaning toward her
and taking hold of the linen bosom upon
which she was at work, he said in a voice
carefully modulated with kindness:
"Youare doing that work very beautifully,
Mary"
Mrs. Lee made no reply. But her hus-
band did not fail to observe that she lost al
most instantly that rigid erectness with
which she had been sitting, nor that the mo-
tion of her needle had ceased.
MY shirts are better made, and whittier,
than those of any other man in the shop"
said Lee, encouraged to 60 on.
"Are theyP" Mrs Lees voice was low,
and had in it a slight huskiness. She did
not turn her face, but her husband saw that
she leaned little toward him. He had bro
ken through the icy reserve, and all was easy
now. His hand was among the clouds and
a few feeble rays were already struggling
through the rift it had made.
"Yes, Mary" he answered softly; "and
I've heard it said more than once, what
good wife Andrew Lee must have.n
Mrs Lee turned her face toward her hus
band. There was light in it and light in
her eye. But there was something in the
expression of the countenance that little
puzzled him.
"Do you think so3" she asked, quite So
berly.
what a question:" calculated Andrew
Lee, starting up, and going around to the
side of the table where his wife was sitting.
"What question, Maryr' he repeated, las he
stood before her.
DO your 1t was all she said.
"fes, darling" was his warmly.spoken
answer, and he stopped down and kissed
her How strange that you should ask me
such question:"
II you would only tell me so now and
then, Andrew, 1t would do me good" And
Mrs. Lee arose, and leaning her face against
the manly breast of her husband, stood and
wept.
What a strong light broke in upon the
mind OF Andrew Lee. He had never given
to his wife even the small reward of praise
for all the loving interest she had manifested
daily, until doubt of his love had entered
her soul, and made the light around her
thick darkness. No wonder that her face
grew clouded, nor that what he considered
moodiness and ill-nature took possession of
her spirit
"You are good and true, Mary, my own
dear wife. am proud of you'll love YOU
and my first desire is for your happiness. o,
if could always see your face in sunshine,
my home would be the dearest place on
earth"
"How precious to me are your words of
love and praise, Andrew" !" said Mrs. Lee,
smiling up through her tears into his face
"With them in my ears, my heart can never
lie in shadow"
How easy has been the work for Andrew
Lee He had swent his hand anrosa tho |