The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-02-07
O NJ Y A YEAR
BY MRS. ANNA H. NJ. BREWSTER.

not believe Belle cares whit for me.
wonder how she would take the news il
she were to hear I was dead? In this
same internally cool way of hers, / sup
pose, which is enough to drive man
mad. S
Fred Field muttered this. as he walked
sullenly down the path leading to his sta.
bles one fine July morning.
/ "Jim, is my buggy ready2 Why did
you put that mare imp
"The Judge is so skittish, sir; them
There crackers a-fyin' about the street;
and all the Fourth doin's don't help hin
no how, so l thought I'd"- -
j take the mare outl | wish to drive
Judge, end bring him to the library gal
lery when you have him ready
No one in, Fred Fields establishment
disputed with him. especially when he
spoke in that low, decided tone, not even
his old and INDUCED servant, jim A:
Fred re-entered the house, his wife,a fair
graceful woman, met him, and said in a
smiling, halflplayful tone of command
that any one but an. angry husband would
have known was meant to hide deeper
feelings, which she was as much too shy
as too proud to display
"F.ed, see your buggy coming up
You may drive me over to the Hall.
must be there at ten o'clock, to meet the
ladies dinner committee. !"
Then order the carriage, if you cannot
walk. l have no time to take you"
There was strange expression on the
young wife's face when her husband went
into the library and slammed the door af-
ter him. She neither wept nor stormed;
a servant passing on the staircase, and re-
ceiving az order did not notice anything
amlss 10 the young mistress of the houses
but co nmon shrieking and tears could
not hare expressed that anguish--it was
anguish, not anger-so there was no out
ward sign, for Belle felt as if the hope Of
life had left her. s.
The trouble was trife in the begin
ming, but it had gone on growing; the
young wife had been provoking and a lit
tie wilful;. the husband quick to take Of
fense and unforgiving; thus matters were
placed in wofully tangled state. There
seemed no path out of the trouble, too.
Belle was willing, even anxious, to advance
the whole way in the work of reparation,
and had done so in her own manner, but
that manner was not pleasing to Fred and
only made matters worse.
Two obstacles stood in the road to re-
cancellation. Fred was not disposed to
look over, the late difficulties silently
then worse. than all, he did not under
stand the calm, reticent nature of his
wife. He bad been prepared to show 8
manly magnanimity over a little scene oi
tears and reproaches; but Belle never
made scene about anything, and Fred
mistook her cheerful silence and assumed
Ignorance of The late disagreements, fol
scornful indifference, careless disregard
of his feelings, and false independence
which he resolved to nip in the bud; thus
/ they CROPPED along, going farther and far
Ither from each other, in the gloom o
misunderstanding. e
| Belle went up to her bedroom, where
she attended to some household matters
mechanically; gave various orders to The
servants, and then prepared for her walk
She looked very pretty as she stood be
fore the glass, arranging the light brown
wavy rolls Of hair, and pulling over the
low but broad brow, modest "sun-rise'
hat, whose soft white feather suited wei
the fresh beauty of its wearer
"0nly year married" she kept think
ing, "and this is the end Of it! How an
/ to bear it?'' h
eMrs. Maull and Mrs. Foster is in th,
parlor ma am" servant reported
ssCousiu Fred told us you intended
walking over to the Hall this morning, ,sC
Jane and | thought we would call 70,
you" was Bessie Maull's greeting.
tssThank you; lam glad to have com
panyp sai @
-@Fred had his wagon full of girls,
said Bessie, as the three were on thei
way, ,s'and Jane Foster told him,it seeme'
as if the old days had come back when h
/ was a gay flirting bachelor among u.s."
ssFred always was popular with th
lgirls, Twas Mrs. Fosters remark.
sNo wonder" replied Belle, "he is s.
Agreeable, or at least think so.
ssYoa should have made him drive yo'
over this hot morning" said Bessie.
aAnd deprive me of such pleasant so
ciety as Jane and you?" asked Belle, wit
la little, cool laugh. ~
| They reached the Hall just as Ere
TField drove up with fresh bevy Of pref
lty chatterers. ssqi aj aalf a
"Now, girls" said he, stoutly, ~ shal
not fetch another one of you; you nee
not ask me. You have kept me anxiou
JAN the time. Judge is like his master
this morning. little skittish and out 0
) humer.n fr,..,.f
i He turned and saw his wife lookin
}, apparently very much amused; her fac
4 had just the cool smile that irritated hir
most. Old DR.. Hale stepped out of th
gay yfcrowd that had gathered in front
the Hall entrance, and said
" Belle, you are a paragon of wives, t
let your husband be SO attentive to thes
young butterflies. I"
"0h," replied Belle shaking hands wit
him, 1--WE married ladies ought to be ger
erous, Uncle Hale, in order to show th
girls how useful and agreeable husband
are, 50 that the poor single fellows ma
get wiYes,p
:. The girls began talking all at once 0
the inexhaustible subject of utter indii
ference to marriage, unalterable determi
nation to be old maids, etc. etc, In th