The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-03-01

OhI iONC boo hod a DiOctuCE
ton than stately rooms and costly fur
niture. Well take cozy little cottage
somewhere in the country, and for three
servants get along with one.".iq s7~5a.r1
Hearing these words, John Malcolm
looked at his wife, but he did not say
then what was in his heart--a thanks
giving to God for the angel.he had sent
to walk with him. He took her hand,
and held it close in his'- while be told
her of a temptation which had beset
him before the failure of his house be-
came certain-a temptation by yield
ing to which he could have saved him
self from failure. But it must have been
by dishonest means, by taking adyan-s
tage of others in his power-in short,
! by fraud, which. though mans laws
never could reach, God'sdid withthat
eternal ''do unto others as you would
they should do unto you."
80, thank God thank God you were
| delivered from this evil. i had rather
you should 90 down to your grave
| without dollar than have committed
this sin," said Mary Malcolm; and the
tears were bright in her blue eyes. b
And afterwards there fell q little 81
lence betwixt those two, husband and
wife. 1t was broken by the latter. She.
looked up in the mans face, and her lit
tie fingers sifted themselves through the
dark hair that had no shocks Of. gray,
and her look bright, grateful, and loving
touched him. IL
"What is it, Mary :" t-l5
d was. thinking, John, ,.how much
better off to day l am than thousands
of wives throughout the land. |" ,-
How many there are who sit in their
lonely homes, wearing the slow hours
away with hopes and fears for the hus
bands who have gone tothe war, and
whose dreams at night are filed with
visions of battle-felds, where the one.
beloved face lies white and ghastly on
the sodden grass, with no hand to offer
the last cup of cold water, nc. ear to
catch, the last, low word sAb, ldehn,
my eyes have never searched, as so
many eager eyes do, for your name
/ among the list Of dead or wounded:
and failed seems a word to thank
God for, when I think of that. vs. rs'
She was crying now-she, the bro
ken merchants wife--cryiDg for Joy.
"Mary," said John Malcolm, "IDever
thought of all this, never once thanked
God for it, through this day that has
been the darkest and the brightest of
my life: for out of this thick cloud has
its blessed light shined. " 81
| And after while their talk went on
all the practical matters and uses which
so nearly concerned them-the retrench-
! ing their expenses, the selling Of the
! furniture at once, and setting them
selves in the cottage, as Mary called it,
always speaking the word with a tone
which gave it a sweet flavor of home. :
| Il can get clerkship, and we can
contriye to live on a small salary until
the war is over, which God grant may
not be long; and afterward ! shall.
doubtless zee my way clear into busi-
ness again. But, Mary, don't you know
how folks will pity you behind your
back, and say you've come down dread
fully in the world, and say that it's a
shame you ever threw yourself away on
such a poor dog as ami" s.s-.-.-..
] ''They won't know what they're say
ing, then, and certainly shsn't care
for ii" Her smile was clear and bright
now, as sunshine that has struggled
with the cloud and came out of it tri-
umphant
"Well, Mary, strong heart makes a
stout arm. aud | shall toll with both for
you aud the children, as man does for
those who are dearer than life to him.
Dear John ."-her hand futtered
down on his shoulder in pretty cares
sing way, though her tones needed
nothing mere. aa -re..=
81 came home, Mary, a miserable,
discouraged, broken-spirited man; and
now | feel as brave, as strong, as cheer
full, too, as / ever did in my life--aye,
and richer; for it needed this day and
this trial, to show me what the woman
| have married was worth, and all she
could be to me. o, Mary, if there were
only more wives in this world like you y
Dear reader, have you ever stood,
like this woman, face to face with ad-
versity l-and have you, too, learned
in what spirit to take it, F-.k