National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-05-22
heart to leap in her bosom.


thpip WHO sccmrd 10 regard him,
passed quickly from tAe hoasc. As
the door closed after hin.. his wife
h,avei Il long sigh, and thcn rising
mechanically, proceeded to clear up
the table. Ot how many crushed
affections and disappointed hopes,
did that one deep, tremulouS siaA
speak
Jarvis returned to his work, and
applied himself steadily during the
whole afternoon. Whenever u de-
sire for liquor returned upon bin.
he quenched it in a cOpi0uS dlaught
OF water, and thus kept himself as
free as possible from tcmptation-
Atnight he returned, when the same
troubled and uneasy silence pcryad-
ed the family at the supper table,
The meal WITS Scanty, tor Mrs. JAR
vls' lnccSSant labor could procure
but poor supply of food. After
the chlld"eI had been put to bed,
Mrs. Jarvis sat down, as usual, to
spend the evening, tired as she was,
and as mach us her breast, pained
her, in sewing. y deep sigh heaNpd
inyolnltarlly her bosom as she did
so. 1t caught the ear OF her huS-
band. and smote on his heart. He
knew that her health was feeble, and
that constant labor fatigucd her eX.
ceSsiyclY,
i wouldn't sew tonight, Luty,
he said, you look tired. Rest Tor
one evening"
Mrs Jarvis neither looked up nor
replied. There was something in
the tone Of her husbands voice that
Stirred her feelings; something that
Soltcned her heart towards hIm.-
But she dared not trust huSe.f to
speak, nor let her eyes neey his.
She did not wish TO utter a harsh
u0r repulsiye word, nor was she
willing to speak kindly to him, for
SEC G!d not feel kindly, and kind
words and affected checriumcss, she
had already found encouraged hm
in his bad Ways. And so she cJn.
tiNucd to ply her needle without ap-
pcaring to regard his presence.
l.er husband did not make anoth.
cr effort to induce her to suspend
her laborS for under the existing
circumstances, lie VAS particularly
dcSirouS of provoking her to use to-
ward him the language OF ceuSurc.
After sitting silent for perhaps hail
an hour, ilc rose from his chair aad
walked three or four times across
the room preparatory TO going ont
to seck,a coffee house as his wife
thought But much to her surprise
be retired to their chamber IN an
adjoining room While still under
the cNI ettati0n Of seeing him re
Turn, his loud breathing ,aught her
caS lie WAS asleep. Catching u,l
the light she passed with Il hasty
step into the rOom. He WAS in bed,
ana was sound asleep. She held
the candle close to his face; il Was
caImer than usual and somewhat
pd!cr. AS she bcut over him his
breath came full in her face. 1t WAS
not loaded with the Disgusting per.
fumes that so often Sickcued her.
Her lcat. beat quicl;cI--iuoisture
dlHmcd her rSc--heI whole fame
trculhled. Then looking upwards,
she uttered a single prayer for her
husband, and gliding quickly from
the room, sat down by The little Ia.
ulc ana again bent over her Wotk.
NoW She remembered that he had
said, with something unusual in his
toucS,--' would nor sew Tonight,
I Lucy Nuu look tired; rest for one
evening g'--and her heart was agi
iated with II new hope; but that
hope, like the dove from the avh,
.ouad nothing upon which to rest,
and trewbled back again into a feel.
/ ing of d3SpOndpncy.
! On the ncXlmJMing the unsteady
hand OF Jarvis rs he lifted his ,au
Ger to his lips at the breakfast Ia
BE, made his w!ic'S heart sink agail
in her Bosom, site had lelt Il hope
4 almost uuconScjuuSly. She remcm
bcrcd that at supper time his hand
WAS tnll -nOW II was unuerYcd.--
This WAS conclusive to her l. ind
that. Notwithstanding his appear
augc he had been drinking. Bu
icW words passed dnring the meal
lof neither felt much inclined T.
converse.
After breakfast, Jarvis rcturnc,
10 the shop, and worked steadil.
uutil dinner time, and then agali
unlil evening. AS on the night be
iolc he di'l rot go out, hut retire,
early to bed. And this WAS c0n,iu
.ucd all the week. But the whol
was Il NY lsteiy to his poor wife, wht
dared not even hope for any lea
change lor the better. On Salur
day, toward night, he laid 10y hi
work, put on his coat and hat, an
went into the front shop.
80 sou have really worked is
DAYS II sober mau, john /. Mr.. LAM,
ford said.
Indeed have. Since lnsT Sui
dag morning no kind of inloxicatin
liquor has passed my lips
How much have y0u earned tllI
week, John?
: 'licrc il tho lorcman's account 4
my work, sir. 1t comes 10 twel,
/, dollars.' t..
's5iiIl q flst workman. You vii
: set recover yourself, and your fam
~ will set be happy, II you prrsc
! vcrc.' "l
'Oh, air, they shall Z happy !