Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-06-11
Mrs. Jones's Trial.

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borne alone, decided to share his. regrets
with a sympathzing friend. The connec-
tion was happy one for many years, but
alas for the mutability Of earthly pleasure.
mir Jones was again a widower at the age
.of forty. and being extremely lonely. and
having the habit fmarrying,. he offered
his broken life and bereayed affections to
Miss Patience Norcross, a mature young.
lady Of thirty.
We have said that Mr.. Jones had hab-
it of being married, ana it bad SO grown
fupon Him that, had Providence opened
the way he would in all probability have
followed up a series Of bereavements
with succession of consultations But in
selecting Miss Patience he had no regard
to compatibility of temper. He had new
err thought anything about it. His other
marriages had been happy accidents, and.
so far as he knew and reflected, that was
the order Of nature. But Miss Patience
had habit, and it wasin accordance with
her name, for it was a failin G that leaned
to virtues side, and beyond it.. She lived
in the remote and in the future. The
present with her was never anything buta
make shift, mere temporary expedieut till
better times Distance not only lent en-
chantment to her objects Of pursuit, but
! was absolutely the only charm to which
she was sensitive She really liked Mr..
Jones almost up to the hour of his propo-
sal she meekly tolerated him ever af-
| ter.
They were boarding for time, and the
wife said submi>sively to ali her friends
"Oh, yes. it is very comfortable for the
present, till we feel able to keep house"
Mr.. Jones, after those remarks bad
been reiterated for the fftieth time, asser-
ted that he was able to keep house To
/ prove this, ne engaged and furnished a
tasteful tenement, and another year saw
Miss Patience the patient mistress of her
own Preside.
What a pleasant situation" said dame
Grundy, as she called an a tour Of inspec
ton.
Why. YES " returned Mrs, Jones, cit
is all We can expect in house we hire
Il we were to build we should plan very
differently. Of course; and, then, you
! know, one could have the heart TO make
improvements in shrahbery and fruit trees,
Oh, Mrs. Grundy, hope to live long en-
ough to have house Of my own"
Mr.. jones was well-to-do and good-na-
tured. Moreover, be was little obtusc.
as We have seen. aud did not perceive that
something to put up with is with some Of
us practical necessity. So he said. very
generously
Mrs Jones, in another year you shall!
have house of your oH-n
Il am afraid you could not afford to
build such house as would like
81 can, and will You shall make
the plan yourself, or draw new one if
you prefer
Mrs. Jones sighed, at will take 50
long in building;'' and from that hour ev-
cry rational enjoyment was deferred till
they should get to their new dwelling =
There were the usual delays and disap
pointmcnts, and Mrs Joness love of en-
durance was fully gratiied: she was regal
ed with a ''lingerng sweetness long
drawn out" e43
At length the house WIS built and fur
nished, the grounds laid out and planted,
and the wheels Of the new establishment
fairly in motion Moreover. by rare good
luck, there was very little to alter or undo;
most Of the arrangements were desirable,
and the experiments successful.
Il hope my dear" said Mr.. Jones be
nevolently. ''that We arc in condition to
take comfort.
eff we ever get settled" assented Mrs
Jones, with sigh. a.4H
Well, years-rolled on, end they were
settled. The flowers doomed, and the
fruit ripepe,l The turf thickened into
velvet, and the trees grew tall and cast a
welcome shade. Strangers paused. TO ad-
nire the premises as they passed, and
Ineighbors paid their various tributes of
envy and admiration. Mr., Jones smoked
his prime cigar in the back piazza, and
grew to look portly and contented Not
so with Mrs. Jones. To all the enconpi-
ums lavished upon her residence she re-
pied SUI nissively- e omth
Eyes. it's pretty place, but we don't
know whom we built tfor. We have no
children to come. after US, and are just put
ting up improvements for strangers to
pull down" H-
Was ever = woman so favored with IAN
indulgent. fortune Within a year from
the utterance of this remark, Mrs. Jones
WIS the happy-no, thespatient mother of
a real, genuine, glorious baby. Mr. Jones,
who had with difficulty refraiaed from
Happiness before, was uncontrollahly in
bilant now. The boy was healthy, and
handsome. and bright. There was no
mistake about him he was fixed fact, a
star Of the first magnitude. He had
wants, it is true, for which the fond father
was intensely thankful, for to crafty
and prevent then was his supreme de-
i light. s94sa
But the mother? Alas here were all Of
I a y,nfhor,c caraSs at oc@s aysf}Mforo bo