Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-04-18


the physician, he obeyed him as nearly as
his constitutional failings permitted, but
soon the wife was again obliged to chop
wood and feed cattle, and taking severe
cold, she faded as would fade the summer
rose in frigid climate.
When Raymond Warreu's house was des
olate and his fireside cheerless, he saw what
had been his great error during the two
years of his married life, and he mourned
his wife deeply, it must be said in his favor,
both as q helpmato and companion. Hc
rented his farm and managed to exist easily
for one year; but he was domestic man,
he was not satisfied with childless widow
ers solitary lot, and he began to look about
him For a second helpnate and companion.
In few months he took to his home a
woman, who he confidently felt would fill
the place left vacant by his first wife
Sadly was Raymond disappointed.
A few weeks elapsed and he fell into his
! old habits, with complete abandon. Lea
wing his own work in neglected state, he
worked diligently one day to assist a neigh
Dor in getting wood to his house, and he
returned home, late at night, hungry and
fatigued, expecting that his wife would
| have ready for refreshmont an inviting sup
per. In this hope he had refused to take
sisted. Poor fellow | the kitchen where was
to have been his excellent supper, attended
| by smiling wife, was cold and unoccuped
No frugal board was there, and Mrs. WAR
rem was in bed.
+ Raymond was much astonished, but he
was too good natured to complaiE, and 81
lently he ventured to explore the cupboard
for crust on which to satisfy the gnawing
of his appetite. Not crumb was there.
1t was eveident that hs wife had designed
that he should go to bed supperless, and
| supperless to bed he did go, grieving seri
ously over his hard lot. He had never he
fore been so badly treated, and he thought
it indeed distressing, but yet his disappoint-
ment was not enough to revolutionize his
constitutional good nature, and without a
mutter he fell sound asleep.
Raymond did rot hear the chantceer
salute the morning, as it dawned after the
night of his grievous disappointment. 1t
was spring time, and the birds sang under
his window, but he heard them not yet he
heard his wife, who haG risen before the
sun, call him
"Mr. Warren. here I've been up for an
hour in the cold. The woods all burned.
It's time had some cut. If you want any
breakfast, you had better get up"
Was Raymond dreaming2 Was this a
voice of reproach that came to him in his
sleep, with the recollection of the wife that
had gone before him to the spirit land ?
No so.--it was voice from the wife who
dwelt with him in this sphere of existence.
that came to remind him of duties not dis.
charged, upon which depended the satisfac-
ton of those desires which had intruded
visions of feasts upon his hours of rest All
this he felt, still he did not offer to leave his
couch.
Raymond Warren" again said the voice,
''yGu left me yesterday without wood, to
help q neighbor get wood for his wife, and
you went to bed last night without supper.
You'll not get bite to eat in this house till
you bring me wood to cook it with"
There's plenty Of chips" said Raymond,
in palliation, rising on his elbow as he
spoke.
"Get up, then, and bring them into the
house." said the resolute wife. "You want
to make a slave of me. I'll attend to my
duties, but if you don't do your chores, the
cattle may starve, and you'll never get q
bite to eat in this house unless you take it
uncooked, if you don't cut wood yourself or
get som ebody to do it for you" 8.
Raymond started bolt upright, and it was
not many minutes before he was at the wood
pile. Diligently at work until he had cut
an armful, which, like a dutiful husband
for the first time in his life, he carried into
the kitchen.
His wife made no allusion to what had
passed between them, and Raymond, al.
though burning with curiosity to know
where she had learned what she had reveal
ed to him, dared not commence conversa-
tion in relation to it. The train of ills it
might revive was fearful to the easy man.
mind. His breakfast was over; forgetful
of his lesson, careless Raymond wandered
from home, his necessary labors in the farm
yard unattended to and his wood pile un-
visited. lie returned home at noon, strong
in the faith that lie should sit down to
good dinner, because he was one of those
men who think that wife should always
give her husband good dinner whether
she had anything to cook or not. Mrs.
Warren had enough to cook, but nothing
to cook it with; however. much to Ray
mond's satisfaction, when he entered his
house he found the table all spread, and he
knew he should soon be invited to take a
| seat near it.
When the invitation came he hasted to
his accustomed seat, lifted the cover from
dish that he supposed contained the meat,
but just as 1T came from the butchers. Ray.
mond was not canuibal he looked at his
wife inquiringly; she appeared to be wait,
ing patiently to be served. He lifted the
cover of another dish-there were potatoes
just as they had been dug from the earth.
| All the dishes that usually contained vic
tuals were covered. Raymond grew suspi.
| cious, and he lifted the covers hastily
There was bread as it came from the tray
there were turnips that had never been un-
der the influence of fire; there were apples
handsomely sliced for sauce, and there were
numerous other edibles, but none of them
could Raymond eat. He turned for corso
lation to a cup of tea his wife had deposited
near his plate. There were leaves floating
in the cup and the tea looked remarkably
pale; nevertheless, Raymond, by force of
habit, blew it vigorously to prepare it for
his palate. But when he put it to his lips,
he found that he wasted his breath, for the
water was as cold as when it came from the
spring.
Raymond was not hasty man. He push
ed back his chair deliberately, and said
aloud:
"In the name of heaven what does this
mean 2"
Mrs. Warren, whose countenance during