The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-09-11
[Troin tho Saturday Evening posLl
STORY FOR MARRIED FOLKS


drew to himself, as he turned his eyes
from the clouded face of Mrs. Lee
and snt down with knitted brows and
moody aspect.
Not word was spoken by either
Mrs. Lee was getting supper and she
moved about with weary step.
Come" she said Mt last, with n
side glance ut her husband.
Andrew arose and went to the table.
He was tempted to speak an angry
word, but controlled himself and kept
silent. He could find no fault with
the chop, nor the homemade bread
nor the fragrant ten. They would
have cheored bis inward mnn il there
had been gleam Of sunshine on the
face of his wife. He noticed she did
not eat.
Are you not well, Mary ?"
These words were ON his lips but
ne did not utter them, for the faco of
his wife looked so repellant that he
feared m irritating reply.
And so, III moody silence, the twain
sat together until Andrew had finished
his supper.
As he pushed his chair back his
wife arose and commenced clearing off
| the table.
'"rlns is purgatory p said lee to
himself, MS he commenced walking the
floor Of their little breakfast room, with
his hands thrust into his trowsers
pockets and his chin almost touching
his breast.
After removing and taking things
into the kitchen, Mrs. Lee spread q
green cover over the table, and plac-
ing frcsh-trimmcd lamp thereon,
went out and shut the door after her,
leaving her husband alone with his un-
| pleasant feelings. He took n long,
deep breath as she did so, paused in
his walk, stood still for few moments,
and then drawing paper from his
pocket, sat down by the table, opened
the sheet and commenced reading.
Singnlarly enough, the words upon
which his eyes rested were "Praise
your wife" They rather tended To
increase the disturbance of mind from
which he was suffering.
Il should Ike to find some occsaion
for prTsiaing mine" How quickly his
thoughts expressed that ill-natured
sentiment! But his eyes were on the
paper before him and he read on:
Praise your wife, man for PHYS
sale. give her little encouragement.
II won't hurt her. !"
Andrew Lee raised his ewes from the
paper and mnttered, "Oh yes, thats \
all very weli-praise is cheap enough.
but praise her for what I? For being
sullen and making her home the most
disagreeable place IN the world 2" His
eyes fell agnin TO the paper.
She has made your home comforta-
ble, your heart bright and shining,
your food agreeable; for PHYS sake
tell her you thank her, if nothing more.
She don't expect it. 1t will make her
eyes wider than they have been for ten
years; but it will do her good for all
that, and you to. /"
1t seemed to Andrew as IL this SEN
tence was written expressly for him
aud just for this occasion. It was o
complete answer To his question,
Praise her for what" and he felt it
also febuke. He read no further,
for thoughts came too busy, and in n
new direction. Memory was conyinc-
ing him of injustice to his wife. She
had always made her home MS comfort
able for him as she could make it, and
had he offered the light return Of praise
or cornmendation? Had he ever told
her of the satisfaction he had known
10 the comfort he had experienced I?
He >o.as not able to RECALL the time or
occasion. AS ne thought tiisus Mrs.
Lee came in from the kitchen, n2d
taking her work basket from the closet,
placed it on the table, ana sitting down
without speaking, began to sew. Mr..
Lee glanced almost stealthily st the
work IN her hands and saw that it was
the bosom of shirt, which she was
stitching neatly. He knew that it was
for him she was at work.
"Praise your wife" These words
were before the eyes of his mind, and
he could not look away from them.
But he was not ready for this yet. He
still felt moody and unforgiving. The
expression of his wife's face he inter-
preted to mean ll-nature, for which
he had no patience. His eyes fell
upon the newspaper that was lying
spread out before him, and he read
the sentence, ga kind cheerful word
spoken in gloomy house, is the little
rift in the cloud that lets the sunshine
through" /"
Lee struggled with himself while
longer.
His own ill-nature had to be con-
quered first, his moody, accusing spir-
| it had to be subdued. He thought of
the many things to say, and yet he
feared to say them, lest his wife should
meet his address with O rebuff. At
last leaning toward her, and taking
hold upon the shirt bosom ut which
she was at work, he said in voice
that was carefully modulated with
kindness.
"You are doing that work beauti-
fully, Mary"
i Mrs. Lee made no reply. But her
husband did not fail to notice that she
Host, almost instantly, that rigid erect
mess with which she had been sitting,
nor that the motion of her needle had
ceased.
il "My shirts are made better and
winter than those of any other man in
the shop" said Lee, encouraged to go
ION.
i ssAre they?' Mrs. Lees voice was