The Lincoln County herald., 1870-03-03
Praise your Wife.

VINO was also tired ana out OF spirits.
IA smiling wife and q cheerful home
-paradise it would be-" said Andrew to
himself, as he turned his eyes from the
slouded face Of Mrs. Lee and sat down
with knitted brows and moody aspect.
Nota word was spoken by either; Mrs.
Lee was getting supper aud she moved
about with weary step.
Come she said at last, with side
glance at her husband.
Andrew arose aud went to the table.
lie was tempted to speak an angry word
but controlled himself, and kept silent
He could 61d no fault with the chop, nor
the home made bread, nor the fragrant
tea. They would have cteered bis in
ward man if there had been CLEAN of
sunshine on the face of his wife. He
noticed she did not eat.
care you not we'll, Mary?"
These words we're on his lips; but be
did not utter them, for the face Of his
wife looked SO repellent that he feared an
irritating reply.
And 50, in moody silence the twain sat
together until Andrew had finished his
supper.
As he pushed bis chair back, his wife
arose and commenced clearing of the
table.
"This is purgatory r. said Lee to him
self, as be commenced walking the floor
Of their little breakfast room, with his
hands thrust into his 'rowsers pockets and
chin almost touching his breast.
After removing aad taking things into
the kitchen, Mrs. Lee spr-ad . green
cover over the table, and placing a fresh
trimmed lamp thereon, went out and shu,
the door after her, leaving her husband
alone with his unpleasant feelings. He
took long, deep breath, as che did so,
paused in his walk, stood still for some
moments, and drawing paper from his
pocket, sat down by the table, opened
the sheet and commenced reading. Sin.
gulav enough che words uyon which his
eyes rested we're, Praise your wife. :"
They rather tended to increase the dis
turbance of mind from which he was suf-
fering.
II should like to fud some occasion
for praising NINE" How quickly his
thoughts expressed that i'll uatured SEN
timcnt! But his eyes were on the paper
before him, and he read on.
PRAISE your wife, man foe PHYS sake
give her little encouragement. It won't
hurt her."
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the
paper aud muttered: "Oh yes, that's all
very well-praise is cheap enough But
praise her for what? His eyes fell again
to the paper.
"She has made your home comfortable,
your hearth bright and shining, yoar
food agreeable; for PHYS sake tell her
you thank her, it nothing more. She
don't expect it. 1t will make her eyes
wider shan they have been for ten years !;
but it will do her good for ali shat, and
you too"
1t seemed to Andrew as if this sen
tence was written expressly for him, and
just for the occasion. 1t was q complete
answer to the question, "Prase her for
what" and he felt it also as q rebuke.
He read no further, for thought came too
busy and in q new direction. Memory
was convincing him Of injustice to his
wife. She had always made his home ss
comfortable for him as she could make it,
and had he offered the light return Of
praise or commentator Had he ever
told her OF the satisfaction he had known
or the comfort he bad experienced +? He
was not able to recall the time or ocsasion.
As he thought thus, Mrs. Lee came in
from the kitchen, and taking her work.
BASKET from the closet. placed it on the
table, and sitting down without speaking
began to sew. Mr. Lee glanced almost
stealthily at the work in hor hands and
saw that il was the bosom of . shirt,
which was she 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 snd uuforgiving. The expression
Of his wife's face be Interpreted to mean
Ill nature, for which he had no patience.
His eyos fell upon the newspaper that
was lying spread out before him, and he
read the sentence, "A kind, cheerful word
spoken in gloomy house, 10 the little
rift in the cloud that lets the sunshine
through"
Lee struggled with himself awhile
longer. His own ilt-naturs had to hs
conquered frat, bis moody, accusing spirit
had to no subdued.
He thought Of many things to say, and
yet he feared to say them, lest bis wife
should meet his address with rebuff
At last, leaning toward her, and taking
hold upon the shirt bosom at which she
was st work, he said in voice that was
carefully modulated with kindness:
"You sre doing the work beautifully,
Mary"
Mrs. Loo made no reply. But her
husband did not fail to notice that she
lost, almost instantly the rigid sreosness
with which she had bean sitting. nor that
the motion Of her needle had ceased.
"Aly shirts sre better made and whittier