Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-22
A Rift i'm the Clouds.
A STORY FOR MARRIED FOLKS.

Andrew Lee came home from his shop
where he had worked all day, tired and
ont of spirits; came home to his wife,
who was also tired and out of spirits.
ga smiling wife and cheerful home
what a paradise it would be-" said An
drew to himself, as he turned his eyes
from the clouded face of Mrs. Lee, and
sat down with knitting 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 at last, with side
glance at her husband.
Andrew rose and went to the table. He
was tempted to speak an angry word, bat
controlled himself, and kept silent. He
could find no fault with the chop, nor the
homemade bread, nor the fragrant tea.
They would have cheered his inward man
if there had been CLEAN of sunshine on
the face of his wife. He noticed she did
not eat.
care you not well, Mary?" The words
were on his lips, but he did not utter
them, for the face of his wife looked so
repellant that he feared an irritating re-
ply.
And so in moody silence the twain sat
together until Andrew had finished his
As he pushed his chair back, his wife
arose, and commenced clearing off the ta-
BILE.
This is purgatory," said Leo to him
self. az he commenced walking the floor
of his little breakfast room with his hands
thurst down into his trowsers pocket and
his chin almost touching his breast.
After removing all the dishes and TAX
ing them into the kitchen, Mrs Lee spread
a green cover on the table, and fresh
trimmed lamp thereon, went out and shut
the door after her, leaving her husband
alone in his unpleasant feeling. He took
"a long deep breath az she did so, pausing
in his walk. stood still for some moments,
and then drawing paper from his pocket,
sat down by the table, opened the sheet
and commenced reading. Singularly
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.
II should like to find some occasion
for praising mine" How quickly his
thoughts expressed that ill-natured senti
ment. But his eyes were on the page be
fore him, and read on.
Praise your wife, man; for PHYS sake
give her a little encouragement. 1t won"
hurt her"
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from thu
paper and muttered, "Oh, yes; that's al
very well, praise is cheap enough. Blu
praise her for what? For being sullen
and making her home the most disagree
able place in the world ?" His eyes fel
again to the paper.
"She has made your home comfortable
your hearth bright and shining, you
food agreeable for PHYS sake tell her yo
thank her, if nothing more. She don
expect it; it will make her eyes ope
wider than they have for twenty years
but it will do her good for all that, an
You, too"
1t seemed to Andrew as if this sentenc
was written Just for him and just for tn
occasion. 1t was complete answer
his question, and be felt it also re
buke. He read no farther, for though
came too busy in new direction. Men
DRY was convincing him of injustice to h
wife. She bad always made his house 8
comfortable for him as her hands coul
make it, and had he offered the light II
turn of praise or commentator Had b
ever told her of the satisfaction he ha
known, or the comfort he had experien,
ed? He was not able to recall the tim
or occasion. As he thought thus MIR
Lee came in from the kitchen, and. takin
her work. basket from the closet, placed
ON the table, and sitting down withoI
speaking, began to sew. Mr.. Lee glance
almost stealthily at the work in III
hands, and saw the bosom of shirt, whic
she was stitching neatly. He knew th
it was for him she was at work.
"Praise your WIFE" The words wei
before the eyes of his mind, and he coul
not look away from them. But he WI
not ready for this yet. He still fe
moody and unforgiving. The expressio
of his wife's face he interpreted to mea
Miniature, for which he had no patienc
His eyes fell upon the newspaper whic
Law spread out before him, and he res
the sentence
"a kind, cheerful word, spoken in
gloomy house, is the little rift in the clor
that let's the sunshine through"
Lee struggled with himself awhile Ion
ar. His own i'll nature had to be co
ouered first; his moody, accusing spin
had to be subdued. He thought of maj
things to say, yet he feared to say the
lest his wife should meet his address ri
cold rebuff. At last leaning towar
her and taking hold of the shirt bosom
on which she was at work, he said in
voice carefully modulated with kin
ness /:
"You are doing the work beautiful
Mary"
Mrs. Lee made no reply but her hr