Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-14
4 Rift in the Clouds.

Andrew Lee came home from his shop
where he had worked all day tired and out
Of spirits came home to his wife, who was
also tired and out Of spirits.
\ smiling wife aud a cheerful home
what a paradise it would be- said Andrew to
himself, as he turned his eyes from the cloud
ed face Of NIrs. lee, and sat down with knit
ting brows aud moody aspect
Not word was spoken by either Mrs.
Lee was getting supper, and she moved about
with a 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, but con-
trolcd himself aud kept silent. He could
find no fault with the chop nor the home
made bread, nor the fragrant tea. They
would have cheered his inward man, if there
had been a geam of sunshine on the face Of
his wife. He noticed she did not eat
Are you not well, Mary7" The words
were on his lips, hut he did not utter them,
for the face of his wife looked so repellant
that he feared an irritating reply.
And so in moody silence, the twain sat to-
gether until Andrew had finished his supper.
As he pushed his chair back, his wife arose
and commenced clearing off the table.
This is purgatory,' said Lee to himself,
as he commenced walking the floor Of his lit
tie breakfast room, with his hands thrust
down into his trowsers pockets and his chin
almost touching his breast.
After removing all the dishes and taking
them into the kitchen, Mrs. Lee spread a
green cover on the table, and fresh trimmed
lamp thereon went out and shut the door at-
ter her, leaving her husband alone in his un-
pleasant feeling, lie took a long deep breath
as she did so, pausing in bis walk, stood sill
for some moments, and then drawing paper
from his pocket, sat down by the table, open
ed the sheet and commenced reading. Sin
gulary 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.
81 should like to fud some occasion for
praising mine" How quickly his thoughts ex-
pressed that ill-natured sentiment. But his eyes
were on the page before him. and he read on.
Praise your wife, man for PHYS sake,
give her little encouragement. 1t won't
hurt her"
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the paper
and muttered, " Oh, yes that's all very well,
praise is cheap enough. But praise her for
what For being sullen, and making her
| home the most disagreeable place in the
word2" His eyes fell again to the paper.
She has made your home comfortable,
your hearth bright and shining, your food
agreeable for PHYS sake, tell her you thank
her, if nothing more She don't expect it
/ it will rake her eyes open wider than they
have for twenty years but it will do her good
[ for all that, and you, too
1t seemed to Andrew as if this sentence
was written just for him and just for the oc-
casion. 1t was complete answer to his
question, and he felt it also as a rebuke. He
read no farther, for thought came too busy
and in a new direction. Memory was con
vincing him of injustice to his wife. She
had always made his house as comfortable iol
] him as her hands could make it, and had he
offered the light return Of praise or commend
alton ? Had he ever told her of the satisfaction
he had known, or the comfort he had expert.
enced? He was not able to recall the tim'
or occasion. As he thought thus Mrs. Lee
came in from the kitchen, and, taking he
work basket from the closet, placed it on th'
table, and sitting down without speaking, be
gan to sew. Mr.. Lee glanced almost stealth
ily at the work in her hands, and saw th
bosom of shirt, which she was stitching
neatly He knew that it was for him tina
she was at work.
Praise your wife" The words were beior
the eyes of his mind, and he could not lool
away from them. But he was not ready 70
this yet. He still felt moody and untorgiy
ing The expression of his wife's face he in
terpreted to mean ill.nature for which he ha,
no patience, His eyes fell upon the news
paper which lay spread out before him, an
he read the sentence
"A kind, cheerful word, spoken in
gloomy house is the little rift in the clou
that lets the sunshine through"
Lee struggled with himself awhile Longer
His own il-nature had TO be conquered first
his moody, accusing spirit had to be subdued
lie thought of many things to say, yet h
feared to say them lest his wife should NEE
, his address with cold rebuff. At last, lear
ing towards her aud taking hold of the shin
bosom upon which she was at work, he said
voice carefully modulated with kindness
"You are doing the work beautiful,
Mary"
Mrs. Lee made no reply; but her hushau
did not fail to notice that she lost almost il
stantly that rigid ereotness with which sh
had beon sitting, aud that the motion of he
I, needle had ceased
My shirts are better made aud whit,
, than those of any other man ia the shop sal