The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-10-27


cin' and embroiderin' little chiIdren's
clothes as you have And She
Here Aunt Hannah was cut short by
the return Of the family from the lee
ture. When Fiske came for his wife,
Aunt Hannah privately enjoined upon
her to have good talk with him during
their ride home. But Mrs. Fiske did
not talk with him that day nor the
next. She dreaded it-she could not
get up tho courage But she thought
continually of the story Aunt Hannah
told her, and of the mistaken way in
which she commenced her own married
life. She could hardly eat or sleep. She
looked paler and thinner than usual.
About week after her return she came
to the conclusion that she could not and
would not live in that wrctched way
any longer. She took her children up
to bed that night before their accustom-
ed time. Then she fastened to the H.
brary. She dared not stop TO rest her
self one moment, lost her courage should
fail. She did not find her husband with
wv Nv ~ i''''Ai st1 bllt IN llNtLt'l. lBt was
apparcatly in deep thought. She NOV
cd so silently he was not aware of her
presence Till sho spoke. She said 'The
children are in bed, and no one is in. If
you please, Frederick, / should like to
spend this evening in couversing with
YOU She spoke very low, and her
voice trembled. AS he looked up he
was appalled, by the death-like pallor of
her countenance. What was he, he
thought, that she should approach him
with such fear and trembling. Had she
known how he was feeling, and how
things had transpired to open his eyes,
her talk would have. seemed less diff
cult But she did not know how much
| he missed her during her absence; nor
how many things he had to attend to
that he mover thought of looking after
when she was home. He wondered how
she ever kept things in such perfect or
der with so needless girl as Bridget.
The tablecloth was on awry, and the
dishes looked as though they were
pitched upon the table at every meal.
| He was disgusted with tho disorder, and
he told Bridget SO, most emphatically.
| That evening he overheard her telling
one Of her friends that Mrs. Fiske was
one of the best women in the world;
and if IL wasn't for her she wouldn't
| stay In that house another hour; but
| she pitied the poor woman so, she
wouldn't leave her. She was just wear
ing her life out to please her husband,
and she never got thank you for it. She
was getting thinner and paler every
day, but not word of complaint did
she make. Whether in his school or at
home, Bridgets words kept ringing in
his ears, and compelled him to feel that
there was more truth in them than he
was ready to admit at first. He longed
to have the day come around when he
was to go for his wife. He shuddered
as he thought that the time might not
be far distant when she would be called
to go where he never could bring her
back. So that evening he was in the
best frame of mind possible to receive
his wife. In fact, he felt himself that
he could live so no longer. In reply to
her request he took her hand and said
gently; THAT is just how l want to
spend this evening, my dear. I was
about to seek you for the same purpose
lie drew her on his knee and added: Il
have noticed since your return from
your fathers, that you seemed troubled
about something. What is it, darling !?
Tell me everything, freely
Darling! The old endearing word, in
the old, tender tones! What thrill
they sent through her. Had he met her
cOldly and formally, sho probably would
have been able to maintain her compo-
sure. But this was so different from the
reception that she had prepared herself
to meet, she was overcome by it. She
bowed her head on his shoulder and
wept for a long time. She did not know
that his tears mingled with hers When
she could speak he drew her out till she
said more than she thought Of saying
when she entered the room. She CON
fessed to him how unhappy she had
been great deal of the time in hel
married life. She told him that she had
him coming from school. For she did
not expect that he would tell her any
l thing, or say anything to her except b!
way of reproofs for something that was
, not done, or was not properly done
l She told him how she always locke,
{, around the room to see if things were il
D order, aud hurried to put things in thei
1 places before he entered the door. Sh
0 also told him how grieved and humil
1 ated she felt at his cold and formal wa
d of answering her in the presence of otl
IS ers.
IL 1t cut him TO the quick, but he pl
tiently and humbly heard her through
for he was convinced that he richly d'
served 1t all. What he said in repl
II was, certainly, very comforting to hel
es She sat on his knee, that night, hal
u, pier wife than she had been at any tin
III before since she first became his brid
al They commenced anew from that tim
Is She spends nearly all of her evenings
L, the library with him now. They res
at and study together, except when she
er compelled to use her needle. Then
y reads to her. She no longer feels tn
y, she is forgetting all that she ever lear
'r- ed.
~ Do you feel now as you did ye
" ago, in regard to my getting Marie
Mary?' Mrs. Fiske's sister Jane arch
~ asked her, short time since. (Herbe
~ Ives and Jane expect to be marie
NO next month";
- Mrs. Fiske blushed, and looked afi,
- tionately upon her husband as she !
~ piled: 'All have to say now in rega
" to it is, that most earnestly hope tn
,,, you and Herbert will be AS happy
w Frederick and l are.
At. And l rs earnestly hope said NJ
Flo Fiske, that you and he will never cor