The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-05-11
CHE 9amilg gHeis.
A Bitter Lesson.

pcACAaHCS ny bltbcA AycIl-
ence may teach you to avoid the
breakers that rise to obstrnct your
passage DER the sea Of life, and
choosing Duty for your pilot, steer
bravely on toward that beacon light
that sends out its cheering rays to
guard you against the evils of your
perilous voyage.
Sitting now in the dim obscurity
of a moonIess evening, with the calm
stars looking down upon me in my
dreary loneliness, I have time for
thought, and now a host of sad and
bitter, yet chastened, memories
crowd upon me, stirring the deep
fountains Of my erring heart, and
sending forth a tide of tears that
drench my garments as they fall
upon them.
When I was but fifteen years of
age I was married to George Cliff
ford, a young man of handsome
form and feature, who possessed all
the noble qualities that so wholly
win a woman's best affections. He
was as gentle and affectionate as a
woman; on ordinary occasions calm,
dignified and reserved, but to the
object of his affections full of melt
ing tenderness. Oh! how I loved
him! Nay, how I worshipped my
husband, and for this forbidden
idolatry I have received my pun
ishment.
George had one great fault-a
quick temper-and often in the ear
ly months Of our welded life he, in
a moment Of passion, uttered words
that stung me to the heart; but al
most Immediately he would return
to me with tears and beg forgive
ness for the pain he had caused me.
One evening we were sitting in
the little parlor, and feeling weary
and unusually depressed, I took up
a volume of fictitious stories and
commenced a careless perusal Of its
pages. I was passionately fond of
reading, and soon became interest
ed, then absorbed, losing all con
sefousness Of the real, n the ideal
world, till the rather dry tone of my
husbands voice recalled me:
"You seem interested in your
book"
Eyes, DEAR" I replied, lookingup
for a moment, and again dropping
my eyes upon the fascinating page.
'What is it that interests you?
The Apparition,' in a volume
of Ghost Stories"
"Abominable trashp' he quickly
said; "you know well enough, Eye
MIA, how I hate such stuffr'
"But, dearest" I cried deprecat-
ingly, 81 felt weary and depressed,
and I thought that little reading
might prove a source of recreation.
I did not think of your aversion to
such stories; I had forgotten"
81 dare say you did," he said an
grily; sit is like you to disregard
my wishes. This proves your af-
fection for mer'
'But, George, you know how fond
I am of reading. Does it seem Ell
ther kind or affectionate in you to
wish to withhold them from me en-
entirely, merely because you dislike
such worEs?"
Il should not deem it kind to suf-
fer you to read that which I know
to be injurious to your mind; and
now I desire you to put down that
book and never let me see you read
ing such things again"
saw he was really angry and my
own temper rose correspOndingly.
I felt wronged and insulted to be
thus commanded to give up a IA
yorite pursuit, and my proud spirit
could i'll brook it. Oh. if I had on
ly followed the promptings of rea-
son and, crushing back my rising
anger, had done as he desired, and
let the matter pass quietly, how
much Of agony had I spared myself
and him! But I did not heed him,
and the hot words that passed my
lips then were the death knell to my
happiness.
"You have no right to dictate to
me thns," was my passionate re-
sponse. "In doing this you over
step the bounds of your authority.
1 have, without resentment, borne
your domineering long enough;
now, once for all, understand, that
in matters of this kind I shall do as
please
This unwise and unkind speech
had scarcely passed my lips ere 1
regretted it bitterly; but 1 soon
forgot all else and stood appalled, at
my husbands fearful passion. His
face was livid and he hissed through
his set teeth:
aAh! you viii! Then, by Cd,
madam, had l known that you
would thus wantonly disobey my
wishes, I'd have seen you in HI
before I'd have married you?
Oh! God! my heart was stricken
till every cord vibrated with agony
at these cruel words. l sPrang to