The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-03-09
Sitting in Sunshine.

"To sit in suneshine, calm and
sweet, is an excellent thing for an in,
valid" ..... ....... .m. 81
These words met the eye of Mr.
Stephen Strongway, as he glanced over
the pages of a book, taken at random
from the table in his wifes parlor.
"To sit in sunshine calm and sweet"
That would be a beautiful existence
indeed, even taken only in physical
sense of the words; while to sit all the
time in mental sunshine"
Mr.. Strongway dropped his head
upon his hand, and a sigh stole el-
most unconsciously from his lips at
the thought,
He was worthy of his name--a
strong man mentally and physically,
and with all q strong mans impa-
tience of, not to say contempt for,
weakness, in whatever form it was
manifested.
Mrs Strongway was dalicate crea-
ture-loving, trustful and timid. She
was overwhelmed by her husbands
contempt of weakness, and shrank
from exhibiting her affection towards
him and she and her children droop.
ed under the chill which the shadow
ofhls stateliness constantly kept upon
their home.
But now Alicia, his wife, was ill
dying; and his thoughts were tuned
to softer strains, and the sentence,
"To sit in sunshine, calm and sweet,
is an excellent thing for an invalid"
struck homo to his inmost soul. His
wife had never had any sunshine Of
home, or of love, in which to bask ;
but he resolved it should be SO no
longer. l.
Alica's early home at the seaside
was for sale; and il she wished it. he
would purchase the old house 40 a
summer retreat in future years for
herself and her children.
In future years2 Nay, what had
the gravefaced family doctor told him
only that very day! He dashed the
tears impatiently from his eyes. The
doctor must be mistaken. Alicia
could live! 1t was not yet too late to
repair the ravages his GOODNESS and
unkindness had made. Even as he
thought this, hollow cough struck
upon his ear, and his wife crossed the
hall and entered the parlor.
"Alicia," he said gently. "you are
very i'll. .,.,., .,..e--f...,
She looked up at him, and her soft
brown eyes filed with tears.
"Yes, Stephen" .u...s.
"Our doctor has been with me to.
day my dear. He has told me that
you are dying" .,.....
Eyes Stephen"
And the brown eyes looked into
his wistfully, as if saying, "Do you
care p .....
"You know this, Alicia ?"
II have known it for some time
long before he discovered it, Stephen. ;"
Tie question was on his lips now ::
-"Do you care, Alicia9"
The soft eyes filled once more.
"Oh Stephen, dread to leave you
and our dear children. l have loved
you so! / may say it without Of
Tending you, now that you know am
dying"
"God forgive me" he cried" have
I then been so unkind that you have
feared to tell me of your love till
Ioww .. T
"You have not been unkind, Ste
phen," she FASTENED to say. "Only
y. think men do not quite under
stand q woman's heart sometimes. IT
is 90 necessary for us to love, and be
loved. and to show that love, Stephen
and to have it shown, thst-"
"That see it all, my darling, and
know now exactly just how great the
mischief is and how it has been done,
said her husband, clasping her to his
heart "Forgive me, my darling. We
will 20 from here at once, to your
old home where we first knew and
loved each other, and will see i'll can
not bring the lost roses back to these