Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-01-20

dr,sS as she passed, and her mother being
in too great a hurry 10 notice her she wa'
I dragged along = step snd fell over back
ward, hitting her head a, Ninst chair.
! Now followed scene 1f confusion
Baby's loud screams mingled with the
mothers exslamationS Of pity and regret,
a. she vainly tried 10 soothe her, and in
/ the midst Of il all Mr.. Grey came IN, with
lfown on his brow, and in a stern tone
said, "WhAt is all th'sl Why isn't dinner
resdv %
1T is all ready, Henry you shall have
il just as soon rs | can take Il up, But see
how Annie has hurt herselfn
"Neyer mind her; she'll soon got over
hcrying, am in hurry. Seems TO ire
never have my meals when | want
I them.n
! 40, YES, Henry, sometimes YOU do, for
yesterday waited full hour for you; but
il isn't quite twelve yet; didn't expect
you before twelve"
"The clock is too slow, know" said
he, going TO il and moving the hands.
SThere. now il is twelve
Mrs Grey made no reply, but resolutely
putting Annie, who was still sobbing and
crying down in chair, turned away and
opmmenced taking up the dinner, In a
! few moments she called her husband to the
table, and, with the child again in her
arms. sat down TO pour the coffee.
Mr.. Crews stern features relaxed little
~ he looked over the table. Every thing
was Just right, and had evidently
been cooked with view 20 pleasing his
own particular appetite. The roast beef
was juicy and tender, the potatoes white
and mealy, the fragrant coffee, light, spongy
bread and golden butter could not well be
improved, while his favorite apple pudding
had turned out perfect success. A good
dinner naturally puts one in good humor
with ones self and the world generally /;
thus il was with Mr.. Grey. He was dis
posed TO be quite social and communica-
tive, and 10 chat about the little affairs
that had taken place during the forenoon.
But not so with the weary wife. The
consciousness that fear Of her husband had
caused her 10 undo in moment the toll
some work Of the last hour, the uncomfort-
able reflection that one idea was upper
most in all her domestic arrangements, and
that idea the qualification Of all his whims
at the expense Of every thing besides,
reused up rather rebellious feelings for the
time, while the nervous excitement she
had felt for the last half hour caused yio-
lent headache, which disinelined her IN
talk much.
Henry, being unable to sustain the con-
versation alone, hastily finished his meal
and hurried of to work, thinking all the
way how dull md commonplace Mary had
become, and wondering what had changed
the bright-eyed. hght-hearted girl he had
wooed and won three years before, into
such sober, mopish woman. Then he
settled it in his mind that il WAS the way
with all married people. OF course their
cares would make them grave and sedate
But just then his memory served 10 remind
him OF Mrs. Morris, an intimate friend of
his wife, who was married about the same
time they were. She looked not whit
older or sadder than ON her wedding day,
and, SCI med to enjoy life just as well as in
her girlhood. liz was strange did he not
provide bountifnlly for his family7 Was
not their every need suppliedl He could
not understand why it was, and it not
being very pleasant subject on which 70
reflect, he put II out Of his mind.
Mrs. Grey still sat by the table with a
weary, desponding look on her countenance
that would pain you to witness. The tide
of angry feelings had rolled away, and now
the poor, tired heart ached for sympathy;
for word, look of tenderness and love
and unbidden tears streamed down her
cheeks. Long, long she sobbed, but grad
ually the intensity Of her feelings wore
away, and she became cahner Then her
woman's heart pleaded fer her husband,
and she said, Henry is not so considerate
as some, but he doesn't mean to be unkind,n
and she tried TO forget self in the absorb
ing interest in what she felt to be her life
work; but still the little incident Of the
day, trifing though il seemed, was helping,
with many Others, TO steal the bloom from
her cheek, the lustre from her eye, and the
JOY from her heart. FFts
All, husband, it is not the great, heart
crushing sorrows that imbitter life so much
as the little, selfish exactions the petty
the thoughtless neglect; and
the small. sweet courtesiesn of life are far
more potent in their power to smooth the
roughness Of the way, than all the wealth
of the Indies unacomDanied by them.