The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-11-29
Nellie's Victory.

Il don't exactly mean tnat, Aunt
Mary. But certainly George has
changed. There was a time when he
never left home in the evening; now he
never stays at home an honr after din
ner."
''It is q grave charge for so young a
wife to make.n
iI wish it was only the foolish fancy
you seem to imagine, Aunt Mary"
81 do not think it is altogether fancy,
Nellie. But / want to get at the whole
truth of the matter, and to see if we
cannot find out the cause of this change.
Surely George is not unkind to you"
HE is always finding fault, Aunt
Mary"
"With what, Nellie ?"
"Oh, all sorts Of things; the house,
''With no other ground for COM
plant ?"
The little wife blushed deeply, and
made no answer. Mrs. Carr, her soft
eyes bent lovingly upon her neice, said,
very gently, "Where does George 90 in
the evening, Nellie ?''
''He is at his sister Kate's q great
deal, and-and Kate-says he is very
fond of hearing Mrs. Gordon sing"
''Mrs. Gordon. Do you know her? ?"
"She was Jane Wilbur, and is now n
widow. Her brother is Kate's hus-
band"
eyes, yes. But Nellie, you play and
sing far better than Jane Wilbur"
mot now, Aunt Mary. never prac-
tice now"
'tBut George is so very fond of music
l am sure you cannot neglect yours, if
you try TO make home the most attrac-
tive place in the world for your hus-
bandp
Again that deep, burning blush.
az don't think the piano has been
opened for a year, Aunt Mary"
"Nelliew
''SO few married ladies keep up their
music. Many are obliged to give up
their accomplishment to attend to the
details of household duty"
"rhis is not your excuse, Nellie.
Your husbands means allow you a good,
competent girl, and Maggie is a jewel of
nurse. Do you really find your time
taken up?n
''NO. / could practice, but-but-but
well, / scarcely know how / got out of
the habit.n
"Nellie, will you allow me to tell you
few plain home truths without giving
you offence 2i'
"Aunt Mary! Do you think you
could offend me2 Have YOU not stood
in the place of confessor to me ever
since / was a wee tOttling child? Say
what you will"
''How long have you been married,
Nellie ?''
"Three years"
"And you think i'm that short time
you have lost your husbands affection,
at least in measure. ! do not think so,
but / will tell you where / think the
trouble lies. George, as you well know,
was brought up and educated in a home
where refined and elegant ladies pre-
sided over every detail. / think, dear,
when he met you he saw the same re-
finements, the same taste and gentle
manners, that make his sisters so much
beloved in society, and such charming
inmates of the home circle"
THANKS to you, who filled q mothers
place to me-"
81 was very glad when George told
me of his love for you, darling. / be-
lieved him to be an honorable, true
man, one whose wealth was the least
attraction to my Nellie"
"You was right. He was, he is all
yOn thought him"
"He married you, believing he would
carry to his future home one who would
make it, not merely place to eat and
sleep IN, but home of taste and refined
pleasure. He made the house a gem,
as l know, he brought into il a lady,
and when l sailed for Canada there was
IN no circle of society a more charming
drawing-rOOm than Mrs. George Hunt
ley's, nor more devoted husband than
the one whose name that lady bore
return, and you tell me all is changed
Nellie, is the fault on your husbands
side? Have you made his home what
he hoped it would be?n
NO" said Nellie, in low tone
When you come to see me again,
dear, tell me you have won your hus-
band back again. Jane Wilbur was
the rival OF your girlhood, but she must
not mar your married happiness. Let
your husband see that the charms that
won him can still hold his heart fast.u
Very slowly Helen Huntley wended
her way homeward through the hot
streets. She was pondering over her
Aunts words, whose love for her she
knew was only second to n mothers
Too truly had she said that her husband
had not found his hopes Of a home full
filled. As Helen reviewed the past year
by the light of her newly reused con-
science, she marvelled at the many in
stances of patient forbearance she re-
called, and owned in her heart that the
fault-finding of which she had COM
planned was very gentle, and very often
omitted where grave cause existed. II
was hard to define exactly the day and
hour when the houshOld arrangements
began to fall entirely into the hands OF
a servant, whose perfect neatness and
competency were, it must be admitted,
a stronger temptation TO a young mis-
lress. 1t was difficult when Helen first
found 1t too much trouble to dress for
ulhher unless company is expected,
Mneh the drawing-rOom was closed eX-
GpI lor weekly cleaning, when the
lnhe-loned piano was first doomed 10
siehee and solitude
,.o ene 1 young wife entered her own |
t1oil after her long walk. fevered with |
is 49, oi the day and her own train Of /
thought, the little clock nnon a. ,,i''
t tei warned her that she had onI,- -
noufs' Time before her husba,,'I y,3 wv
De NOME 10 dinner. 1t reouired ~, OiIu o
ereise OF her newly reused resoI1,tiHi,,'e i.i X
refrain from throwing herself nno,, is 10 70
bed to rest and surely her lo,ptS1 pon the
was a good and sufficient excnSa is walk /
indulgence. 'i 'iiis
The large airy room, cool and dusl,,.
was very inviting, but Helen tbr1;s,
aside the temptation. Hastily dives1
ing herself Of her walking dress. She mn,
on loose wrapper, and hurried to the
drawing-rOOm.
Half an hour there altered materially
the aspect Of affairs; for Helen wanted
neither neatness nor taste, when she
chose TO exert them.
4 visit TO the nursery and twO-year-