Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-02-15

| tnlng tOucneC my husband like the
little child.
go Is all gomez l asked and with
that he crushed his face down on his
clasped hands as they lay on the table,
and burst into tears. l knelt down
beside him, and thanked God for the
tears in my heart, but was so checked
l could not speak; and we staid that
way ever so long, neither saying word.
Now it is strange what turns the mind
will take. Even while his face was wet
with tears, my darling lifted it,.
"' Katie he said-and it may seem
to you nothing but a fond old woman's
fancy, but I've always thought there
was no music in the world ever SO sweet
as the way my husband saws Katie
unto this day Katie, he says, let's
turn the cup, and see what it reads. )
Like all youngsters, l believe, we had
tossed many cup, in our boy and girl
days, just for laughter. He took it up
quite serious like, and turned it, and as
he looked into it he smiled. There's
clear road he went on, and house
at the top, and a wonderful lot of planks;
they can't be ours, for there is not a
plank in or near the pit now.
But there will be- l answered,
eagerly. 1t was only yesterday, down
where the spinny overhangs the pool, /
met Mrs. Crowley. She gave me q
bllthe good-morning, and asked if my
goodman was going to turn his leaf
soon. "Tell him to make haste from
me-" she said, laughing like a sun
beam " for he's too good follow to
go on much longer as he's been going.
There's goodness in him."
So Are you sure she said that?' whis.
pered my husband.
so | told him indeed she did and
more. She said she was waiting until
you'd resolve to turn to like a man, and
cut down the small lot of timber that's
waiting for your Ratchet on the corner
farm. I'm determined" she con-
tlnued, mo one but he shall fell those
trees. As | shall want to use the planks
in the spring, he has no time to lose"
She said something not pleasant about
the public-hou but l could not let
that pass so | up and told her that it
was my carelessness and neglect that
turned you from your own fireside.,
:" You should not have said that.
Katie he answered. I've been bad
husband and bad father, and l did not
think there was one in the place now
that would trustme with days work.
and his voice shook and faltered, but
he got it out at last. Even if / did
take turn, it's not likely you could
forgive MEL
And then | fell weeping at his feet.
and laid bare my heart. and repeated
that if had been what / ought to have
been, and kept the house he put over
me fresh and clean, as I ought to have
kept 1t, instead of spending the morn
ing OF my days in vanity and idleness,
we need not have been two shivering
sinners at that hour. l repeated again
and again that it was my WAYS that
drove him to find by the tap-room fire
what he had lost at home; and then
lifted up my voice, and called to nv
Saviour to look down and help us both.
|, with my voice full of tears, promised
my husband if he would try me-only
try me-he would see what a home I
would make for him. lie was ALWAYS
one Tor a little joke, and even then he
said, and twirled the cup, "A we'll
plenished house in tea-cup; one tea
cup between US.
Yes | said, 'if nothing stronger
than tea flows into that cup, or vets
our lips out of that cup, zoe WiU build our
house.
We both kept long silence, and the
break of that blessed day, though it
showed me my husbands once glowing
and manly face pale and haggard, and
his hand trembling-so trembling that
he could not carry the teacup to his
lips without splitting its contents
brought new life into our shattered
home.
" Lucy, on that blessed day-this day
eighteen years ago-strength was given
us both to keep our promise to God and
to each other; and somehow this text
got stamped upon our hearts:
"'We can do all things through
Christ, who strengthens u.s.
Ny poor darling he had hard lines
at first. Never was there a drunkard
who did not cast about to make others
as bad as himself. AS the day drew on
he had not courage to face the street
but | went UP TO Crowley Manor, and
told the good lady that my husband
would fell the trees that he might be
trusted, because he no longer trusted in
his own strength that he was pledged
teetotaler, and l was pledged to make
his home happy; but that we did not
trust in our own pledges, but in faith
that we could do all things through
Christ, who strengthened US.
Still the lines acre hard. He had
to bear up against the taunts and the
sneers Of his boon companions, and
had to struggle hard to give a desolate
room the welcome home look that
would prevent his wishing for the lights
and the warmth and the excitement,
and the praise his songs were sure to
obtain. But, however scanty the furni-
ture, a poor mans home can always be
sweet and clean; that is in the power of
the poorest; and though when he re-
turner from his first days timbering
there was but one tea-cup between us,
the old darned cloth was clean, the tea
pot and fire bright. No lords children
could be cleaner, and he said it was as
nosegay to kiss their sweet cheeks. 1t
was. hideous to see how his old COM
panions loomedin upon our poverty, and
tempted, or tried to tempt, him back.
One terrible drunkard staggered in, and
mockingly asked if | would give my
loa,,a - 90 -, b0,,o