River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-10-25

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life was but a protracted agony and
what rendered it more insupportable
was the presence of his wife for he
could not bring himself to overwhelm
her with the news. She saw, however,
with the quick eyes of affection, that
all was not well with HIM. She marked
his altered looks and stihed signs, and
was not to be deceived by his sickly
and vapid attempts at cheerfulness. -
She tasked all her sprightly powers and
1 tender Establishments to win him back
TO happiness but she only drove the
arrow deeper into his soul. The more
he saw cause 10 love her. the more tor
turing was the thought that he was
soon to make her wretched. A little
while thought he, and the smile shall
vanished from that cheek--the song
will die away from those lips the bus
ter of those eyes will be quenched with
sorrow; and the happy heart, which
now beats lightly in that bosom, will
be weighed down, like mine, by the
cares and miseries of the world.
At length he came TO me one day and
related his whole situation in tone of
the deepest despair. When l heard
him through inquired, Does your
wife know all this 2" At the question
he burst into an agony of tears. " For
Gods sake " cried he, I" if you have
any pity on me don't mention my wife9
it is the thought of her that drives me
almost to madness"
I" And why not ~ said I. She must
! know it sooner or later you cannot
keep it long from her, and the intelli-
gence may break upon her in a more
startling manner than if impaired your
self for the accents of those we love
soften the harshest tidings. Beside,
yoa are depriving yourself of the COM
forts of her sympathy and not merely
that, but also endangering the only
bond that can keep hearts together
an unreserved community of thought
and feeling. She will soon perceive
that something is secretly preying
upon your mind and true love will
not brook reserve; 1t feels undervalued
and outraged when even the sorrows of
hose 1T loves are concealed from it. "
. Oh, but my friend to think what
blow | am to give to all her future
HAboHGCIo-AlOW l. dll W HIliht Iltt htiN
soul to the earth, by telling her that
her husband is beggar that she is to
forego all the elegances of life-all
the pleasures of soclety--to sink with
me into indulgence or obscurityl To
tell her that / have dragged her down
from the sphere in which she might
have continued to move in constant
brlghtness-the hight of every eye-the
admiration OF every heart How can
she bear poverty? She has been
brought up in all the refinements of
opulence. How can she bear neglect
She has been the idol OF society.
Oh it viii braak her heart-it will
break her heart F."
| saw his grief was eloquent, and / let
il have It's flow for sorrow relieves it
self by words. When his paroxysm
had subsidized, aud he had relapsed in
to moody silence, / resumed the sub
iect gently, and urged him to break
his situation at once to his wife. He
shook his head mournfully, but posi-.
lively.
:" But how are you to keep it from
here 1t is necessary she should know
it, that you may take the steps proper
to the alteration of your circumstances
You must change your style of living
may" observing a pang pass across
his countenance, "don't let that afflict
you. l am sure you have never placed
your happiness in outward show-y1u
have yet friends, warm friends. who
will not think the worse of Won for be-
ing less splendidly lodged and surely
1t does not require palace to be hap
by with Mary"
- could be happy with her, cried
he, convulsivelv, sin a hovel Icould
go down with her into poverty and the
dust / could-I could God bless
herr" cried he, bursting into a trans
port of grief and tenderness.
''And between me, my friend, said
| stepping mp, and grasping him warm
" by the hand, "believe me she can
be the same with you. Az, more it
will be a source of pride and triumph
10 her-it will call forth all the latent
energies and fervent sympathies of her
nature for she will rejoice to prove
that she loves you for yourself There
is in every true woman's heart a spark
of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in
the broad daylight of prosperity, but
which kindles mp, and beams and
blazes in the dark hour of adversely.
No one knows what the wife of his
bosom is--Go man knows what minis
tering angel she ls-until he has gone
with her through the fiery trials of this
world
There was something in the earnest.
ness OF my manner, and the fgurstive
style of my language that caught the
excited Imagination, of Leslie. knew
the auditor | had To deal with; and fol-
lowed mp the impressio'. / had made.
| finished 10y persuading him to go
home and unburden his sad heart to
his wife.
must confess, Notwithstanding MI