Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1872-01-18

at dinner time, I noticed with painful
concern that he had been drinking
not very freely, but enough to show
| its captious i'll humor. HELEN had
not dressed for dinner, but presented
herself at the table without even a
clean collar, and with an old faded
shawl drawn about her shoulders
She looked anything but attractive.
81 saw her husbands eyes glance
| toward her across the table with an
expression that chilled me. 1t was a
hard, angry, determined expression
He was scarcely civil to me, and snap
ped his wife sharply two Or three
times during the meal. At its close
he left the table without a word, and
went up stairs"
whats the matter with John p l
asked.
Dear above knows!" replied Hell
en-; "he's been acting queer for a good
while. 1 can't imagine what's come
over him.
"Does he come home this way of
ten ?" I asked
''Yes, he's moody and disagreeable
most OF the time. I'm getting dread
AuAlt HOI4lSO dUO Ut II.
As we talked, we heard John mov-
ing about with heavy footballs in the
rooms above. Presently he came
down, and stood for little while in
the hall, at the foot of the stairs as if
in hesitation. Then he went to the
street door, passed out and shut it
hard alter him.
Helen caught her breath with start,
and turned a little pale
What S the matter ?'' I asked, see
| ing the strangeness of her look
81 don't know" she replied in a
choking voice, laying her hand at the
same time on her breast, 'sbut I feel
as though something dreadful was GO
ing to happen"
She got up from the table, and
drew my arm around her. I, too, felt
sudden depression of spirits. We
went slowly up 10 her chamber, where
we spent the afternoon, and 1 then
took upon myself the office of a
friend, and talked seriously to my
cousin about her neglect Of personal
neatne tness-hinted that her husbands
estrangement from his home, and al
tered manner toward herself, might
all spring from this cause She was
a little angry with me at first, but !
pressed the subject home with a ten
der seriousness that did the work of
conviction; and as evening drew on,
| she dressed with care and neatness
With fresh ribbon tied in her hair,
and color little raised by mental
excitement, she looked charming and
| IInVnah1o Hn O0,,11 o+ hoIr@
charmed back into the lover, l was
sure, But he did not come home to
tea. We waited for him a whole hour
after the usual time and then sat down
to the table alone; but neither of us
could do more that sip little tea.
/ l went home soon after, with q
pressure of concern at my heart, for
which l could not account. All night
l dreamed uncomfortable dreams. In
the morning soon after 15r es,lzfast
ran over to see Helen. 1 found her
in her room, sitting in her night
dress, the picture of despair.
what is it ?" I asked eagerly
"What has happened ?" She looked
at me heavily, like one not yet re-
covered from the shock of Il stun
ming blow
"Dear cousin, what is the matter ?''
I asked,
now saw by the motion of hel
hand, that it held, tightly clutched, {
piece of paper. She reached it to me
: 1t was letter, and read:
1--WE cannot live happily together
) Helen. You are not what I believed
myself getting when we were married
not the sweet, lovely, loveable cir
: that charmed my fancy and won mt
: from all others Alas for us both tina
e it is so! There has been a shipwrecl
!, of two lives. Farewell! I shall nev
/, er return
= And this was all; but it broke th
heart Of my poor cousin. To this day
: though nearly three years have passed
p she has never heard from her husband
II saw her last week in the countr,
home to which she has been taken b
: her friends-a wreck both in min
;. and body. She was sitting in an ur
per room, from the window of whic
a could be seen beautiful landscape
q She was neatly attired, and a locke
IS containing her husbands picture hun
r at her throat. Her head was droopeC
4, and her eyes on the floor when 1 Ell
tered but she raised herself quickl,
t. and with Kind of start l saw mt
mentary eager flush in her face, dyin
d out quickly, and leaving it ineNpress
bly, sad,',
IL thought it was ohm" she sait
ID mournfully. "Why don-t ho como :
e. l had to stop here, for Maggy hrol
out in wild fit of sobbing and cryin
for
''What aiIs you, dear?' asked, :
I'd she began to be little composed.
= 80! you have frightened me SO.
ne John should
'' She cut short her sentence; but h
)" frightened face left me in no doubt a
ur to what was in her thoughts.
I'd She arose and walked about the roo
t. in an uncertain way for some M
of ments, and then sat down again draw
IN ing her breath heavily.
le ''If young wives," remarked, b
to lieving that in her present state tt
wv truth was the best thing to say
a 'swould take half the pains in mallir
en- themselves personally attractive
ife their husbands, that they did to char
to their lovers, more of them would fiji
q the lover continued in the husband
en- Is a man, think you, less an admir-
n; of womanly grace and beauty after
ly, becomes husband than he was (
1r- fore ?''
= "Hush! Hush n' she said in a cho
at ing voice Il see it all compl
nd bend it ALL" And she glanced do7
I'd. at herself. 81 look hateful and d
ny gusting"'