The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-02-16

days of your life.
You know my husband was car
penter-indeed, | may say is; though
he does not work as hard as he used
with his hands, / think he does with
his head, and hear that his power o.
calculation is clear and rapid"
"Oh yes" said Lucy 81 have heard
Mr.. Grey say that temperance kept his
brain clear"
81 married him when | was very
young" continued Mrs. Grey" some
said too young, to take the cares of the
world upon me but thought my hus
band, who was very well educated
man, would teach me how to bear them
at least that was what thought and
believed but the real truth was, loved
him very dearly, and if there are
faults, we are not inclined to see them
in those we love-"
"Then," said the saucy Lucy, looking
archly up into Mrs. Grey's face, " do
not think, Granny, you love me very
much, for think you see all my faults,
ever so bigp'
Ny dear one |" replied her old
friend, 81 hope / see them all, be-
cause | am anxious my Lucy should
be very perfect; and if her faults
were not known, how could they be
corrected? And she has just displayed
one"
A fault ~ repeated Lucy, opening
her great grey eyes.
Eyes; you interrupted me at the
commencement of story you said you
wished TO hear, and | now feel indis
posed to tell it.''
cob" exclaimed the repentant Lucy,
Indeed will not do so again; will be
as silent as ever you could wish, and as
attentive did not mean to be rude,
dear Granny !"
"Where did leave Off" questioned
Mrs Grey.
You said we were not inclined to
see faults in those we love-" replied
Lucy.
"Oh, ! remember Well, dear, we
had every thing very tidy and comfort
able, and my husband bad plenty of
work. | did not think it then, but |
had cause to mourn it afterward, that
though | loved my husband, | was not
as careful in my married life as should
have been of his little home comforts.
His dinner was not always ready to the
moment, as it ought to have been nor
was the hearth swept and the room
tidied up, as it is wife's duty to see
that it is when her husband comes
home from his days work. The hour
or two of evening, when the toll of the
day is ended, should be the happiest of
the fOur-and-twenty, and cannot fail to
be so if q household, however small, is
properly cared for. During the early |
days of our married life we never omit
ted reading portion of the Testament,
and sometimes singing the verse OF
hymn, before we retired for the night. |
Mr.. Grey had beautiful voice." said
the old lady, with very pardonable
pride, "and, as you know, he leads in
the church still. After we had been
married about year, it pleased God to
make an addition to our family. That
should have increased my dexterity, so
that my attention to my child should
not have been taken from, but added
to, the comforts and pleasures of our
home but, instead of that, my new du
ties rendered me needless, and often
sluggish. My husband liked to see me
trim and neat in my person.
90 Katie he used to say, | only ask
to see your hair brushed and shining,
and your apron and cotton gown-a3
they used to be-clean.' He would Of
ten take the broom and sweep the
hearth, and make up the fire, and put
the white cloth on the table for supper;
and though knew that was what !
ought to have done before he came
home. vet don't know how it was
did not improve. | had grown rather
too fond of gossipping with neighbors
who were idler than myself, and carry
ing my child-who certainly was a
beauty-about to have it admired. This
was our first baby-our dear blue-eyed
boy. | almost seemed fonder Of show
ing him off than looking after my home.
When rich married people do not think
so much of each other as they ought to
do, they have many other things to
look to for happiness; but if the lamp
which led the poor to the altar
grows dim, the house is dark indeed
the light of their life goes out
with it ~
Lucy looked at Mrs. Grey with won
dering eyes for she was the neatest
and nattiest old baby you could see any
where, and was held up as a pattern
to all the young girls in the neighbor-
hood.
" | do not know now how it was, or
when it began, but we often forgot to
read our chapter. My husband did not
continue as good humored as he had
been during our early days, and | did
not see how much of that was my fault
for not making him comfortable, rs |
had done at first. He was very fond of
our baby, but the poor little fellow grew
i'll and peevish. He could not bear to
hear it cry. When it began to cry he
would take up his hat to go out. The
very thing which ought to have sent us
on our knees in supplication that our
infant might be restored to health
seemed to break in upon our prayers
and, instead OF the hymn-except, in
deed, on Sunday evenings-my hus
band, who had, as ! told you, beauti'
full voice, would bring home a new song
which he wished to learn, so that he
might sing it at the Trademarks Club |
at the Blue Lobster.