Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-12-28

words. When this paroxysm had subsidized,
and he had relapsed into moody silence, l
resumed the subject gently. and urged him
| to break the situation at once to his wife.
He shook his head mournfully, but posi-
lively.
but how can you keep from itp 1t is
necessary she should know, that you may
take steps proper to the alteration of your
circumstances. You must change your
style of fliving-nay," observing a pang to
cross his countenance, don't let that af-
fict YOU. l am sure you have never placed
your happiness in outward show-you
have yet friends, warn friends who will
not think the worse Of You for being less
splenaidly lodged, and surely it does not
require palace 10 be happy with Mary"
II could be happy with herr cried he,
convulsively, sin ahovel Icould go down
with her into poverty and dustl. l could
Il could--God bless her ! --4God bless
he. !" bursting into transport of grief
and tenderness. 80
"And believe me, my friend,u said I,
stepping up and grasping him watmly by
the hand, "5elieve me it can bea source of
pride and triumph to her-it will call forth
all the latent energies and feryent sympa
thies of her nature, for she will rejoice to
prove that she loves you for yourself. There
heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the
broad daylight Of prosperity, but which
kindlcs up, aud beams and biazes in the
dark hour of adversely. No one knows
what the wife of his bosom is-no man
knows what a minstering angel she is-un-
Til he has gone with her through the Eery
trials of this wordl"
There was somthug in the earnestness of
my manner, and the hgurative style of my
language that caught the excited imnagi-
nation of Leslie. | knew the auditor had
to deal with. and followed up the impress
sion had made. l finished by pcrsuad-
ing him TO go home and unburden his sad
heart TO his wife.
must confess Notwithstanding all had
said, / felt some little solicitude for the re-
suit Who can calculate on the fortitude
of one whose life has been n round of plea
sure ? Her gay spirit might revolt ut the
downward path Of humility suddenly point
ed out before her, and might cling to the
sunny regions in which they had hitherto
reveled. Besides, ruin in fashionable life
is accompanied by so many Calling mortih-
cations, to which in other ranks it is q
stranger. In short could not meet Les
lie the next morning without trepidation.
He had made his disclosure.
And how did she bear 1t ?"
"Like an angel 1t seemed rather to be
n relief to her mind, for she threw her arms
around my neck, and asked if this was all
that had made me unhappy Rut, poo.
Girl ~ added no, '.sho caunOt realize the
change we must undergo. She had no idea
of poverty but in the abstract, she has only
read of it in poetry, where it is allied to
love. She feels as yet no privation, she
suffers no loss of accustomed couYeniences
nor elegancies. When we come practical
ly to experience its sordid cares, its paltry
wants, its petty humliations-then will be
the real trial.
"But," said |, "now that you have got
over the scvercsL task, that of breaking it
to her, the sooner you let the world into the
secret the better The disclosure may be
mortifying but then it is 4 single misery
and soon over, whereas you otherwise suf-
fered it in anticipation every hour during
| the day. 1t is not poverty So much as pre-
tence, that harnesses ruined man-he
| struggles between n proud mind and an
empty purse-the keeping up OF hollow
| show that must come to an end. Have the
courage to appear poor, and you disarm
/ poverty of its sharpcst sting" On this
! point ] found Leslie perfectly prepared.
lie had no pride himself, and as to his wife,
! she was only anxious 10 conform TO their
altered fortunes.
Some days after he called upon me in the
evening. He had disposed of his dwelling
house, and taken q small cottage in the
country few miles from town. He had
! been busted all day sending out furniture.
/ The new establishment required n few ar
! ticles, and those of the simplest kind. All
| the splendid furniture of his late residence
had been sold excepting his wife's harp.
| That, he said, was too closely associated
with the idea of herself; it belonged TO the
! little story OF their loves for some of the
sweetest moments Of their courtship were
those when he leaned over that instrument
and listened to the tones of her melting
voice. l could not but smile at this in
stance of romantic gallantry in doting
! husband.
He was going out TO the cottage, where
his wife had been all day experimenting its
arrangement. My feelings had become
strongly interested in TIE progress of this
family story, and, as it was fine evening.
| offered to accompany him. He was now
wearied with the tatigues of the day, aud,
as he walked out fell into a 1T OF gloomy
musil g.
Poor Mary !" at length broke, with a
heavy sigh, from his lips.
And what of her 2" asked "has any
thing happened to her?"
What ~ said he dartng an impatient
glance, lis it nothing to be reduced 10 this
paltry situation--to.bc Gagged in misera-
ble cottage-to be obliged to toll almost
alone in the concerns of her wretched hab-
itatian 7"
HAS she then repined at the change ?''
"Rapined She had been nothing but
sweetness and good humor. Indeed, che
seems in better spirits than / have ever
known her she has been to me all love,
and tenderness and comfort p''
Admirable girl ~ exclaimed l. "You
call yourself poor, my friend you never
were so rich-you never knew the bound
less treasures of excellence you possess in
that woman"
"Oh but, my friend, if this first meeting
at the cottage were over, l then could b,
comfortable. But this the first day of rea
experience she had been introduced int
al humble dwelling-she has, for the frs
time known the fatigues of domestic EN-
ploymenL-she has, for the first time looked
, around her on home destitute of every
! thing elegant-almost of everything con
venent and may now be sitting down
exhausted and spiritless. brooding over
prospect of future poverty"
There was degree of probability al Thu
, picture that could not gainsay, so w