The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-06-20
The Husbands Lesson.

III my ldie moous. Like an unopened
letter, there is mystery about it, aud
one waits with o pleasurab!e excitement
20 see who or. what iseoming.
Returning home onctaay earlier than
usual, | found that my wife had gone
out; and while idly waiting her return
the door-bcll rang. | waited cxpcctant
until Mary appeared with note, con
taining request from my old friend,
George l.: to ride out to his
residence in the country the next day
and to bring my wife with me. l was
much pleased, not so much on account
of any pleasure which it might give my
wife, but because / thought I needed IL
days recreation, and in the lovely sun.
mer time, the country has peculiar
charms for me.
But the next morning everything
seemed to SO wrong. Alice could not
accompany me, and [ could not get off
as early as wished consequently |
was tretful and pccvish, and Alice
seemed to reflect my humor, for she
never seemed to be SO unamiable. AT
length. h.....lhaEss1cr, haEss1 I drove away, though
hot in very pleasant mood. twas Il
lovely day; and as rode along, noting
the beauties Of the landscape, my memo
ry went back unbiddcn to the time when
l wooed and won my bride. Oh how
lovely Alice was then! l Thought
And Oh! how happy we were !! But
that was long ago. No: is it possible
We have been married only three years !!
And | felt sharp pang as l contrastcd
the past with The present. to think that
we could settle down into the common
place life We now led.
We had no serious trouble; we did
not quarrel; though when [ felt cross,
sor things did not suit ME, I 1t1okano
pains to conceal it, and often spoke
harshly to Alice, who somctimes replied
IN the same spirit, and sometimes with
tears. Yet we were generally goo /
friends. Still, the charm, the tender
ness of our early love had imperceptibly
vanished. I had become careless about
my personal appearance at home and
Alice was almost equally pesiigcnt.
Her beautiful brown hair, which she
used to wear in the most becoming curls,
was now usually brushed plainly behiud
her ears, unless she was goin. out or
expected company.
dismissed the subject with sigh,
ms | drew up at my friends gate, with
the reflection that it was the same with
all married peoplc-must be so, iu fact;
for how could romance and sentiment
find a place among SO many prosy
realities +? l suppose we ale as happy
as any body; and yet it was not the
kind of lie that had looked forward
to with SO many bright anticipations.
My friend erected me with great
coldiality. In tho hall we met Mrs
I, looking fresh and lovely in
her pink muslin wrapper, with her .ictty
hair in tasteful bruids. She rcprovcd
ME playiully for not bringing my wife
with me, chattod few minutes, and
then fitted away, while my friend led
ahe ssny to the library. AS VIC entered
ahe room l noticed vase of bright
flowers on the table, imparting an air Of
taste and cheerfulness to the apartment.
I made some remark about it, to which
my friend responded:
Yes, | am very fond Of flowers, and
like to see them u the house and rs
spend much time here, my wife always
keeps vase Of them Oh the table Us
long as they last.
After dinner we walked out into the
grounds which were quite extensive,
and most tastcfully arranged. There
was a great variety Of flowers in bloom
and / noticed that L- selected
here and there the finest, until he had u
handsome bouquet.
When We reached the house Mrs. l..
was on the steps. Her husband, still
continuing our conversation, gave her
the flowers with a smile and holding
up spray of crimson berries, which he
L. I -, L.. L. 49,. - -,