The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-01-23


be friends, and bury me alive in tn
miserable, dull town. Surely all mt
h were not so reserved or fogyish
RI he,and wondered if I should not ha'
e. been more satisfied with one near
my own age. Then l found myse
le making comparisons, ever a DANCE
1 Gus train of thought for a wife,
" Somehow, ever uppermost in m
i mind during all this mental ha
/ rangue, was Lieutenant Morris, wit
J. his handsome face and genial way:
/ blush now with shame as reca
g those thoughts, but 1 was angry an
/ disappointed then, and just in a moo
to think myselfvery much abused.
d l must have behaved shameful
d i'll that day, for in the evening m,
!; husband came up to where l was sit
/ ting, and laying his hand upon M
' shoulder said in very low, cain
voice:
E "Clara, / would not willing Civ,
| you pain or deny you one pleasure
| cannot attend you tomorrow, bu
e If you wish will provide you with al
escort"
) "Oh dor 1 exclaimed so eagesly
that the calm look in his eyes grew
I painfully penetrating as he fixed
them sadly upon my face.
l went with the party, nomi1ally
under the escort of Doctor Stanhope
and wife, but it was Lieutenant Nor
ris who rode by my side, who prais-
ed my riding, my figure and general
appearance with more warmth than
pleased even my Unsuitable vanity.
After that day my husband seem
ed different. He was as kind to me
as evergreen indulging me more than
formerly, but the old tenderness was
gone. l missed the stolen caress, the
pet warmth-the thousand little ten
dernesses that had before made nv
life so sweet.
Had any one given me a whispered
hint that my heart was growing dis
loyal to my husband, or that Lieu
tenant Morris sought my society
with pleasure, 1 should have repelled
the accusation with Indignation. l
had no thought Of anything wrong.
But, then, why was so pleased with
his society? Why did I care so little
whether it was he or my husband
who rode by my side; who walked
with me, and seemed always ready
te attend to me2 1t was because 1
loved fattery, and he filled my meas
ure to intoXication.
The summer had ripened into au-
tumn. and autumn was fast merging
into winter; still, contrary to all our
expectations, we were yet detained
at the station. Mrs. Stanhope had
set her active brain to work coniur-
ing up festivities for the winter, and
her programme was the promise Of
oyster suppers, card parties, and balls
enough to suit the liveliest taste;
and /, so far from being surfeited
with society and pleasure, was almost
beside myself with the delightsome
privileges.
The old home delights of reading
and conversation that had once been
SO pleasant to me were now disliked
and neglected, except at intervals,
when prudence and duty would as
sert their sway.
My husband never rebuked me
and but seldom accompanied me to
those gay scenes; but I had become
so accustomed to appearing without
him, that it scarcely mattered any
thing whether he attended me or
not.
Where all this blind foolishness
might have led me to 1 shudder to
think. But a merciful God inter
posed. With pitying eye He saw
my folly, and sent messenger of
grace-a sweet pledge of loYe-to
snatch me, it may be, from ruin.
was about to become a mother.
When the fact first became known
to me was very angy and mortified.
1 had planned such a gay winter, and
to be disappointed was a sore trial.
1 fear that if / had then studied
my own heart I should have dis
covered that the loss of Lieutenant
Morris's society and fattering
speeches was what would disappoint
me most. But as months passed on
L became reconcned to all this, espec-
tally as it brought back all the old
tenderness of my husband; and the
pleasant hour of. social intercourse
so long neglected and unappreciated.
In May my child, beautiful daugh-
ter, was born. All the maternal love
within me was born with it, and So
ciety, gayety and adulation were all
forgotten in the dear,sweet treasures
of home.
Oh, how I loved that child! 1
often wondered if all mothers thus
loved their children. And from the
love born with its birth there sprang
such q new feeling of tenderness to-
ward my husband that I had never
dreamed could exist. Had 1 realized
then as 1 do now, the mission of
that child, 1 should have been pre-
pared more for what follows. But
that was not revealed to me till my
hear throbbed with the agony of
desolation.
For three years this messenger of
love and peace cheered our home
and hearts. Then death robbed me
of my treasure. Never was death
more desolating, nor sorrow more
deep and murmering, followed by
a sweeter, calmer, holier submission.
Though years have passed since
then my old love Of gaiety has never
returned. The whispers of vanity
have been unheard, the loyalty of my
heart has never been questioned, be-
cause I find a purer joy in a life of
devotion to Him who, when folly
had well nigh ruined me, raised His
holy arm in my behalf And to-day
as l scatter fresh spring flowers over
the grave Of her whose guiless soul
led her mothers feet back to duty
and right, bless in my inmost soul
Him "Who gave, who took, who will
resore-who doeth all things we'll"
-KaaSaS Magazine.
An enraged traveller once