The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-16
VOLUME 3 Iswg
ILL-.-..L n. % ---. III l

about his feet-and that c0mmonest Temp
tation of all, the elegantly fitted up billiard
and drinking saloon.
'.They had been married. Just about as
long as you and John have been, when the
sad catastrophe of their lives took place. |
had called TO spend the day with Helen.
and found her in her usual condition OF
personal mtidiness and disorder. When
her husband came home at dinner-time, |
noticed with painful concern that he had
been drinking-not very freely, but Just
enough to show itself in captious ill-hu-
NOR. 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 FH
-ss's i saw her husbands eyes glance to-
ward her across the table with an express
sion that chilled me. 1t was a hard, an
cry, determined expression. He was
scarcely civil to me. and snapped his wife
sharply two or three times during the meal.
At its close, he left the table without a
word, and went up stairs.
"'What's the matter with John?' l
asked. A
%'Dear above knows!' replied Helen.
Hes been acting queer for a good while.
| can't imagine what's come over him. =
"'Does he come in this way often ? l
asked. "a IN %
& ss'Yes. he's moody and disagreeable as
he can be most of the time Pm getting
dreadfully worried about it,
"As we talked, we heard John moving
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 after him.
"Helen caught her breath with start,
and turned a little pale. p r
r - What's the matter2' / asked, seeing
the strangeness of her look. A
"'I don't know she replied, in a chOk-
ing voice, laying her hand at the same time
on her breast, but | feel as if something
dreadful were going to happen
''She got up from the table, and | drew
my arm around her. | too felt a sudden
depression of spirits. We went slowly up
\ to her chamber, where we spent the after
noon; and | then took upon myself the
office of friend, and talked seriously TO
my cousin about her neglect of personal
neatness. limiting that the cause of her
/ husbands eStrangement from his home,
and altered manner toward herself, might
all spring from this cause. She was lit
| tie angry with me at first; but pressed
ille subject iOllle VIII IL UcllucI SCI lOuNllCSS
| that did the work of conviction; and as even
| ing drew on, she dressed herself with care
and neatness. With a fresh ribbon tied in
| her hair. and color little raised from men
tai excitement, she looked charming and
| lOvable. | waited with interest TO see the
! impression she would make on her hus
band. He could not help being charmed
back into the lover, | 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 than sip lit
/ tie tea.
II went home soon after, with pressure
of concern at my heart for which L could
not account. At night dreamed uncOm-
Portable dreams. In the morning, soon
after breakfast, l ran over to see Helen. l
found her in her room sitting in her night
dress, the picture of despair.
"'What is it?' j asked eagerly. what
/ has happened?
''She looked at me heavily, like one not
vet recovered from the shock of a stun
ming .low. 1872 a-."
'E.Dear cousin. what is the matter?' |
said ~ sla.- ---ft-
/ Il now saw. by motion of her hand,
| that it held, tightly clutched, piece OF
paper. She reached it to me. 1t was a
letter. and read:
"'NVe cannot live happily together,
! Helen. You are not what | believed my
self getting when we were married-not
the sweet, lovely, lOvable girl that charm
ed my fancy and won me from all others.
Alas for us both that it is so! There has
been a shipwreck of two lives Farewell !.
| shall never return i
.'And this was all; but it broke the
. ] Of
though nearly three years have passed,
She has never heard from her husband.
Il saw her last week in the country
home to which she has been taken by ner
riends-a wreck both in mind and body.
She was sitting in an upper room, from the
window of which could be seen a beauti-
full landscape. She was neatly attired,
and a locket containing her husbands pic
ture hung at her throat. Her head was
dropped, and her eyes on the floor, when |
entered; but she raised herself quickly,
and with kind of start. | saw mOmcn-
tary, eager flush in her face, dying out
quickly. and leaving it ineXpressibly sad.
"'I thought it was john she said,
mOurnfully. why don't he Gomez"
| had to stop here, for Maggy broke
out suddenly into a wild fit of sObbing and
crying, which lasted for nearly minute.
- w IldJ ais you utdI L dchtu, dS SuC
began to be little composed.
"Oh! you have frightened me so. II
John shOuld-"rre tFE-fTaH
She cut short the sentence but her
frightened face left me in no doubt as to
what was in her thoughts.
She arose and walked about the room in
an uncertain way for some moments, and
then sat downagain, drawing in her breath
, heavily.
"If Young wives" | remarked-believ-
ing that in her present state the truth was
the best thing TO oSay-'wOuld take half the
pains in making themselves personally at
tractive to their husbands, that they did to
charm their lovers. more of them would
find the lover continued I'm the husband.
Is man, think you, less an admirer OF
womanly grace and beauty after he be-
comes husband than he was before ??
"Hush, hush ~ she said, in a choking
voice. Il see it all | comprehend it all. y
And she glanced down at herself. Il look
: hateful and disgusting"
After plain, earnest talk with Maggy,
went home. | give her own words as to
what happened afterward:
Il was wretched all the afternoon. John
had acted worse than usual at dinner time:
, and what you told me about poor Helen
half to death. Long before the time he
usually came home dressed myself with
care, selecting the very things | had heard
: him admire. As looked at myself in the
glass. saw that was attractive; felt as
/ had never felt before, that there was &
; power in dress that no woman can disre
gard without loss of influence, no matter
what her position or sphere of life.
Supper-time came. had made some
thing that | knew John liked, and wa;
/ waiting for him with a nervous eagernes'
7 it was impossible to repress. But the houl
passed. and his well-knOwn tread along
the little garden walk did not reach my
d anxious ears. Five, ten, twenty minute:
t beyond his hour for returning, and still
/ was alone. Oh, j shiyer as j recall the
t wild fears that began to crowd upon me
| was standing at the window, behind thu
/ curtain, waiting and watching. All al
r once saw him a little distance from the
: house, but not in the direction from which
5 he usually came. He was walking slowly
: and with his eyes upon the ground. Hi
It whole mannerwas that of one depressed
k fOr suffering. 7 dropped the curtain anC