The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-09-14
A STORY FOR HUSBANDS.

home-a paradise IL would be- said
Andrew to himself, rs he turned his
eyes from the clouded face OF Mrs,
Lee, aud sat down with knitted brows
and moody aspect.
Not q word was spoken by either (;
Mrs. Lee was getting supper, and she
moved about with weary step.
"Come," slie said at last, with side
glance at her husband.
Andrew rose and went To tho table.
He was tempted TO speak an angry
word, but controlled himself and kept
silent. He could find no fault with
the chop, nor the homemade bread,
nor the fragrant tea. They would have
cheered his inward man II there had
been q CLEAN OF sunshine on the face OF
his wife,. He noticed that she did not
eat.
care you not well, Marys"
These words were on his lips but he
did not utter them, for the face Of his
wife looked so repellant, that he feared
IN irritating reply.
And so, In moody silence, the twain
sat together until Andrew had finished
his supper.
As lie pushed his chair back his wife
arose and commenced clearing of the
table. tp
"This is purgatory II said Lee to
himself, as he commenced walking the
floor Of their little break iast.room, with
his hands thrust into his trowsers pock.
cts and his chin almost touching his
breast.
After removing and taking things
into the kitchen, Mrs. Lee spread o
green cover over the table, and placing
iresh.trimmed lamp thereon, went
out and shut the door after her, leaving
her husband alone with his unpleasant
feelings. He took o long, deep breath
as she did so, paused in his walk, stood
still for some moments, and then draw
ing paper from his pocket, sat down
by the table, opened the sheet and COM
menced reading. singularly enough,
the words upon which his eyes rested
were "Praise your wife" They
rather tended 10 increase the disturb.
ance Of mind from which he was sui.
iering.
al should like to find some occasion
for praising mine" How quickly his
thoughts expressed that ill.natured sem
timentl But his eyes were on the pa
per before him and he read on:
"Pfaise your wife, man; for PHYS
sake, give her q little encouragement.
II won't hurt her."
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the
paper and muttered, "0h, yes, that's
oil very well-praise is cheap enough.
But praise her for what2 For being
sullen and making her homo the most
disagreeable place in the worlda His
eyes fell again to the paper.
"She has made your home comiorta.
ble, your heart bright and shining, your
food agreeable; for PHYS sake tell her
you thank her, II nothing more. She
don't expect 1t, II will make her eyes
wider than they have been for ten years;
but II will do her good for all that and
you too"
It seemed to Andrew as II this sen.
tenoe was written expressly for him and
just for the occasion. II was q Gem.
plete answer TO this question, " Praise
her for what ~ and he felt ii also as
rebuke. He read no further, for
thoughts came too busy, and in a new
direction. Memory was convincing
him Of injustice TO his wife. She had
always made her home as comfortable
for him as she could make IL, and had
he offered the light return Of praise or
commendationp Had he ever told her
OF the satisfaction he had known or the
comfort he had experienced? He was
not able to recall the time or occasion.
As he thought thus Mrs. Lee came In
from the kitchen, and taking her work.
basket from the closet placed IL on the
table, and sitting down without speak.
ing began to sew. Mr.. Lee glanced nj.
most htealthily at the work In her
hands, aud saw that Il was the bosom
OF q shirt, which she was stitching
neatly. He knew that 1t was for him
she was at work.
"Praise your wifel' These words
were before the eyes Of his mind, and
he could not look away from them.
But he was moi ready for this yet. He
still felt moody and unforgiying. The
expression OF his wifes face he inter.
preted 10 mean ill.nature, for whish he
had no patience. His eyes fell upon
the newspaper that was lying spread
out before him, and he read the SEN.
tence, aA kind, cheerful word spoken
IN a gloomy house, is the little rift in
the cloud that lets the sunshine
Lee struggled with himself while
longer.
His own ill.nature had to be con.
quered frst ; his moody, accusing spirit
had to be subdued.
He thought OF many things 10 say,
and yet he feared TO say them lest his
wife should meet his address with o re-
buff Atlast, leaning toward her, and
taking hold upon the shirt.bosom Of
which she was Of work, he said In
voice that was carefully modulated with
kindness:
fully, Mary"
Mis-. Leo made NO reply. But her
husband did not fail 10 notice that she
lost, almost instantly, that rigid erect
ness with which she had been sitting,
nor that the motion Of her needle had
ceased. I
winter than those Of any other man In |