The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-03-25

my taking to bad courses, founded on
my not caring for the baby aud my hav-
ing won fifty pounds at the Derby, that
1 seemed to be listening to a maniac,
not the Edith had left IN the morning
and had loved for 50 long. Perhaps
was too impatient, and ought 10 have
remembered that if I found my life
dull hers was not too gay; I ought To
have made allowance for the morbid
nervousness and brooding fanc;es of a
woman left alone for the whole day
but was younger Than I am now, and
the thing ended by our having our first
grave quarrel, wherein we were both
silly, and both unjust. AMI neither of
us would give way.
The bad blood made between us to-
night grew worse IS time went on ; and
the circle we were in was a vicious ore.
l kept away more and more from home,
hecau e my wife made it too miserable
for me by her GOODNESS, her tears, her
complaints, her ill-humoE; aud the more
I kept away the more she resented it.
She took an almost insane hatred and
suspicion of my friends and my actions,
and did not scruple to accuse me AMI
them of vices and crimes because I was
often late, from no worse cause than
playing pool and billiards. Her re-
proaches first wearied and then hard
ened me ard by degrees a kind of
fierce feeling took possession of me-a
kind of reveneeful determination that
L would be what she imagined me to
be, and give her GAUGE to denounce me
as she did.
Harmless amusement became amuse-
ment not so harmless, petty little stakes
OF half a-crown and a shilling grew to
gold; the glass of beer became thegIass
of brandy-and more than one and the
fGcilis descGnsus had one more self
directed victim on its slippery way
Work was intolerable to me. What I
did [ did badly, and I shirked all I
could. was often late, as often left
too early; end my employers were really
good and lenient. As it was, however,
wearied out their patience, and they
demonstrated with me firmly but
kindly.
This sobered me for q moment; but
had gone too far to retreat; until I
came out at the other side l must go
on.
The fortune which had so long be-
fiiended Jack LanghOrne deserted him
now, and with bis fortune his nerve.
Where he had ataked with Judgment he
now backed wildly, recklessly, and the
more he lost the more recklessIy he
staked. His fortune seemed to inhu-
ence mine. Hitherto had been i'm
mensely successful /; DOW the luck ran
dead against me, and lost more than
L could afford, and soon moe than 1
could pay, and so came face to face
with ruin.
During all this time the arrangement
between Edith and myself grew daily
wider. She took the wrong method
with me. and being a woman she kept
to 1t. She thought to dragon me back
to the quiet of my former life, and
made my private actions personal to
herself; seeking to force me into rem.
dering an account of all my doings, and
OF eVer. item of expenditure, then tax
ing 1T as an affront when I refused to
answer questions. But now there was
no hope for it. I must perforce con-
fess. With that writ out against me it
was useless to attempt coucealment,
and if marriage 10 not feminine superb
GRITTY, yet it is partnership.
You may be sure it was O bitter mo-
ment for me when had to tell my wife
that all her worst anticipations were
realized; that she had been right
throughout, and I wrong; and that the
destruction she hal prophesied had
overtaken us. In her temper Of so
many months now, it was doubly hard.
But it seems that I knew as little of
women as che of men, snd had miscal-
culated the depth of her goodness uu-
derneath all her wrong headedness, lust
as she had miscalculated my power of
will and truth of love when fairly pulled
up.
She heard me out to the end without
making a sign. There was no inter
ruption, no angry expression, no seorn-
full look. l saw the hand with which
she held the child tighten round his
body the one playing with his curls
tremble. But that was all.
When I had finished she looked up,
and said quietly cit Is better to know
the worst, George, for then we can meet
1t. Now that 1 know the worst I know
what to do"
"And you do not reproach me,
Edith ?" 1 asked.
She rose from her seat and came over
to me. Her eyes were full OF tears,
her lips were quivering, and yet there
was moro love, more softness in her
face through it's sorrow than there had
been for all these long bad weary
months, passing now into years.
She slid the boy from her arms and
pressed them round my neck.
Why should 1 reprOaoh you ?" she
said. Is not your burden heavy
enough without that While thought
l could help to keep you straight I
tried-if olumsily and to no good, yet
loyalty. Now know that all Is over I
have Only to try and help you, both by
my work and my love.
Something seemed to choke me while
al II
enough If she had been angry, but this
sudden return to the old love-this I'M
expected maRnRnimity-wss too much
for me-. Still, 1 Gm thankful to say I
did not break down. was man enough
for that
VIII you trust me, Edith ?" said I,
in tone 80 rough and buhky scarcely
recognized it 80 my own. Love me
as you used, be to me what you were,
and l swear you shall never have cause
to reprOach me again. am young, 1
can work, 1 can be rssoluts. 1 have
bought my experience of life, and /
find the taste too bitter in my mouth.
man may be 3 man, and yet not be
ashamed to think of his wife as well as
of his pleasures, and will think of you
now"
She sighed and then she smiled.
lou CoInS Dack 70 Wlab Won LEFT,
she said, in tender, oareesing kind Of
way that seemed as if it buried now
forever all that had gone wrong between |
as.
OF course the struggle was ire
mendous one. L lost my clerkship and |
every elxpence 1 possessed. both in |
goods and money. My wife had 20 give !
lessons and 1 had to accept anything |
that would keep us from starvation |
but we pulled through in time, aud the /
suffering We had encountered vas per
haPs O good thug il the end. 1t taught |
us to value each other IN a deeper aud |
truer manner than ever before and it /
ave as friend. For dear old jacks lack
turned with his uncle's death, and he
used bis influence to get me a situation
that began ut five hundred a year, and
has steps upward in the future. Things
have gone we'll with me since then.
Edith's health has come back, and my
boy is at the head OF his class. 1 have
Travelled good deal, and lately have
taken mp chemistry as a study. Edith
declares will blow the house up some