New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-01
REIITED pENIIENHE.

We tell the story as We find it in news
paper. Twenty years ago pair were married
and came to a town in this State to reside
The union was not happy one. He grum-
blcd continually; he persistently abused her;
and he even had a habit of beating her. Be
fore others he was plausbly kind and alice
tomato; when she bore tho sable and
ccrulcan marks of bis chastiscment, he
would say to the neighbors that his
dear love had fallen and hurt herself; and it
was thought, when she asserted to tho con-
trary, that she was, Of course, insane. Once,
by accident, he was seen by lady to deal bis
wife tremendous blow; and for this, after
duo judicial investigation, he was sent to
prison for several months, during which,
woman-lke, she cXerted all her energies to get
him ont. Just before leaving the dock for the
dungeon he turned to her, and accusing her of
perjury in her testimony he babe her take notice
that he never would speak to her again. This
was nine years ago. After his release, they
lived together, but he kept his word literally.
He held no converse with her except through
others. He would "tcll the children to say
&" so and so to their mother" His usual mode
of communicating with her was :" to retire to
"dates" to q messenger. So lie went on, the
great, dumb, ugly brute, for all these years
savage and silent, making every day Il rocur-
ring torment and every hour shameful insult.
But better time, at least for her, came at
last; she was about to die! She had been sick
for weeks, with no syllable of sympathy from
him, when, as lie was working stolidly in his
garden, the doctor and clergyman told him of her
approaching departure. He burst into tears. OF
course he did. lie rushed TO the death-bed
believing like a great calf. He bent over the
form which lie had so often beaten, still
bowling and weeping. He found his tongue,
and he begged her forgiveness, for he knew
where she was going and the tribunal in the
awful presence of which she soon might bear
witness against him. And so he grOancd and
groyeled and crooked his knees. and said he
was wretch, while she-of course she was
an angel!
1t is hardly necessary for lis to state that
then and there this yOcilerOus gentleman was
forgiven. She clasped the hand which had
been so cOarsey cruel to her; she called him
tenderly 10y name she pardoned his trespasses
sweety entreating him not to take on so and
q few hours before her death she declared that
the last two days, poor creature chad been
" tho happiest of her life; she only wished
" that they might be the beginning of happy
" days for her husband" Of course he
must be happy, however wretched he
had made her lot; for him must be wedding
garments, and fatted calves and pleasant salu-
tations from everybody-for him who had been
such dumb dog to her! No doubt after the
funeral he felt exceedingly comfortable, for it
is SO nice to be forgiven We wish we could
think of him otherwise. We should like to
imagine him grooming and grievously founder
ing above the grave where she found the
home which he refused her. But We can't.
We know that he is happy, and the knowledge
makes us Wrctched.