The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1877-05-31
TEN YEARS AFTER MARRIAGE.

EN En- no az 1 AAs AZ a ~ AsA Al " ~
Ten years since the wedding day.
Mrs. Rowland WAS slono. She had left
her husband in the little room where
they usually sat together through the
evening, while she put tie children to
bed
Mrs Rowland did not feel inclined to
r"tnrn to the family sitting room, where
she aaa left her husband, but remained
within the chamber with her sleeping
little ones. in musing, brooding, I'M
happy state OF mind. Something of
coldness and alienation had been grows
ing up between her ald her husband FOR
a long time past. The old tenderness
of manner which had been 80 sweet was
all gone. He WAS kind, thoughtful IN
reg srl to her comfort, honorable and
true, but getting more formal and less
affectiouate in manner every day. HIS
wife. who had loved HIM very tenierly
and still loved him, had failed to give
her hfo adequate responses to his; had,
il the fret AID fever OF disciplinary ex~
istence, suffered herself to work amid
disturbing elements instead of taking
her place serenely by his sido. And 81.
harmonious things had been permitted
to jar, where all might have been pearo
It was pressing upon the mind of
Mrs Rowland that her husband had
ceased to love her, and this convection
was taking nll the sweetness ont Of her
life. 1t did not once occur to her that
she herself was growing unlovely, that
she had laid aside nearly all the exter>
nal things by which, when maiden,
she had sought to win him; the sunny
connteuauce, the alluring voice and man
ner, the scrupulons attire, the Difference
to his taste and opinions. the guard up
on her temper, the womanly elevation
of character that made her seem as one
who ruled in the kingdom of her own
soul. This was the being he had loved,
this was tn. woman he had taken to
walk with him through life. Alas, for
the fading idea! He had found, instead,
one who had made scarcely an effort at
self government, whose feelings and inn
pulses were not springs of actions.
Deeply, passiorately she loved him, but
not wisely; self-abnegating love pleases
both itself and the object of its devo-
ton. Withon. some change op the part
of Mrs. Rowland it was impossible for
them to grow together again.
For nearly half an aour after her
children were asleep. the mother sat in
her wretchad mood. apart from her hus
band, and feeling no inclination to JOIN
him.
"AIl love has died." said she. 81 au,
nothing now" Aud as she said this
her heart shivered with an instructive
realization of what her words involved.
Then fear for tho loss of thing SC
precious as husbands love seized up
| on her soul and inspired new purpose.
| A love worth winning was surely worth
an effort to retain. And WAS not the
wav to win the way to keep? A new
| light broke into Mrs Howland's mind.
She began to see things in herself that
| were very far from being in harmony
| with her life when a maiden-things
that would havo certainly repelled 8
lover. and were they bonds for nus
band?
These thoughts startled the awaken
ing wife. Then old memories were re-
| viyed, bringing back old states. pictures
warm with the hues Of love came out o.
the,diia past.
.Is the cup broken and the wint
spiiied?' she aaksg3 of herself. "Goe
| forbid" came from her lips in due ut
teiance. Then she left the chanbel
| where her children slept. and with 81
lent feet went toward the apartment
in which she had left her husband
alone.
On the way she paused. stood still
for moment. then returned. The ga
was burning low. She threw up tht
light, end caught reflection Of harsel
in the toilet glass. One glance snficed
4 This was not the style in which she ap-
peared before her lover. Taking dowl
her hair. she applied comb aud brusl
rapidly for sarae moments, and thaT, At