Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-02-27
PRAISE YeUB WIFE.
A SKETCH FOR HUSBANDS.

also out OF spirits.
"A smiling wife and peaceful home
a paradise would it BEL said Andrew
10 himself as he turned his eyes from
the clouded face of Mrs. Lee and sat
d )wn with knitted brow and moody as
pect.
Not a word was spoken by either.
Mrs. Lee was getting supper and she
moved about with weary step.
Come she said at last, with a side
glance..at her husband.
There was invitation in the word only;
but not IN the voice Of Mrs. Lee.
Andrew arose and went to the table.
He was tempted to speak an angry word,
but be controlled himself and kept qui-
ct. He could find no fault with the
chop and The homemade bread, or the
fragrant tea. They would have cheered
his inward man if there had been only
a CLEAN ofsunshine on the face Of his
wife. He noticed that she did moi
eat.
Are you not well, Mary?' The words
were on his lips, but he did not utter
them. for the face of his wife looked so
repellant and he feared an irritable re
ply. And So, moody silence, the twair
sat until Andrew had finished his sup
per.
AS he pushed his chair back, his wifi
arose and commenced cleaning off th'
table.
This is purgatory!' said Andrew tC
himself as he commenced to walk thC
hoor of their breakfast room, with biz
hands thrust in his trowsers pocket, an(
chin almost touching his breast.
After removing all the dishes an(
taking them into the kitchen, Mrs. lie,
spread a green cloth on the table, and
placing a fresh trimmed lamp on the ia
Bile, went cut and shut the dool
after her, leaving her husband alone
with his unpleasant feelings. He took
a long, deep breath as she did so, paus-
ed in his walk, stood still for some mo
ments, and then drawing paper from
his pocket, sat down and commenced
reading. Sinsularly enough, the words
on which his eyes fell were, Praise
your wife, They rather tended to in-
crease the disturbance Of mind from
which he was then suffering.
1 should like to find some occasion
for praisipg mine.'
How quickly his thoughts expressed
that ill-natuted sentiment! His eye
were on the pages before him and he
read on.
Praise your wife, man for PHYS sak'
give her a little encouragement; it won
hurt her.
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from th'
paper and muttered:
oh, yes; that's all very well. Prais'
is cheap enough; bnt praise her 70
what! For being sullen and maxim;
home one of the most disagreeable pla-
ces in the world:'
His eyes fell again on the paper.
She has made your home comforta
bic, your heart bright and shining, you
food agreeable; for PHYS sake, thanl
her, if nothing more; she don't expec
it; it will make her eyes open vide
than they have for years; but it Will d'
her good, for all that, and you, too
1t seemed to Andrew as if this SEN
tence was written for him, and just 70
the occasion. 'Prase her what! art
he feltit also a rebuke. He read on fur
ther, for thought came to busy and in {
new direction. Memory was conyictin!
him Of injustice to his wife; she had al
WAYS made his home as comfortable a
her hands could make it, and had b,
offered the light return of prase or com
incubation ?? Had he ever told her o
the satisfaction he had known, or th'
comfort he had experienced? He wa
not able to recall the time or occa
sion.
As he thought thought thus. Mrs
Lee came in from the kitchen, and tax
ing her worn basket from the closet, pla
ced it on the table, and sitting dowr
without speaking. began to sew. An
drew Lee glauced almost instantly a
the work in her hands, aud saw it. wa
the bosom Of a shirt which she wa
stitching neatly. He knew il was TO
him that she was at work.
'Prase your wife The words were be
fore the eyes Of his mind and could no
look away from them; but he was no
ready for this yet. He still felt moody
and unforgiving. The expression on hi
wife's face he interpreted to mean i'll
nature:he had no patience, His eyei
tell upon the newspaper that lay spread
out before him, and he read the sen
tence.
a kind, cheerful word spoken in {
gloomy house is the little rift in th'
cloud which lets the sunshine peel
through
Lee struggled with himself while
longer; his own ill:nature had to b.
conquered first; his moody, accusing
spirit had to be subducd. He though
of many things to say, and yet he fes r
ed TO say them, lest his wife woulC
meet his advances with a cold rebuff
At last, leaning toward her and taking
hold of the linen bosom upon which she
was at work, he said in voice moduIa-