Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-10-10

. filed my basket with some little deli
cacies for the sick and set out.
Wherever went it was the same
story, all held forth on my husbands
goodness and kindness. for all had been
helped by him in some way or other,
and all loved and respected him. As l
listened with burning cheeks | felt as if
[ was the only person on earth who
treated him with cruel ingratitude, and
was the very person whom he most
loved and cherished.
At last [ went home, tired and sick at
heart; but there was no one to notice I
was pale and worn out, no one to get
me wine or soup to revive me, no one
to make me lie down and rest, as he
would have done had he been there.
Oh, how missed him! What a fool |
had been! Was there ever woman
loved and cared for as I had been? Was
there ever a friend so ungrateful? Oh!
why had [ ever let him leave me? l
was sure he would never come back.
| Why had he gone away?
And conscience answered, "You
drove him; he gave you all he had to
give, ard in return you gave him moth
ing but cold looks and unkind words;
and so he left you to seek love and SYM
pathy from his mother.
This thought almost maddened me.
In fancy | saw her sitting in my place
by his side, loving and caressing him,
pictured her receiving tenderly the
little loving acts [ had received so cold
ly, and now [ was seized with a jealous
anger against her. | mentally accused
/ nF actr
as though his heart was not large
enough for both of US.
When Maud arrived in the afternoon
L treated her to long TRADE of abuse
against mothers-in-law in general, ana
my own in particular, and ] vented all
the anger l really felt against myself
on the innocent Mrs. Cartwright.
"Why, Nelly" cried Maud, II
thought you liked Mrs. Cartwright so
much, and thought her so nice, that
you even wanted her to live with you,
only your husband, very properly, as
mamma says, objected"
$50 did," | answered. "I did not
know then she would ever entice my
husband away from me in this way, or.
of course, | should never have fixed
her."
" Really, Nell, you are very hard on
the poor woman; for, as l understand.
Mr.. Cartwright went to her Of his own
free will, because she was not well, and
he thought his company would do her
; good" said Maud.
q" Nonsense; [ am sure he would
never have left me alone, unless she had
put him up to it." [ replied, rather
Grossly.
"The truth is Nelly, you are so much
in love with your husband that you are
jealous even of his mother; and YOU are
making yourself miserable about moth
ing. Why, Mr.. Cartwright will be back
IN fortnight, and dare say you will
get letter from him every day; so
cheer up and let us go for drive" said
/, Maud
l agreed to this plan, and giving
Maud the reins | lay back and thought
OF her words. Was she right afterall :?
Was l jealous? Was 1 really, as Maud
said, in love with my husband? Had l
only found it out now | was deprived of
his company? Was this the reason that
| could do nothing but inwardly re-
prOaCh myself for my conduct to him !?
And the longer thought the more con-
WINGED / became that Maud was right,
that | was jealous. and that was in love
as she called it.
This knowledge did not make me
happier, for [ no sooner knew | loved
t him than l longed to tell him so, and
make up as far as l could, for all my
I former cruelty, for [ could call my con-
duct no milder word. [ passed Sleep
less night, and as | lay awake [ COM
posed various letters of confession.
F which resolved to send the following
day; but when morning came my pride
stepped in, and [ began to feel it would
be impossible TO write, and | settled [
must wait till my husband came home
and then tell him how his absence had
altered me.
, | got up early and walked out to meet
, the pOstman, so anxious was | to get a
| letter, from him it was the first [ had
ever received from him since our mar
riage, and no girl was ever so anxious
| for or so pleased with her first love
letter as | was over this.
} 1t was long letter, full of loving mes
sages and endcarment, all of which cut
me to the heart, for they sounded like
somany reproaches; in reality, think
| there was a tone of gentle reproach
throughout the letter. He gave me ac-
count of his journey, and ofhis mothers
} health, begged me to write him few
} lines every day, but he said not a word
] about returning.
+ L spent the morning in answering it,
much to Maud's amusement, who of
course, thought l was pouring out
volumes of love and cOmnlaintS of NV
} temporary widowhood; after tearing up
, about Il dozen sheets of paper, at last
/ sent short note, cool and with no al
fusion to my misery. The more [ tried
t the more impossible / found it to write
l any expression of love or pretense,
: though | was hungry to do so.
For whole week went on this way,
/ suffering more actually every day, and
: every day receiving long, loving letters
} from Mr.. Cartwright, and writing short,
, cold answers.
: 1 lostmy appetite, could not sleep at
night, and the torture | was enduring
, made me look SO i'll that Maud became
) frightened, and declared she would
write and summon my husband home.
: and tell him l was pining away for him.
/ forbade her doing this so sternly that
, she dared not disobey me, for | was de-
E termined he should never hear from
: any lips but mine that at last his hearts
e desire was attained for loved him.
< At last, when he had been away ten
2 tdavS, | could bear it no longer for [ felt