Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-04-26
PRAISE YOUR WIFE.
A SKETCH FOR HUSBANDS.

Andrew Lee had come from his shop
where he had worked all day, tired and out
of spirits, home to his wife, who was also
out of spirits.
"a smiling wife and a peaceful home-a
paradise would it be!' said Andrew to
himself as he turned his eyes from the
clouded face of Mrs. Lee and sat down
with knitted brow and moody aspect.
| Not word was spoken by either-Mrs.
Lee was getting supper and she moved
about with a 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
he controlled himself and kept quiet. 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 CLEAN of sunshine
on the face of his wife. He noticed that
she did not eat.
care you not well, Mary Pr The words
were on his lips. but he did not utter them
for the face Of his wife looked so repel1ant
that he feared an irritating reply. And so
in moody silence the twain sat until An
drew had finished his supper.
AS he pushed his chair back, his wife
arose and commenced clearing off the
table.
"This is purgatory!'' said Andrew to
himself as he commenced to walk the floor
of their breakfast room, with his hands
thrust in his trowsers pockets and chin al
most touching his breast.
After removing all the dishes and taking
them into the kitchen. Mrs. Lee spread
green cloth on the table, and placing a
fresh trimmed lamp on the table, went out
and shut the door after her, leaving her
husband alone with his unpleasant feelings.
He took long, deep breath as she did so,
paused in his walk stood still for some mo-
ments, and then drawing paper from his
pocket, sat down and commenced reading.
Singularly enough, the words on which his
eyes fell were, ''Praise your WIFE" They
rather tended to increase the disturbance
of mind from which he was then suffering.
81 should like t9 find some occasion for
praising mine"
How quickly his thoughts expressed
that ill natured sentiment His eyes were
on the pages before him and he read on.
'Praise your wife, man: for PHYS sake
give her a little encouragement; it won't
hurt her,"
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the pa
per and muttered:
'Oh, yes that's all very we'll. Praise
is cheap enough but praise her for what?
For being sullen and making home one of
the most disagreeable places in the world ?"
| His ewes fell again on the paper.
! ''She has made your home comfortable,
your heart bright and shining, your food
agreeable for pity sake, thank her, if
nothing more; she don't expect it; it will
make her eyes open wider than they have
for years; but it will do her good, for all
that, and you,' too.''
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was written for him, and just for the occa-
sion. "Praise her for what % and he felt
| it also rebuke. He read no further, for
thought came too ousy and in new di-
rection. Memory was convicting him Of
injustice to his wife; she had always made
his home as comfortable as her hands
could make it, and had he offered the light
return of praise or commentator? Had
he ever told her of the satisfaction he had
known, or the comfort he had experienced.
! He was not able to recall the time or occa-
sion.
| AS he thought thus, Mrs. Lee came in
from the kitchen, and taking her work
basket from the closet, placed it on the
table, and sitting down without speaking
began to sew. Andrew Lee glanced al
most instantly at the work in her hands
and saw it was the bosom of shirt which
she was stitching neatly. He knew it was
for him that she was at work.
''Praise your wife" The words were
before the eyes of his mind and he could not
look away from them; but he was not
ready for this yet. He still felt moody
and unforgiving. The expression on his
wife's face he interpreted to mean lima
ture he had no patience. His eyes fell
upon the newspaper chat lay spread Out
before him, and he read the sentence.
GA kind, cheerful word spoken IN
gloomy house is the little rift in the cloud
which let's the sunshine peep through
Lee struggled with himself q while long.
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