American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-05-24
: = fIE- ~tE~EF
THE SELF-SACRIFICE.

~ n Il - nOmo-pdSlQ
Saiiie7 small-the sprairies stretching away
from it on all sides in green pillows.
80 - : Near it was little group Of naples,
-ZNos their tender foliage stirring softly in the
-. evening str:--Yherg-were-ezfsw stars
---- ont, and low in the west crescent moon
hung, looking for the nonce like broken
ring, one golden half gone.
,IEoc This thought came to Sarah vane as
she satin the low porch, with her face
z 4 Festing Agai6st ihef Had. i6omething
in her own heart must have prompted
ms 1uflaksI0gt6d lquickly, while a soft
blush stole over her cheeks.
Every thing is dividid just so in this
wv. ''she .mprpursdso herself, rising,
the book which had been lying upon her
-ino2Ap f4png p she aoorT II ia
She stopped to pick it up, and as she
did so caught the sound of a step in the
distance. Nearer it came, strong, even
ssnA fr% tapiDg ana to tune melo-
1laT asl assSa lI ga . nsnsns ' as
tenxtyly;st1eBs q look of disappoint-
ment Swallowing her eyes and mouth,
she went into the house, closing the
door after her, But the step came for
lrsf ward Just the same, and the tune, as
clear and beautiful as the notes of the
g ssasss1 thrush, filed the air with music i -
s1a av:H Yves . frank, almost .boyish face,
though bronzed and bearded, that came
homeward that night Just such one
-.Gc-as mother would have delighted in
gas'- looking upon because the world had left
az - NO trace of evil upon it. The eyes were
= blue and fearless, and the forehead, pro-
. is4es .tected from sun and wind, was as white
as . wonan's. Only about the mouth
,,,,.t there was look that would have touch
as:.ss5u ed . mother's heart to see; not al, ex-
- preston Of sadness wholly, but griev-
- :: ed look which sometimes comes 10 the
5lf7-i 8 faces of little children. 81 .sf
--s,a Gas he stepped into the porch, still
ss whistling softly, slip Of folded paper
u = lying upon the floor attracted his atten-
= sSstion. He picked it up and read his
wife's name written in well known
hand upon the back. The impulse was
Cestrong upon him to crush it in his hand,
but soDethingr sstrained him; whatever
the feeling was that flashed up in his
lJG-eJes forthe'momeht, he had, or seemed
to have, perfect control of it. He stood
for& little with Ills straw hat in his
hands and then went into the house as
quietly as though no fierce passion had
been grappliug hard at his heart. His
wife was sitting by the table, and with
asimple, = This must be ours, Sarah, -
be laid the folded paper beside her.
"Thank you. y she answered, with
ont raising her eyes; and Henry vane
gsssedol, some.hing very like sob
rising in bis threat fsre,rs
III she had only looked up in my
eyes, and said that II was from George Pr
he thought; Aft there were not some
sthngs from which she -has shut me out,
4 could bear it betters'
Wipisg his face and hands and brush
ing his hair, he looked his wife over, q
great, ysarnihg, eager look in his eyes
. greater hunger in his heart. He
thought Of the time when she had well
coined him with kisses-when her arms
had e1nng fondly about his neck-when
she Had wbisperfd loving words in his
ear-when she seemed to love him! But
nov s6eshsdl no carssses for him, no
wifely words with which to greet him
Their lives were narrowed down to o
cold, duh routine-an that was beauti-
full and sweet gone from them.
81. The husband sat down to the evening
NEED Ni&hoat . word. Somehow, ev-
cry tnihg {een1sd terribly real to him
that looking about the pretty,
tasteful room. he saw it as he had never
seen it before. II stood before him like
living picture, with its homemade or
naments, snowy curtains, and neatly
laid table. And the wife, too-how fair
she was to hiu-how far above other
women, with her neat, housewifely hab,
its and her ladylike waysi No matter il
she no lor ger loved him-if some one
else had taken his place in her heart, OF