American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-03-22
UNDER A CLOUD.

Dlu YOU ever see 4 SAuuer
1t was the remark of lady to her
friend, as Mrs Loring passed her win
dow. Mrs. Loring had ridden out for
the first time for months, not now of her
own choice, but in obedience to the So
icita.ion of a friend and the positive
command of her physician. She was in
deep sorrow, refusing all comfort
Heavy clouds were in her sky-black
clouds, through which not ray of sun
shine penetrated.
"Fever," answered the friend, while
q shade caught from Mrs. Loring's
countenance fitted across her own face
"Wbo can she be?''
Didn't you recognize her?"
No; the countenance was to me that
of stranger"
al can hardly wonder that it should
be so," said the friend, 'sfor she is sad
ly changed. That was poor Mrs. Loring,
who lost her two children last winter
from scarlet fever"
"Mrs. Loring!" The lady might well
look surprised. -" Sorrow has, indeed,
done fearful work there. But is il
right thus to sit under a cloud? Right,
to thus oppose no strong barrier to the
waters of afiliction that 60 sweeping
over the soul, marring all its beauty P''
s'It is not right" was answered.
The heart that sits in darkness, brood
ing over its loss, sorrows with selfish
sorrow. The clouds that shut out the
sun are exhalations from its own stag
nant surface. 1t makes the all-pervad-
ing gloom by which it is surrounded. 1
pity Mrs. Loring, unhappy sufferer that
she is, but my pity for her is always
mingled with a desire to speak sharp,
rebuking words, in the hope to agitate
the slumbrous atmosphere in which she
is enveloped like shroud.''
al wonder" remarked the other,
"that her husband permits her to br rood
so long in idle grief over the inevita-
ble."
Husbands" was replied, have
often the least salutary influence over
their wives when bowed with affliction.
Some men have no patience with dis
plays of excessive grief in women, and
are, therefore, more ignorant than chill
dren in regard to its treatment. Such
a man is Mr.. Loring- All that he does
or says, therefore, only deepens the en-
comprising shadow. A wise, unselfih
man, with mind to realize something
of his wife's true state, and heart to
sympathize with her, will always lead
her from beneath the clouds of
sorrow upwards TO the cheerful heights
upon which the sunshine rests. If
she show unwillingness to be led, if she
court the shadows and hide in the gloom
of her own dark repinings, he does not
become impatient He loves her with
too unselfish a love for this. And so he
brings light to her on his own coun-
tenance, the sunshine of even affected
cheerfulness, that penetrates the murky
atmosphere in which she sits, and
warns her heart with its genial radi-
ance. Thus he woos her with sunny
CLEANS from the clear sky that yet bends
over her, and that will make all again
bright and beautiful on the earth of her
spirit, if she will but lift herself above
the clouds. 1t is the misfortune of Mrs.
Loring that she is not blessed with such
a husband
The subject of this conversation had
on that morning yielded to the solicita
tions of one of her nearest friends, and
with great reluctance consented to 90
out with her in her carriage.
"I shall be much better at home,''
she objected to the urgent appeal of
her friend. " this quiet suits me- The
stiffness of my own chamber accords
best with my feelings. The glare and
hustle of the busy streets will only dis
turb me deeper. / know it is kindness
in you, but it is a mistaken Kindness
To reason with her would h we been
useless and so reason was not attempt
ed.
al have come prepared to hear no
objections" was the firm answer 1.-THE
doctor says that you are running your
health. and must go out. So get your
self ready"
g Health life, even !-what are they
to me? have nothing to live fori" was
the gloomy response. Come quickly