The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-04-24
A RIFT IN THE CLOUD.
BY T. S. ARTHUR.

drew. to himself, as he turned his eyes
from the clouded face of Mrs. Lee and
sat down, with knitted brows and moody
aspect. .,
Not a word was spoken by either.
Mrs. Lee was getting supper, and she
moved about with weary STEP. :,
"Come." she said st last, with side
glance at her husband.
There was invitation in the word only,
none in the voice of Mrs. Lee.
Andrew arose and went to the table.
He was tempted to speak an angry word,
but controlled himself, and kept silence.
He could find no fault with the chop,
or sweet homemade bread, nor the fra.
grant tea. They would have cheered
the inward man, if there had only been
CLEAN of sunshine on the face OF his
wife. He noticed that she did not eat.
care you not well, Mary?" The
words were on his lips, but he did not
utter them, for the face of his wife looked
go repellant that he feared an irritating
reply. And so, in moody silence, the
twain sat together until Andrew had fin
ished his supper. As he pushed his
chair back, his wife arose, and commenc-
ed clearing the table. .
"This is unbearableW said Lee to
himself, as he commenced walking the
floor of their little breakfast-room with
his hands thrust desperately away down
into his trouser pockets, and his chin
almost touching his breast
After removing all the dishes and
taking them into the kitchen, Mrs. Lee
spread green cover on the table, and
placing fresh trimmed lamp thereon,
went out and shut the door after her,
leaving her husband alone with his un-
pleasant feelings. He took long, deep
breath as he did SO, paused in his walk,
stood still for some moments, and draw
ing paper from his pocket, sat down by
the table, opened the sheet, and COM
raenced reading. Singularly enough the
words upon which his eyes rested were
"Praise your wife," They rather ten.
ded to increase the disturbance of mind
from which he was suffering.
'sI should like to find some occasion
for praising mine." How quickly his
thoughts expressed that ill-natured senti-
ment. But his eyes were on the page
before him, and he read on
'Praise your wife, man; for PHYS
sake give her little encouragement; it
won't hurt her."
Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the
paper, and muttered, "Oh yes, that's all
very well. Praise is cheap enough.
But praise her for what? For being
sullen, and making your home the most
disagreeable place in the world 2" His
eyes fell again on the paper.
"She made your home comfortable,
your hearth bright and shining, your
food agreeable; for PHYS sake, tell her
YOU thank her, if nothing more. She
don't expect it; it will make her eyes
open wider than they have for ten years
but it will do her goodi for all that, and
you too." 49,.
It seemed to Andrew as ifthis sentence
was written just for him, and just for
the occasion. It was the complete an
swer to his question, "Praise her for
what ?" and he felt it almost as re-
buke. He read no further, for thought
came too busy, and in q new direction.
Memory was convincing him of injustice
towards his wife. She had always made
his home as comfortable for him as
hands could make, and had he offered
the light return of praise or commenda-
tion? Had he ever told her the satistac-
ton he had known or the comfort expe-
rienced? He was not able to recall the
time or occasion. AS he thought thus
Mrs. Lee came in from the kitchen, and
taking her work basket from closet,
placed it on a table, sat down without
speaking, began to sew. Mr.. Lee glanced
almost stealthily at the work ON her
hands, and saw that it was the bosom
of a shirt, which she was stitching neatly
He knew that it was for him that she
was at work.
"Praise your wife," The words were
before the eyes of his mind, and he coulc
not look away from them. But he was
not ready for this yet. He still felt moo
dy and unforgiving. The expression O
his wife's face he interpreted to be i'll
nature, and with ill-nature he had no pa
tience. His eyes fell upon the newspa.
per that lay spread out before him, and
he read the sentence:
ga kind, cheerful word spoken in Q
gloomy home, is like the rift in cloud
chat lets the sunshine through"
Lee struggled with himself a while
longer. His own ill-nature had to be
conquered first; his moody accusing
spirit had to be subdued. But he was
coming right, and at last got right, as tc
will. Next came the question as to how
he should begin. He thought of many
things to say, yet feared to say them
lest his wife should meet his advances
with a cold rebuff. At last, leaning to-
wards her, and taking hold of the linen
bosom upon which she was at work, be
said, in voice carefully modulated with
kindness:
"You are doing this work very beauti
full, Mary"
Mrs. Lee made no reply. But heI
husband did not fail to observe that she
lost almost instantly, that rigid erectness
with which she had been sitting, so thai
the motion of her needle hand ceased.
"My shirts are better made and whittier
than those of any man in our shop
said Lee, encouraged to go on.
care they?" Mrs. Lees voice was low!
and had in it a slight huskiness. She did
not turn her face, bat her husband saw
that she leaned little towards him. He
had broken through the ice of reserve,
and all was easy now. His hand was
among the clouds, and feeble rays were
already struggling through the rift it had
made.
ayes, Mary" he answered, softly
sand I've heard it said more than once
what good wife Andrew Lee must
have"
Mrs. Lee turned her face towards her
husband. There was light in it, and
light in her eyes. But there was some
thing in the expression of the counte'
nance that little puzzled him.