Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-08-29
TWO YEARS Welded.

happy expression and fresh color haC
disappeared On his part Mr.. Vernon
was strangely silent and moody. Aftel
| the first few evenings too. he began Il
absent himself
1t was on ono oI these occasions thai
the wife broached the subject that haC
often been on her lips since her aunpi
arrival.
"Isuppose I ought toapologize, aunty ?
she began, with some confusion.
"ApOlgize, my child! What for?
''For Edwards going out and leaving II
alone so much. l know you think il
strange. 1t isn't bit like what he used
to be-"
perhaps he has business which calls
| him from home oftener than usual, re
turned her aunt, not wishing to acknowl
edge that she certainly saw that Kate's
husband was not so attentive TO his wife
as she could wish.
81 think not, aunt. / know of nc
business that should make him absent
himself from home so much as he has
of late; besides, he is not so loving and
kind now. wish, indeed, business was
the cause"
Here the young wife burst into tears
IL WIS Il lC4lG1 " AlCl " AldNC uEllS
her confession. She had been miserably
unhappy for a long while; and now she
flung herself on her aunts bosom and
wept as if her heart would break.
Mrs. Beverly drew the poor child to
her again and again.
''I have seen you have been unhappy
ever since I came here" she said. after a
pause. "But have seen also that the
cause is one easily corrected"
"Oh, no, no" interrupted the young
wife. Edward doesn't care for me any
more. He goes out almost every eve
ming, as he has done to-night-he who
could not stay one evening away before
we were married"
''Kate, my child" said her aunt, seri-
ously, "You say that your husband does
not love you. You quote his going out
of evenings as proof of it. admit the
neglect" Kate WINGED. "But is there
no cause for it? You used to be, my
dear, scrupulously neat in your attire.
l do not say you are now untidy. But
there is a very great difference, as l
plainly see, between the way in which
you come down to breakfast now, and
that in which you used to at my house.
There your face was always fresh, your
hair nicely arranged, your collar un-
Wrinkled, your gown spotless. Now, l
grieve to Say, my darling, things are
Yery different; and, what is worse than
carelessness in dress even, your counte-
nance is, sometimes, the least bit sour.
Kate, during this plain speech, had
gradually ceased sobbing, and now, with
her hands holding back her hair, was
staring up into her excellent aunt's face,
half in anger, half in establishment and
dismay.
"So1rl I didn't know itP she ex-
claimed. "Are you sure? OIL its
when Edward has been scolding me-"
"ScoldiGg you, my dear? Edward don't
look like man who would scold."
"WeIl, he's jealous of baby; he looks
at it often; and he as good as says it
sometimes. He has even hinted, once
or twice, that, since baby was born, l
don't care as much about my-good
looks-as used to do. That's the way
of them all, 1 suppose-they marry us
for our beauty, and when our health
fails. then they blame-blame US for 4. !"
"My child" answered Mrs. Beverly,
kindly, too much in earnest to smile, as
she would have done if il had been any
BODY else, ''I think you are unfair to
Edward. Certainly there is nothing III
your state of health to spoil your good
looks. You are, or might be, far prettier
than when you married. A very little
more attention to your dress would rem
der you more attractive than ever"
"But Pm sure love Edward just as
much as ever" said Kate looking up,
ner large eyes dilated with surprise and
little Indignation. "And it's very un-
Just Of him to think L don't, because OF
baby" And then she burst into tears
again.
Perhaps he is little to blame, my
DEAR said her aunt, kissing her. "What
1 say is, that it is not very strange he
should feel hurt. Consider! Love is to
be judged, like everything else, by its
works. If Edward finds you no longer
paying any attention to your personal
appearance; if he sees that you take
Sfense when he hints that he would
like you to dress as you used to, is it
absolutely cruel, or even unnatural, on
his part thathe should think you hardly
can love him as you used to love him? !?
He reasons, remember, that, if you did,
you would have some regard for his
comfort. And further, if baby is made
the excuse for this, he becomes, not ex-
actly jealous of baby, but occasionally
the least bit cross"
Much of this had an effect on Kate,
who, after all, was a sensible, kind
hearted woman.
"But what must dol" she whispered
her face hidden in her aunt's lap.
"Come down to breakfast tomorrow
in your neatest dress, and with your
hair nicely arranged. Do not be late, as
you have been. Get up in time to have
the baby off your hands. Be as cheerful
and pleasant to Edward as if nothing
had ever happened. Let the last few
weeks be ignored entirely. Meet him
in the evening in your freshest attire.
cheerful if you can, let there be some
thing for dinner to show you remember
his iikings, and are thoughtful for his
comfort and happiness. Why, my dear,
it is the easiest thing for wife to re-
show the same interest in him that she
exhibited for the lover, all viii be we'll"
"But what of baby the meantime p"
asked the young mother.
"You have the whole day, darling, to
devote to baby; and surely that is
enough. The little fellow is a dear,
sweet, child but you must not let him
monopolize all your time. Only be your
old self for one week, and your truant
will be won back again."
Kate took her aunt's advice. The next
morning she was down before her hus-
band; had seen that the breakfast table
was perfect in all its arrangements and
had even ordered the cook to prepare
Edwards favorite dish, as little sur
prise to him. Edward saw, with half
concealed astonishment, the brighter
look of things; gave one quick glance
at his wife; flushed with qualification /;
and fell at once into something of his
old loYer-llke manner. Certainly, Kate
had never seemed lovelier.
"You are fresh-looking as a June rose
my DEAR" said her aunt, kissing her
when Edward had left for his office
'The battle is half won already. I see. y
That evening was quite like old times
Kate welcomed her husband in tl,o Ill