Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-01-24

and then | resolved that / would
suffer no more. Upon looking tho
matter sQuarely aud honestly ia
the face, | found that the burdens
which had so CALLED me had been
self-imposed. OF course such bur-
dens can be thrown Off, Now you
have resolved you will GO to din
ner with heavy heart and dark
face. You have no hope that your
wife will meet you with smile.
You know that her heart is bur-
dened with the affiictiou which
gives you so much unrest. And
you are fully assured that you are
TO find your home shrouded ia
gloom. And, Furthermore, you
don't know when that gloom will
depart and when the blessed sun
shine and love will burst in again
And why don't you know? Be-
cause it is not now in your heart
to sweep the cold away, You say
to yourself, Il can bear 1t as long as
she cant Am l not right?'
Clarence did notanswer in words.
II know 1 am right pursued
the merchant; land very likely
your wife Is saying to herself the
same thing. So, Clarence, you see
it does not rest OH the Willingness
to forgive, but upon the inability
to bear the burden. By-and-by it
will happen, as it has happened
before, that one of the twain will
surrender from exhaustion, and it
will be likely the weaker party.
Then there will be collapse and
a reconciliation. Generally the
wife falls first beneath the CALLING
burden because her love is keenest
and most sensitive. The husband
in such case, acts the part of cow
ard. When he might, by breath,
blow the cloud away, he cringes
and covers until his wife is forced
to let the sunshine in through her
breaking heart.
Clarence listened aud was trou-
bled. He saw the truth, felt its
weight. He WAS not fool, nor
was he liar. During the silence
that followed, he reflected upon
the past, and he called to his mind
scenes just as Mr. Wardle had de-
picted. And this brought him to
the remembrance of how he had
seen his wife weep when she had
failed and sank beneath the heavy
burden, how often she had sObbed
upon his bosom in grief for her
error.
The merchant read the young
mans thoughts, and after time
he rose and touched him upon the
arm.
Clarence, suppose you were to
put on your hat and go home now.
Suppose you should think, on your
way, only of the love and blessing
that might be, with this thought
you should enter your abode with
a smile upon your face; and you
should put your arms around your
wife's neck and kiss her and softly
say to her, My darling, 1 have
come home to throw down the
burden / took away with me this
morning. 1t is greater than / can
BEAR Suppose you were to do
this, would your wife repulse you"
"Repulse me?"
"Ah, my boy, you echo my
words with an amazement which
shows that you understand me.
Now, sir, have you the courage to
try the experiment? Dare you to
be so much of a man? Or do you
fear to let your wife know how
much you love her? Do you fear
she would respect and esteem you
the less for the deed? Tell me
do you think the cloud of unhap-
piness might thus be banished ?
oh, Clarence, if you would but
try itI'
Sarah Spencer had finished her
work in the Kitchen, ana in the
bed-chamber, aud sat down with
her work in her lap. But she
could not ply her needle. Her
heart was heavy and sad, and tears
were in her eyes.
Presently she heard the front
door open and step in the pas
sage. Certainly she knew that
STEP! Yes, her husband entered,
and smile upon his face. She
saw it through her gathering tears,
and her heavy heart leaped up.
He came and put his arms around
her neck, and kissed her; and he
said to her in broken accents,
Darling, l have come home to
throw down the burden | took
away with me this morning. 1t
is greater than / can bear.'
And she, trying tospeak, pillow
ed her head upon his bosom and
sobbed and wept like child. o. (!
could he forgive her? His coming
with the blessed oefering had
thrown the burden of reproach
back upon herself. She saw him
L - n a