The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-02-26

Yes.
Very we'll. Let that pass. You know
she is bearing part Of the burdenH'
yes, l know that.
'And now, my boy, do you compre
hend where the heaviest part Of the bur.
den is lodgedi'
Clarence looked upon his interlocutor
wonderingly.
IF the storm had all blown over, and
you knew that the sun would shine
when you next entered your home, you
would not feel so unhappy
Clarence asssnted.
But, continued MI. Wardle, you
fear that there will be gloom in your
home when you returnH
The young man bowed his head as he
replied in the affirmative.
Because the merchant added, with
a touch of parental ster nness in his
tone, you are resolved to carry it therel'
Clarence looked up in surprise.
IL carry itP'
AYE; you have the burden in your
heart, and you mean to carry it home.
Remember, my boy, hava been there
and know all about it. have been very
foolish in my lifetime, and I have suf-
fered, until 1 discovered my folly, aud
then resolved that would suffer no
more. Upon looking the matter squarely
and honestly in the face, / found that
the burdens which had so CALLED me had
been self.imposed. OF course such
burdens can be thrown off. Now you
have resolved you will go to dinner
with heavy heart and dark face. You
have no hope that your wife will meet
you with smile. And why? Because
you know that she has no particular
cause for smiling. You know that her
heart is burdened with the sf1iction
which gives you so much unrest. And
you are fully assured that you are to
find your home shrouded in gloom. And
furthermore, you don't know when that
gloom will depart and when the blessed
sunshine of love will burst in again.
And why don't you knowP Because it
is rot in your heart to sweep the cold
away. You say to yourself. Il can
bear it as long as she can't Am / not
right?'
Clarence did not answer in words.
4 know am right pursued the mer-
chant; and very likely your wife is say.
ing to herself the same thing. 30
Clarence, you see it does not rest upon
the willingness to forgive, but on the
inability to bear the burden. By-and-
bye it will happen, as it has happened
before, that one OF the twain will sur
render from exhaustion; and il will be
likely to be the weaker party. Then
there will be a collapse, and areconcilia-
ton. 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
coward. When he might with
breath blow the cloud away, he cringes
and covers until his wife is forced to let
the sunlight through her breaking
heart.
Clarence listened, and was troubled.
He saw the truth, felt it's weight. He
was not fool, nor was he liar. Dur.
ing the silence that followed he reflected
on the past, and he called to his mind
scenes just as Mr.. Wardle had depicted.
Aud this brought him to the remem-
brance 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 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, have come home
to throw down the burden 1 took away
with me this morning, 1t is greater
than can bear Suppose you were to
do this, would your wife repulse your
'Repulse mef'
'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 beso much Of n man? Or
do you fear 10 let your dear wife know
how much you love herf Do you fear