The Owosso times., 1881-12-02

could not hear from him till the .next
day; 1t seemed so strange to breakfas
alone, and Nero appeared to think s,
too, for he was most unhappy, shifting
round his masters chair in the mos
melancholy manner.
: My plate, for the first time since M
marriage, was empty, as sat down Il
breakfast, for my husband, who was
an early riser, always had little bou
quet to greet me with every morning
, frequently forgot all about it, an(
left 1t to be put in water by a servant
this morning would have treasured
it most carefully if he had gathered
it.
After breakfast l determined Il
rouse myself, and go and visit som,
poor people in the village, so l fillet
my basket with some delicacies for the
sick, and set out.
| Wherever / went it was the same
story: all held forth on my husbands
goodness and kindness, for all had beer
helped by him in some way or other
and all loved and respected him.
AS 1 listened with burning chez ks, ]
felt as if / was the only person on earth
who had treated him with cruel ingrati
tude, and was the very person whom
he most loved and cherished.
At last Invent home, tired and sick
at heart; but there was no one to no
tice was pale and worn out, no one tO
get me wine or soup to revive me, nc
one to make me lie down and rest as
he would have done had he been there.
Oh, how 1 missed him! What fool l
had been! Was there ever woman low
ed and cared for as had beenp Oh,
why had l ever let him leave me? l
was sure he would never come back.
Why had he gone away?
And conscience answered.:
You drove him; he gave you all he
had to give, and in return you gave
him nothing but cold looks and unkind
words; and so he left you to seek love
and sympathy from his mother
This thought almost maddened me.
In fancy 1 saw her sitting in my place
by his side, loving and caressing him,
as had the best right to love and Ca
ress him; pictured her receiving ten
derly the little loving acts had receiv-
ed so coldly. and now was seized with
a jealous anger against her.
| l mentally accused her of estranging
my husband from me, and of trying to
win his love from me, as though his
heart was not large enough for both of
us.
When Maud arrived in the afternoon,
1 treated her to long TRADE Of abuse
against mothers-in-law in general, and
my own in particular, and vented all
the anger 1 really felt against myself
on the innocent Mrs. Cartwright.
why, Nelly said Maud, Il thought
you liked Mrs. Cartwright 80 much.
and thought her so nice. that you even
wanted her to live with you, only your
husband very properly, as mamma says
objected.
so 1 did, 1 answered; but did not
know then she would ever entice my
husband away from me in this way, or,
of course 1 should never have liked
her."
Really, Nell, you are very hard on
the poor woman; for, as understand,
Mr.. Cartwright went to her of his own
free will, because she was not well,
and he thought his company would do
her good, said Maud.
| Nonsense; am sure he would never
have left me alone, unless she had put
him up to it, L replied, rather GROSSLY.
"The truth is, Nelly, you are so much
i'm love with your husband that you
are jealous even of his mother; and
you are making yourself miserable
about nothing. Why, Mr.. Cartwright
will be. back in a fortnight, and dare
say you will get letter from him ev-
cry day; so cheer up, and let us go for
a drive said Maud.
1 agreed to this plan, and giving
Maud the reins, lay back and thought
of her words. Was she right after all
Was jealousp Was / really, as Maud
said, in love with my husbandp Had /
only found it out now was deprived
of his company Was this the reason l
could do nothing but inwardly reproach
myself for my conduct to himp And
the longer l thought the more convinc-
ed became that Maud was right,
that was jealous, and that l was in
love. as she called il.
The knowledge did not make me
happier, for no sooner knew l loved
him than lon ged to tell him so, and
make up, as far as could, for all my
former cruelty; for / conld call my con-
duct by no milder word.
1 passed a sleepless pight, and as /
lay awake composed various letters
of confession, which resolved to send
the following day; but when morning
came my pride stepped in, and l began
to feel it would be impossible to write,
and I settled must wait till my hus-
band came home, and then tell him how
his absence had altered me.
1 got up early aud walked out TO
meet the pOstman, so ANXIOUS WAS / to
get letter from him. 1t was the first
had ever received from him since our
marriage, and no girl was ever so anx.
ious for, or so pleased with, her first
love-letter as 1 was over this.
| 1t was a long letter, full of loving
messages and terms of endearment, all
of which cut me to the heart, for they
sounded like so many reproaches; in
reality, think there was tone of re-
proach throughout the letter.
| He gave me an account of his jour
ney and of his mothers health, and
begged me to write to him few lines
every day, but he said not word about
returning.
i / spent the morning i'm answering it.
i T. n
course, thought / was pouring out vol.