The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-01-27
The Blight or a Married Life.


The Blight or a Married Life.
stAnnie, dear, will you tell me what il
is that troubles you SO lately? I have
| known and loved you ever ssince you
We're little child, and it grieves my
heart to see so sad look upon your
once happy face. Can you not trust me:
Give me your confidence, little one, and
perhaps after having told some one you
know to be truly your friend the burden
may seem lighter; and, indeed, it may
| dispel more than half the shadows now
lurking round your heart, and let in q
! little sunshine and scare away those dark
| clouds that hang so heavy upon your
brow"
ooh, Aunt Carrie, am so unhappy!
You know how much loved Tom when !
! married him-how almost worshipped
him; and he seemed so fond of me (for a
while). We were SO happy, too, for the
first few weeks, he seemed to find so
much pleasure in his wife and home.
But you know, auntie, Tom used to love
to go out and have good time, as he
called it, and / suppose he got tired of
being at home with just me, and longed
to be away with his old comrades and
friends. So when he got to staying out
lat first he came home early-ebout nine
o'clock I tried to feel that it was all
right, that it was hard to break away. all
at once, from the habits long formed.
But you see. auntie, have been so
happy OF home, with father and mother
and the children about me all the time.
and we always had company. Kate and
/ would sing, and Jennie would play and
l never knew what it meant to be lone
some. So when Tom left me alone after
supper, would wash up the dishes and
tidy up things and sci down to wait for
Tom. And oh, what long evenings! L
would strain my ears and listen to every
footstepI heard; my heart would give
great bound; was sure it was Tom; but
itV would pass by and die away in the
still night. Then my heart would sink
and almost die. But when he did come
would be SO relieved and glad forgot
to be angry, and would sit on his knee
and tell hrm how lonesome I had been,
But I began to notice that he did
not seem pleased when I complained.
and [ grew gloomy and had very lite to
say, and he got to staying out later and
later. he often got up cross in the
morning and left the house without
word. Many day had to fetch water.
and sometimes split wood to get dinner.
You know / wasn't much of cook
when married Tom; but he said he
didn't eaFe-we could live on love. But
| noticed that, if the beefsteak was not
done tosa turn and the toast just to his
liking, love didn't seem to take the place
OF 1t. But after the baby came he did
seem to be like himself once more. and
forget all3a1e neglect and what seemed to
me like unkindness on his part. and I
felt 90 proud of both Tom and the baby.
But that soon grew to be an old storyI
100. He scolded, and sometimes swore.
1t the baby fretted at night, and after q
while, he slept in the spare bed. and left
me alone to work and worry over the
baby if he was sick or restless. T grew so
w and i'll could scarcely do nv work
sand take care of the baby, but I had to
do it. He said his mother had seven
children, and did all the work-washing
and all-and it was strange if couldn't,
with only one; he couldn't see, for his
part, what had to do, anyway. / drag
ged around all summer until father
came to see me, and he soon saw how
things were and took me home with him,
and mother doctored me up and the girls
took care of the baby, and / got strong
before Christmas.
AT New Years I went back. and the
same evening Tom went out with TIE
boys, as he called them, and never got
home until after daylight, and thought
he had been poisoned, he was so fear
fully sick; but afterward learned that
he had been drinking. / grew ugly and
talked hateful, and said cutting and un-
kind things. He would get mad and say
such horrld things to me, until I be-
lleve we learned to hate each other cor
daily. We go for days without speak
ing. l would not care if he had not
taken me from home where I was
happy and free from care-if be had not
promised to love and care for me ten
derly. But he has blighted my life and
taken every ray of sunshine out of it. I
hate himl yes, do; I hate himi and if
l should live hundred years I could
never like him again.
Don't talk SO wild, and in such
fierce mood, my child. You have indeed
tasted the bitterest part of life. Why is
1t that man will trample the heart and
love OF good woman under his foot
throw them away as worthless cannot
tell; but true it often seems to be, few
women marry man unless she deyotedly
loves him. Most women show by their
every day life that they are willing and
glad tc give up their whole lives to the
pleasure of the man they marry. But
men of fhe world ought to know that
most women, if they are neglected and
forsaken by the man who ought to pro-
tect and give them the affection all
women need, that they will find plea
sures somewhere else It depends en-
trely on the woman what kinds of plea
sure they will seek. There would be
few unfaithful wives if hus-
bands were more careful of their
pleasures and needs-if they
would find and take time to bestow
little OF the pleasant talk, few of the