Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-01-04
Written for the Herald
THE BLIGHT OF A MARRIED
LIFE.

and loved you ever since You were little
child, and it grieves my heart to see so sad
look upon your young and once happy face.
Can you not trust me? Give me your conf
dence, 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 little sunshine and scare away those
dark clouds that hang so heavy upon your
brow"
''Oh, aunt Carrie l am so unhappy! You
know, auntie, how much loved Tom when
I married him-how I 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 50 much pleas
ure in his wife and home. But you know,
auntie, Tom used to love to 60 out and have
a 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-about nine
O'clock tried to feel that it was all right
that it was hard to break away, all at once,
from habits long formed. But you see,
auntie, / had been so happy at home, with
father and mother and the children about
me all the time, and we always had COM
pany. Katie and l would sing, and Jennie
would play, and never knew what it meant
to be lonesome So when Tom left me alone
after supper, would wash up the dishes and
tidy up things, and set down to wait for
Tom. And Oh, what long evenings ! would
strain my ears and listen, and every footstep
l heard my heart would give great bound: :
I was so sure it was Tom; but it 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 re-
leved and glad forgot to be angry, and
would sit ON his knee and tell him how lone
some had been.
But l began to notice that he did not
seem to be pleased when complained. and
grew gloomy and had very little 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 l
had to fetch water, and sometimes split
wood to get dinner You know | wasn't
much of cook when married Tom but
l, ha 1nif m
love. But / noticed that, if the beefsteak
was not done to turn and the toast just to
his liking love didn't seem to take the place
OF it. But after the baby came he did seem
to be like himself once more and l forgot all
the neglect and what seemed TO me like un-
kindness OIL his part, and l felt so proud Of
both Tom and the baby. But that soon grew
to be an old story, too. He scolded, and
sometimes swore, if the baby fretted at night,
and after while he slept in the spare bed,
and left me alone to worry and work over
the baby if he was sick and restless. l
grew so weak and i'll l could scarcely do my
work and take care of the baby, but had to
do it, He said his mother had seven chill
dren, and did all the work-washing and
all-and it was strange if l couldn't, with
only one he couldn't see, for his part, what
1 had to do, ANYWAY. l dragged 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 l went back, and the
same evening Tom went out with the
boys, as he called them, and never got home
until after daylight, and ! thought he had
been poisoned, he was so fearfully sick; but
l afterward learned that he had been drink
ing. l grew ugly and talked hateful, ana
said cutting and unkind things. He would
get mad and say such horrid things to me,
until believe we learned to hate each other
cordially We 60 for days without speaking
I would not care if he had not taken me
away from a home where l was so happy
and free from care-if he had not proniseo
to love and care for me tenderly. But he mas
blighted my life and taken every ray OF sun
shine out of il, 1 hate MIN yes, DO
hate him and if should live hunai'u
years could never like him again"
Don't talk so wild, and in such hei'e
mood, my child. You have indeed tas'eu
the bitterest part of life. Why it is tha' "
man will trample the heart and love O "
good wife under his foot-throw them a~''
as worthless-I cannot tell but true it oi'on
seems to be, few women marry man unie1''
she devotedly loves him. Most women $40" v,
by their every day life that they are WILDE
and glad to give up their whole lives to tno D
pleasure of the man they marry. But men men
of the world ought to know that mos
women, if they are neglected aud forsaIKeAn SAB y
by the man who ought to protect and glse
them the affection all women need, that they
will find pleasures somewhere else 1t de-
pends entirely on the woman what kinds o.
pleasure they will seek There would DC
few unfaithful wives if husbands were more
careful OF. their pleasures and needs-if they