Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-03-15


attentively and thougbtfully than ANNE
had expected him to do.
II think you like our idea, she SAID
Maurice replied that he liked 1t par
ticuarly.
Papa says" Miss Annie once more
continued, ''that it will improve all our
minds and make us think; and that we
can never tell who besides ourselves
may read the odd sentence for the day,
nor where its influence may end.
"The influence win spread, and 50
viii the example, which | shall follow,
for one, said Maurice
And Annie was delighted.
Much earlier than usual Maurice was
on his way home, still endeayoring, rs
he went, to digest the odd sentence,
Made to tread those steps with sorrow
which he might have trod with delight. y
OH YES, it would be just so with him
he knew that very well-if he did not
take care; for our lives, As he reminded
himself, are great deal more in our
own hands than we are inclined to be-
lieve.
He had a pleasant, neat little home, a
kind, loving, thrifty, industrious young
wife. and dear little son. He had
youth and health and strength and easy
employment, with good prospect Of adj
vancemcnt And he had actually been
thinking in his heart of giving up at
least half of these blessings and going
to seek wealth and imaginary content
in foreign land.
Why how foolish he had bccn He
saw it now. That "Odd sentence had
been the means Of pointing it out to
him Going on simply and patiently in
the safe and right way before him, he
would tread his path with delight. But
if he gave way TO the host of foolish, I'M
manly, impatient, murmuring thoughts
that had 50 beset him of late, those same
steps, fair and untrodden before him
now, would very probably have pres
emily to be taken in bitter repentance
and sorrow.
NO he said to himself, as he was
nearing his own door, Carrie belongs
to me, and | TO her; and | will not
leave her even for time, TO struggle on
alone, when there is no real need.
What good would money do me if |
came back by and by to find home and
hearth desolatc? Home joys need keep
ing alive need cheGishing as well as
winning | wonder | never thought Of
that before How can | be sure that my
wife's love would outlast my desertionP
How can tell whether, after carelessiy
leaving behind me the best and truest
delights which this world can give, |
might not have to wander over the
world in loneliness and regret for the
remainder of my days?'
Night was drawing on, but Carrie
still sat with her baby in her arms, BY
and by the little clock on the mantle
shelf struck the half-hour after nine.
$50 later' she murmured, glancing
up. But bending softly over her
sleeping child and kissing its little face,
soft as yelyet-'your mother has not
been wasting time, baby
No, for Carrie had also had her per-
pleXities and veXations to think over
and to unrayel, and her decision to ar
rive Mt. Moreover, she had arrived at it
And now the disturbed frown which
had been there all the evening cleared
away from her brow, and she appeared
quite disposed to be cheerful.
And next she stole up stairs with her
baby boy, and quickly down again, to
put away her worl, and to stir and mend
the fire and to sweep the hearth, and
make everything look neat and bright
and pleasant again.
1T is of no use to take so much notice
of triles, said the little woman to her
self. las if this life We're all. must go
on and do the best | can. To find fault
and to fret and to look duh and doleful
whenever Maurice comes in will GER
taiuly not make him care more for me;
| but
She paused for she had heard her
husband step. And with glad light
in her eyes she sprung up from her
| bneeling position on the hearth, and
met him with a bright smile; and he
kissed her loudly and (to her secret sur
prise) appeared Us cheerful as herself
! zone word and one look of her huS-
band s. rs she had said to herself, had
opened her ewes 10 the fact that he had
not married her exactly for love. And
she had wished, with strong feelings Of
anger and jealousy combined TO inquire
further into particulars. But her decis-
ion had been to say nothing more about
the matter.
II am not clever" she had thought
to herself; Il do not know how to win
love easily. rs some women do; and l
cannot think and think, SO hard and so
long my thoughts only get into con-
fusion, shall Just try to be always
cheerful, and never to descend to re-
proachcs, for if 'reproachcs break friend
ships, rs they are said to do, they must
surely break love also
So she had thought few hours be-
fore. as She had sat there all alone with
her baby in her arms. and SO she was
thinking still as she stood now by her
husbands side.
Their ewes met; he put his arm around
her, and then. rs though he had seen
! her thoughts, he told her all she had
wished to know.
He had, in plain words, married
Carrie in tit of pique. He had loved,
and for a short tmo had been engaged
/ t,l l.,I .-t,a...,