Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-01-29

{ STORY.
BY SCOTT

II the earth was beautiful
Agnes Thorne could not see ii
nothing. IL seemed to her, could
be more dreary and forlorn, more
tiresome to open ones eyes on
in the morning. more painful to
close them on at night, than this
cheerless, black world l am
sure the world would have been
amazed, could it have read her
thoughts this beautiful summer
morn. for it had never knowingly
given Agnes, this little heroine Of
mine, . single dark day; indeed
l am prepared 10 say that only
sun and shine, and the warmest
love and care had surrounded. her
alwaysl But here she sat, right
In the haze and warmth of ripe
summer day, with pouting. trem-
bling lips, and q mysteriously
damp handkerchief in ner idle
hands. The wedding-ring shone
very bright there. but its gilt and
kIiSten seemed 10 meet no answer
y light in her eyes; indeed, I m
b sure tears were not between;
Nd YET tho sun fell through the
opsn window OF their little sitting
room, hers and Johns. and gave
yet . brighter luster to her soft
brown hair. Twas very soft,
pretty hair, and but for the tears,
and I'm afraid / must say the
frovn. the young fresh face was
Z pretty one, too; for the singing
Of the birds, the odor OF the he
liotrope just under the window.
the nodding Of the dear, old-fash-
ioned pinks. up and down each
side Of the path, were all un.
needed by the tear-dimmed eyes,
and even in the midst OF all this
beauty. her lips did say the words
that we're. in her heart: 'Tis q
drsary world, and hate il "
Twas just one OF those common
cases, only our Agnes was not .
common woman, and SO she was
taking it rather hard-this getting
used TO being snubbed by her
husband, / mean, and was threat
ening in her heart this long day
oil sorts Of awful things. unless
John did do better, and here the
innocent cause OF all these tears
and anathemas was happy in the
conviction Of doing everything in
mortal mans power to make home
and vile happy aud quite thor
oughly established in the peace
and comforts the conviction OF
success brought. OF course, he
had no time to spend at home,
but then he was making his way
h the world, and by rigid econo-
my, never q holiday, never q
ride, never q concert Cr ball. they
might some day be worth a some-
thing in the world. and this he
On said to Agnes; and when
e,4b hinted how much new shawl
oy some garment in the mode
would enhance her appearance.
John assured her that she looked
better in the peIisse she was mar.
fied in than any other woman
,sould to one made OF cloth Of
gold.
This was all very we'll, OF
course, to be told how fine she
looked in his eyes; but it didn't
mske "ole close" look as we'll az
nov; and the sqeaky little melo-
dson in Johns homo was so dif-
lersnt from the Steinway at home!
Then Johnnie, the baby, was nice
enough; but John never had time
| TO look at him, and oh, and oh,
we'll l don't know exactly what
vas the matter. Poor little Agnes
Was weary and dissatisfied. and
wanted to be petted and kissed,
/ and loved q little, l guess; any
how she lelt like many another
woman has before her, and / Ger
| tsinly shall take her part. And
20 there she sat, yes-I might as
woll tell the worst--and cried
Yesterday she told all thu iu her
journal Il sm sorry to confess she
kept such thing. and so now
she Just did like any foolish young
thing, thought aud imagined her
self into deeper despair than fate
ever dreamed Of sending her
Jehn came, and she could not
6nd the answering smile to wei
come him, nor did she try to con-
ceal the vexation which crowded
|in her heart. They dined IN 81
Ience, aud John left again in ii
lence for the Office. Again for
tea he came, no words passed be-
tween them. Once he essayed to
take her hand, but she felt her
fingers drawing up in the shape
81 a fist, and involuntarily turned
aud said words she could never
forgot, nor yet the look in his
mild astonished eyes. Twas far
int0 the night when he came, and
then with his night key, end
passed the nursery door, where
she always stayed with the baby
i'll he came. and 50 on in silence
10 their room Their ro)m the
very thought was hateful to her,
snd she felt she would never say
Il sgain. Thus far the night had
been spent dism snlling the nnr-
|uery 0f this aud that pretty little