Connecticut western news., 1884-02-27
Praise Her.


 shop, where he had worked all day. tired and out of spirits-came home to his wife who was also out of spirits.
 "A smiling wife and cheerful home "a paradise it would be p said Andrew to himself, as he turned his eyes from the clouded face of Mrs. Lee and sat down with knitted brows and moody as- pect.
 Not word was spoken by either. Mrs. Lee was getting supper, and she moved about with weary step.
 "Come," she said at last, with side glance at her husband.
 There was invitation ill the word only; none in the voice of Mrs. Lee.
 Andrew arose and went to the table. He was tempted to speak on angry word, but controlled himself and kept silent. He could find no fault with the chop and the homemade bread nor the fragrant tea They would have cheered his inward man if there had been only gleam of sunshine on the face of his wife. He noticed that she did not eat
 "Are you not we'll. Mary ?" The words were on his lips, but he did not utter them, for tue face of his wife looked so repellant that he feared an ir- ritating reply. And so in moody silence the twain sat together until Andrew had finished his supper.
 "This is purgatory!" said Lee to himself, as he commenced walking the floor of their breakfast-room with his hands thrust in his trousers pockets, and his chin almost touching his breast. After removing ell 4A.-aiahaa and tobinor them into the kitchen, Mrs. Lee spread green cover on the table, and placing fresh trimmed lamp thereon, went out and shut the door after her, and leaving her husband alone with his unpleasant feelings. He took long, deep breath as he did so, paused in his walk, stood still for some moments, and then draw ing paper from his pocket, sat down by the table, opened the sheet, and commenced reading. Singularly enough the words upon which his eyes rested were, "Praise your Wife" They rather rendered to the disturbance of mind from which he was suffering.
 1T should like to find some occasion for praising mine." How quickly his thoughts expressed that ill-natured sen- timentl But his eyes were on the page before him and read on:
 "'Praise your wife, man; for pity's  sake, give her little encouragement; it won't hurt her."
 Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the paper and muttered: "Oh, yes that's all very well. Praise is cheap enough; but praise her for what? For being sullen and making your home the most disagreeable place in the world ?" His eyes fell again on the paper.
 ''She has made your home comfort able, your heart bright and shining food agreeable for pity's sake, tell her you thank her, if nothing more; she don t expect it; it will make her eyes open wider than they have in ten years; but it will do her good for all that, and you, too"
 It seemed to Andrew as if this sen- tence were written for him, and just for the occasion. It was 8 complete answer to his question. Praise her for what 2 and he felt it as rebuke. He read nc further, for thought came too busy, and in new direction. Memory was con- victing him of injustice to his wife she had always made his home as com fortable as her hands could make it, and had he offered the light return of praise or comfort he had experienced? He was not able to recall the time or occa- sion; as he thought thus, Mrs. Lee came in from the kitchen, and taking her work-basket from the closet, placed it on the table, and sitting down without speaking, began to sew. Mir. Lee glanced almost stealthily at the work in her hands, and saw that it was the bosom of shirt which she was stitching neatly. He knew that it was for him she was at work.
 Praise your wife," The words were before the eyes of his mind and he could not look away from them; but he was not ready for this yet. He still felt moody and unforgiving. The expres. sion on his wife's face he interpreted to mean ill nature, and with i'll nature he had no patience. His eyes fell upon the newspaper spread out before him and he read the sentence
 "A kind, cheerful word, spoken in ( gloomy house is the little rift in the cloud that lets the sunshine through"
 Lee struggled with himself while longer; his own i'll nature had to be con quered first; his moody accusing spirit had to be subdued. He thought of many things to say, yet feared to say them, lest his wife should meet his advance with cold rebuff. At last, leaning to. ward her and taking hold of the linen bosom upon which she was at work, he said in voice carefully modulated with kindness: "You are doing this work very beautifully, Mary"