The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-01-11
SELECTED.
THE HUSBANDS LESSON
wonder why he STAYS SO late?'

The woman who uttered these word,
had repeated them hundred times since
the bright Autumn sunset in which slit
first sat down beside the window to watcl
and listen for her husbands coming anC
it was quite dark now, and stll she
pressed her soft cheek to the easement
and peered into the shadows with hel
clear, blue eyes.
She was very beautiful and very young
But for the wedding ring upon her hand
you would have called her IL girl am
hive be ieNed her 10 be waiting for q
lovers and not husbands coming. Yet
she had been married three long years
and he. to whom she had given all bel
heart when She stood be ide him at the
alter, already neglected her, and left hel
to watch evening after evening, night
after night, for the taroy footstep which
in the old days of courl,hi', had been the
very echo of her own
! Something akin to regret was in hel
heart tonight As SHE remembered ii
only Il neglected wife can, the love and
| tenderness of those past hours. How he
Used to gaze into her eyes, and sing It
To her, and bring her flowers and book,
and music,
Why had he changed: Was it her fault:
The tears would come to the blue yc>
now and She was Wiping them away when
the light of IA lamp fell upon the ceiling
through the half-opcn door, and in
another II oment tall, broad shouldercd
woman, a servant, evidently, entered the
! room.
''ln the dark again, she muttered,
''and crying, too. Il : Il samc-that' ;
what it is-a burning shame Such a
pretty young crittcr. and he used to make
an idol of her. And then setting down
the lamp, she added. aloud Come.
ma'am, come TO dinner You know IA,
we'll as | do that Nh Powell won't be
here for hours and hours, and it, wrong
OF Yen to niurc your health in this way.
DO come down.
The young wife arose, in obedience to
the summons of the old servant for Hep
iba had been her nurse when she WAS Il
little child, and was privileged person,
and not without some influence and fol-
| lowed her conductress to the dining-room
where the snowy cloth was spread with
every TEN ting dclicacy of the season,
and where everything, from the oval mir
ror between the windows To the ample
coal>cuttlc standing near the fire gilt
tered the polished silver,
at is not because his home is cheer
less, she said, again, and the thought
gave her Il little comfort
she sat down, and as She ate she lis
tened tn every sound in the street with.
out. The wind was rising, and every now
aud thcu some area gate, OF nnfaStened
shutter, was flung to with violent ciang.
But through all She soon heard light,
quick step upon the pavement
"Ah, nurse you were wrong. she said
with bright smile Here he il sc
Nurse shook hpr bond and ri n ,sl lpQn
the words, "The first time in three
months" which she felt compelled to
utter.
The door opened and handsome. we'll
built man, with soft, brown whiskers
and hair that had Il golden CLEAN upon lis
darkness when it caught the light, came
into the diniug-room.
"l'm SO sorry did not wait for You,
Harry began his wife. "but nothing is
cold vet, | hope, and"
ooh, it's all right, I'm glad you didn't
wait said the husband. in IA careless, oil
handed manner, which was peculiarly his
own, and which had a singular charm
about it. go on with your dinner, Rose.
I'll help myself
And so he did, eating with a hearty ap-
petite and talking, all the while more
morrily than he had done for = long time.
1t was Ike old times, Rose Thought, and
her eyes sparkled, aud her cheeks caught
ii soft glow in the freight as she caught
her husband looking at her .cndercly and
admiringly.
lie loves me stlll," She said 10 herself
ooh, am sure of it. Dear Harry. he
love- me still
Aud SO, when they were in the patlor,
alone together, she put her hand upon his
arm a> he stood before the fire and said