Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-06-19

IL seemed TO her that he gloated
over them. He woke her In the night
to tell her OF his deep affection for hei
or his friends and OF the ingratitude
with which he was repaid. Every care
less word or trining neglect was q
black proof of that ingratitude.
Going up the Saguenay, Alice met or
the boat her old friend Fraulein b.
and the two girls chartered together
for an hour on deck, while Moxon,
with heavy brow, paced up and
down.
"You know" he said afterward,
"that / do not speak German. Il is
the lack OF consideration Of me tha'
hurts me-"
''But she can not speak English
and"
"Pray do not explain. 1t is "a trihe.
These things sting, however. We will
talk no more about IT,"
For two days Of their homeward
journey he held her aloof with the
most chilly courtesy, sitting silent by
her side, staring out of the car win
dow with the face OF u martyr. She
found out at last that button was
wanting on his glove.
mo, l did not tell you," he said,
with a patient, injured smile. "LoUc
has keen eyes for these little services.
All, wonder sometimes if you ever
loved me, dear? II it was not respect
esteem, you gave me-"
"And all this" thought the tortured
Alice, Ito grow out of a buttons"
But she now neither joked nor ar
gued with him.
All Plympton. when they arrived,
watched them curiously. They knew
Ned and his grievances. "She has
sound sense and fine tact, and she
loves him dearly" the older women
said. "She will cure him, If any body
can,"
Her first effort at cure was to make
their home bright and cheerful, in
hopes that the innocent gayety might
drive away his moody suspicious. But
he became more melancholy each
day, telling her at last with sad pa.
| tience:
II do not like company. | had
thought our lifo would be a long,
happy tete-a-tete in our home"
IL am so sorry, Edward" she cried.
81 only brought these people here 10
amuse you"
When the house was empty she babe
no more guests. Then Edward grew
more wretched than before.
This is unkind of you, Alice. You
condemn yourself 10 solitude to please
me as IL l were a tyrant and an ogre.
| exact no such sacrifice. You are
placing me in false position"
Ii Mr.. Moxon had been a wicked or
malignant man his wife would proba-
bly, not have found this trait so diff
cult to deal with. IL would have been
in harmony with his whole character.
But he was an affectionate, generous
fellow, showering kindnesses upon his
family, his friends and the poor. He
was liberal, philosophical citizen;
he took the delight of a boy in picnics,
fishing parties, or any other gayety
among the young people. 1t is true
that at each one some sting was given
to what he called his affections, but
what really was his self-love, and
these stings festered in his mind for
years.
Ned" one of his cousins said TO
Alice, sis the most lovable fellow in
the world; yet he has a grudge against
every family in Plympton."
AS time passed and children began
to-grow up around them, the strain
upon their mother became almost in
tolerable. Edward loved his children
passionately; he heaped luxuries upon
them; secretly, he believed them supe-
rior to all other human beings; but he
nagged them necessarily, and each of
their petty faults he received as u
personal insult and injury to himself.
Tom" he would exclaim, with. a
face of despair, lis biting-hi nails
again! have spoken to him about it
thousand times. 1t is open defiance!
That boy despises me, and he shows
itw Or, ROSA writes q wretched hand.
She knows how ambitious / am that
she should excel in penmanship. She
has no affection for me, Alice-none
whatever!"
1t was in vain that his wife repre-
sented that all children were fallible,
or begged him to let time and patience
do their work.
mo; / make every sacrifice for
them. II they loved me, they would
not pain me in this way" he would re-
ply, with real agony of soul, when
Rosa failed in her geography, or Bob
came home bedaubed with mud.
Alice, beyond other women, pos
sessed sound sense and sweet, joyous
temper; but as she neared middle age,
her friends wondered why, blessed as
she was with wealth, good, loving
children, and a husband whom his
church, party and State honored, she
should have the jaded, watchful face
OF one who has had long struggle
with disease or disgrace.
bob, who was fiery, excitable lad,
understood the meaning Of her look
Poor motherr' he said, one day
after he came home from college, taxi
ing her head into his arms. ut would
be easier to fight with wild beasts at
Ephesus than to keep guard over my
fathers temper and mine. But | will
make an end of it, SOON"
What do you mean, RobertP"
TON and / are going away. mother a"
Your father means you to study
law and medicine at home," she
gasped.
81 know; but, mother, il we stay
there will be an open rupture. Father
takes every difference of character or
opinion as a personal insult. We are
not as patient as you. Let us 60 TO
California and shift for ourselves. We
are no longer children. we are men"