The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-07-29
Ten YEARS AFTER.

TEN YEARS AFTER
Ten years since the wedding day.
Mrs. Rowland was alone. She had left
her husband in the little room where
bhey usually sat together through the
Evenings, while she put the children to
ped.
Mrs. Rowland did not feel inclined to
return to the family sitting room, where
she had left her husband; but remained
n the chamber with her sleeping little
bnes, in musing, brooding, unhappy
state of mind. Something of GOODNESS
and alienation had been growing up be-
tween her and her husband for long
lime past. The old tenderness of man
ner, which had been so sweet, was all
bone. He was kind, thoughtful in re-
gard to her comfort, honorable and true;
but getting more formal and less atfec-
tionate in manner every day. His wife,
who had loved him very tenderly-and
who still loved him-had failed in her
life, to give the adequate response to his !;
had, in the fret and fever of discipline
by existence, suffered herself to walk
amid disturbing and unbeautiful ele-
ments, instead of taking her place Sc
renely by his side. And so inharmoni-
GUS things had been permitted to jar,
where all might have been peace.
1t was pressing upon the mind of Mrs.
lHowland that her husband had ceased to
love her; and this conviction was taking
all the sweetness out of her life. 1t did
mot once occur to her that she was her
self growing unlovely. That she had
laid aside nearly all the external things
by which when maiden, she had sought
Ito win him. The sunny countenance;
the alluring voice and manner; the scru-
pulous attire; the Difference to his taste
and opinions; the guard upon her tenn
per; the womanly elevation of character
that made her seem as one who ruled in
the kingdom of her soul. This was the
being he loved; this the woman he had
taken to walk with him through life.
Alas, for the fading ideal! He had
found. instead, one who made scarcely
an effort at self-government; whose
feelings and impulses were her springs
of action. Deeply, passionately, she
loved him; but only wise, self-abnegat-
ing love blesses both itself and the OBJ
ject of it's devotion. Without some
change on the part of Mrs. Rowland, it
was impossible for them to grow together
as one.
For an hour after her children were
asleep, the mother sat, in her wretched
mood, apart from her husband and feel
love has died." she said. 81 am nothing
now" And as she said this, her heart
shivered with an instructive realization of
what her words involved. Then fear for
the loss of thing so precious as hus-
bands love, sliced upon her soul, and
inspired new purpose. A love worth
winning, was surely worth an effort to
retain. And was not the way to win
the way to keep? A new light broke in
to Mrs. Howland's mind. She began to
see things in herself, that they were very
far from being in harmony with her life
when maiden; things that would GER
tainly have repealed lover, and were
they bonds for a husband?
These thoughts startled the awaken
ing VIE. The old memories were re-
ylved, bringing back old states. Pic
lures, warm with the hues of love, came
out of the dim past.
SIS the cup broken and the wine
spilled?" she asked of herself. God
4 forbidp' came from her lips, in audible
utterance. Then she left the chamber
where the children slept, and with silent
feet went slowly toward the apartments
where she had left her husband alone.
On the way she paused, stood still for a
moment and then returned. The gas
was burning low. She threw up tho
light, and caught reflection of herself
in the toilette glass. One glance sutficed.
rIl,.G rras not che style in which she had
appeared before her lover. Taking
down her hair, she applied comb and
brush rapidly for some minutes and then
arranged the glossy mass with taste and
skill. Next the soiled and tumbled
wrapper was removed, and her person
attired in neatly fitting dress, around
the neck snowy linen collar, fastened
by small coral pin, her husbands gift
of other days. Already her cheeks were
in a glow, and her eyes filled with light
One glance at herself revealed won
derful transformation. How the old
memories were crowding in upon her!
How soft her heart was growing! How
full of tenderness was every thought OF
her husband Her lips were athirst for
his kissesl
And now Mrs. Rowland left her cham.
Der again. Her slippered feet gave nc
sound as they moved over the carpet
and she came to the open door of the
sitting room without betraying a sign OF
her approach. There she stood still
Mr.. Rowland was not at the table read
ing, as she had left him; but at his sec.
rotary, which was open. He vas reclin
ing his head on his hand, and gazing
down upon something he held in the
other, and seemed wholly absorbed. Fol
more than a minute he remained in this
fixed attitude, his wife as still as him
self. Then a long sigh trembled on the
air; and then, lifting the object on which
his gaze was directed, Mr.. Rowland