The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-08-02

| 1nen you must ADMIT IDaG the
trouble this morning came from no ill
feeling of the heart
"Of course not"
cit was but a surface squall, for
which you at least are very sorry"
A moments hesitation, and then
eyes, yes, l am heartily sorry"
"Now mark me, Clarence, and an
swer honestly: Don't you think that
your wife is as sorry as you are?'
II cannot doubt it,
"And don't you think she is suffer-
ing all this timer
"Perhaps.'
"Very we'll. Let that pass. You
know she is bearing that part of the
heavy burdeD?"
"Yes, l know that"
"And now, my boy, do you compre-
bend where the heaviest part of this
burden is lodged?"
Clarence looked upon his interlo-
cutor wonderingly.
at the storm had all blown over,
and you knew that the sun would
shine when yon next entered your
home, you would not feel so un-
happy?"
Clarence assented.
"But," continued Mr.. Wardle,
"you fear that there will be a gloom
in your home when you return"
The young man bowed bis head as
be replied in the affirmative.
Because" the merchant added,
with touch OF personal sternness in
his tone, "you are resolved to carry
it there!"
Clarence looked up in surprise.
IL carry it?"
"Aye, you have the burden in your
heart, and you mean to carry it home.
Remember, my boy, I have been there,
and l know all about it. I have been
very foolish in my lifetime, and I
have suffered. l suffered until l dis.
covered my folly, and then I resolved
l would suffer no more. Upon look.
ing the matter squarely in the face, l
found that the burdens which had so
CALLED me, had been self.imposed. Of
course such burdens can be thrown
off.
"Now you have resolved that you
will 90 home to dinner with heavy
heart and dark face. You have no
hope that your wife will meet you
with a smile. And why? Because
you know that she has no particular
cause for smiling. You know that
her heart is burdened with the affiic-
tion which gives you so much unrest.
And you are fully assured that you
are to find your home shrouded in
gloom. And furthermore you don't
know when that gloom will depart,
and when the blessed sunshine of love
will burst in again. And why don't
you know! Because it is not in your
heart to sweep the cloud away. You
say to yourself, L can bear it as long
as she can!' Am not right?"
Clarence did not answer in words
81 know l am right" pursued the
merchant. "And very likely your
wife is saying to herself the same
thing. So your hope of sunshine does
net rest upon your willingness to for
give, but upon the inability to bear
the burden. By-and-by it will hap
pen, as it has happened before, that
one of the twain will surrender from
exhaustion; and it will be likely to be
the weaker party. Then there will
be a collapse, and reconciliation
Generally the wife falls first beneath
the galloping burden, because her love
is keenest and most sensitive. The
husband in such case, acts the part
of coward"
"When he might, with a breath
blow the cloud awry, he cringes and
covers until his wife is forced to let
the beautiful sunshine in through hes
breaking heart.'
Clarence listened, and was troubled;
he saw the truth ard felt its weight.
He was not fool ror was he a liar.
During the silerce that followed be
reflected: upon the past and he called
to his mind scene s just as Mr.. War
die had depicted. And this brought
him to the remembrance of how he
had seen his wife weep when she had
failed and sank beneath the heavy bur
den, how often she had sobbsd upon
his bosom in grief for the error.
The merchant read the young man s