Year: 1859

until all was ecllpSed. An! III ne Hao Dus
dreamed of the cause! But Peter was not
Ia man who looked inward upon his own life
not man who considered his actions in
their effects upon others. He was, more
over, silent, undemonstrative man; rare
ly expressing his feelings. He gave few
outward signs by which any one could read
his heart. Here lay the origin of the trou-
BILE at home-the beginning of the eclipse
that left his little world in almost total dark
ness, when it should have been broad noon
day. It was not enough for Mrs. Crandall,
in the earlier years of their welded life, to
know that her husband loved her. Her
looks and loving words also; and for lack of
these, its green things withered and its
blossoms faded. Having told her in the
beginning that he loved her; having after
wards married her in proof Of his declara
ton and having ever since worked daily
for the sustaining of his home, and keeping
her as far above want as it was possible for
him to do, Peter Crandall saw no reason
why he should be all the time passing COM
plments. He couldn't do it. It wasn't in
him. He would have felt ashamed of it as
weakness!


And so, almost from the beginning, he
failed to give those outward signs Of affec-
tion-those pleasant tokens of kindness so
grateful to all but most of all to loving
wife. When his wife said, as was often the
case during the first year that succeeded
their marriage, Thank you, Peter,'' and
smiled gratefully in return for some little
act of kindncss-or expressed pleasure
when he came home from his work at even
ing, drawing her arm around his neck and
kissing him-or told him how lonesome she
felt all day, and what light his coming
brought into their little home-Peter Gran
Crandall felt glow of pleasure in his heart.
But it did not come within the range Of his
imagination to conceive that like words from
him would be to the spirit of his wife like
dew to the dropping flower. And so he
never expressed pleasure at meeting, but
rather affected. from kind of false pride
certain coolness, as though it we're a lack of
manlircss to act differently No matter how
many little attentions his wife might show
hin-no matter what she prepared for his
return, nor with what dainty skill she cook
ed the evening and monday meals, he nev-
er praised; and rarely gave even the meagre
reward of expressed qualification. But if
things went wrong-if the coffee was bad,
or the bread sour, or the meat burnt in
cooking-he was sure to speak out; and not
always in over choice words.


AS Mrs. Crandall began to fail in out
ward signs of affection, Peter perceived their
withdrawal as the gradual failing of sun
shine, when clouds gather over the sky in
Glmy wells that deepen into obscuring cur
tains. But the cause was to him mystic
Try. He felt as of old to his wife and work
ed for her as cheerfully as in the beginning.
The homef feeling was as strong as ever
and, after Withdrawing from the outer world
when the night-shadows fell, he had not the
beginning of a desire to 60 abroad from his
humble sanctuary, shorn as it was of chief
attraction-the smiles, and loving tones,
and words of his changing wife.


From this inauspicious beginning went on
steadily the unhappy change. The coming
Of children, which, on their advent, was
like the falling down upon them of sun
beams through suddenly rifted clouds, in
creased instead of diminishing the unpleas-
ant aspect of things in the house of Peter
Crandall. If the mothers heart had been
cheerful and strong-if her husband had
not shut out the light it needed to keep its
green things unwithered and it's flowers in
bloom-this would not have been So The
cheerful spirit would have given life to the
body-would have filled every nerve with
vital force. every muscle with strength for
daily toll. But the children proved more
burden than comfort to her. There was,
in their home. so little sunshine, that few
green things fourished in their hearts, and
the opening of flower was rare occur
renee But thorns to wound and weeds to
offend were there, and hourly they seemed
to gain ranker growth.


How it was in the home of Peter Gran
dali will be clear to every one now. There
are, around us, thousands and thousands of
such homes, all the chambers of which are
made dark or cheerless for lack of the
''small, sweet courtesies" of life, so cheaply
given. and so magical in their effect.


One day, Peter Crandall was sent by his
employer to do some work in the house ola
customer. This work happened to be in
the family sitting-room, in which we're four
children with their mother. The lady spoke
to him politely when he came in, and the
children treated him respectfully. He had
been at work only little while, when his
attention was attracted by request from
the mother for one of the children to 90 up
stairs and bring her some article she nam
ed. We say request, for this was in the
form of words uttered. The child went
instantly, and was back in very few mo-