Year: 1859

WIN NOBLE ana unyleldlng resolution, gave
her feeling of pleasure, not unmingled
with pride.


He will surely come back" murmur-
ed the affectionate mother to herself. and
| read the paper SO carefully every week,
that if it says anything about the ship a.
fred sailed in, shall be sure to see it."


"Mrs. Heath" said her husband, in
terrupting hermeditations somewhat rude
ly, we have spent thirty dollars more
than usual this year; where can it haze
gone too %


"The new harness." suggested Mrs.
Heath; " that don't come every year you
know"


Well, there's twenty dollars account
ed for"


owe had the carriage fixed up when
you bought the harness." continued his
wife.


"Well, that was eight dollars; that's
twenty-eight we don't spend every year,
but the other two, where can they have
gone 2"


Glancing his eye over the pages of the
memorandum book, he exclaimed


Gil tell you what 'tis (; the newspaper
costs just two dollars, and We can do with
out it. 1t isn't anything to eat, or drink,
or wear. | don't do anything with it,
and you only lay it away up in the cham
ber 1t may as well be left out as not,
and III stop my subscription right away"


ooh" said his wife You don't know
how much set by the newspaper. al
ways have sort of glad feeling when you
take it out of your hat and lay it on the
kitchen mantel- piece, just as | do when
some OF the children come home; and
when am tired sit down with my knit
ting work and read, [ can knit just as well
when I'm reading, and feel SO contented.
| don't believe Queen Victoria herself
takes more solid comfort than do sitting
by the east window, on a sunny afternoon,
reading my newspaper"


"But you are just as well off without
it," answered her husband, for want of
anything else to say.


Il never neglect anything else for read
ing do z" asked Mrs. Heath mildly.


No, I don't know as you dc" answer
ed her husband (" but it seems an extra
like-I shall stop it," he added, in tone
that showed plainly enough he wished to
stop the conversation.


| shall take the paper" remarked his
wife, 8" if have to go out washing to pay
for it"


This was not spoken angrily, but so
firmly that Mr. Heath noticed it, though
by no means remarkable for discernment
in most matters. 1t sounded so different
from her usual quiet /" as you think BEST"
that he actually stopped a moment to con-
slider whether it was at all likely she would
do as she said.


Mr.. Heath was kind husband, as that
indefinite desert iption is generally under
stood; that is, he did not beat his wife,
and always gave her enou gh to eat. More
than that, he had certain regard for her
happiness, which already made him feel
ashamed of his decision, but like many
other men who have more obstinacy than
wisdom, he could not bear to retract any
thing, and above all to be convinced that
he was wrong by woman.


However, with a commendable wish to
remove the unhappiness he had caused,
he suggested that, as the papers were
carefully saved, and she had found them
interesting, she could read them over again,
beginning at January, and take one week
through the year-they would just come
out even, he concluded, as if it were a
singular fact that they should do so.


Notwithstanding the admirable PROPOSE
ton, he still felt some uncasiness. 1t fol-
lowed him, as he walked, up the pleasant
lane to the pasture, and it made him speak
more sharply than was his wont, if the
COWS stopped when he was driving them
home, to crop the grass where it was
greenest and sweetest on the sunny slope
1t troubled him till he heard his wife call
him into supper, in such cheerful tone,
that he concluded she didn't care much
about the newspaper after all.


About week after, as Mr.. Heath was
moving one morning, he was surprised to
see his wife coming out, dressed as if for
visit


"I am going" said she, Z" to spend the
day with Mrs. Brown, have lett plenty
for you to eat;" and SO saying, she walk
ed rapidly on.


Mr. Heath thought about it just long
enough to say to himself, "she don't 90
a visiting to stay all day once year hard
| ly, and it is strange she should go in hay
ing time"


Very long the day seemed to him; to
go in for luncheon, dinner and supper,
aud to have nobody to speak to; to lind
everything so still. The old clock ticbed
stiller than usual, he thought; the brood
of pretty white chickens that were almost
always peeping around the door, had wan