Year: 1868

Andrew Lee came from his shop,
where he had worked all day, tired and
out of spirits; came home to his wife,
who was also tired and out of spirits.


"A smiling wife and cheerful home
paradise it would be-" said Andrew
to himself, as he turned his eyes form
the clouded face of Mrs. Lee and set
down with knitted brows and moody
aspect.


Not word was spoken by either;
Mrs. Lee was getting supper and she
moved about with a weary step.


"Come," she said at last, with side
glance at her husband.


Andrew arose and went to the table.
He was tempted to speak an angry
word, but controlled himself and kept
silent. He could find no fault with his
chop, nor the homemade bread, nor
the fragrant tea. They would have
cheered his inward man if there had
been CLEAN of sunshine on the face of
his wife,. He noticed she did not eat.


care you not well, Marya"


Those words were on his lips; but ne
did not utter them, for the face of his
wife looked so repellant that he feared
an irritating reply. t-t


And SO on, in moody silence, the twain
sat together until Andrew finished his
supper.


As he pushed his chair back his wife
arose and commenced clearing off the
table.


"This is purgatoryr' said Lee to him
self, as he commenced walking the floor
of their little breakfast room, with his
hands thrust into his trowsers pockets
and his chin almost touching his breast.


After removing and taking things in
to the kitching, Mrs. Lee spread green
cover over the table, and placed fresh
trimmed lamp thereon, went out and
shut the door after her, leaving her
husband alone with his unpleasant feel
ings. He took long deep breath, as
she did SO, paused in his walk, and
stood still for some moments, and then
drawing a paper from his pocket, sat
down by the table, opened the sheet
and commenced reading. Singularly
enough, the words upon which his
eyes rested were, "Praise your wife. !"
They rather tended to increase the dis
turbance of mind, from which he was
suffering.


81 should like to find some occasion
for praising mine" How quickly his
thoughts expressed that ill-natured SEN
timentl But his eyes were on the pa
per before him, and he read on:


"Praise your wife, man; for. PHYS
sake give her a little encouragement.
1t won't hurt her,"


Andrew Lee raised his eyes from the
paper and muttered, "Oh yes, that's
all very well-praise is cheap enough.
But praise her what for9" His eyes fell
again to the paper.


''She has made your home comfor-
table, your hearth bright and shining,
your food agreeable; for PHYS sake say
you thank her, if nothing more. She
don't expect it. 1t will make her eyes
wider than they have been for ten years;
but it will do her good for all that, and
you too"


1t seemed to Andrew as this sentence
was written expressly for him, and Just
for this occasion. 1t was a complete
answer to the question, "Praise her for
whatw and he felt it also a rebuke.
He read no further, for thoughts came
too busy, and in new direction. Men,
ory was convincing him of injustice
to his wife. She had already made his
home as comfortable for him as she
could make it, and had he offered the
light return of praise or commendation /?
Had he ever told her of the satisfaction
he had known or the comfort he had
experienced? He was not able to recall
the time or occasion. As he thought
thus Mrs. Lee came in from the kitchen
and taking her workbasket from the
closet, placing it on the table, and sit
ting down without speaking, began to
sew. Mr.. Lee glanced almost STEALTH
ly at the work in her hands and saw
that it was the bosom of shirt which
she was stitching neatly. He knew tn at
it was for him she was at work.