Year: 1861

"Wife, wife, thou art fearful wo.
man, and makest me fear thee; but


natheless, 1 shall go.''


'"Go then" she said, and rose and


left him; and he shortly after went


from the house-he returned in the
evening i'll the same assumed state as


before, and Went to bed. For the last
two days that he had played this part
since his wife had begun to use threats


he had gone when he left his own
house, either to a friends or tavern,
where he slept away all the time he
was absent, in order that he might
lie awake during the night, to watch
what his wife would DO; but during
this day he had not, for disauietude OF
mind, been able to sleep at all; but
now that he was in bed, such Il drow-
siness came over him, that in spite of
all his endeavors he soon fell into a
sound sleep. From this he was arous-
ed by his wiie's getting ont of bed /;
yet, although he at once started into
thorough wax efulness, he bad the pre-
sence Of mind to pretend to be still
asleep, and lay still and watched her.
She had thrown Il night gown around
hcr-but her hair was loose, and hung
struggling about her neck, ana as she
passed the foot Of the bed, the light
from Il lamp that was burning on !,
table, fell through her locks upon her
face, and Martyr saw that was Of that
iivid paleness, and that her eyes We're
frightened by that hateful snalelike
look, which he had only once before
beheld in reality, thoug gh in memory,
thousands and thousands Of times; he
saw too that she had a small knife in
one hand. Slowly and Silly, like a
ghost, she glided on--but away from
him; and going up to the place where
she had hung her gown up when she
undressed, she took it down and rip
ped open one of the sleeves of it, and
took something out she the went to
the hearth, where there was a fire
burning, for i was winter, and having
laid the knife, and whatever else she
held in her hand, beside the lamp up
on the table, she seemed searching for
something about the hearth At last
Mastvn heard her nutter, Not here
how foolish-heedless of mel
must go and fetch it from below She
moved towards the door-Martvn's :
heart beat within hin.. as he thought
the moment she should be gone, he
would leap from the bed and rush
past her down the stairs, and out OF
the house-for he strangely felt that
to be alone would be more dreadful
than TO be in her most dreadful pres
ence. She stopped, however, at the
door-laid hold of the. latch, but did
not raise it--and continued in q low
mutter, ''Not here; mayhap it was
for some good end | forgot it-mav-
hap that | should give him one more
trial vet-shall IL shalI--one
more trial I will give thee, dear
Nartyn, dear still. though lost, |
dreaH~-One morc-one more and
saving this. she hurried back TO her
bed, and leaning her head upon
Martyu's shoulder, sighed and sob
bed, not loudly indeed, but as if her
heart We're cracking--and he-he
lay deadly still by her side, for he
really feared to speak TO her. even
though it Were to speak comfort: or
when he though of doing so, the re-
OF her word, ..onc trial
more" stihed him-she seemed soon
after to doze.. In the morning he
took care to rise before her, and woke
her in SO doin-he went up, Us if by
accident, to the table, and saw that
beside the knife there lay smallish
round dump of lead.


What is this for, Alice ?" he said
in careless tonc--tor he knew she
was watching him.


"What is it !" she replicd. He