Year: 1869

Z


From the Saturday Evening Post.
Story - Married Folks.


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


A smiling wife and cheerful home
a paradise it would be-" said Andrew to
himself, as he turned his eyes from the
ciouded face Of Mrs. Lee and sat down
with knitted brows and moody aspect.


Not p word was spoken by either
Mrs. Lee was getting supper and she NOV
ed about with weary step.


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


Andrew arose ind went to the table.
He was tempted to speak an angry word,
but controlled himself and kept silent. He
could find no fault with the chop, nor the
homemade bread, nor the fragrant tea.
They would have cheered his inward man
if there bad been CLEAN Of sunshine on
the face Of his wife. He noticed she did
dot eat.


Are you not well, Mary?''


These words were on his lips; but he
did net utter them, for the face Of his wife
looked so repellant that he feared an irri-
tating reply.


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


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


This is purgatory said Lee to him
4 self, as he commenced walking the floor
I of their little breakfast room, with his
hands thrust into his trowsers pockets and
his chin almost touching his breast.
3 After removing and taking things into
{ the kitchen, Mrs. Lee spread a green COW
er over the table, and placing fresh>
trimmed lamp thereon, went out and shut
the door after her, leaving her husband
alone with his unpleasant feelings. He
took long deep breath as she did so,
paused in his walk. stood still for few
moments, and then drawing n paper from
his pocket, sat down by the table, opened
the sheet and commenced reading. Sin.
gu'ar enough, the words upon which his
n.yes rested were ''Praise your wife"
They rather tended to increase the disturb
aDce OF mind from which he was suffer
ing.


Il should like to find some occasion for
praising mine How quickly his thoughts
expressed that i'll natured sentiment! But
: has eyes were on the paper 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, ".h yes, that's al
very well--praise is cheap enough, but
praise her for what? For being sulien
aud nakinA her home the most dsagreea-
ble place in the word?' Ilis eyes fell
again to the paper.


''She has made your home comfortable,
your heart bright and shining, your food
agreeable for PHYS sake tell her 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 to.


1t seemed to Andrew as ii this sentence
was written expressly for him and just for
this occasion. 1t was complete answer
to his question, "Praise her for what y
and he felt il also a rebuke. He read no
further, for thoughts came too busy, and
in new direction. Memory was convinc-
ing him of injustice to his wife. She had
always made her home as comfortable Tor
him as she could make it, and had he of-
fered the light return of praise or com.
mendation? Had he ever told her of the
satisfaction he had known or the comfort
he 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 work basket from Me closet,
placed it on the table, and sitting down
without speaking, began to sew. Mr.
Lee glanced almost stealthily at the work
in her hands and saw that it was the
bosom of a shirt, which she was stitching
neatly. He knew that it was for him she
was at work.


Praise your wife," These words were
before the eyes Of his mind, and he could
not look away from them. But he was
not ready for this yet. He still felt moody
and unforgiving. The expression of his
wife's face he interpreted to mean lima
ture for which he had no patience. HIS
eyes fell upon the newspaper that was
living spread out before him, and he read
the sentence, "a kind, cheerful word spo-
ken in gloomy house, is the lit lie rift in
the cloud that lets the sunshine through"


Lee struggled with himself a while
longer.


His own ill>nature had to be conquered
Grst. his moody accusing spirit had to be
subdued. Irsqh9uSht of the many things
to say, and yet he feared to say them, lest
his wife should smeethis address with a
rebuff. At last, leaning towad her, and
taking hold upon the shirt bosom at which
she was at work, he said. in a voice that
was carefully moduIated with kindness.


tYnn ara do;nv that work heautifullv.