Year: 1879

II carry II


AYE; You have the burden in your
heart, and you mean TO carry it home Re
member, my boy, | have been there, and
know all about it. have been very foolish
IN my lifetime, and have suffered l suf-
fered until discovered my folly, and then
l resolved that / would suffer no more.
Upon looking the matter squarely and
honestly in the face, found that the bur
denS which had so CALLED me had been self
| imposed. OF course such burdens can be
thrown off. Now you have resolved that
you will 60 home TO dinner with a heavy
heart and dark face. You have no hope
that your wife will meet you with smile.
And why! Because you know that she
has no particular cause for smiling. You
know that her heart is burdened with the
afliction which gives You SO much unrest.
And you are fully assured that you are to
find your home shrouded in gloom. And.
furthermore, You don't know when that
gloom will depart and wien the blessed
sunshine of love will burst in again. And
why don't you knowl Because it Is not
now in your heart to sweep the cloud away.
You say TO yourself, 4 can bear it as long
as she can,n Am not right -


Clarence did no. answer in words.


Il know | am right, pursued the mer-
chant; land very likely your wife is saying
to herself The same thing. So you hope of
sunshine does not rest upon the willingness
TO forgive, but upon the inability to bear
the burden. By-and-by it will happen, as
it has happened before, that one of the
twain will surrender from exhaustion: and
it will be likely to he the weaker party.
Then there win be collapse, and a recon-
eiliation. Generally the wife fails first be-
meath the CALLING burden, because her love
Is keenest and most sensitive. The hus-
band, in such case, acts the part of cow
ard. When he might, with 4 breath, blow
the cloud away, the cringes and covers un-
til his wife is sorced to let the sunlight in
through her breaking heart.


Clarence listened, and was troubled. He
saw the truth, felt its weight. He was not
a fool, nor was he a liar. During the Silence
that followed he reflected upon the past,
and he called 10 his mind scenes Just as
AIr. Wardle had depicted. And this brought
him TO the remembrance of how he had seen
his wife weep when she had failed and sank
beneath the heavy burden, how often she
had sobbed upon his bosom in grief for the
error


The merchant read the young mans
thoughts, and after time he rose and
touched him upon the arm.


Clarence, suppose you were to put on
your hat and 90 home now. Suppose you
should think, on your way, only of the
love and blessing that might be; with this
thought, you should enter your abode with
smile upon your face and you should put
your arms around your wife's neck, and
kiss her, and softly say to her, ''Sly darling,
| have come home to throw down the bur
den took away with ne this morning. 1t
is greater than l can bear" Suppose you
were to do this, would your wife repulse
you:"


'Repulse mel'


'.Ah, my boy, you echo my words with
an amazemcnt which shows that you I'M
derstand me. Now, sir, have You the cour
age to try the experiment!' Dare you to
be so much of a man Or do you fear to
let your dear wife know how much you
love herr Do you fear she would respect
and esteem you less for the deede Tel me
do you think the cloud of unhappiness
might thus be banished! Oh, Clarence, if
you would but try it.'


Sarah Spencer had finished her work in
the kitchen, and in the bed-chamber, and
sat down with her work in her lap But
she could not ply her needle. Her heart
was heavy and sad, and tears were in her
eyes.


Presently she heard the front door open,
and step in the passage. Certainly she
knew that step! Yes--her husband enter
ed ard a smile upon his face. She saw it
through her gathering tears, and her heavy
heart leaped up. He came and put his arms
around her neck, and kissed her; and he
said to her, in broken accents, ''Darling,
| have come home to throw down the bur
den took away with me this morning. 1t
is greater than can bear.s


And she, trying to speak, pillowed her
head upon his bosom and sobbed and wept
like a child. Oh could he forgive her
His coming with the blessed offering had
thrown the burden of reproach back upon
himself. She saw him noble and generous,
and she worshiped him.


But Clarence would not allow her to take
all the blame. lie must share that.


1--WE will share it so evenly" said he,
s1hat its weight shall be felt no more. And
now my darling we will be happyl"


Always.


Mr.. Wardle had no need, when Clarence
returned to the counting house, TO ask the
result. He could read it in the young man
trimming eyes, and in the joy-inspired
face.
1t was a year after this-and Clarence
Spencer had become partner in the house
that Mr.. Wardle, by accident, referred
to the events of that gloomy morning


"Ah," said Clarence, with swelling bo-
som. .that was tine most blessed lesson
ever received. My wife knows who gave
it to me"


.sAnd it serves you yet, my boy"


'4Aye, and it will serve US while we i've
We have none of those old burdens OF an
ger TO bear now They cannot find lodg-
ment with u.s. The flash and jar may come
rs IN the other days-for we are human,
Won kuow-but the heart, which has firmly
resolved not to give an abiding place to the
III faeIinq will not be called upon to enter
,a;n II Sometimes we are foolish; but we