Year: 1867

not raised tone of her voice, or spo


ken more quickly than was her wont


SO much the worse, thought Charles


He knew full we'll that words, some


times spoken in the heat and fire o.


temper, can be recalled, and scarcely


q shadow left in the soul but hi.


common sense, took into serious con


sideration the circumstances attend.
ing this unlocked for revelation, and


the bitter knowledge stared him in
the face that his wife had spoken the


truth, and the iron entered his soul.


Indifference was the proper name
for Mrs. Bakers feelings. She was
in sort of morbid, apathetio state,
when it would take tremendous
shock to bring to her again the pow
er of feeling. She loved her baby
with q tender mothers whole souled
devotion, and this, to all appearance,
was her only vulnerable spot.
The baby seemed to have been
born more nervous and irritable than
the most Of babies, and had now ar
rived at the teething age, when it took
all its mothers time and strength to
take proper care of it.


1t never had entered Mr.. Bakers
head that he could take his turn at
night, when his wife, sick and dis
couraged, paced the chamber floor.
1t never occurred to him that he, as
the father of the child (not taking
into consideration at all any love and
tenderness he might feel for his wife),
ought to bear his share of the labor.
Not he. When he could no longer
endure the child's cries and moans,
he betook himself to another apart.
ment, carefully closed the doors, that
no sounds might to disturb him, and
proceeded with his uninterrupted
slumbers.


Evenings were spent at lodge club,
theater-most anywhere but at home;
and never since the first year of their
married life had he invited his wife
to accompany him to a single place
OF amusement, and scarcely ever to
church and yet this foolish man ex.
pected to preserve his wife's affection
expected that she would always be
the tender, devoted companion. But
here was a waking up which made
Charles tremble, and he scarcely knew
what reply to make, what course to
pursue, or how to frame anything
like an Ineligible sentence.


81 never dreamed Of this" he &.
nally groaned out.


No answer.


Mary had fallen asleep, with the
baby in her her arms. Tired nature
could endure no longer. Night after
night had she walked the floor with
the screaming infant, and day after
day struggled with a multitude of
cares, which had almost crushed the
life Of the patient woman.


Charles looked at her carefully
All ! there were lines of care around
the small mouth, and fatigue had
made deep, dark circles around the
beautiful eyes, and then her complex
ion, usually SO brilliant, had given
place to pallor almost deadly,


Charles asked himself in dismay,
why he had never observed this
change before. How could he have
been so blind? A perfect torrent of
tenderness seemed to rush into his
soul at this, the eleventh hour, and
he arose, removed the slumbering in
fant from its mothers arms, laid it in
its rosewood crib, then throwing his
arms gently around the inanimate
form Of his wife, carried her to the
bed, and then sat down by her side
to watch and think.


"Better late than never" hopeful
ly whispered his good angel and he
determined that if God spared his
life, he would win back the love he
had lost; he would put up with cold
ness, with indifference, for he felt
that he had earned all the misery he
would be compelled to endure before
he could again be restored to his
wifes confidence and affection.


Mary awoke after awhile with q |
stast and shrek, but the light of rea-
son had fed.


Physicians were summoned-pro-
nouced it brain fever, and held out
very little encouragement as to final
restoration. Charles deserted his
business entirely, and the poor fellow
was nearly distracted. Love and re-
morse alternately held sway, and from
the careless fretful husband, he be-
came the tender, devoted nurse.


The crisis had passed |; Mary had
opened her eyes and looked about
her.


Where's baby2" was the first
family articulated question.


"Asleep, darling. Please, don't
talk any more; you have been very
ILL.," And the brown eyes were again
closed, and the little hand was nestled
close into her husbands.


What did that mean? Had she
herself, or did she love him
again? Hope whispered few words
of comfort, aud the rest of his vigil
was made with thankfulness which
ne had never before experienced.


Mary was declared convalescent,
and Charles resumed his business,
spending a small portion Of each day