Year: 1874

"Will you have pillow, dear?' ask
ed Mary, seeing her husbands eyes fix
cd on her.


'.Yes !" and she laid down her work
and crossed the room to the bedroom,
which opened out of it. Returning with
pillow, she placed it under Justin's
curly head.


81 guess I'll have something over me.
he said. So she went again to the bed
room, and brought blanket. She had
covered him all up snugly, when he said.


'Now get me drink of water"


He had just come from down stairs
where the water was but his wife did
not tell him that; she would have sent
one of the children down for a glass,
but as is usual when you want them,
there was no longer one to be seen. They
had scampered off on seeing their faith
er's intention of taking a nap.
Well, as there were no children to 60
for the water, Mrs. Wear went herself
and brought it. When Justin had taken
it, she retucked him and kissed him, and
then returned to the cradle. But now
the twins, left so long unrocked, awoke
and began to cry.


"Dear me, now you're going to have
those young ones up to help fellows
nap, are you? Why couldn't you have
kept them asleep little longer. Mary ?"


Perhaps they'll get quiet again, .
was her reply and at last she managed
to hush them.





81 must have my wants attended to
first" said Wear, one Monday morning,
at ten minutes to nine clock The chill
dren we're clamoring to be got ready for
school. Mother" had been nearly dis
tracted with headache all the morn
ing. and that had seemed to make every
thing go wrong and behindhand.


"Wait, children. till help father"
said the poor mother, who could just
step without staggering.


Help ME on with my coat, my dear,
and then get me clean handkerchief.
and tie new ribbon into this watch /; |
want bundle of those bills up stairs,
too-and am in great hurry this morn
ing do be quick, wife. -


Wife, poor, distracted looking crea-
ture, was as quick as she could be; and
at last the husband and the children
were got off. and she. with her almost
bursting head, set about clearing the
breakfast table and doing up the morn
ing's work.


They kept no servant-they could not
afford to hire girl for the house work !;
it took all the spare cash to- pay the wa
ges of Mr.. Wears clerks.


We will not follow the languid, fore
ed motions of that over-wearied woman.
nor speak further of her pain we will
not blame her for having taught her
husband to be burden which helped to
crush out her life, when just as easily
she might have taught him to place his
sturdy shoulder beneath every burden
that life had bound or should bind for
her, for he had kind heart, though a
blindly thoughtless one and he truly
loved his Mary, though of late years he
had wondered and fretted good deal.
(secretly of course, for he wished not to
hurt her feelings,) because she no long
er looked the peer of young, blooming
girls, when he was all the time improv-
ing in appearance. He had said to him.
self, more than forty times. '.what pity
it is that beautiful women will fade SO
soon-vhy can't they hold their own as
well as men ; they are weak creatures,
that's fact - as if his wife had not
borne hardships enough, both of mind
and body, to annihilate the strength
beauty. courage and common sense, of q
dozen men, though every one of them
had been, in the beginning, as robust as
he. But that's man, what you CAM
make him feel you can't make him un
derstand. We will leave what has beer
told, warning to those who come after
and only say that after one more year O
trial, the grave closed over Mary, anG
her long-suffering heart at last found
rest.


Then, indeed, when Justin sat dowr
alone in the house which seemed now 81
, emptied of all that made home wher
/ he brooded over the loss which darkeneC
: even life itself which took the warmth
! out of the days, and the breath out o
} the years, and left him to go struggling
| through life like one smitten at moor
5 with total blindness. ne began to remem
Der how his poor .Mary's life had beer
r worn out for him, and in remorse anc
l bitterness he bewailed the sacrifice. An,
there is no doubt that "sfary's success
5 orr will be the gamer by those hours o
: silent retrospection and remorse, for


He who bas lived with loving wife.


When she from his side has gone
VIII never have pleasure or peace in life


Till he sins him another one


The truer the widowed hearts first love


The keener lis parting strife,
j The sureT and sooner its thoughts will move


Towards seeking another wife.


LOOK AFTER THE EYES.