Year: 1877

brought to him heavy business anxieties,
annoyances that pierce TO the quick, dis
appointments that involved more than he
dared to compute, and he looked on his
pleasant surroundings with wisttul air,
and half wondered why they brought
him so little pleasure. 1t he had not
taken off his coat and boots be would
have made an errand into the streets, and
dropped into his club, where he was sure
of meeting half dozen jolly fellows,
and hearing only cheerful and pleasant
things. But only that night as he walked
through the gathering twilight, the days
! of his courtship and early married lie {;
the long evenings that Mary and he had
spent in reading Milton and Homer and
Scott aud Plato and Bacon and Thackeray
and Dickens; how he dreamed that she
would always be his chosen intellectual
companion, no less than the partner oil
| his life; but now she seemed settling
into mere nursery maid q humdrum
/ housekeeper, good seamstreSs. with no
other thought than 10 provide Tor the
/ physical well-5eiHg Of her household.
What could he do about it? lie would
buy the new magazine and read aloud 10
her, and see il they couldn't have q taste
of the old. sweet wine oi their carly
compauiOnShip.


So, as she took up new embroidered
sack that she was making for The baby.
he opened to story. and asked her il she
would not like to hear it. Why, yes, she
would be very glad to; she got so little
time to read now. there was so much
sowing 10 do, and So many things 10 see
to, and so many Interruptions, that She
never had time to open book, hardly.


Frank was soon in the midst OF the
story, but when he read a gorgeous
description OF the boudoir of the heroine,
Mary interrupted him:


That makes me think, Frank, that we
must have new carpet Tor our best
chamber; that's been on the floor ever
since we were married. and its all faded
IL will do very we'll for one OF the other
bedrooms, but | think We must have y
new carpet for that room, and curtains to
match; you know carpets are cheap now.
saw an elegant ingram at Sloan's last
week; ilst the thing, ana i, wouldn't
COS. over $50; this room ism 'tyeIy large. "


You shall have it, said Frank. o' he
went on with his reading. Presently he
looked up irqniIingIy to Mary, and SAID
"Docsn'r this spirited fellow remind you
OF Tom Bowling. my Old college chum -
your cousin Tom, YOU know !! seeing
that Mary looked little doubtful.


"Wny. yes. guess he does" said
Mary, who had been thinking, not OF the
story, but how she would arrange the
new curtains. and embroider toilet set
to match the carpet.


l, was easy enough to see that the
reading would be failure, and when
the story was completed, Frank reclined
on the lounge and read to himself Its
no use" he thought, Il can't get her in
terested in anything but lrihes, and II!
60 back to my club


So, on the plea of business, Frank at
sented himself more and more from
home, until he rarely spent an evening
with Mary, unless visitors were present.
And she, absorbed in her domestic cares,
careful for his physical comfort, uncon
scious that they were growing apart.
gave herself more and more TO her house
hold duties, aud the constant, oversight
of her children.


Handsome children they were, and
Mrs. Meryiu must see that in dress and
manners they were no whit behind their
neighbors'. Though she had sewing
machine, her needle was constantly in
use while her husband was at home, EN-
broidering or finishing the garment she
had prepared 10 his absence. In case
there was nothing else the crochet or
tatting-needle filled up all intervals.


"Abominable crochet t-horrid tatting,"
Frank would say to himself, until all
the paraphernalia of tides and lamp
mats, wall-baskels. and sofa pillows
became inexpressibly odious TO him. "lt
Mary would only knit up the raveled
sleeve OF care which | bring home daily
with kind personal attention-iG she
would give me herself, and let mo rest
my weary head on her heart. No doubt
she loves me, but that loVe doesn't satisfy
me. | want her to go with me above
these low-hung skies of care and petty
ambition into the clear light of those
early, happy days, when we read and
talked so much together"


CHAPTER II.


A year or two after the opening OF our
story, Mrs. Meryin. worn with con-
slant confinement, accepted the inVi-
tation OF an old schoolmate. and taking
Minnie went to Vermont to pass the
summer. The children remained at
home with a tried housekeeper, who
would be sure to look after them care
fully. Frank had his club, and would
occasionally come TO Vermont TO pass