Year: 1877

whatever in her appearance or conduct we
did not approve. The next morning she
was ready for breakfast, and had her room
in order early, and wanted to assist Hannah
and me, but / did not want any bothering,
and after awhile she stepped away and went
out where Ed was busy in the garden, and
when / called them in her eyes were red,
and l knew she had been crying, most likely.
telling 'her husband" mess of stuff about
his sisters.


In day or two her piano came, and then
we had quarrel sure enough Ed wanted
ii put in the parlor, she wanted it put in
her own room, and we, or rather l. did not
want it anywhere. l believe Rachel would
have liked to have had it in the parlOr, for
she was an invalid and liked music, but
put my foot down, and down it stayed, and
the piano stood locked in the "spare bed
room, where it was never seen nor opened.
Alice never complained, never remonstrat-
ed, but kept getting winter and thinner,
end she ate less than any one / ever saw
about as much as her little bird that was
such a nuisance. She worked at something
all the time, gradually taking part of Han
nahs tasks and mine, until after awhile
whatever was the hardest and most unpleas-
ant thing to do fell to Alice. But she dis
guSted me with her childish ways, and one
day l made free to tell her so.
She went to the door as usual
with Ed, and, stepping out on
the porch she put her arms around his neck
and kissed him. kissing is all well enough
for babies and fathers and mothers, but it
provoked me to see a grown woman taking
on so over man when she had been married
six months, and l just talked right out
when she came in and Ed was gone The
tears came to her eyes and fell on her sew
ing, but pretended not to see them, and
went on with my lecture. 81 never kissed
anybody after was woman but mother,
and then only when she was going travelling,
and Ed when he started to college and then
came home. do not believe a man respects
woman who is always hugging him. /
know my father would not have allowed it.
Like as not it makes them despise such a
babyish wife" I'll never forget the look on
her face as she raised her eyes tc
mine. o. how / wish now / had
stopped then and not said any more.
but 1 went on: 'Yes, Alice, Ed may like it
for awhile. but you will disgust him before
long and then you will be sorry. There is
no use in your running after him eveay time
he comes and goes; he was never used to ii
and the novelty will wear off after awhile,
ar,I flar, ha nil ho., giI Il
you ought to be more womanly. dress more
quietly and fix your hair up like we fix
ours, and in every way remember you are
married and ought to be more reserved


II had struck her she would not have
look more hurt, but she did not answer me
at all. And yet, from that day henceforth
never saw her kiss Ed or in any way show
him tenderness; she seemed frozen. After
awhile he began to drift away from her. He
went to the village or the city every week,
and though | know she longed to join him,
she never said word or demonstrated at all
He would sit with us and read to us, or talk
long after she went up stairs, and he never
seemed in a hurry to follow her or
anxious to draw her into conversation.
heard him speak angrily to her when she
said timidly she had the headache, and was
sorry then had ever told him | believed
Alice imagined half her aches and pains
We were all strong, firm members of the
church, but she was not professor, and
was angry because Ed had married such a
sinner, and he gave her two or three lectures
ON joining the church, but in that she was
firm.


''No," she would answer, 81 alone will be
judged for this, not you. can not be hyp-
ocrite, and profess something | do not real
ize." And yet 1 heard her praying more
than once when / would slip in the next
room to see what-she was about


Ed went off to church with us after
this, and Alice stayed at home
alone or with Rachel when she
was too ill to go. He was cold and reserved
to his wife, but he was such a good brother
| to US, and yet somehow / did not enjoy his
company; it seemed as if l was stealing
from somebody. She would stand on the
porch and look after US as we rode off, or
slip quietly into the room where we would
be talking And yet she never was harsh
never any way but gentle and loving She
got into a way, after the work was done,
of going off to her room alone and staying
until we went about the next meal, when
she was always ready for her part. She
seemed anxious for Ed to praise her work,
but after talked to him about her / never
saw him even notice what she was doing.


Rachel was getting weaker every day, and
at last we called in the doctor and he told
us she would not live but few weeks. Thai
was the hardest blow of my life. Father and
mother faded away. and we were prepared