Year: 1872




conclusion that | would not exhibit signs
of penitence until | saw some in him.


So | bathed my face that no traces OF
tears might remain, dressed myself with
extra care, and went down to old Bridget
to give some very particular directions
about dinner. | did this with a martyr
like spirit. l meant to try my best to
make him sorry for his injustice. | re-
solved to reproach him with frst-rate
dinner, good as his mother could cook. To
whet the edge of my delicate reproof, |
made with my own hands, a most excellent
cup of coffee.


One o'clock came at last, though |
thought it never would; the door opened,
and l heard his quick step in the hall
OF all things in the world, he was whis
tling


lie came to the table with bright face,
from which every trace Of the mornings
cloud had disappeared, and he sat down
and looked around with pleased express
sion.


Why, Annette, " said he what a
nice dinner "


IS am glad you are pleased, " said [, in
a subdued tone.


Capital, said he. " the best roast we
have had this season.


He was 50 taken up with my delicate
reproofs as not to notice that | was out of
spirits. l was half pleased and half pro-
voked but l kept rather still, making lit
. tie conversation except in reply to him.


After dessert, | handed him his cup of
coffee. lie was quite astonished. {" Why,
Annette " said he, q do believe you went
to work to-day to see what you could do. y


lie had hit the truth, without the least
suspicion Of the cause.


Ny first impulse was to be honest aud
out with it, by replying, Is it as good as
your mother makes This would have
given the key to the whole story-he would
have ferreted it all out, and we should
settled it there but felt ashamed to.
slipped my coffee in silence


The golden moment passed, and my good
angel took his flight. Pride had the day.
| even begun to be vexed at his enjoying
good dinner so much, and so easily forget
ting what had caused me so much suffer
ing. He was very busy on that day and
did not stay with me as usual to chat, but
went off whistling even more cheerily than
when he came


l went up into the nursery and sat down
to think it over. Baby was asleep; the
rain was pattering against the windows /:
the wind was rising and to me the world
looked dreary enough. 1 had tired my
self all out getting such a dinner, and now
the excitement was over [ felt the reac-
ti0u. | begun to ask myself what | had
got for it, just nothing at ALL My
husband either did not or would not see
that there was anything to be reconciled
about. l blamed him for his insensibility


Once thought l, " he would have no.
ticed any change in my voice or any shad-
0w which came over my SPIRITS now,
can really be cross to him and he does not
mind 1t at ALL


had doleful afternoon Of it. l was
restless enough; trying first one employ
ment and then another, but finding none
which would suit went down to tea,
farther, if anything, from the right point
than had been at noon | sat detected
and silent. My husband tried once or
twice to engage in conversation, without
success.


Annette said ne at length, in a kind
tone. do you not feel well to-day "


Not very" said 1 with a sigh


What is the matter2


Ny mead aches the baby kept me
awake almost all night"


This was the truth, but only in part,
and [ felt guilty as said it. Then he
begged me TO 20 and lie down on the sofa
In the parIor, and said be would read to me
anything would like to hear


felt this was kind in him. 1t was like
old times; the new times, you see, had
lasted but a day, but to me it seemed very
long vet it was not what | wanted
wished to lave the trouble cleared away,
not bridgcd over; and l determined to
hold out until it should come to this, and
he should feel and see that | could not be
made happy after a cross word, without a
sense Of mutual contrition and forgive
ness so l would not stay to be read to-
but told him l must 20 to bed. left him
in his easy chair, and study lamp and book
and bright fire, in regular old bachelor
style, and went off into my nursery, and
then to bed, and cried myself to sleep.
You laugh, Kate, as if you thought was
O fool. think so myself now.


How did it end, Annette "


| held out a week, becoming every
day more and more sad, and sulky.
may as well call it. When | was lef
alone, | would take my baby up and CRY
, over him as if my husband was dead, anc
the child was all [ had left in the world
, Dear me how unhappy l was, and ever
day added to it. | would find something
= in ais conduct to pain me every time VI
. met Either he was too attentive to m
or else he was not attentive enough
talked too much or too little.
} He bore my moody i'll humor most pa
t tiently, thinking l was i'll. One day h
came home and told me he had obtained
I weeks leave of absence and had engage'
carriage, and l must pack up myself an
f baby and be ready to start off in an houl
| He was going to take me home to m
i mothers.


; We may as well have journey q
q .pay docter's bills, Annette, sald ne
E and as to having you dropping about i
this style any longer, L am not going t.
# We will send off old Bridget, lock up on
n house, run away from all care and ha7


some fun"
He looked up so kindly that L cou
n have fallen upon his neck and wept n


heart out to think how ugly l had been
# but there was no time then to think ltoVe
n | hurried away to pack, but before
was half through with the packing, T
# solved that | would tell him the VINO
-e story from beginning to end.
- The moment | came to this determln
i ton the load was gone; my heart seem'
# light as feather; the expression OF n
i countenance, the tone of my voice change
| was conscious of it, and he noticed 1t