Year: 1876

Soothing her gently, Mrs. Allen, the
good aunt, who had known and loved
the spoiled child from her babyhood,
said


"Mary, how deeply I sympathize
with you is more than can express"


"Oh, auntie, 1 have not told you the
worst pet. When Charley left home he
went straight to Annie Glenn and spent
several hours there, and he does this
very often. She has won his love from
me; this is the true reason of our un-
happiness. I have come to tell you
this, and to tell you I am going home to
mamma"


And the sorrowing young wife wept
bitterly.


Mary, you know 1 am your friend;
and ii what I am going to say to you
wounds you, it is yet for your own good.
You have done wrong, my child. l ad-
NIT Charles, knowing your tender rear
ing as the only child of wealthy parents,
should not have been so exacting; but
he has been accustomed to the superior
housekeeping and good management of
domestic mother and industrious sis
ters, and he doubtless attributes much
of your errors in making his home COM
Portable to Indifference on your part.
He does not understand your difficult
ties, nor does he deem your efforts
praiseworthy, because he has been in
the habit of seeing others make them as
a matter of duty. As for his visits to
Annie Glenn, l can, l think, explain
them. Mrs. Glenn is a good house
keeper and a splendid cook; Annie,
bright, intelligent girl, who does not
grow cross over her household labors.
So, if Charles sometimes drops in there
to partake of the deliciously prepared
little meal, and chat with the friend of
his childhood, in her bright, pleasant
little parlor, over the last new book, it
is not surprising"


"Oh, auntie, it may be true, but
Charles is cruel and unkind, and I am
sick of it all. 1 am going home to
mamma; she won't want me to cook,
and sweep, and make q drudge of my
SELF"


"Hush, Mary; you do not know what
you are saying, and surely you forget the
VOWS so solemnly spoken Just one year
ago. It was until death do us part that
you promised to be the wife of Charles
Stanwood. Then it was not for health,
happiness and sunshine you took those
VOWS, but for better, for worse ; and
now, my child, if the worse has come so
soon to blight the orange blossoms, you
must bear it.


Oh, no, cannot; must go back to
my old home-my dear home, where
everybody loved me. I never want to
look upon Charley Stanwood's face
again." sobbed the homesick young
wife.


"Don't, Mary; don't speak those
Words" said the old lady, with white,
trembling lips. "rhey are an echo in
my heart that sounds like funeral
dirge. And now, my dear niece, ere you
take this important step of leaving your
husband and your home, allow me to
tell you something Of the history of my
own life-a chapter whose sad story has
never been unfolded to the view of your
brighter young life.


Mary, L was about your age-seven-
teen-when I married Carlton Allen, the
handsomest man in our town. Like
yourself, was spoiled child-the only
girl in family of ten children. I was
too young to understand the sacredness
of marriage, or to appreciate the depth
and strength of the manly nature of my
husband; yet loved him. He was very
considerate, very indulgent, and I pre-
sumed upon his affection and goodness
until our home became very miserable,
and at length, alas desolate. L had al
ways followed my own wishes in all re-
spects, and when married I made no
change. One day we were to have a
large dinner party. Carlton was not
well, and l had arranged to have it with
out consulting him. Among the guests
was gentleman to whom my husband
had decided antipatby. He was too
much of gentleman to treat any guest
with rudeness, but the next morning he
called me to him and told me never to
invite that man into his house again.
answered angrily. One word brought
on another, until I declared my intention
of going home, saying to my husband,
as [ left the room Il never wish to
look upon your face again, Carlton Al
len.' And oh, my God 1 never did;
for that night my noble, manly husband
was killed by violent fall from his
horse. When they told at home, next
morning, of my bereavement, I fell
senseless to the floor, and for months
lay lowering between life and death.
At length my strength and youth tri-
umphed, and I recovered to pass my
life in a sorrowful atonement for the
folly of an hour. Since then, my child,
| have never seen a young wife render
her home unhappy without great grief
to my heart"


When Mrs. Allen ceased speaking her
niece was sobbing very gently, and she
felt sure her end was accomplished,
even before the penitent young wife
murmured:


"Oh, auntie, I thank you SO for this
story, which know was so hard for you
to tell. I will go home at once, and
do not think Charley will ever have
cause to complain of me again. I feel
that I can learn to keep house, and
make any and every sacrifice for his
happiness.


Aeep mousse, EXCLAIMED Mrs. Allen,
in cheering tones, "of course, you can.
Because you can paint, draw, and play
on the piano, that is no reason why you
cannot learn to manage your household
affairs with prudence and neatness. You
should not want any one to cay that the
stupid servants of the kitchen can
excel you. Surely, if they can &C.
quire the mysteries of cooking, so can
you. And now 1 am going to send my
cook to stay with you month. But
mind, you must not spoil her you must
manage and see to everything yourself,