Year: 1871

Oh. y3JsE-E-e ghtened me so Il


John should"


4 She cut short I'll. -entence; but heI


frightened face .e5 ne in no doubt az


to what We're he. loughts.


SlF arose ar. walked about tho


room IN an uncertain way for some


moments, and then sat down again,


drawing in her breath heavily.


IF young wives l remarked he


lieviRg that her present state the


truth was the best thing to saw


"wou.d take half the pains in making
/ themselves appear personally attrac-
| tive to their husb~l Is, that they did
t ID charm their lovers, more of them


would find the lover continued in the


husband. Is man, think you, less
admirer Of wOmanly grace and beauty
after he becomes husband than he
was before >"


Hush. hushr' said she in a
choking voice. 81 see it ALL 1 COM
prehend it ALL" And she glanced
down at herself, ~ look hateful and
disgusting


After a plain earnest talk with
Maggy, / went home. l give her
own words as to what happened after
wards.


''I was wretched in the afternoon.
John had acted worse than usual at
dinner time; and what you told me
about poor Helen set my fears in mo-
ton and worried me half to death
Long before the time he usually came
home, | dressed myself with care, Sc
lecting the very things l had heard
him admire. As / looked at myself in
the glass, saw that ] vas attractive ;
/ felt as J had never felt before that
therewas a power in the dress that
no woman can disregard without loss
of influence, no matter what her pO-
sition or sphere of life.


Supper time came. | had made
something that 1 knew John liked,
and was waiting for him with n ner-
vOus eagerness it was impossible to
repress. But the hour passed and his
well-knOwn tread along the garden
walk did not reach my anxious ears.
Five, ten, twenty minutes beyond his
hour for returning, and still alone
Oh! | shiver as / recall the wild fears
that crowd upon me. / was standing
at the window, behind the curtain
waiting and watching. All at once
/ saw him a little distance from the
house, but not in the direction from
which he usually came. He was
walking slowly and with his eyes on
the ground. His whole manner was
that Of one depressed or suffering. 1
dropped the curtain, and went back
into our little breakfast room to see
that supper was put quickly on the
table. John came i'm, and went up
stats, as he usually did, to change his
coat before tea. In few minutes l
rang the tea bell, and then seated my
selfat the table to wait for him. He
was no longer than usual in making
himselfready, and then heard him
coming down slowly and heavily, as
if there was no spirit in him.


My heart beat strangely. But /
tried to look bright and smiling
There was, OH so dreary a look on
Johns face as | first saw it in the
door. He stood still just a moment
with his eyes fixed on me; then the
dreaFy look faded out; flash of
light passed over it, as he stepped for
ward quickly, and coming to where I
sat, stopped down and kissed me. New
er before was his kiss so sweet to my
lips.


II have found my little wife once
more" he said softly and tenderly,
and with a quiver in his voice. Ilaid
my head back upon his bosom, and
looking up into his face, answered,
'and you shall never lose her again."