Year: 1871

Andrews love had flowed on unbrokeu and
untroubled, but this incoming of obstruc-
ton had produced turbulence as destruc-
tive of peace and happiness, for the time,
as though the very fountain Of love itself
had been broken up. In short, he was
trought To the selt-confeSsion that there
could be no more joy for him until this
cloud passed away. And how should that
be done! How should the sunlight be let
in again upon his hearthstone Z He was
proud, and he did not like to make confes-
SION of his fault. Would his wife make
the inst Acknowledgement? He hoped so /;
for thus the evil might be put away.


As he sat alone in his office, he took up
a paper, and sought to overcome his un-
happy thoughts by reading. He could not
fix his mind upon the thread of a long
article, so he read the short paragraphs :;
and at length his eye caught the following
" Where there has been misunderstanding
between near and dear friends, resulting in
mutual unhappiness and regret, the one
who loves most, and whose sense Of right
and duty is the strongest, will make the
first advance toward reconciliation"


Andrew Thurston dropped the paper,
and rose to his feet 1t was as though a
voice from Heaven had spoken to him.


81 do not love the most" he soliloquized;
"but am the strongest, and should show
my love by my works"


He looked at his watch-it was almost
noon. 1t was not his custom to return
home till evening, but he could not remain
and bear the burden through the other
hours of the day. And be marveled. as he
put on his hat and drew on his gloves, how
even the resolve to do this simple thing
had let the sunlight into his soul.


Ellie ThuBton, when she knew that her
husband had gone-hadgone withoutaword
or kiss-had gone without giving her
time to recover her stricken senses-sank
down and wept; and it was a long time
before she could clearly think or reflect.
She had been left alone-alone with pain
and sorrow, and che was utterly miserable.
She blamed herself for not having called
her husband to her; and she blamed him
for not having come Of his own accord. To
her it seemed as though the death Of joy
had come. She had never known such
misery before. By and by, when she could
think, she wondered If her husband would
smile upon her, if she should offer him the
first kiss, and speak the first word Of love.
She would try it. 1t would be terrible if
be should repulse her; but she could not
live so.


The hours passed, and the young wife
sat like one disconsolate. She thought not
Of dinner-shc had no appetite. She only
thought could the warm sunshine ever
come over again! Did her husband love
her less than she had thought? ?


Thus she sat with pale cheeks and swol-
len eyes, when sne heard the outer door
opened, and a step in the hall. She started
up to listen, thinking that her senses might
have deceived her, when the door Of the
sitting-room was opened, and her husband
entered. His eyes filled with tears when
he saw how pale and grief-stricken his wife
looked, and with open arms he went to-
ward her. "Ellie, my darling, don't let
us be unhappy any more"


He had been thinking, on his way home,
what he should say when he met her and
he had framed in bis mind speech Of con-
fession which he would make; but he
forgot it all when he saw her, and his
heart spoke as it would. The words burst
from his lips, lovingly prayertully beseech-
ingly, sEilie, my darling, don't let US be
unhappy any more !"


She came to his bosom, and twined her
arms about his neck; and for the kiss that
was missed in the morning they took many
kisses now; and they wept no more apart,
but they wept together.


That was all. The cloud had passed
and they experienced the exquisite thrill
which all true hearts feel when wrong
has been made right, and when the warm
ioy-beams drive away the dark shadows Of
sorrow and regret. 1t was life.lesson to
them both; and they promised themselves
that they would never forget its teachings.
-Arthur's Magazine.