The Wife

I have nften had occasion to mark the fortitude with which women nu-itaiu the mont overwhelming reverses of fortune. Those diMiste.ro which breuk down the i-piritw of a man, una prostrate hitri in (he dust, Beetn to chI] f'oirth all the nergifcs of the softer sej, and give uuuh ntrepidity and elevation to thtir character, that at times it upproaehes to vublimily. No hing can be more touchiiig than lo beholci a soft and tender fetnale, who had been all weakness and dependenee, and ahve to every trivial roughuess vi hilo treading the prusperous pathj oi'life, suddualy risitit n mental forcé to bo the oomiorter and supporter of her husband uuder mitííorume, and abiding with uushnrjii u irtuness the bilttrest blasta of aé vorny As the vine which has long Iwined ts gracef'ul foüage about the oak, and jecn lifted b'y il into iitiD3hiae, will uhen he hardy phint is rifted by the thunderbolt, c-ling round it u itti its careas ng tetjdrils, and bind tip ita nhattered Kuighw ; so it a beautifully ordored by ?rovidence, that woman, who is the mere Oependenl and ornament of man ti bil happier hour, hould be his tav üd solace when smitten wi.h mdden eaktiiity ; winding herielf into the rugjed receïes of his nature, tenderly supportiiig the drooping heud, and lindiog np the broken huurt. I was ouce congratulating a íriend who had around him a blooming faniüy, kuit togt-ther in the ttrongest nffection ' I can winh you no botter lot," said ie,, with eulhiihiasru, " than to have a wife and childreo. If you are pros))eriub, there they are to bare your pros )entv ; if otberwist, they are to oom 'ort you." And, indeed, I haveeberved ïhat a niarried man fulling into nisfurtune is more apt to retrieve his itubtion in the world than a single n; partly because he is more gtimuated to exertiou by the neoecsities of he helplesH and beloved beings who de■end upou him for mibsis ence ; but hiefly because his spirits are snothed ud reüeved by domestic endeannentK, nd bis Mell-rer.pect kept ulire by find' ng that, althitiigh all abroad d: rkets and humiliati'in, yet there in stiÜ u ittle world of love at home, of whch he 8 the monarch. Wbereua. a single man s apt to run to wate itnd sili negleot - to fancy him&elf lonely and ' ed, nnd hjs beart to full to ruin, lite ome deserted mansión, for want ol ari nhabitunt. Thtso obuervalious cali to ïiud a Hule domestic story ol which 1 as onco a witneg. JJy intinmto friend, Leslie, r,ud marriod a boáutiful and arcomplished girl, who had boon brought up in tha midst o{ fastWOnihla lif. rthe had, it is truc, no íoituue, but ïliut of rny íriei.d w;is ampia; and be deligütcd iu the antioipui ton of indulging her ia even ekgaot puwuit, umi tdmioistering to those d.eliuste tastes au1 faueieM that i-prta'i a kind of wilchbry abmit rhe stx. " Her life " 8uid he, "flja!l 1)0 like u f';iiry talu." Thu veiy diff;rence in their charac teis Ji(iduced a harmonieus oumhinalioD ; he wus of a roniai.tii; and 8Q(uehU ienoue cs.st; ftie wus all life and gladnews. I have ofteu notioed tluinute raplure with which he would gaze upoQ her in oompany, oí wkich her sprightlj power má her thu delight, aud how, in the midat of ajiplause, her eye wt.uld gtiÜ turn to hirn us .f there alone she suogbt f.ivor and u:ct:ptancb. When leaning od his arm, her Klei.der forni contmsted finel with his full mai.ly peroon. 'J he fond confiding air with which sho looked up to him seemd to cali foith b flwb of triomphmoí pride uod cherisliing tetidenu-gg, art f he doatcd on bis lov.'lv uurihen for iig vyry helplessne. Ncver did a couple snt lorth on the flowery pulh ofeWrlv nd well suited tuarriagu wiih a fairer prospect oí ielicity. It was the misiortune of my frieod howcver, to bvO embarked b ty in large sptculations; und be had not been married inany months, when, by a uucceseion of siidden disasters, it was swept from hirri, and he found himself reduoed to aimost peuury. Por a time he kept Lis situation to himse.'f, and went about with a beggard countenance, and a breaking heart. Hia üfe was but a protraeted ugony ; and vvhat rendered it more iusupportable, was the neces-üty of keeping up a smilo in the presenco of his wife, for ha could not bring iiimself to overwhelm ber with the news. She saw, however, with the quick eye3 of affection, thut uil was not well with him. She markeci his altered looka and gtiñüd sighs, and was not to ba deceived by liis nickly aud vapid attempts at cheerfulneaa. She tafked all her sprightly powers and tender blandislitueiits to win him back to happinesg; but abe only drove ihe arrow deeper into hid soul. The inore he saw cause to love hor, the more torturing was the thought that hu was a on to inake her wretched. A little while, thonght he, and the smile will vani?h irom that chfit-k - flie song will die away from those lips - the lustre of thoaa uves will bo queuched with sorrow - and the happy heart which now beats Jightly in that bosom will be weighed dowu. like mine, by the cares and miseries of the world. At length he came to me one da y and rulated hia whole litURtioD ia n tone of the deepest despair. When I had heard him through, I inquired, "Does your wife know all this ? ' At the question he hroke into an ngony of tcar. " For God's sake !" cried he, " if ynu haveany pity on me, don't tnentiou my wife; it is the hought of her that drives ine almo8t to madness I" " And why not ?" said I. " She must know i( sooner or laiur ; you cannot keep it long Irom her, and the intelli gence may break upon her in a more startling manuer, than if imparted by yoursell ; lor the accent of those e !ove, soften the hnrtshoat tidings. Bofides you are depriving yourseif of the comfort of her gympalhy ; and not merel v that, but also endanjierifig the only bond that can keep hearta together - sn unreservéd community of thuught ana feeling. She will oon percehe that somiing is seeretly preying upon your minlT and true love will not brook reserve; it feels undervalued and outraged hen even the sorrows of thosoit loves are ooocealed f rom. it." " Oh, but, my Iriend ! to think what a blow I ain to give to all her future pronpecU - bov I am to strike her very hou! to the earth, by telling Ler that her liu.-buud i a beggar ! - that shs is to forego all the elegam-iea of life - a!l the pleaaures of society - to ehiink with me iuto indigeoca and bsnurity ! To teil her that I have dragged her down froin the S)hera in whiuh sbo might have continued to move in constitnt brigbtnesn - the light of every eye - the admixtión ot every beart I How can 'sha bdtr poveriy ? She has been brought up in ill tho refinemeuts ot opulence. How can tfhu boar neglect ? Sho hna been the idol of Bociety. Oh, it will break her beart - it will break her heart !" "I suw his grief was eloquent, nnd I let it have its flow, for sorrow relieves iiself by words. When hm paroxvm had subsided, and he had relapwed into raoody filence, I resumed the subject gently, and urged him to breuk his sit iiatioo to his wife. He shuok his head mournfully, but positively. " But how are you to keep it froui her? It is neeeaary he hould kuow it, that yon m y take tbc steps proper to the 9ilterati(u of your circiim-tances You must elmrige your stvle of living - nay," observing a pang to pas acrosa his countenance, " don't let that affliut you. I am sureyou have never plaued your happineps in outwurd show - you have yet friende, warm friends, who will not think the worse oí yon for being le.-s silondidly lodired ; and surely it doeH uot require a paluee to be happy wilh Miiry " " 1 could be happy with her," cried he, convui.-'ively. '' n a hovel ! I ooulJ ojo dowu with her into pover'y and ttie dunt! I uould - I could - God bless her ! Gud hless he'' I ' cried luí, burst iig i rito a transport oí' griof aod ten derness. " And belicve nía, rryr friend," sid I, stepping up and grnspiair him warmly by the hmid, " believo me, nhe can ! the Mme with yon. Ayo, mort) : it will be a sowch of pride ind tritimjh lo her - ;t, will culi forth all tbs latent ener :;ies und fervent syrntmihies of her i hture; for she wil! rejoico t prnve tliat she loves you fir yoilriaW. There t n every trun woman's heart a siarl{ of heavenlj Cre, wliich lie dornrmht in the broiul dayl ght of prosperity ; but whicti kindies up und beam- and blazes in the darfc hoor of ad veruit y . Nonjan knows wnat. the ite oí rus bosoui is- nu riiiit) knowH whal a mipU"teririg auge] ehe U, uutil he ha-f g'cme with her throiifih the fiery trials of thï.s world." Th ere was sumeihing in th earnestnoss of ny mauner, a;iJ the fijjurative style ol my lan.vange that cnught the exotted imagination of Loílio. I knew the auditor 1 had tel deal with ; and, folio wiog up the impresKiou 1 had made, I firiished by pernuariing him to g" home ubJ unburttien bis sad heart lo hia wife. I must confesa, Dotffithstanding' all [ had suid, I feit tome little 8liuitude (ur the íesult. Who oan caloiilate on the fortitude of oue whose wh,.]e life haw been a round of pleagure ? Her Kiiy spirits might revolt at the durk, downward path of low humilily nucldculy po uted out hefore her, ind might cling to the sunny regions in which they had bitherto revuled. Besidas, ruin in fanbiouable lile is acootnpauiod by so many galling mortificatious, to wbicb, in otber raoks it is a transer. I In short, I could not meet Luslie the I next morning without trepidation. He had made the disclosure. " And how dideha bear it ï" " Liko an angel I It seerned rather to be tt relief to her niind, for she threw her arms around my neck, and asked if this was all that had lat tly niada me uuhupny. But, poor girl," added he, " shb cannot realize the chango we must undergo. She bas uo idea of povorty bilt in the abstract; she hae only read of it in poetry, whsre it is allied to love. She feels as yet no privation ; she euf fors no loas of acoustomad conveniences nor elegancies. When we come prac tically to expcrienco its sordid care, ite petty humiliatioQg - then will be the real trial " ' But," gaid I, " now that you bave got over the severest task, that uf breaking it to her, the sooner you let the world into the secret the butter. The d'silosure may be mortifying; but then t is a single misery, and bood over; whereas you othervrise suffer it, in anticipa' ion, every hour id the day. It Ia not poverty so much as pretence, that harasses a rtiiued man- the struagle be wet;n a pi oud mini and an empty purse - the keeping ur & bollow show must soon come to hu end. Have the coiinige to appeax poor, and youdisarm poverty of its sharpest nting." Ou tliia point I found Les'is porfectiy ftrspai-ed. He had uo talse prida himself, and as to his wlfc, ahu wa only anxiyus to con form to their altered fortune. Sime days afterwards he called upoa int) in tbe eveniüg. Ho had dispood of hin dwöiling-house, and taken a smt.ll cottage ia tba country, a few miles from towi). He had been busy all day id ending out furniture. The new estab lisiiment required few articles. and those uf the simplest kind. All the splendkl furnituru of hig lata resideoce had been sold, excepling bis wifo'aharp. That, he said. was too clogely associated with ihe idea oí herself; it belonged to the little stoiy of thoir lovea ; tor soine of the eweutest moments of their courtfhip were thosa when he had luaoed over that instmfnent, and üstened to the melting toDes of her voice. I could not but smile at tbia instauce of romantic gallantry in 'a dontiug husband. He was now going out to the oottage, where his wife liad been out all day superinteudiug its arrangement. My feeling8 had beoome rongly interested in the pi'og;etis of this family story, and au it waH a fina eveniag, I offered to &ccompany him. Hb wos wearied with the fatigues of the day, and as he walköd out, lal! into a fit'or' gloomy muáing, " Poor Mary!" at length broke with a heavy sigh from his lips. " Ai'd whrtt of her?" asked I; "has. anyihing hnppened to her?" " What," said ho, darting an impatient glance, "is it notbing to be reduced to this paltry situaiion - to be caged in a miserable cottage - to be obliged to loil altnost in the meuial con cenis of her wretclied habitütiou ?" " Has sha, then, repined at the change ?" u liepined ! She has been nothing but swoetness and good humor. Indutd,heseemH in better spirits than I have ever known her ; she bas been to me all love, and teuderuuss, and comfort." " Admirable girl !" exclaimed I. "You cali yoursélf poor, iny friend ; you never were so rich - you never knew thu boundless treasures of excellence you possessed iu that woman." "Oii ! but, tny friend, if this first meeting at tho cottage was ovar, I thiuk I could theu bo corafortable. But thia is her firat day of real exporienre ; she has been iutroducod into an bumble dwellitig - ehe has for the first time looked around her on a home detttitute of everythiug elegant - almoat of everything eonveuient ; aud may now be sit ting down, exhaueted and spiritless, brooding over a prospect of future povertv." Thi-re was a degree of probability in this pioture, that I could uot gainsay, so tvt' vvalked on in süence. After turuing from themain road, up a narrowlane, so thickly bhaded With iore-t treëi, ia to give it. a complete air of seciusio, we carne iu sight (jf the cüttnge. It was hmlile enough in its uppearanuu fur the most paitoral poet; aud yi-t it had a pleasiug rural look. A wild vine bad ovurruu cue end with a profusión of fuliage ; a few trees threw tneir bruncbeo gracrfully over it ; aud I observed euveial pots of flowera tasteinlly ditposed aboüt the door, and on i!iu plot in front A small wiekut ga! e opened upon a lootpath that wouud througb Home gbrobbery to tbe duor. Jiist as we approached we lieaf d ihu Bouud of inusie - Lesha grasped my arm ; we paused and ücitened. it was Mary's voict;, siaginc ia a htyle of the most touobicg simplit.ity, a littie air of hicü her husband was peculiurly fond. I feit LesÜe's hand trernble on my arm. H- Htepped foivvnrd to hoiir more distiuctly. Hm step made a noise on tha gravel walk A Lright besutilul iace glancod out at the iadow aad vanislibd- a light footstep was heurd, and Mary carne trippÍLg forth to meet us. öüe was in a pretty rural dress of white; u few wild tíowers were twisted ÍD her fine baic a ffèatl bloom was on her etietk; lier wbole countenauce beacued witb miiiles - I bad cever eeon her look bo lovuly. " My dt-ar George," cried he, " I am bo giad you have como; I have been watcbing Eind watching for you, and running down the lune, and lookiug out for you. I've set out a tabla under a buautilul tree behind the coituge, and I've been gathericg ecime of the mo.-it dêlicious Birawberries, for I know jou are fond of them - and we have sucb ( excellent cream - and eTerything ia so sweot and etill here. "Oh!" said sbe, putting hor arm within his, and looking up brigntly in hia face, "Oh, we shall bo go happy !" Poor Leslie was overeóme. Hu caught her to bis bosom-- he foldtíd bis arms around her - he kissed lier again and ugain - he could not spoak, but the tears gushed into bis eyes and he bas often anaured methat, though tlie world has since gone prosperougly with bim, and his life has indeed been a happy one,yet never bas he oxperienced a momeut of more exquisito fulioity.