How The Wife Felt

A man at whose honso I vas a guest, teld me that he had been a hard drinlcr nul i cruel husband had beatón his poor wií'e till abe had almost become used to it. " But," Baid he, "the very moment I rigned the pledge I thought of my wifo wluit would my wife Síiy to this r Strange that I should think of niy wife thè ftw thing, but I did ; and, as I was going home, I Mtid to myáelf : Now if I g homo and tóü her all of a sudden that i havo signed the pledge, she'll up and do something ; and I must break it to her by degrees. Only think of it ! 'Why, the nigjhi before I'd havo knocked her down, just as like as not, if sho hadn't loolced to ploase me, and now I am planning to break good news to her for fcar it would npset lur." As noar as I could gather froto what he told me, ho found his wife sitting over the ombers waiting for him. As he carne to Un' housü, ho saicl : " Nancy I think that - " " Wcll, Ned, what is it f Why, I think I shiill- that is- I mean to - to - Nancy, I moan - " "AVhat's tin"' matter, Ncd? Any thing the matter?" "Yes," said lu "the matter's just this1 have gigned the tempéranos pledge, and so help me, Gtod, l'll koop it." "She atkrted to her feet, and die énd iaiut away. I was just intimo to catch hai ; and as she hw ia my anus, har cyes simt, hor face so palo, thinks I aho's doafl and Fve 'hmr it now. But sho wasn'1 flead ; she opened her eyes aml then_ du put het anus róünd my nock ; and I didn'1 know slic was BO strong, as slic pulled anc pulled üll slu got mo down whoro I had not been tor l.Uirty yi-ars- on my knoes Then sho said: 'O God! help him !' ani [gaid 'Amen!' And she said, 'O God help my pooi Ned, and gtrengthen hint to keep hls pledge," and I hollored ' Ainon ! just as loutl as I could hollor. That was the first time we ver knelt togother, but it wus not the last."