The Wife

?ho treisnres oí the doep nvc not so precious As the coni eale i eomiortp of man jocked tip in womau's !ove. 6cent the air Ur blessings, when 1 coroe bul near the iiouse, Vhat adelicioua breatb warriage Beixls forth - The violet bed'a not sweeter. - Mtddkton. I have ottt-n had occasion to remark hc fortitnde with which womeu mtain he niost overwheluairig ruverws ot' tbrune. Those disasters which break down he spirit of u uwtn, wd prostrate him in he dust, se. ni to CfiH tonli tll th nnrirs et thé sof kt m x, und give such inrepidity nful elevatiuil oï lüeir chnraoter, bat at times ït apprortdies to hublimity. (.tliiug cun he more touching than to lulioid ;i bpt't :md teinl.T feUiaia who had leen au, wakness ticl deptnctence, and live to every trivial roughnesa luie ïcading 'the prosperous pttthg of lift;, u'Uliuiy rising in mental forcé to be the coiniort and Büpptrrt ui ber husfoaiid i'nder misfoitun , nd alnding, with unshiinkiiig tiimnese, the bitter blasts of ïdvrsity. As the vine whieb Ikip loti twi-od its trtacet'ui foliage about the Ok und been lifted by it into gunsh'nu wiil, when the liüiiiy plant is ril'ted by the tiiuniterbult, clirifi around it with its careseing tendiils, and bind up its shiittere.d bough, éo it is beautlfully ordered by Providenco that román, who is the mere, depend ut and ornament of man in liis hjippiest hours, should bo his Btay und solace when smitton with suddfcn (Miarnity; winding liorscli' into the ruggnd rocess of his nature, tenderly supporting the drooping hoad and binding np the broten hear-t. I is unce ciinfriühibitiiifi a fricnd, who had aiound hiiu a blooming fafniiy, knit together in the etrongest affection. " I cm wih yon no bctter lot," laid bdi with ciithuMutin, "than to have a Brtfe and childreii. Jt' yon ate nrosp"rous, there they alt) to share your prosperity ; if othorwise, tluro they aio tó (jDinliirt you." And, indeed', I have observrd that a married man falling into uiisiortune is more apt to retrieve uil iltuatiotl in the world than n single man ; partly because he is more stimulated to cxertion by the uecessities of 'the heipless and beloved báings wljo depend on him tor subsistence; but cïiiefiy beca use his spirits are soothed and relieved by domestic eudearments, aml his se.f-respeet kept alive by finding that, though all aVjroad is darkm s Mid huiniliation, yet there is slill a better world of love, home ot which he is monarch. Wtwreáí n single mtm ï apt to run to waste and self-negltct ; to fancy hiir.self lonely and abandoned, and his heart to fall to ruin like souif dus.-iti'd ui&niion, fur want of an ii'lür litiint. These obsurvntions cali to mind a little doiuebtio story of which 1 was onco a wituess. My intímate friend, Leslie, had married a bcautit'ul and accomplished girl, wbo had been brought up in the midst of fashionable lito. She had, it is true, no fortuna, Irat tlñt of imy friend was atópje, and he daligbted in the an ticipiition of indulping her in every elegant pursuit, and adniinistfring to thosc déhcate tnstcs iind fancies that spread i kind of witcliery !i)out tlio scx. "Her lite,' s:iid lic, " s'hall he Like a fairy tale.] ïhc vi.tv differenoe in their characters proclufted u harinonious uomliijiation ; li( was of a romantic and somewhat ïérious e I8l ; she was (11 lift and gladness. 1 oftes noticcd the raute raptare with whch ho would güZe upon her in conipany, ot' which her spiiijhtly jiowers made. lier the dejight, and hosv, in tht midst of applanse, ht-r oyo would stil turn to hun, as if there alono sSe sought favor and aocejttanoe. While leaning on his arm, hrr slender form contrastad fnely with his tall, nianl;.' person, ïlie fond, contidinsr air with which she od up to hiin sefuand to cal] fo:th ;i üush of triuiupbant prido and charifking teuderpess, as if he doted on bis ïovely burden for its very belplcssnoss. liever dld a eouple s;t forwurd on the putti of niuly and well smted marriage with a fdirel prospect of felioity. lt was the misfortuno of my friend, howover, to bave embarked his property in larga Ipeöulatioïis, mul he liad not been niRrnetl m.uiy uionthe, when, by a Bucoession of sudden disasten it was wrpt away from bim, and he fuund hiuiscii' redaced to almost penury. Por a time he kept liis situntion to himself and went about witli a haggard counte'nunce and bteaktug beart. Ilis lite was but n protractêd agony; ftnd what rendercd it more insupporiable was the presence of his wife ; tor he eould not bring himself to overwbehn her with the news. 8ho saw, howeveti with the quick eyes ot uffectioii, that all was not well with him. Sbe marked his altered looks and stille! sighs, and was not to be dfneivod by his siokly un 1 vapid attetnpts at choeit'ulness. Slio tusked' ill her sprightly powers and tender blandishnit uts to win him back to happineas ; but gbo only drove the arrow deeper into his soul. 'i'iie more he ruw cause tolov lier, tlie more torturitig was tiio thoupfht that he was Boon to uiake her wn-tched, A little while, tbought he, and the smile shall vanish froui thut check - the hong will di away iiom those ips - the luster of those eyei will be quenched with sorvow; and the happy heart which now beata lightly in tiiat hosom, will be woighed down, like rninff, by the cares und miseries of the world. At lingth he came to me one dav and related bis whole situation in a tone of the deepest despair. When I heard him throngh I inquired, " Does your wife know all thi? At tlieqnostion ho burst into atl uüony of tears. " For (jod's sake !" crifd he, " if j-ou hnv3 any pity on me doii't uiention my wifn ; it is the Ihoughtof her thut drives me almost to m nlness." Anil why ïiot.'r" said I. " She must know it sooner or later; you cannot keep it long from her, bnd tb.P intelligente break upon her in a a more startling man ner than if you impnrted it yöurselt; for the accents of those we love soften the harshest tidings Besides, you are depri ving yonrseif of the comfort of her sympathy; and n"t nierely that, but also eodáiigering the oniy bond thut can keep heárts to(íther - nu unreserved communitv of thought and feeling. She will goon perceive that fiomething is Secretly preying upon your mind ; and true lovw will not Virojk reserve; it feels undervíilued and oiitraged when even the sorrows of tbose it luresjiie coucealed from it. " Oh, but my friend! to tliink what a blow I ain to give to all her future prospects - how I ara to stiike hf r very soul to the earth, by telling her tliat her bus band is a beftgar! that slie is to forego all the eleg.tncies ot life - all the plensurcs of society - to sink with me into in öigence and obscurity ! To teil her that I have dragged her down from thesphere in whicli she might havo continued to move in constant, brvghtneso - tbe üght of eveiy eye - tlie ndmiration of every heart. How eau she bear povei ty Y iSlie !i:i: been lironirht upin all the iefinement of opnitnee. How can she bear neirlectr 8b bus 'Men tb-; ido! of society. Oh ! it w 11 break her heart - it will break her heait U I saw his grief was eloquent, ana T ft it hiive its flow ; for gorrow relieves its.-if ly words. Wben his paroxysiu hall sub8ideJ, anil be ha i relapaed mto moody mleiioe, I nsuinod the subject gentiy, and urged him to break the situation ut once to his wife. He shook his hoad mourniuliy but poeitively. "But liow aie vou to keep it from her? It is i:L-Cfssury fehe sliould know it, that you uiity tukt' tiie steps proper to the nltoratiüll ot' your ciioiuustaiices. Yon must chango your styii; of living- nay," obserring a pang p08 ucross lus oountennu-ce, " dan t Ut that ifflet yua. I.ara Mire you bavenever plaCr-d your happiness in ontward sliuw - yon havo jet n ii'ini-, wsrin friendgj who wil] not t.liiuk the woi-se of you iur loing lesa sp oudidly ludg (1 ; and sun-ly it ducs not require a pjlaue to lie bttppy with Mary." "1 oouid bu happy wilh her," cried be, couvulsivoly, ' in ti liovcl '. l could ,'o dovii witli lier into povertyand the dust! . could - I mnliT - (iod biess her.' God )1öü8 her !" c.tie.l be, buxsting into a trans jolt of grief and tenderiiess. '■ Au t batwteu us, my t'rienl,'' said I stepping ui) and grnapiog him by the land, "believo me shü can be tho saine with you. Ay, mui",; it will ie a gouroti )f )ide and tnuiuph to her - it will cali ui th all tiie lattuit eneróles and syui]iatlnes of her nature ; tor sho will jvjoice to prove that sho lovas you i'or yourself fhere is in every 1ru wcinan'a heart a spark of beavenly ftre, which li -s dornant in the broaU dnyliglit ot properity nit which kiudies np, and üeams and ilazus in tlit' dark hourof mlvcrsity. No one kaowï what thö wit'e of his bosoni is - no man knows what a aiinistering mgel sho is - until he has fione with lier ihrougb tiie iieiy trials uf this world." Tliere was souiething in the earuestnoíB oí ni}' niantu-r, and tho figurativa style ot' in)' bmguage tli.it caught the excitad ïmaginatiuii of Leslie. 1 knew the auditor 1 had to d' al witli ; and followcd up the inipre-sion 1 bad made. I finished ly ini.-uiuliiif; ! im to go heme and uubufdèn hissad heart to his wiLe. 1 must confetis, notwitbstauding all I had said, I feit somt; little solicitmlu tbr tliu re.sult. Wliü can calcúlate on the t'uititudü of one wfcose whole hfo lias beefi i rouuii of pleisure Y Her gay spuit inight revolt at tin; daik down want path ei humility suddenly pointed out before her, and migbt cliur to the suimy n;gions in which they had hitherto revuled. liusides, ruin in fishionable life is accoinp.tiiied by so many galliiig mortiiicütions, to which in other ranks it is a Ktranger. In short, I co'ild not meet Leslii! the n X" morning without trejjidtion. Hi; lüt.l madt; tliu disclosurc. "And how did sho etr itr', " Like nn aiifrol '. It íLCuied rather to bc a reiiet' to her luiud, tor she threw her anus around my neck, and asked me if ÜiÍb was all th.it had lutely made me unbnppy. Jint, poor gi.'l," added he, " she caimut j'(;alize thi cbange we HMlst utidergo Slie has no idea, ol poverty but in abstract; she has only réad of it in poctry, where it is allied to love. She teels as yet no privatiori ; she suffers do loss ot accus'otued coñveiiieñces nor eleirancii s. Whcii we como piactically to experience its sordid cares, itspaltiy wants, its petty humiliiitions - tben will be the real trial." . "But," 8id I, "now tliat yon havo grot over the soyerest lask, that of breaking it to ïier, the sóoner you let the vvorld into the eouret the bofter. The diso'osnie muy be mortiíying ; but tlu:n it is a single wisery tiid pooii ovdr; whereas 3'tu otliei wise Buffer it n nnticigatioo every hour ol Üte ct.i-;'. It ii nol iioverty so Kiuch a; prütuxt that hrtnigjes tlie fuincd man - lie f-tiugglos botr.iicTi a proud miiid, iind au rmpty pur30 - the kerping ip i höllöw tliuvv t bat will soon coiiic, to an i'nd. Have the coüiagé to appeaf-poór and you wiü disarui povertyof its sbarpeet pting." On this point I founrd-ïjéslte . "ri', ítly píropafeá. He had i-o í'n'.sr uii!-; himsolf, Hiid as to his wifo, sh( was only too anxious to conform to their alteri'd fortunes. Soiy.e days after tbis be called upon i ido in the evening. H ha3 üiaposed oí lus dweiling IlOtUC, and tiiken a siuall cottage in the country a few miles from town. Ho had been buwed all dy in gen ding out furnitnre. Tbe new establishment required few articlon and those of the simplest kind. All tho Bplendid furuiture of liis Inte residencio had been sold excepting his wifo'a harp. Tfaat, lic s iii, was too closöly ftssoeiated witfa the idea of bergelf; it belong d to the little story of their Iuvjs; for som.; of the aweetest momentsof thuir cuuitshiii wero j those when be liad leaned over tbat Btruuient and listened tö tbe inelting tone ! of ler voice. I coald not luit su:ilo it this inslanceof romantic galluntry in tho doting liuslmnd. He was now going out to the cottage, where his wife had been 11 diiy suporintending its ammgements. My i'wclings hud beeome strongly interested in the progresa of this fainily story, and as it was a fine evening I offered to accoiupuny hiiii. He was wearied with thf fatigues of the day. and as he walked out, feil into a fit oí gloomy inusing. " Poor Mary ! ' at longth broko froin his with a heavy sib. "And wlmt of hor-'" I asked; "has anything happened to lcrr" " What !" said hp, dartinjj an i m patiënt glanoe, " is it nothing to be redneed to this paltry situ.ition - to be Oaged in a miserable cottajre- to bo oblified to toil al most in the menial concerns of her wretched hnbitation '(" " Has she then repined at the chango ?" " ltepincd ! She lías been nothing bui sweetness and good humor. Indeed she ■eeuis in bet ter spirits than I huve ever known her; she bas been to ia all love and tenderness and conifort!' " Admirable girl !" exclaimi d I. "Yon cali yourself poor, my friend ; you never weiv so ïich - you nsverknew the boundless treasures of excellence you ïjOBSegg in that woinan." " Oh! but, my friend, if this first meeting at the cottage were over, I think I could then be comfortable. But this 13 the first diiy of real experience ; she bas been introduoed into a huinble dweiling - she lias for the first time known the fatigues of domestic nnploynient - she has for the first timo looked around her on a home destitute of eveiything elegant - alinostof eve ything convenient ; and muy nowtc sitting down, exlniusted and spiritless, brooding over a prospect of future poverty." Thero was a degree of piolmbility to this pictqro that 1 could not gainsuy, so we walked on in silenen. Af'ter turning frOni the main road up a narrow laiuj, so thiekly shiided withfufest trees as to give it u ooiuplete air ot' seclusion, we caino in siaht of the cot tage. It was humble onoush ia its appearanoe lor the most panjorul poet ; ai9 et it had 11 pleasisg rural look. A wild viue had overrun oue end with a profusión of í'oliage, a few treos threw their branches grauefuliy over it ; and I observed sevörftl puts ot' flowers tastefülly disposed ft bout the door, and on the grasa plat in front. A suiüll wiefcet gato epened upon i footpath that wouud through souie shrubbery to the door. Justas we approached we beard the sound ot' musie - Ltslie graspcd my urn ; we pauSed and listen ad, It was Mary'i voicu singing, in a stylo of the most touckiiig siiajjlicity, il )'!)o air of which her husband was peeuliarly fond. I feit Leslie's hand troniblo on rav arm. He stepped forward to hoai mor dis ünotlv. His step made a noise o:r the pavel walk. A bright, beautit'ul face glanced out of the windcw and vapisbed - a light foothtwp w8 heard- and Jffiary onuie tripping furth to meet us ; bho was in ii pretty rural dress of white, a few wild flowei'9 rere twistedin her fine hair u fresh blooin was 011 her cheek, her whole coüntenanuc beomed with smiles. I hnd neTer-sesB ber look so lovi-ly. " Idy dear Qeorge," cried slic, " I are sn glail you have come ! I liuvu been watching and watching foryou, and im:ninj; down the buii', Miid looking out tor I'vh set out ;i table ander n beautit'ul tree behind tiecottirR ; and I're beep zatheritifl sonio oí tlio most dehcious strawberries, for I ktiow you are fond ot' them ; ;tnd we havo sucli excellent craan; and evfiythinfr isso swoct niid still hera." " Oh ! ' s;iid she, puttiug lier arm in his and looking up brightly in liis face, "Oh, we sliti.ll be so h:i]ijy !' Poor Lcslie was overeóme. Ho oaught her to his bosoin - lie fulded his anus around her- hc kisfed Jkt agtiin and agaiu- he could not spoak, but the tears gushed iuto bis eyes; and he has often assnred me that though the world has jone prosperously with hiin, and his lifc has, ndeed, been a happy one, j'et never has ie experienbed a moincat ot' more exquisito ielicity,