A Soft Answer

The husband was quick of temper, and often inconsiderate. They had been married not yet a year when, one day, in a lit of liasty wrath, he said to 'I want no corrections from you. If you are not satislied with my conduct you can return to your owii liome wlience I took you, and iiiul happiness witli your kind.' 'If Ileaveyou,' returned tlie unhappy wife, 'wil! you give me back that which I brought to you ?' 'Every dollar. I covet not your wealth. You shall have it all back.' 'Ahl'she answered, 'I eed not the wealth of gold. I thought not of dross. I mean my taaiden heart- my Qrst and only love- my buoyant hopes, and the proinised blessing of my wo manhood. Can you give these back to me?' A moment of thought - of convulsión - and then, taking her to his arras - 'No, no, my wife, 1 cannot do that, hut I will do more; I will keep them henceforth unsullied and unpained. I will ciierish your blessing as my own, and never again, God helping me, will I forget thepledge I gave at the holy altar when you gave your peace and happiness into my keeping.' How true it is that 'a soft answer turneth away wrath,' and how many, oh, how many of the bitter strifes of domestic life might be ayoided by remembering and acting in accordance tli ere with !