The Two Wives; Or, Lost and Won

d the first volume of Prescott's History of Mexico, then just from the press. A

it aside. "She's too much taken up with mere fiction. But here is that truth which i

y homeward, after the business of the day was over. As he walked along, a f

o see you, but as often was prevented. All in good time yet, I hope. I want you to come over to my room, this e

likes good company better than I do; but, I rat

you sa

d myself anot

r engag

rst volume of Prescott's Mexico; and I'm going

hat," returned the friend. "So promise m

firmly. "But, when I once get my mind

gement on hand, for the evening, or b

the words were uttered with more feeling than he had intended to e

id the friend, whose name

ends, if I should not be there

Jerome that his wife might be disinclined to hear him read, did a remembrance of Car

y means so bad as she sometimes makes me out. To any thing reasonable, I am always ready to yield. But when she frowns if I

e way he walked on, and then

r it. Twice within the last month, she has fairly driven me off to spend my evening in a tavern, when I would much rather have been at home. Ah, me! It's a great mistake. And Cara may find it out, some day, to her sorrow. I like a glass of brandy, now and then; but I'm not quite so far gone that I must have it whether or no. I'm foolish, I will own, to mind her little, pettish, fretful humours. I ought to be mo

of mind in which

therefore, but light. The consequence was, that, in all his domestic arrangements, the utmost frugality had to be observed. He was a man of strict probity, with some ambition to get ahead in the world. These made him careful and economical in his expenditures, both at home and in the management of his business. As a man, he was social

end, to its full extent, the point he urged. It then became necessary for Ellis to hold the purse-strings more tightly than he had formerly done. This fretted the mind of his wife, and often led her, in the warmth of the moment of disappointment, to utter unkind expressions. These hurt Ellis; and, sometimes, made him angry. The cloud upon Cara's brow, consequent upon these occasional misunderstandings, was generally so unpleasant to Ellis, whose heart was ever wooing the sunshine, let the rays come through almost any medium, that he would spend his evenings

l. Still, he was in a tolerably cheerful frame of mind-in fact, he was never moody. To his great relief, Cara met him with a smile, and seemed to be in an unusually good humour. Their sweet babe was lying as

s afternoon," said Mrs. Ellis,

he answered. "A

es

l and happy

long. How could she help being

ry spot a parad

. "I'm no believer in that doctrine. I want something more than love. Exte

Ellis; who was generally wise enough not to enter int

with so much taste. I declare it has put me half out of conceit with th

," said Ellis; "and, moreover, that it was less costly than your friend's

ss of the head. "I know that we are dreadfully p

o denying that, Cara. Still, we are able to have every real comfort of life; and therewi

Ellis, her face slightly flushing. "When I

pleasant nursery ditty. Caroline sat in a moody state of mind for some minutes, and then left the room to give some

ing and his wife have returned from Boston. They

as the cold, moody r

his wife's health is mu

very cold

ed very

this remark of her husband, an

as Ellis would to feel indifferent to his wife's unhappy state of mind, his sensitiveness to the fact became more and more painful every moment. The interest at first fel

ucing this better class of reading, to awaken a healthier appetite for mental food than she now possessed. So he occupied himself with a newspaper, while his wife undressed the children and put them to bed. It seemed to him a long time before she was ready to sit down wit

f Prescott,-"I brought this book home on purpose to read aloud. I dipped into it, to-day, and found it s

t Ellis considerable effort to appear ch

g tone, while her eyes were fixed upon her hus

cott's History of Mexico,

ull old histories!" said Cara, wi

es! You don't know what you are talking about. There's more real interest in this bo

a single breath of reproof. We will not repeat the cutting language she used to her husband. Enough,

m. And may I see you in a bett

feelings and unpleasant, self-rebuking thoughts. Still, she could

e must fling himself off in this way. Why didn't he read his history, if it was so

time that her husband had gone off in a pet; but in no instance had he come home with a mind as clear as when he left her. A deep sigh heaved the wife's bosom as she remembered this; and, for some moments, she suff

ere near the brink of a precipice, and that a fearful abyss of ruin was below; else