The Soldier's Wife — page 80: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. 65 to hin. whom she knows to be deserving of her|piness being disturbed: but she did not exactly love. Again, behold her as the wife joyously |apprehend it. When the idea stole into her welcoming her husband home—feeding her|mind, ské sent up a prayer from the depth of spirit with the memory of his looks and smiles -er heart, and usually felt solaced. Occasion- when he is absent—and with all the sublimest ally however, since the birth of her child, the elements of an ever-enduring constancy and saddening idea would dwell with a greater faith appealing to his soul. And lastly, con-|pertinacity im her soul; and when Frederick template her as the mother, pressing her new- born babe to her bosom—studying to trace in its little countenance the lineaments of its sire---and fondly making imagination continue the work in this respect beyond the point where verisimilitude has stopped. Yes—wo- man, when imbued with a pure and virtuous love, is an angel-creature: and well may poets strike their lyres to sing her praise—wel! might the warriors of old have dared deeds of high emprize for the meed of her smile—well may the student trim his lamp to write essays upon her manifold good qualities! All these tributes and all this homage does she deserve. Last at the cross and earliest at the grave of the Sa- viour, she teaches to the sincere Christian some of the sweetest and holiest morals of his faith ; and thus is thename of Woman hallowed by religion likewise as well as sanctified by love. From all that the reader has seen of Lucy’s character, he will not be disposed to dissent from the assertion that she was one of the love- last and most loveable, as well as loving types 9f that pure and virtuous portion of womankind whose praises we have endeavored to record. Aud was not Frederick happy now ?—happy as he stood by the couch where his young wife lay with the child nestling in her bosom ?— occasionally went out alone on any little busi- ness—such as to make a call upon the parents of his pupils, and so forth—she would fiid her- self falling into a somewhat mournful reverie while gazing upon her babe’s countenance, and wondering whether that dear child would ever have to be subjected to miseries and pri- vations through anything that might happen to its father? Often would Lucy blanie herself for giving way to these reflections, which she fancied showed a mistrust of Providence, and in Frederick’s society she had of late never found herself yielding to the saddening influence. So devoted was her love for her husband, that his presence filled her soul with lustre, as a strong hght shed throughout a room leaves not a nook nor corner dark beyond the reach of its effulgence. The Autumn had passed—Winter had come —the Christmas’ season was at hand; and little Kreddy—tfor the boy had been christened after its father—was thriving apace. Shallow- minded young men or old bachelors may turn up their noses and sneer as they will at the foolish fondness which fathers sometimes show towards their children: but it is an incontroe vertible fact, that the best men are those who are the most devoted to these little innocent happy when, convalescent again, she was en-|beings whom they have called into existence, abled to accompany him in his evening walk|Be assured that the father who can take a child, with the babe in her arms?—happy, too, when|dandle it upon his knees, toss it up in the air, in the midst of his pupils he glanced aside and|play with it as if he were only a great big boy beheld her peeping over her work at the sweet |himself, and even talk what may be termed the inant that lay slumbering in her lap? Yes: Frederick was completely happy. We say completely, because he had ceased to think of the possibility of danger; or if he had not altogether ceased to think of it, he at least believed it to be so little probable as to be no more dreaded than the fall of a house, a fatal flash of lightning, or any one of those casual- ties which, though possible, are nevertheless held to be too remote to trouble the even tenor silliest nonsense to it,—is a man in whose heart are concreted all the most generous feelings, the noblest sympathies, and the sublimest ele- ments of virtue. Such a man was Frederick; and in his devoted kindness towards his son— in the joyous hilarity with which during a lei- sure half-hour he would play with the little being—his adoring Lucy beheld a thousand ad- ditional proofs of the love which he cherished towards herself. of existence. More than a year had now passed| Not only was the young couple thus happy, since he quitted his regiment; and never once|but likewise prosperous. The claims of the duriug his residence at Carlisle had he met a|/new-comer upon Lucy had necessarily absorbed single soul who could proclaim the fact that his|much of the time that she used to devote to name was not Mortimer, but that it was Lons-|needlework: and thus her earnings were much dale the Deserter! | | less than they were wont to be: but on the It was not however altogether so with Lucy. |other hand Frederick’s school had increased— Woman is of a less sanguine disposition than|he had thirty day-scholars—and the t wo ground man: whatever may or can happen, she never|floor apartments had been thrown iuto one to * regards as extremely improbable: but there|coustitute the school-room. Qur hero and are times when she thinks of it—and thoughjheroine had engaged the first floor as well; perhaps not with such a fixity of the mentaljand it was through no selfish feeling that Mra regards as to materially disturb the equanimity|Harrison, the worthy widow-woman, often of her happiness, she nevertheless does think of|congratulated them on their increasing pros- it, and likewise pray heaven to avert the cala-|perity which had caused them to become such mity. ‘hus is it that when misfortunes come, jexcellent lodgers for her. ‘Their income was a women is more prepared than’ man to meet|comfortable one; and during the fifteen months them, and can all the better fulfil her heavenly|they had been settled at Carlisle, they had put mission of man’s consoler. Lucy sometimes|ly fifty pounds. thought of the nossibility of their present hap-' It was Christmas Eve—and all Lusy’s pre | 5 | COMIC MOOKS.E©