A Saintly Woman.

Cromwell Argus, Volume VI, Issue 278, 9 March 1875, Page 7

A Saintly Woman.

One of those sentimental philosophers, whose writings we delight in, says that there is " something soothing and delicious in the recollection of a pure-minded woman's affection ; it is the oasis in the desert of a worldly man's life, to which his feelings turn for refreshment, when wearied with the unhallowed passions of this working-day world." That's onr feeling exactly. Bad we written tint sentence ourselves we couldn't have more beautifully expressed our recollections of one pure-minded female. She was one of the sort that was a success in making a desert around her. This pure-minded woman's custom was to attend church twice every Sunday, and two evenings in the week. Her husband wasn't one of the sort who hankered severely after the church. He would sooner have taken his pipe and flagon of ale and sit upon the backstoop, and talk about politics and the drama and old-time sprees. But as soon as he wouid plant himse.f for an evening's enjoyment, in would come that pure-minded woman and say : " Henry, it's near churchtime, and you haven't got shaved yet. Hurry up, or we'll be too late for the opening service." Then Henry would say: "Look here, Julia, I'm about tired of this church-going, 1 want to enjoy myself. It isn't much enjoyment to hear those old fouls that have I about as mnch taste for music as a rabid i oyster howl ana shriek for an hour. And I ; ain't much interested in the preacher. You jsee, it seems to me that I'm about through I feeding on pap, and that's the kind of mental food he sets before us. If you feel like ' going, go; but excuse me, I'll pass this once." Then that pure-minded wife would, sit down on a chair, and weep, and say she was rightly punished. She had disobeyed her parents in marrying him, and now he was irreligious, and defamed that good and holy man, the pastor, and spoke disrespectfully of those godly men who led in the hvmn-singing. Would he kill her? She would like it better if he would give her a dose of arsenic or cut her throat, than to kill her by inches. His ungodliness was destroying her. She could not live if she knew he was ungodly. And then she would weep and sob, and bemoan her sad fate, until this wretch of a husband would say, " Well, don't take on to about the matter. I'll go again and listen to thuso old blokes." And then they'd go to church, and get home- about eleven o'clock at night, and go to bed, and in the morning he'd have to get up and make the lire and cook the breakfast. After communing wii hj the saints, the pure-minded woman didn't feel like handling beef-steaks and onion's and sausages

and stowed tomatoes. But after he went away, she would sit down at the table and put away a quantity of these edibles that must have astonished the sweet little angel that sits up aloft. She died one day, and now that man is married to an ungodly woman, and she darns his stockings, and washes his shirts, and makes the lire, and cooks the breakfast; and he thinks on that pure-minded woman, and is happy—because she is dead.— Exchange.