the coming stream.

There fell, at last, a gleam of light across her path. In her dark
and cloudy sky arched, beautifully, a bow of promise. Hope, faint,
yet sweet to her spirit, revived, and she looked to the future with
a trembling heart. For a long time she locked in her own thoughts
the dear secret she had discovered and pondered over it with a daily
increasing pleasure. Then it was whispered, low and with a blushing
cheek, to her husband. She was to become a mother!

From that moment she felt that there was a change. From that moment
her husband's manner was different. He was still as polite and
formal as, before; but with these was blended a something that her
heart interpreted as tenderness for his wife; and from this her
fainting spirit drew the aliment that sustained it. If, suddenly
coming upon her now, he surprised her weeping, he did not turn away,
silent and cold, as before; but would speak some word of apparent
sympathy, which instantly dried up the fountains of grief. And thus
the time passed, until another being saw the light--until another
voice sounded upon the air. Oh! with what a thrill of delight did
the young mother take her new-born babe into her arms, and hail it
as the bond that was to bind to hers the heart of her husband. How
eagerly did she read the face of that husband--as he bent over and
gazed upon the innocent being to which she had given birth--and
marked its glow of pleasure. But, he did not look into _her_
face--he had eyes _only for his boy!_ The mother sighed faintly; but
he did not hear the sigh. Her long lashes fell slowly upon her
cheeks, and tears stole from beneath them; but he turned away
without observing she wept.

The bow of promise, which had spanned the heaven of her mind, faded
away; and the light that had lain so warmly upon her path grew dim.
There was love in the heart of her husband only for his child, but
none for her. That dreadful truth came with a shock, felt to the
very centre of her being; and, reacting upon her exhausted system,
disturbed all its vital functions. Fever and delirium laid their
hands upon her, and for many days the light of life but flickered in
the wind that seemed every moment about to extinguish it.

When, at last, through the skill of her physician, the disease
abated, and health, though feeble, began to flow once more through
her veins; and when reason came back, and with it the outgushing
tenderness of the young mother, she found tha