waiting for him. He saw I felt badly. Not an unpleasant word
passed between us, and nothing was said about it afterwards, that I
recollect. Again his brother sent a similar message--"one wanting in
a game of whist." He promptly replied, (very good-humoredly), "tell
your master I am a married man now, and cannot come. He will have to
look out for some one else to fill that chair." And if my husband ever
spent half a dozen evenings from me in his life--except when attending
to business of importance, or when necessarily separated--I do not now
remember it. His pleasures were with his heart, and that was with his
family.

Not long after this, news came that his half-brother (Robert
McCloud) was in a declining state of health. His mother expressed a
desire to have him brought home. Joseph immediately offered to go for
him, and in a few days he took leave of me for the first time; left in
his sister's (Mrs. Kerr's) carriage, with two good horses and a careful
driver. And it was fortunate that he was so well equipped, for it was
a hard trip, at best, for a poor invalid who was a good many miles
distant. He returned in a few weeks with his emaciated brother, who
lingered a few months, and died.

During this winter my own dear father declined rapidly, and no
hopes were entertained of his recovery. This state of things passed
heavily upon me. It was painful enough to know that he, too, had to
die soon. But what was to become of my dear sisters, and our brothers
--all of whom were younger than ourselves? The eldest, who was about
sixteen years old, and our second brother (two years younger), had just
commenced business as store-boys--one in a dry-goods store; the other,
my father had placed under the care of my husband. Mr. Charless had,
but a few years previous to this time, become a partner of his father
in the drug business, (having abandoned the profession of the law, as
it was not at all suited to his taste, and, perhaps, not to his
talents), and, as he had frankly told me, immediately after our
engagement, he was a new beginner in the world, and poor; under such
circumstances I could not hope that it would be in his power to do
anything for my father's helpless family. Tears, scalding tears,
nightly chafed my cheeks, and it was only when emotions were too strong
to be suppressed that I would sob out in my agony sufficiently loud to
awake my husband from sound repose; for, through the day, I always
contro