Australian Tales - Setis

smiles of bygone days returned to her face, and the silvery gentleness to
her voice. With her head free from the bewildering excitement of strong
drink, she could calmly review her actions for many years past; and the
result was a thorough self-renunciation. She saw with abhorrence the
cruelty and ingratitude of her conduct to her over indulgent husband, and
the disgrace she was bringing upon his fair reputation. Above all, she
saw that she had been sinning against God, and madly rushing to eternal
ruin. She sincerely repented of her sins, and humbly sought pardon
through the merits of Jesus Christ; and as no one ever earnestly sought
for peace in that way without finding it, Mrs. Lemonpip found it, and
from that happy time to the day of her death, a more earnest, zealous
Christian could not be found in the colony. Nor could a happier man be
found than Mr. Lemonpip: indeed they were a blithe old pair, whose
hearts were full of love. Not a jarring word was ever heard in their house
from that time forward, except on one occasion, Mrs. Lemonpip forgot
herself for a minute and began to scold her Jacky, when he looked at the
glass-case on the sideboard with a merry twinkle in his eye, and quietly
ejaculated “poor old tom.” The cloud on Mrs. Lemonpip's brow
disappeared instantly, and she burst into a hearty laugh, in which her
light-hearted husband joined, and declared, while he kissed her
affectionately, that “there was not a man in Sydney who was blessed
with such a loving little pop of a wife as his own darling Betty, who was
worth her weight in diamond rings.”