A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Character of Joseph Charless | Page 9

some other arrangement, dear--this will not do"--brought me to my
senses, and I insisted (without prevailing, however), upon conforming
to his mother's wishes in all things. "I had been accustomed to do
house-work (much to the credit of my sensible mother, who, although a
Virginian, taught her daughters self-reliance and many useful lessons in
house-wifery), but I only felt strange, and a little home-sick; I would
soon get over that, however." A few crystal tears fell, not mixed with
sorrow; for how could sorrow find a place for such trifles in a heart so
conscious of having just obtained a treasure, in a noble and devoted
husband?
The next event of consequence that will aid in developing to your
minds the character and disposition of your revered grandfather,
occurred a few weeks after the circumstances related above. Mr.
Edward Charless, who was married and settled a few squares from us,
sent one evening an invitation to his brother to come over and make
one of a card-party-–to be sure to come, for they could not do without
him. He went. Upon his return, about twelve o'clock, he found me still
up, 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 controlled myself, and waited at
night until deep sleep had fallen upon him before I would give vent to
my burdened heart. At such times he would sympathize with me, and
speak words of encouragement and comfort: not embracing promises,
however, for he was not a man to make promises, unless he felt at least

some assurance of an ability to perform them them. True, to his heart's
core, he could not, even under the excitement of the moment, awaken
hopes, perhaps to be blasted. And, young and warm-hearted as he was,
so alive to the sufferings of others, I wonder now, when I think of it,
that sympathy such as his, and love such as his, had not overbalanced
his better judgment, and induced him, in such trying circumstances, to
promise any and everything to soothe the troubled soul of one he loved
better than himself.
He weighed matters. He planned, and thought of every expedient. As
respectful as he ever had been to his parents,