The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-10-13

ON political interests as altogether beyond
the sphere OF a woman, and never sought
to afford him any consolation under troub-
les which she was powerleSs to avert,
which she did not understand, and of the
importance of which she was consequently
unaware. Meanwhile an anniversary re-.
CURED, which hitherto, whatever might
have been his political engagements, NJ.
Fraussen had not failed to celebrate, name
ly, his wife's birthday.
Early in the morning u present was
brought to her consisting of bouquet Of
white Cameias, which were her tlvorite
flowers, together with picture in richly
furnished ebony frame, and admirably en-
ecuted, representing the Flemish CHATEAU,
which was the birthplace Of Madame
| Fraussen.
Bertha recollectcd having one evening
expressed II desire to possess sketch Of the
spot connected with all the recolcctions of
her childhood, and much touched by his
attention to her wishes, she hastened to
her husbands study to thank him warm
ly. He did not ut first understand her.
Neither the bouquet nor the picture was
from him. He even acknowledged that
he had forgotten that it vas his wfe's
birthday.
The confession chilled Bertha's heart.
and destroyed the pleasure caused Ivy the
myst' r.ouS present. From whom, then,
could it Gomez Who could have rcmcm-
bered her wish, and gratifcd her with so
much dclicacy?
But who was present when lspokc of
my old Chateau' There was NJ. De Van
dreuil, Nj. FrauSsen, the Prince George and
yourself. Could it be you, Marceluc Il"
asked she, in the evening of her friend.
Madame dc MathipSon acknowledged
that the bouquet and the picture came
from her.
Bertha male no answer, and during the
rest of the evening she appeared Thought
ful and sad. This proof Of affection had
sunk deep into her heart, wounded by the
neglect of Maurice. She could not free her
self from these painful thoughts, and the
whole night long She broodcd sadly over
tho Kindness of Madame de Mathi;nson,
and the indifference of her husband.
When she rose the next morning, how
ever, these ideas were but too quickly dis.
PEELED. Her son appeared to he unweIl.
She hoped, and So did the Doctor, that
was u mere trihe, which rest and n
careful diet would easily set to rights
But her hopes were disappointed {; far from
limini.hns, the almcnt assumed "a more
serious character, and the poor mother re-
cognized, or fInccd she did so, some of
the symptoms of the illness with which
her litlc Maurice had been attacked with
Il few months previously. She impaired
her fears to the Doctor who dill not share
them, and To her husband who paid lit
tie heed to them. They were both accv>-
TONED to her imaginary fears on her sons
account, and looked upon her gloomy for.
holdings as the result OF exaggerated anXicty.
Bertha, re-assurcI by their arguments and
10y their security, endcavorcd to lay aside
her fears but this she found to bc impoS-
sible. 1t WAS in vain that sic repeated to
he selfthat the opinion Of the celebrated
physicians, and above all, that Of her huS.
banl, must have more foundation than
woman's fears. The symptoms which
were declared to exist only lis her own i'm
agination, appeared to her to be obvious
and incontroyertible.
Two days later, NJ. FrauSsen AMI the
Doctor could no longer deny the illness Of
the child. They were alarmed, hut they
did not despair. Once before, Maurice
had saved his hoy from similar danger,
and he desired that the same means which
had then proved eflicacious should be again
adopted. The little invalid began to ex-
hibit manifest signs Of improvement, and
one morning he stretched ont his arms u
his mother, and GDr the first time,in Il
whole week, raised his heavy head from
the pillow.
While his anxiety on his childs account
detained NJ Frussen from his post, his af-
fairs were assuming n more AMI more
alarming aspect. The Chambers had
been dcSoved, and the elections were to
take place almost Immediately. The agi-
tation was great throughout the whole
country the different political parties had
assumed an attitude OF hostile opposition
and nothing was heard of but pamphlets,
plots and counterplots, attacks and recrim-
nations. Being now reaSsured concern
ing the state of his son, NJ Fraussen re-
turned to the direction of affairs, resolved,
as became the leader Of parry, that IL he
fell is should be ut the he'.d of his fDllow-
ers.
One morning, after sleepless night, he
vas gloomily rejecting upon the difficult
ties aud dangers Of his position, when Ber-
tha's maid entered his room.
"My mistress is very unweIl, sir" said
she, land | thought it was my duty 20
inform you of it She satup all last night
with her child. and is very anxious and
unhappy about him. Yesterday she sent
me FIVE or six times in the course of the
day, to see il you were come in, and beg
you to come TO her. She has nov fallen
asleep from fatigue, and thought it best
10 LET you know, sir, in case you might
please to take advantage Of this opportu-
nifty to see the child without alarming INV
mistress, fr the poor little thing appears TO
be very ill.,
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