Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-08-11
99n Original storp.
Written for the Advertiser
THE HUSBANDS SECRET.
BY RUTH.

Nnotue! : ": my 1uIuef. uluSL IL Dc
there no escape for me? Must really MARI,
Mr.. Hasbrook 2" And Esther Lee knclt an,
threw her arms around as naughty dame a
e'er the sun shone upon.
"Certainly you must marry Mr.. Hasbrook
How ridiculous you are Esther, putting on thes'
school girl airs and rumpling my dress. I can
not imagine what objection you can possibly
have to Mr.. IIasbrook. am sure he has wealth
social position, and.a fine turnout, to say moth
ing of his good looks and elegant manners
which are sufficient of themselves to turn th'
heads of half the girls in town."
eyes, mother, know that all you say G
him is true, but then do not love him; and,
am fearful that if marry him, entertaining tht
sentiments l do at present, shall hate him after
wards and despise myself"
"Well, marry him, and hate him as heartily
as you please afterwards; but do have the tao
and common sense to keep your sentiments
secret for the first year or two. And as fol
love, leave that to mincing Misses and flirting
Fops-it is but maudlin sentiment at the best
and not at all essential between married people
however much they harp upon it during court
ship. Mr.. 1Iasbrook has princely fortune and
requires wife to help him spend the income
of it. Now, money is commodity that we
cannot we'll do without, and one that have
felt the want Of very severely for the past two
years-in fact, ever since your father died, and
that scamp Foster ran of to Canada with every
thing he could lay his hands on not even leay-
ing me enough to offer as reward fo: his ap-
prehension. have sold and sacrificed every
thing, even to my jewelry and family plate
every piece have disposed Of to keep up ap-
psarances in order to get you husband who
would be able to support us BOTH So take
my advice, and marry Mr.. Ha,brook; he says
he loves you, and We have no i5ht to duu6t his
word. You will have splendid establishment
learn to do. the honours gracefully, and act as
though you were confering a favor instead Of
receiving one from him. You will have unlimi-
ted command Of money, and I will help you
spend it; and depend on what tell you, let
you do what you will or may, he shall never
find fault with you; and, I shoHd suppose it
would not take long to decide between IT..
Hasbrook and starvation"
"But mother, we need not starve. can
teach and make support for L9th yourself
and me-"
"Hush never mention teaching again, unless
you would drive me mad. You, the daughter
Of James Lee, turn teacher; sink to the level Of
hirelng to be told by vulgar upstarts what
you are expected to know; to be ordered to
favour the company with music and requested
to speak French to Monsieur and Madam Frika-
zee You had better offer yourself to do gene
rail- house work or plain sewing at once. No,
take my advice, and accept this offer, and we
will ride over the heads Of those who have
sighted US in our misfortune. After YOU are
once married the game will be in your own
hands-and if your husband rebels you can sue
for divorce, and claim large amount of ali.
mony sufficient to support us N style. Even
that will be preferable to the life We are leading
now, expecting every moment to be turned into
the street, or disgraced by an arrest for debt"
"Stop, mother, do not say anything more. l
have decided. will marry Ira IIasbrook, and
I will make him a wife of whom. he shall be
proud l know him to be one of the very best
and noblest Of men, and respect and esteem
him, and will learn to love him as lie deserves
to be loved. All that he could wish or desire
and that hearts devotion will lay at his feet.
and if lifetime Of devotion can atone for the
great wrong you would have me do him, that
atonement l will make. I do hot wish to up
braid you, for You are my mother, though am
truly sorry that the relationship exists between
US. Yes, it shall be the study Of my life to
render happy the man you have chosen for me !;
that is, provided he will accept of me after
have revealed to him all that has transpired."
"You do not intend to repeat our converse
ton? You cannot mean to tell him that advised
you to marry him through prudential motives ?'
II must certainly tell him, else should be
deceiving him"
"What! betray your own mother? Well,
of all the scenes have evc-' passed through,
this is the most trying and notifying crisis, u
and Mrs. Lee put her handkerchief to her eyes
and wept through self sympathy.
SWELL mother, I wont tell Mr.. Hasbrook
what you said. will only tell him Of my own
misgvngs and doubts as to making him as good
wife as he deserves
.You're fool! always thought you were
and now know it !" and Mrs. Lee swept from
the room with the air of an insulted Queen.
There is an old saying that "cve's droppers
never hear any good Of themselves" and as a
general rule this may be so, though it failed r
this. instance. Ira HaSbrook had reached the
entrance hall to Mrs. Lees parlour, where tho
above conversation took place betweenthe moth
er and daughter, and on hearing the suppllca
ton of Esther, was prompted by curiosity (the
beseting sin Of our first parents) to wait anc
hear the sequel. lie had known from the tirs
that Esther did not love him, but he loved hel
with that wild fervent untamed devotion that
had she told him at the very altar's foot, and il
presence of the whole world, that she was about
to marry him without one iota of love, he woult
still have wed her. Such was the infatuatiol