Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-10-07

mo, fear not, Grantley. We shall
sorry to lose you. although we have seen 6
little of each other; but will have you j
my eye. be sure, as will my wife, in who's
way curacies come somehow more thai
they do in NINE"
And so we parted for that time with
hearty handshake.
Ah, what awife that Mrs. Markham was
fair, blithe woman then, with auburn hai
just busted DER with gold. and wearing he
thirty summers like a flower. She, wit
her pleasant smile, was the fit messenger t
tell me ere the month was up that mysel
was the new vicar of Weodislee. She too
ss great delight to bring the news as I
hear it.
The vicsrage is yours" said she; "an
may this please you. Mr.. Grantley, as i
pleasss rs. It was moi with my will lha
it was kept secret from you for SO long
but you know my husband loves his kindly
joke"
1t was not likely. after this, that shoui(
become less their friend; and, indeed, the
Markhams and myself were forever together
Both as clergyman and familiar intimate
my intercourse grew very close with them
indeed. learned, with pains enough, even
to join their little concerts in the hall.
read with them old plays in winter eve.
nings; and the vicarage was almost less my
home than was the Grange. I am not sure
that they did not choose my wife for me; il
SO, have the greatest gift of all 10 thank
them for; and they stood both of them as
sponsors to my eldest boy. About two
years after had been installed as vicar,
began to observe great strangeness in
Mrs. Markham. Che grew absent, started
when addressed-especially if by her hus-
band-wasted visibly, and lost in part her
pleasant looks. The squire did no, see this:
she had always smile to greet him with,
however she might look to others; and
would watch him sometimes, when he was
not regarding her, with a concentration Of
! affection in her gaze more intense than ever.
Another change was this: the squire's for
tune being very large, his wife had a most
liberal allowance, and kept quite littl
establishment Of her own. Her charities,
besides those that we're ia common with
bis, were extensive. When any person
needed help beyond that which was justi-
fed in giving, | had been accustomed to
apply to her as readily as to hin; but now
her aims at first diminished, and then al
together ceased. She parted, under some
frivilous pretence, with her carriage and
ponies; and, from being rather fastidious
and choice in her attire, she came to dress
with great simplicity. and almost IL, 40 that |
upon that point her husband rallied her.
One night she was singing with US in the |
hall, as usual, favorte Scotch song of his,
that she had sung hundred times before,
when her voice suddenly trembled, as though |
her heart was breaking, and she burst INTO
fit Of tears. 1t was one of those exquisite
melodies of Burns upon the domestic affec-
tions; and Markham spcks touchingly to me
afterwards of that excessive fondness of his
wife for him which had so completely over
mastered her. "lf were to be taken from
her." said he, 81 do believe dearest Jane
would de-"
Certainly, to watch her anticipating his
slightest wish, and listening TO his every
word as though it were to be his last, it
might well seem so. Upon my venturing to
remark to him that she was generally in by
no means good health, and not in her usual
spirits, he thanked me, and was nervously
alive to this at onee; and thinking a little
company might cheer her, he sent for his
maiden sister from the North to spend some
time with them-a quiet, elderly lady, very
excellent, but not in any way gifted as her
brother and sister-in-law were. We two
struck up an acquaintance very soon, and
the squire was wont to make facetious ullu-
sions to it which would have been embar-
RAISING from anybody else. She soon filled
up, in some measure, that position of Lady
Bountiful in the parish which Mrs. Markham
had abdicated-although I confess she
somewhat lacked the gracefulness of her
vell-doing-s evidently to that ladys sat-
isfac.ion. 1t left her more to herself and
At liberty to retire to her chamber. or else
where, as had now become htr favorite Gus.
tom. This, combined with the other pecu-
liarities in her conduct, although still veiled
from her husbands notice, did not escape
the quick, womanly eye of Miss Markham.
"I cannot think" said she, as we were
taking walk together about three weeks
after er arrival, "what change has come
over June. IF VIC did not know herself and
Geokge to have been the most loving couple
that ever breathed, should be inclined to
think her an unhappy wife; and if were
not thoroughly convinced of the badness of
her late husband, that she was regrettinp
his loss"
had never heard until that moment of
Mrs. Markham having been ever a widow,
and expressed my surprise strongly.
"Indeed7" said my companion. 81 had
made cerisin that they had entrusted you
with that revelation; but since you are
aware Of so much, you may now just as
we'll know ALL"
"Mrs. Markham, whom, you perceive,
even at this time, charming and almost
perfect being, appears extraordinarily sen.
sitire and unsuspieisus o. evil, was, as Miss ,
Jane Raby, romantic to The last iegree.-I
She eloped at school, at the age of seven
teen. with an ndventurer named Heathcote.
never saw him myself. but have been
told that he was in youth extremely hand ,
some, and gifted with some attractive but
superficial talents. After living together ,
q short time in great unhappiness, so far as
Jane was concerned, he deserted her, and
sent her back to her friends. He did not
appear again for yesp. He must have
treated the poor girl very brutally, to ac-
count for the horror and absolute losthing