Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-07-15
earnest prayer Of one who will ever be
"Your sincere friend and we'll wisher,

"Your sincere friend and well wisher,
| ALBERT BROwE."
And Mrs Barton! Had she perpstrate,
all this mischief deliberately, and wit!
malice aforethought! By no means. Il
her great passion for talk she had acquire,
such habit of taking things for granite,
and guessing at others, that when sh,
caught so much of the conversation between
her husband and Mr.. Parsons as would nat
turally contribute thereto, she adopted tn,
conclusion with reference to the affairs o
the latter. which she subsequently imparte.
to Mrs. Chapman and her other guests -
When, too, Emily expressed her admiration
for the new carpet she had seen, knowing
that the girl had been to call on Mrs. Par
sons she inferred, quite naturally, to bt
sure, that that lady had got one, and then
putting these two gratuitous conclusioni
together, she found abundant evidence Of
the gentlemsn's dishonesty and his wife's
extravaganza, notwithstanding she had
never questioned the probility of the one
nor frugality of the other before. But she
was now destined to learn that drawing
certain conclusions from uncertain premise:
is altogether out OF the line of safe pre-.
cedents, fer she found herself covered with
confusion, worthy family transformed
from friends to enemies, her daughters ma.
tr:monIal prospects blasted, and the whole
neighborhood in ar ecstacy Of delight at her
expense. II her feelings could have been
aRalyzed, however, it is questionable wheth-
er anything more than the modification of a
sore discontinue would have been the re-
suit.
But with Emily the case was far different.
The brightest and dearest hope of her life
was extinguished, and even that was not the
worst of it. She had loved Albert Brown
still loved him, as the true woman loves but
once-with her whole heart. Had that love
been crossed by ordinary circumstances,
had his love for her grown cold by time, or
been diverted to some other object, she
could have borne it, because she could have
summoned her pride to her aid. But to feel
that he had ceased to love her from con-
viction Of her unworthiness, that henceforth
she could have no place in his memory ex
cept as an object to be despised, and all
without fault Of hers, that was the drop too
much. Pride could offer no support in such
a case-tears offered no relief. She could
only trust to time and distance. With this
view she commenced preparations for visit
ing distant relative, when Mrs. Ch apman
who was the only person the world, besides
her mother and herself, that understood the
exact measure of her responsibility for the
story of Mr.. Parsons failure, had long
and confidential interview with the young
The reader anticipates the re-
suit. TIE contemplated visit was given up.
Emily's tears were dried and her face was
,nse more radiant with hope, and IN due
season5 Miss EMILY Barton became Mrs. Al
bert Brown. She had learned wholesome
lesson, however, just such an one, perh aps,
he was necessary to prevent her from fall
ing into her mothers footsteps, and to make
ler the model wife which she subsequently
became. Nor was she the only one that
was benefited by the lesson, for it was re-
narkab how easy Mr.. Barton ever after
could check the current of his wife's Ioquaci-
~ by the slightest alusion 20 Mrs. Parsons
new carpet.