Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-03-29

home and family. | could see she was afraid
of my taking the initiative, but had no idea
of being so premature.
The reader of an old woman's story will
readily excuse all superAuous detail I must
not describe tri6es with the miuuteness of a
three-voumed novel. Suffice it, all around me
proved that wealth and good taste had com
bined to give my Isabel home that should
have been elysum and that before the first
dlnner-hour was over, | was convinced that
Mr.. Lorimer had survived his love for his wife,
and regarded her no longer but as an elegant
! appendage to his house and table. SOW, too,
that Isabel was miserable beneath her cold
and Indifferent demeanor (good Heavens
how every trace Of the impulsve, self-conli
dent girl seemed vanished); but the cause of
the husbands colGness and the wfeS disap-
! pontment | could guess. With whom lay the
blame? We were not alone at the table. |
found that Mrs. Vivian, Mr. Lormers only
sister, was guest as we'll as myself This
lady did not please me at all her manners
were at once naughty and careless, and it al
most seemed to me that in her attentiVe solic-
ltude for her brother, to whom all her conver-
satiOn was addressed and her measured civili-
! ties to Isabel, there was lurking insult to the
latter which must inevitably make itself felt.
Mr.. Lorimer himself was an admirable host,
! so kind, and skiltu in his kindness, that even
! |, predsposedto nervous shynesS OF him, soon
felt at ease. Nor must it be supposed that
/ there was any failure Of outward respect to-
wards bis wife he never avoided addressing
her. or referring to her opinion, whenever it
was natural to do so but it was the averted
or chilling look, the tones untouched by an ac-
cent Of tenderness, from which drew my con-
! cIusons. How different from the wedding
morning thought / ay, one part Of the
prophecy fu.fIled-the hot love was cold
| enough now.
| was very glad when dinner was Jver, and
we rose to retire to the drawing room, and
still more so when Mrs. Vivian announced that
she was under the painful necessity of leaving
Us for an hour or So to make arrangements
for her departure on the morrow.
was very anxious now to question Isabel,
but | found such was not her present inten-
ton.
LET US go to the nursery" she said, "I
always see the babies put to bed"
However, when we reached the nursery, we
found the children asleep for dinner had been
| later on my account, and the nurse had been
rigorous about extinguishing them at the ap-
pointed hour. ! had feared Isabel would have
been a careless mother but as | watched her
leaning over her babes, the tears gathering in
her eyes as she gazed at them, felt ashamed
of my Involuntary injustice The baby lay in
her bassiuet-whch was in that state of bigh
toilet common nowadays to those charming
receptacles-with its cherub face flushed in
healthy Sleep and one fat, rosy fist pushed
against the tiny mouth. Lily, in her white
bed, pale and motionless, looked like some
lovely piece of monumental sculpture. / saw
some deep passionate feeling was yelling up in
Isabel's heart as she stood by her side, and
presently turhing from her, she dismissed the
servants down stairs, saying to me- in forced
tone Of CareleSsness You and dear aunt,
will keep watch for little while. like some
times to spend a quiet hour with them thus"
We were hardly alone before her scf-com-
mand gave way she sank on her knees by
the child's couch, and stihed sobs shook her
from head to foot. | went gently up to her,
and stroked the bowed head without speaking
Ny heart bed fer her felt how bitter was
the long suppressed anguish that was now fnd
ing vent. ... .....
"Come, dear child," said, "lct US sit down
in this window-seat and talk your troubles
over am sure they are not irremediable"
She lifted up her wet pale face with bitter
smile. "I have but one trouble, and you
have discovered it already-my husband does
not love me =
saw she watched me feverishly, in half
hope of disclaimer but 1 could not give it,
There is some quarrel between you," be-
gan soothingly-" some temporary alienation;"
but she interrupted me decisively.
4" Not so, Aunt Sarah-not so 1t is con-
frmed Indifference, the result, he would tell
you, of my own heartlesSness---ho indiff-
erence, for it is the hard cold of former heat!"
" Poor Isabel !" | said, " aad you love him
now 2"
She stopped down and kissed Lily with con-
centratcd passion. q would give this child
Of my heart to win back my husband" was
the answer. 8" ! would consent to lay her in
her grave, if over that grave he would look as
he used to look, and speak to me as he once
spoke"
But [ must not go over every spoken word,
but tell in brief what Isabel told me in vehe-
ment detail. 1t may be other young wives
may learn q caution from it.
She had married with a very superficial
knowledge of her husbands character after
brief acquaintance. He courted her from q
position considerably higher than her own,
which dazzIed her ambition, added to which he
was passionately in love with her, and wor-
shipped at her footstoo 1t was q dangerous
incense he offered. Isabel had many fine
qualities, but her education had been unfortu-
nate she had always been greatly aattered
and ndulged in her own circle, and she took
her lovers devotion as a matter of course, &C.
cepting as her right all his lavish liberaty,
and seeming to take it for granted that moth
ing more was required Of her than to be the
gracious recipient of the tribute offered
Worse than all, she married without love- yet
decevng Mr.. Lorimer with the impression