Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-07-20

THE DIVORCE.
b. CHAPTER I.
BY E. LOUISA MAfHER.

VOrceU from your nuSDand, from your dear
Charles, whom YOU loved so fondly only
short four years ago 2" eagerly questioned
Mrs. Fessenden of her friend Mrs. Vinton,
as she burst in upon her after nearly
years absence from her native city. |
heard of it, this morning, Immediately af-
ter my return, ard | have not stopped to
say syllable to any other friend but have
come directly to hear from YOUR own lips,
the why and wherefore of this unaceounta-
BILE step" -, .-s- ...-.-
1t is but too true. Harriet" said Mrs.
Vinton, mournfully, while the tears gather
ed in her eyes {: did love Charles most
dcvotedly, or rather the Charles whom my
fancy had invested with all glorious attri-
butes, all gentle, yet manly affections, all
exalted gifts of nature and art-and he, as
l thought, loved me, but the delusive veil
has been rent away, and | was as nothing
to him, while he, at the same time, was ca
priciols, tyrannical, .ault-fnding and hard
to please. y .7s r.rat snE .-aela sa,za.I
e Charles Einton tyrannical and fault
finding! - exclaimed the candid, truth-loy-
ing Mrs. Fcssenden Dearest Elma,
believe me, you are laboring under delu-
sion-a cruel delusion, deceptive as the
light of the ignis fot,us. Now that you
are, indeed, parted from Charles, as, in all
your loneliness and isolation, you steadily
look back upon the light and gladness of
those days of endearment and trust, hcw
bitter will be the draught from life's pois-
oned chalice, how gladly would you again
listen to tones which thrilled your being
like the mysterious influence Of enhancing
music, how dear would be one of the olden
glances of love, how refreshing his support
and guidance" ..-.-. ---9
e Spare me, in mercy spare me-, mur-
INJURED Elma Vinton, as she laid her head,
Ike that of a tired infant, upon the bosom
Of her friend, and wept unrestrairingly.
"Elma, !" ctnoinued her friend, tenderly
and earnestly, Il know you well, II know
your admiration for whatever is beautiful
and good,-I know the high aspirations
which expand your soul-I know the deep
fount of love in your breast, which wishes,
nay, which demands corresponding love
I know, too, your cxcitability and imagin-
alton which have often raised a barrier
against love by suspicious jealousy, which
was reused by 'trihes Ii ght as air. For
give me, Elma, if l wound your feelings By
my plain speech, as I do it for your good
I would fain have saved you and Charles
this needless agony of parting, loneliness
and tears, which must inevitably be your
lot. Only think, dear friend, how strong
are the bonds which even now unite your
hearts, amid all this enstrangement, this
separation by human law-think of the
holy time when you were all in all to each
other, when even death, the death of your
little boy, was borne with composure, be-
cause your husbands strong, yet submis-
sive words, impaired comfort to your heart,
as you gave up one object of affection, only
to love the remaining object more fervent-
ly."
''Spare me, Harriet" again pleaded the
wretched woman, had you only been here,
this cruel parting might have been avoided.
But Charles is not the same being as when
you left us,-he seems to be restless, dis
satisfied, unhappy, and to what cause could
| Impute it, but to lack Of affection p
His evenings, too, have nearly all been
spent away from home, for several months,
leaving me as he knew, without single
resource against solitude, for, Harriet, you
were the only friend I loved dearly, and
you were far away,-and you well know I
am an orphan, without the kindly tones of
brothers or sisters voice to cheer me-
and Charles had been to me father, mother,
brother, sister, all The acorld. Cousin Wal
ter, however, has never deserted me, but
has done what he could to make my soli-
tude less tedious, has procured for me the
best legal advice, and generously fitted up
this tenement for my reception and COM
fort" -t.a.J -"
" Cousin Walter y almost angrily ex-
claimed the generally mild and candid Mrs.
Fessenden. q never fancied Walter Par
ker.L Depend upon it, dear Elma, he has.
unknown to yourself, silly infused prejudi-
ces into your mind against your husband.
You were too much absorbed in loves idol
airy at the time of your marriage to per-
celve that your cousin was very much cha
grined at that step, that he loved you as
much as his selfish nature would allow him
to love, and that he has always disliked, ay,
hated your husband l saw all this at the
time, but would not disturb your happi-
ness by the recital. Now, Elma, as you
look back, you can see it. ..-. ....F-r7
I" l cannot look back, Harriet, to the
past with pleasure, nor to the future with
any thing of hope in my heart. Now that
you have spoken SO candidly, | feel that
my imagination has magnifed little things
trlhlng acts into crimes,-but, indeed, Har-
rlet, excltable as l am, am not ,rhoUy to
blame. Should you see Charles, | think
you will agree with me in that respect As
for cousin Walter, / never fancied him
much more than you did, although / did
not suspect him of loving me. But nor /
do see that much of bis advice tended in
directly to wrong feeling On my part to-
wards my husband, and left ME quite fa-
vorable opinion of himself But there was
something in Charles conduct SO unlike
himself, that | cannot pretend to account
for 1T even now. So coldly distant, SO for
nal, that in the excitement of my feelings,
l proposed a separation to which be did
not object, and which by Walters aid anu
counsel has been effected But | am mis-
erable. All of my cousins arguments can
not get me into society, or induce me to re-
eeive visitors. Of course, I cannot refuse
to see him. although from the light / now
/ Il