Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1863-07-18

~o H''u6 ~ ehS sSuhtiy. cue Hdu always
intended to visit her, but had never found
time and courage for the jaunt. There
was Blanche, who ran away With Phil
Spofard, and lives somewhere in the 4Oth
streets. She had never seen her, either,
and she determined to 60 now. They
would not tell her what she wished to
know, but they could not help the betray.
al OF their faces, aud she could see aud
judge for herself She went first to call
on Blanche, whom hardly any one had
seen since her marriage, Though it had
made stir enoug b at the time, and found
her in the last respectable house 10 the
block-an outpost, as it we're, Of decency,
surged against continually by the over.
flowing of wretched shops, more wretched
tenement houses, and the dirty pavement.
Some one else must live in the house, for
all those wild'eyej, uncombed children
could never belong to Blanche besides
there was smell OF cabbage in the house,
and who could ever fancy Blanche and
Phil Spofford, the elegant, dining on cab.
bage? She found her sitting in little
damp parlor, on very hard hair.cloth
sofa. The furniture might have just re-
turned from funeral, 30 damp and black
was its appearance. The carpet looked
like an Assyrian relic, hard and unde.
cypherabla.
There were queer paper flowers in cheap
vases; and q bonnet box showed through
a half open closet door; and Blanche her.
Self looked in most dismal keeping. Her
uncombed hair had been smoothed over
with We; brush her gay wrapper was
CREASED and torn; her stockings hung in
wrinkles. Figure she had none, except
general tiatness and sharpness, and
stoop, Her complexion was grey aud
faded; her eyes dull; her forehead wore
an habitual scowl. This was Blanche, the
lovely, smiling, radiant blonde of Mays
recollection, alw:ys perfectly shining in
fresh silk or muslin Of dainty laces.
She had hardly a relic Of beauty, and
none of her old manner. She lounged;
she talked loudly "She had never q
nights rest. The baby kept her awake all
the time, while Phil lay and snored. Men
are so selfish. If May was wise she would
not marry one, unless he could give her
servants enough to help her. She might
be sure her husband wouldn't after the
honeymoon was over. No one ever came
TO see her now. Poor folks had precious
few friends
May listened aghast, and took the cars
for F., with 4 heavy heart. Blanche
had loved Hill Spohord weil enough to run
away with him; aud now she talked about
being selfsh-and in such Il tone as if
she hated him. Did she love George as
well1 She was certain that she would
never run away with him. What il her
aunt and George Whitaker was right p
What "a dreary world it would be
BY this time she had reached Tom Lsf
fert's house-s plain little affair, but GER
tainiy very neat, and Commanding lovely
view. 1t was not Il particularly bright
morning but the house must have had
trap to catch sunbeams somewhere, it
looked such a cosy, cheerful little place
The air was fresh and sweet with flowers,
and the house had look Of being even
handsome and elegant. by no means borne
out by the details of the furniture.
But Rose always had so much TASTE
reflected May.
Rose herself she would hardly have
known. She was little graver, but the
change was not there. She had been a
very pretty girl, and now she was beauti.
tul, lovelier far than when in possession of
the FIRST bloom and plumpness of youth.
May thought ii must be the calm of her
forehead and mouth, and tho happiness
shining in her clear eyes. She made no
particular parade Of her content, bat it
snptx,. for IL calf ovnru ,uor1
May must 60 up to SEQ the baby-a
great fat, black-eyed fellow, basking too
luxar'ously in existence to fret. though
he did sometimes, Rose affirmed, as if
it were thing not 10 he believed OF such
perfection but then he was SO cunning
about it; If May could but see the way in
which he would lay his head down on her
shoulder; and Tom. there never was such
another fellow as Tom! He wouldn't let
her tire herself out j; and he was so good,
and 80 tender OF her when she was sick
And May must see their garden, aud hear
what struggles they had to get that moss
rose on; and May must stay to lunch,
seryed on sueh a snow.white cloth, aud in
such dainty way; aud she aud Tom read
together; and she was preparing a sur
prise for Toms birthday. In short, tho
outer world looked really dull aud blank
after 80 much rose.color, ~ May went
back to town to finish her teur oil inspec.
tion a. Bella's. .9Es.~4. +#s.. t..%n~a' f.,
Here the magnifoence of the surround
iugs could have entirely eifaced the very
memory OF Rose Letler,s. Mirrors, stat
utes, curtains, pictures, all Of approved
magnificence, yet with the most curious
family likeness to Blanche Spaford's par
lor; the same hardness was in everything.
Bella showed May all her new possessions
with something Of pride, and dilated on
her plans for the future in not the best
possible taste but May was struck by
the same res,lessness u nd vacancy of man-
ner, tho same hard sighting way Of speak
ing of her husband.
r: II very curious, 3at here extremes
seemed to meet. ..-..
May went homo thoughtful. Conld it
be that wealth or the lack of it had very
little to Do with the muoh ,nooted question
Of matrimonial happilcss? Phil Spedosd