Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1864-11-12
Selected for the Spirit of the Age.
THE WIFE OF TWO HUSBANDS.

ft liz WEE Vi wv hOpDN
Late on a Christmas night, many years ago. bs-
fore you aud | were born, dear reader a gay
party sat around the fire in the library, at Cler-
mont Hall, telling ghost stories. The day had
been a ~fatigoing one, and between church in the
morning, the tenants dinner 10 the great hall the
family dinner at seven, the sabbath schoolcbildren's
Christmas iree,the tenants dance,and serenade up
on tho lawn, by early moonlight, every one was
glad enough TO give up q dance which bad been
TTropossd, aud SIT down quietly to spead the even
ing in agreeable conversation. The group was
not large, for General Clermout dislked great
parties at Christmas he only gathered his init
mates about him at that happy time-a few rela-
tives, an officer or two, who bad come out safe in
wind and limb from the long war-aDd. lift the
list 10 Lady Clermonrs hands. She made very
few additions on the present OCCASION she had
asked only two of Of her London friends so the
the party nurnered bat eight in all. 1t vas per
haps three years after peace had been proclaimed
upon tue Continent, and people met who had been
long detained abroad, and in the warmth of.their
:. delight at seeing home and fatherlaud again, con-
trived 10 put society on a more intimate footing
than it is often seen. Thus, the group of ~bich
i speak, night have been taken for the members
Of one family so cordill aud earnest were their
manners towards each other. With one excep-
ton.
Let me describe them 10 order as the bright
hre-light shines upon the circle. First, comes
General Clermout-a tall, brold-shouldered, white
haired soldier, who won his brigade at Waterloo,
and left his bright arm upon that held. lie has
stern, harsh countcnance, and seldom smiles eX-
cept when his young wife speaks to him. Jcal-
Gus as Othello himself, somewhat irritable and
bot-headed-yct, wiLhal, kind hearted, he has
contrivsd, in the two years of his marriage, to
make her fear, rather than love him. But this
he does not know. At his feet, sits a noble
stage-hound, with dropping ears, who blinks
solemnly ut the fire, yet starts from his ~inciQept
slumber at the least sound, and lays his grizzled
muzzle affectionately upon his masters hand, and
mover fails to rec i've a caress. In the next chair
r~eclines the generals old companion IN arms
Colonel Denton, a widower of seventy, who has bu
Just returned to England, bringing with him
young Freneh officer. Maurice ID stecourt, whose
: life the colonel had saved at Quatre Bras, ant
-,-whouecompanied trim- ofSrglsnd after peace tat
been proclaimed. lie had accompanied him t
Clermont Hall willingly-they bad reached i
that morning, full Of health AID spirits, and YET
at night, the young Captain of the "Garde dillon
neur," looked pale, aud, worp, and haggard, an
pleading a sudden indisposition, preserved a
unbroken silence, and shaded his eyes with h
hand as he leaned back upon The cushions OF tn
easy chair which the general had insisted upo
arranging with his own hand, for the 'boy,' as b
mentally called him. Boyish, indeed, he looke'
with bis beautiful regular features, and his Ion
curling hair-yet he had won his epauleites by I'll
most daring bravery under the Emperor's ey
and there was a look at times in his face that to
of the silent anguish OF a man. And there W
one present, who could translate that sorrowf
look only too well.
Beside the Young officer sat q complete CO
trast- busting Tory member of Parliauen
whose vision was blind to anything that was n
tied with red tape, and whose ears were deaf to
addresses not prcfaced with My Lords and Ge
tlemsu.' lie had ] naI-e-he was called !
Thomas Overton Int he was more general
known in polite circles as Lady Overton's hu
band At his elbow, and drawn back a lit
from the heat of the FIRE, sat a tall, sad-looki
woman, apparently forty years OF age, dressed
the deepest mourning. she was the Baron'
Ralfenheim, a German lady who had lost her Ii
or lust AS he became her husband, years befo
and who had vowed TO wear black till she
changed it for her stroud. She was the only
innate friend Lady Clermont possessed, one "
spent the greater part of the year under her re
LADY Caroline Overton, the acknowledged leader
fashion, the toast of the young men, and the
miration of the old-how shall l describe her
Che was { beautiful exceedingly with a gracei
DSItIC uRuISJ Wlbu ASBuioa N
mouth, and the pcarliest OF teeth-the softesl
blue eyes, the suuniest of golden hair, anc
bloom like that in the breast of q damask ros
Il was no wonder that she turned the head
every Que who approached her-we had be
leave her in her loneliness, lest ours should be
10 whirl also. BY the side Of the rose bloome
Ily. In other words, Lady Geraldine Clerm
,at at her left hand. thus making the circle c
pleto. Her chair was drswn close to the ma
E~re-place, so that she sat a little in the SD
Even then, the purity of her complexion c
easily be seen, and the dusky splendor OF her
and hair. II was no wonder that the gen
locked at her so admiriugly. She was the DAT
Ter of a needy Scotch Lord, who had died abr
leaving his only child and her faithful nurS
return to England as best they might. TIL P
w.s unclaimed they bad dwelt secluded IN:
ala lonely, French village, and then retur' II
the;r native land, the Lady Geraldine sought
suena prct, ction at the hands of her mat
snoie. Lord Clan-Alpine. 1t was among
T;cblands that the good general bad FIRST met
IL snraptured with the elegance and msJes
Ssr form. and the proud beauty of her fac'
- laid his heart and fortune her feet.
sSan,ed them, aud two years bad passed sins
snoSs the marriage VOWS, Was she happy