The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-03-10
MARCH 10, 1866. Z.


and he descended to the drawing. room. At
the expiration Of ten minutes, he dispatched
servant to Laura, desiring her to hurry. as
the carriage would be at the door presently.
Never prompt in her movements. and being
now furried with the messages that came from
her husband every Eve minutes, Laura
dressed us one dresses in Q dream, forgetting
where she put her things as she laid them
down, and taking twice as long in her hur-
ry as she wonld have done had Middleton
had the sense to leave her alone. She had
not yet put on her frock when she heard her
husbands voice In the hall. saying-"Tell
Mrs. Middleton to como down just as she is.
The carriage has been waiting some time"
Flurried and half drcssed-for she was still
pinning her belt and fastening her manches.
tes-sbe ran down to find Middleton fun.
ing and fretiing at the foot Of the stairs.
.Drive quickly" he said to the coach
man, as he handed his wife 70 the carriage,
"for we are late" And as he seated him
self beside her, he said-"l wish to heavens
Laura, you would try and be more punctual.
lfyou have no sense Of decsncy yourself, you
might have some regard for my feelings. I
am truly ashamed to see the 'Harriscs again.
To keep them waiting q second time In this
manner 10 Infamous"
In this way he continued finding fault, and
saying what no ono could deny, until they
reached Mrs. Harris's. Laura said nothing,
but she felt an absolute sensation Of relief as
the carriage stopped and she was able to
mako her escape from him. Mrs. Harris 70.
ceived her apologies very kindly, saying
"Pray don't distress yourself, my dear Mrs.
Middleton. dare say you will have to wait
for your dinner now some ten minutes"
"There." said Laura, turning to her hus.
band, reproachfully; "you see you need not
have hurried me So"
"IIe is tho soul OF punctuality. I know"
replied Mrs Harris, smiling, as she looked at
Middleton. ,.r
.Oh, yes;-is It not dreadful7" said Lau
ra. at is hurry, hurry. scold, scold. all the
timo."
Middleton had by this time turned to ans
wer some gentlemen who came up to speak
to him but etill with an eur inclined tow.
ards his wife, he heard q young man say to
her playfully-"S "Scold? Surely my ears de
csived me You did not say scold?"
"Iudced did," she replied, earnestly, as
she raised her blue eyes with their must ear.
nest expression. to his facc. 81 wish you
could only hear him." #Ef sH
"You must teach him better manners,
said Mrs. Harris, gaily. "lt is neither prop
or nor pleasant, besides being quite out Of
date, I did not know any young man OF the
present day presumed to take such liberties.
81 don't mind II much" resumed Laura,
"only It aurries me. How does my hair
look2" she continued, addressing herself to
the young gentleman to whom she had begun
her condolences. ''i '..." ,
alt looks just as every thing about Mrs.
Middleton always loots-charming!" was
the answer. .r .
"Nonsense." she replied ;"l don't believe
you mean what you say. But it is so absurd
for man to be calling for you to come just
as you are when you can't. |
What this phrase wanted In precision and
distinctness, emphasis and expression filled
up. The young man caught the idea with
infinite amusement. and seemed quite capti-
vated with that transparency Of mind" that
was now causing Middleton to chew the cud
of modification and ve1stion, while appar-
sntly listening to Mr.. Harris's "news from
Europe" as he himself had been not many
months before. lh ..r 'a
Middleton had not been married a year be-
fore he began to sec that his wife was as in
corrigible US she was sweet tempered. He
found fault and she seldom answered; but
she never nended--and 10 he scolded now II
was not 90 much to reform her as to relieve
himself. But even here he found himself
moro than fairly matched BY her sim.
plicity and frankncs. As. for instance, ono
day some company being present, in allud.
ing to something that happened before his
marriage, he said, turning to her-"You rc-
member. Laura, coming to your mother with
tears In your eyes, and bcgging-" '.i
mo, indeed" interrupted she; 'you nov-
or saw tears in my oycs before my marriage.
though. I" added sho, "you may have often
enough SINCE" And then. rs she never pre-
tended to keep anything to herself, she would
no. hesitate to ay -"Oh, Mr.. Middleton
was 20 angry about that" or "psy. don't .
tell Allen he will scold so." And in fact, {
instsad Of her being afraid Of him, he began
actually to stand in dread Of her. There 10
no fear like tho fcar of exposure-no power
like tba. Of fool for whom you arc rrspon.
,ible over person ot senso. ?"
"lfI could only make her angry" said
Middleton. one day. In the extremity Of his !
Impa,ienoe, al might have some hope; but I
nothing I cay seems to make any impression
,n her," ,g .sr -, IL
Iaura continued. meantime. yerv like I'm. {