The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-11-02

through James brown eyes; look
that to me, at least, said very plainly
g | am not Annie; but some one can
love me. Mr.. Forbes" 1t was this
look which, whether he understood 1t
or not, made Mr.. Forbes color like
girl. u go,
Nothing is easier than to solicit
confidence under pretence OF giving
advice; nothing more troublesome, TO
a conscientious person, than to give
the profered counsel when the CONN.,
dence has been made. So, at least, |
now felt, and / dreaded being alone
with Jane again; but / found to my
great comfort, though not without
some modification, that Jane had
spoken to get relief, not to be adj
vised. At least, she never asked me
TO suggest what line Of conduct she
should pursue towards her husband,
and | believe she even forgot that
anything Of the kind had been men
toned between us. / pitied her from
my heart, but / saw no remedy to her
sorrows. | pitied Mr.. Forbes, too.
You see il is one thing to marry
woman with the intention OF giving
and receiving affectianate regard, and
it is another thing to marry a girl who
takes the liberty Of falling in love
with you, and who feels aggrieved If
you do not, or rather cannot, follow
her example. What should | have
done, for instance, if, marrying Jane
for the sake of being comfortable
with her, I had suddenly discovered
that my saucy little cousin was enam-
ored of poor me? 1t has occurred
to me since then, that Jane would not
so have committed herself with me,
but. at the time, / did not think of
that. rejoieed that / had not pro-
posed to her, and | pitied her hus-
band for if James misfortune was to
have read the letter, his trouble was
to read her heart rather too truly.
Poor little simple Jane it was like
her to think that she could keep such
secret from her husband, who had
not love, to blind him.
| watched him without seeming to
do so, and / felt sure that Mr.. Forbes
grief was to see his wife's love and
not be able to return it; his grief was
to have married, as he thought, a
sensible mercenary girl, and to find
out that he was welded to fond and
tender hearted woman. | do not
mean to 7say that he resented that
love, or that it bored him; but he
could not return it.
was beginning to walk about with
the help of stick, when | saw Mr..
Forbes go off in his chaise one morn
ing with Arthur. .n
Please to tell Jane that / am
taking the child he said to me.
On hearing this, Arthur, who had
sat quietly till then, uttered scream
of dismay, and called ON his mama" "
| saw Mr.. Forbes bite his lip, but he
drove away all the faster, and both
father aud child were out of sightin a
few moments. Jane had heard the
cry, and now came down rather scared.
On hearing the explanation | gave
her, she turned very pale
O,pyhy does he take himto Hart
ing !? :" she cried, piteously; my maid
has just told me the small -pox is
there. Oh, if only one could overtake
him!"
That was out of the question, so /
did my best to comfort Jane but the
tears stood in her eyes as she still
kept signing
o, why did he take him."
Why, indeed? The child came home
bright and well, and his father seemed
quite triumphant at having kept him
half day away from his step mother
And he was not at all unhappy,
Jane, he said, with marked emphasis.
All day the child continued we'll
and merry, but next morning he fell
sick, and by the time his father came
home at night he was i'll; he had the
smallpox. It was | who told Mr..
Forbes. He turned dreadfully pale;
he had learned in the course Of the
day that the epidemic was at Harting.
II was there, and he had taken his
child, to it; he had taken him to III
ness, perhaps to death, just to brave
and tease his poor young wife!
knew all this passed in his mind, for
the first words he uttered we're
God, forgive mel" a,rsog
His next remark was the Question
Has Jane ever had it?"
-" Never" / replied, gravely. so
Then she must not stay with him, ("
he afdsqnickly; Y she must not.n
He went up; | followed him to the
nursery. Jane was there, bending
over thelittie,Aet, with9Arthnrls hand
in hers. Mr.. Forbes went up to her 4;
he was much agitated. He could
scarcely speak.
Jane he said, without looking at
the child, you must. not stay. |
know you have never had this COM
plaint-you, must not stay"
Would you say that if were his
mother she asked.
:" You have no right to risk your
life, lie urged 81 have had il; so
you risk much ~ ''@sS
What2H asked Jane, and my pale,
a.