Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-07-22
Srlcrtro lalisfellanp.
TANGLED THREADS:
And how They were UnraveIed.

trouble and death and anguish which hai
flown with such heavy surge and coldnesi
through so many hearts of the land haC
passed her by, to all outward seeming, quit'
untouched.
Sylvia Farnham's mental ailment was o
that kind, talking over which the best o
us are apt to shrug little, and say, 'Non-
senser' So reluctant we are to admit oul
belief of things we do believe We know
how SYLVIA Farnham migat sit bereayed
though death had neither touched mo-
threatened the least on her beloved Think
of the capacity for human tenderness and
devotion q gentle, clear-headed girl vii
garner mp from her own nature and oul
literature in the years which pass between
sixteen and twenty-three. And 1.-THE
time seeming full come-it seeks lavish
outlet, and is driven back ashamed, will moi
the heart sink and quiver under the sick
ening weight?
SYLVIA had never been specially in love,
though she knew very well that, as Amer
lean girls go, her wedding bells must ring
before many years, If at all-and she
thought marriage the ''true state" as We
all think, whether we say it or not. Not
long ago she had observed among the Office
signs of the town n new name, philip Ell
caren." and by and by she began to 'in
clude" its owner-a man firm of hand and
step, with eyes and voice passing those Of
most men in clear, kindly breadth and full
ness
Will Won tell me the common result OF 9
girl of Sylvia Farnham's stamp seeing much
of such a man2 The demand of right
soul for virtues like lis own being appar-
ently fully met, how about the human In
stincts the mobiles truly feel? What need to
90 over the old theme wherewith the sweet
singers and ready writers have found their
best occasion for all times.
Sylvia and Elcaren had not very long met
at social gatherings, and talked, and play
ed chess before, scarcely with her cogni-
ton silently, and, as it were, in the night
the food-gates felt the opening pressure,
and the tide of her whole life's love set forth
in steady flow toward this one man.
Ard SO, reader, if you have been in love,
as you very probably have, you will see
how a girl who had been cool and stately
rs Diana for twenty three years, could
come to thrill and glow by virtue Of q sin
gle step, and voice, and toaeh. She was
afraid Of herself, she was coming to love
him soi How could she, who had ...detest-
ed" such things, let her hand be retained
SO long In his the last time they parted2-
More easily. clearly, than to have with.
drawn 1t properly" away. i tell you there
is painfulness almost counterpoising the
bliss of that sort of incident. The high
reserve of a whole, pure maidenhood ear
not be thrown off, though but partially,
with ease, even under rising loves quick
ening light.
You having been in the state presup-
posed, will know how it was with Sylvia
after an event like the following. She was,
Won will remember, in the mood We have
Just discussed, entering on passion which
al its full would have thrown herself and
the whole world besides at the feet of this
Sd ma;Sden deI,essdev Isd Ta1 eroHine donbly sensitive
and ready to take keen alarm at a word.
1t was q social evening at Mr.. Mayhem s.
The parlors were full the talk aud passing
to and fro very brisk. Not especially OBJ
served, as she thought, Elcaren was sooI
at her side: but before long gay little
piece of the world. in the person of Miss
Euphrasia Lance, came between them in a
little breeze of airy, vexatious. yet insinua-
ting de tropness, and the result was tha
Sylvia found herself, after a brief eye-par-
lev with her companion, separated from
ulul- anu cCdlCb IL ClCoo OA a kAOAOUSAAl
golden rule principle, with good but prosy
and purblind DR.. Akerly, the checkeret
field before him his world for the time be
ing.
For nearly an hour she saw nothing o.
Elcaren. She was beginning to reall,
chafe at this quiet puppet-handling which
the Doctor enjoyed so much, when tn
voice again reached her ear. Any othel
one at the same pitch she would have sim
ply have heard and not understood, but you
know there will be voices for us alone
whose most careless cadence rings clear a
silver bells.
She could just distinguish Alf Mayhem
words, though he spoke in a higher key
The first were:
sNow, Phil, you may as well be honest
and own you're trapped at last. No girl il
her senses could ever have looked and ACT
ed that way to a fellow who hadn't mad
himself pretty definite"
1t seemed to Sylvia as though the bloc
had all gone out of her heart, for it hardl
seemed to quiver in IFS still suspension
while h " face glowed furiously. So he
burning ears took In the second speaker
words.
'.How little you know me, ALI, to jum
at that style of conclusion assure yo
that no word of this kind has ever passes
my bps" (But what had he not looked
IF you knew her as well as do, You woul,
never had fallen into this mistake. Sh
either wants to be married or wants /
hirt, and what they vulgarly call the 'dea
set is her plan of operation. / tell you
ALI, / would not marry Venus herself
that were her style of attack. My ideal {
the sex can never stoop quiet so brisk
nor so low to conquer"
Then that was his estimate of her, Sy
via Farnham How the tide rolled bac
upon her suffocating heart How she di,
engaged herself from DIR. Akerly she neyt
knew; but what remained Of that eyenin
she spent In a shaded corner Of the deser
ed dressing room-not crying, but KNOWN
for the first time what real misery mean
Yet as she donned her hood with the re,
YOU must have looked carefully at her, an
known her well, to have told that hers hs
not been q generous share of the enjoymer
ofthe occasion. -farS
At the hall door she met form sh
knew quite too well, waiting, before b
went his own way, to bestow her safely j
the carriage, which bore her home som
distance out of town.
What matter if she could not help
thrilling under the old look? The one sh
gave back was as full of gathered an
haughty reproach as ever cut keen froI
eyes voicing an insulted heart. His ow
glance changed to one of surprised inquir,
But what OF it2 He knew his part we
enough, no doubt
So you see 1T was quite over. The It'd
could not well be colder or wider whic
flowed between her and him. She did M
meet him very often, but when she dit
that man must have been very singularl
obtuse who did not see that the exes1
onsnes was henceforth prom unced on q
mental intercourse of his as concerned hel
self ft7fsi
Girls like Silvia Farnham do not pea
ind pine over things of this sort. Sh
went about her household tasks, as it were
with more gentleness and efficiency tha
ever. The only change outside SCENE
that she was more tender and thoughtft
of actual suffering, orpossibility oft, tina
before. sais .f
Her nimble needles elinked and glittere
among the. very first which unsheathe
themselves, on comfortable deeds Intent
for fhouo lrova bux cbillv foIlovc dwollip