Smyrna times., 1871-03-08
me- sc eIIu 10 e OuS.
st. Marie.

H0lc"Hy acquainted with her intellectual deyel-
opment to be wonderfully intelligent. had
never become ultimate n)ugh with my lady to
make any such discovery Nv mother said il
was my own fault. Perhaps She was right,
Marian Cathcart was her name and alfbnncb
We mad been engaged several mouths, and had
lIaue point OF spending at least two evenings
Oh each week In her society, | had never vet
progressed beyond the formal Miss Marian: and
she ala not seem inclined to invite me to anv
!eSs conventional platform. | used to wonder
IL after We were married, | should simply
cihahge the Miss to Mrs. and Mrs. Marian her
throughout our matrimonial pilgrimage.
Wy mother declared L had chosen wisely. 7
occasionally felt like suggesting that she shouId
take all the credit to herself, for certainly had
no voice or choice in the matter; but | urged
that women must, OF necessity, have more on
portunlueS OF Judging of the virtues of their
own sex than we masculine bipeds, who half
the time are not able to discriminate between
false teeth and natural ivory, or sham hair and
the real article. So pinned my faith ON nv
maternal parents stout sleeve of Judgment,
cioSed both eyes, took everything tor granted,
and went it blind.
l occasionally caught myself wondering if
Inere really was such thing in the world as
love. From a boy had peen a great lover NJ
sentiment and sentimental poetry-had formed
an idea OF my future partner, as most BOYS and
girls do, L tancy-beleved that
Love Is the striving
VI two spirits to be one,
SwcetneSs lingering after sweetness.
want that thlrsteth for completeness,
Planets twain decreed to be
Each others dear necessity,
Each from each its light deriving,
I'LL they melt into a sun"
l was quite sure my spirit didn't strive
L.
she could satisfy, and the prospect was that
planets twain we should remain (hadn't the
slightest intention of rhyming them to the end
OF the chapter.
1t was respectable to marry Old bachelors
were held in Odlum by the public and none of
our family, on either side Of the house had
ever been known to set aside the conventional
custom OF matrlmOny. And they had all mar
RED well, too-that is, in their own set-as far
| back as We could trace
Love was myth, my mother declared
sinpy something to tasclnate school girls
and college youth, but which always disappear.
ed when theyears OF discretion rolled around. y
was possessed OF fifty thousand pounds my
| atlanced would have as much more when her
father died, aud SO our financial future was as
sured
Sometimes, as l looked in the mirror and
surveyed the features which appeared as if
there might be a soul behind them, | was
tempted to some sort of understanding with
myself but family ties, societys restrictions,
ana the absence Of real, independent, manly
Dralh' kept me IN that narrow, contemplate
groove OF prejudice in which | had been born
and raised
A few weeks before had proposed and been
accepted by my Lady mother engaged a new gov
erness Tor my two young sisters, Minnie and
Anna-the hrSt twelve, the second fourteen
years of age.
The reader, judging by the majority of sto.
rles, VIII, OF course imagine the moment this
new individual is introduced to their notice
that the writer Immediately fell in love, as is
the. general custom lh such cases-but the read
er Is mistaken in that
Marie de We're THAT was her name) was
beautiful, talented and ACCOMPLISHED. and ex
ceedlngly attractive, on account of womanly
retlcence which was modest and captivating.
mad always admired shy women. Marian
excuse me, " Miss Marian, had no such
o auty. che was as self possessed as a woman Of
forty, and as smooth as frozen lake.
IL would have been singular had not looked
with feelings OF pleasure upon the little woman
who gllded so gracefully through the house, at
tending to her duties with thoughtfulness and
patience which seemed to me almost angelic.
found myself calling her ST. Marie. Rather q
strange name for woman but it came as natu
raj to my lips as " Sis and 9 dear" when
speaking to my sisters. Not that | ever calleC
her so. BY no means. We scarcely exchang
ed word.
Our governess (of French extraction) was my
social inferior, and my mother never allowed
any approach to intimacy or conversation, ever
with such intlmates Of her household.
The hrst time L ever had the pleasure of a
chat with the dear little creature shall never
| forget
mother and sisters were out. When | entered
the library, after dinner, Miss de We're was writ
ing.
. Do not let me disturb you,' entreated, a.
she prepared to leave.
can wTlte III my own room as WE'LL" she
replied; only it is warmer here"
very well, then, you must remain" I an
swered. Ii you consider it necessary for one
OF us to leave, L will depart Immediately "
''One of us must leave That Won know sir
and the reason for such necessity you also un
derstand. Ii you prefer your own room viii
remain here. Ii not, the library is at YOU ser
vice"
There she stood, the pale face little flushed
bundle or papers in one hand, and her brown
eyes fixed inquiringly on me.
As you will, Miss De vere,"I replied.
But am at "a loss to understand why, when
without fiattering myself, | think we shall b,
! mutually pleased with an evening together, W.
may not enjoy it like sensible folks. Please b,
seated, and let's converse awhile like Chris
tians."
She evidently did not hear the last of thu
sentence. Her eyes took far-away, wistfu
look, and tears trembled on the fringed lids
For a moment she stood silent and wistful
then turned away with a single Goodnight
Mr.. Sinclair. "
would have detained her even then, bu
she closed the door, and in moment after
heard light step upon the stairs.
When my mother entered the library short
ly after, l was deeply in the question OF wo
man rights, and had decided that, whatever
the risk, l would direct all my energies towarc
the total demolishing Of all conventionalism
which. prevented decent mans enjoyment.