Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-16

| will be c0ntent-thate Inc oiesseu prlVl-
lege of unreasoning youth.
sT am sure Helen viii never be unrea-
sonable,m he said, somewhat disturbed.
sYod are marrying child, she an
swered. "You cannot expect blossoms
and solid fruit both. To certain extent
your life must be solitary-you will find
that out; she is q girl, and will live in the
interests suited to her age. 1t is right,
and you must be satisfied with knowing
that you have the love of pure, fresh
heart. She may not be able to under
stand or sympathize with the feelings of
man of your age; but put that by, live
for her, and gain your reward in the sight
of her peace"
Richard Falmore could not have told
how, but those words, and many similar
ones she uttered, opened his eyes for the
first time to the fact that Helen was very
| youthful in thought and opinions-exact-
ing and unreasonable as youth unusually
is; and the reflection was not pleasant.
1t was not agreeable either to regard the
future where ne was personally concern
ed, as Mrs. Vincent painted it. Altogeth-
or, when the interview ended, his pros
| poets looked much less bright than they
had done during the past weeks. Life
had before seemed to find an anchor-an
aim; now the solitude and emptiness of
the old days menaced the future, and left
him irritated and dlsheartened.
She read him like book; glided back
to plessanter themes; talked of her own
ambition for him-the need there was in
this country of men of culture and mind
devo'ing themselves to public career.
But she showed plainly she did not now
expect or wish him to fulfill her former
hopes. He asked why, and persisted
| till she gave the reason-very gently
but the cruelist barb of all she now plant
ed in his soul. Such career would sep
arate him from the wife he had chosen;
she was too young to sympathize, and
would therefore be jealous even of his
ambition. Richard combated and argued
but nevertheless the doubt was sent home
and grew as rapidly as only such poison
Gus fancies can do.
The days and weeks got by; l might
fill volume with their details, but they
could make the inevitable result no
clearer.
Helen was willful and jealous; Falmore
wrong headed and obstinate as only 8
man can be; and the time came when
quarrels were frequent among them, and
helped to wear the bloom off their TO-
nance. Let me do Mrs. Vincent Justice.
She did not think how wickedly she was
actiDg-people seldom do. She meant at
first only to punish FalmOre little; Hell
EMS conduct angered her, and she wanted
to punish her too; but after q while she
grew sorry for Falmore's distress, forgot
that she had any share in it, and pltied
him heartily for having made great
mistake. She showed that she
pitied him, and though he went
nearly mad at this, he could not relinuuish
the sort of bitter pleasure he found in it. |
Making a man believe nobody else really
understands and appreciates him is trap
wherewith an artful woman shall catch |
the oldest and wisest Solomon of modern |
days, be he as willy diplomatist as Bis
marck or as enthusiastic churchmsn as |
Pussy himself
Besides the quarrels between the lovers,
several of those unforeseen mischsnces |
wherewith Fate likes to torment us when |
she makes up her mind to be cruel, helped |
to widen the breach that separated them. |
Once Helen wrote to Ssk him to walk with /
her; careless servant omitted to take |
her letter, and while she sat at her win
dow waiting, he drove past with Mrs.
Vincent. She was too proud to ask an
Observation-Disclosures he had deliberately
intended to outrage her; and from that
time her anger rapidly mastered every
better emotion.
She took to flirting, and made the mis-
takes therein young girls usually do; and |
whether Falmore happened to be amused
or sngry Of her performances, they aided
equally in widening the gap.
There came very bitter hour to Rich
ard; he felt shat he had given his heart
to a soulless doll, who cared more for the
qualification of her vanity than anything
else. Helen was quick to discover that
he regarded her as child, to be petted,
trained, schooled, and she resented it |
with hot passion. She knew what, in
his blind mans arrogance, he failed to |
discover; love had suddenly developed |
her into womanhood; the careless, bios
som-like season OF t,e:: girlish years was
gone forever.
Relations helped on the mischief |
they invariably do in such cases. They |
pitied Helen one day and blamed her the |
next, till at last the fiery temper which |
until lately she had never accused herself |
of possessing, famed up, and she proved |
to them that she would endure neither
sympathy nor interference. So they took !
out their commissratiop and condemna-
ton in looks, and drove her SO nearly mad
that she used to wish the race of kindred
an extinct species.
Lent was very early that season, and
after its austerities frightened into the
rejoicings of Easter, Mrs. Doshsmer gave
the last BALLOT the season.
Ii was late when Helen entered the
rooms; she had detained her stepmother
by one preteXt or another, and was sew
eral times on the point of declaring that
she would not go; but destiny had still
another blow to deal her undisciplined
soul, and some impulse stronger than she
could resist forced her out.
The first sight which met her eyes in
the dancing saloon was Falmore and Mrs.
Vincent whirling down the room to the
music of waltz, which a few months
before Helen and her lover had decided
they We're 2lways to dance together. In
a more reasonable frame eff mind she
might have Observation-Disclosures was really
the truth that Falmore was not actually
to blame; but to her morbid feelings it
appeared fresh insult. Mrs Vincent
had said with her easy ardaCity:
"This waltz is mine; la belle is not
here yet, SO can claim the privilege Of
friendship and ask for it."
As FalmoTe led her to q seat ne saw
Helen sitting at q little distance. He
hurried toward her and received only
petulaut replies in answer to his greet
ings.
"Please remember have light gloves
on" she said rather rudely ss he took her
| hand.
He had meant to explain how it chanc-
ed that he had profaned their waltz; but
now he was angry in his turn, and re-
manned Obstinately silent.
''May l have this galop? ?" he asked,
after making little effort to talk pleas
sntly.
'|rm sorry" she replied 81 have just
promised it to Charley Aues-here he
comes now
| Gba rOeo toOLy tba ,,O,,,,r, FoI1o,,,,, orr,