The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1871-02-15
Mrs. Wimbush's Revenge.
A STORY OF THREE GENERATIONS
IN SIX tHAPTERS.- CHAPTER

too-Only SiX-and- -thltty, ana very
little the worse for wear. a widow
with the bloom of youth still upon her
cheeks, (Spiteful people, who aged
faster, went 80 fur as to say Mrs.
Marrables's bloom was like the manna
ofthe l,raclitc,--s'ncw everymorning"
but this was malice,) haxcn hair, gray
blue eyes n smalle1oncd woman wtth
dowy skin, and figure, just plump
aud no more, which would wear for
ever without spreading to obesity or
criddling up into wrinkles. She had
a daughter If eighteen, by name
Matilda, less young in proportion to
her years, than herself. 1t is no Mice
tation 20 say that the two women
would pass anywhere for sisters---M Mrs.
Marrablcs us the elder by at most
four or five years. A stranger would
really be incredulous as to the rela-
tionship between them being that of
mother and daughter. Such mis-,
take, when it i, said TO be not un-
pleasant to the omnivurous appetite
for a4ttery developed in some of the
sex hy advancing ycals; but to Mrs.
Marrablcs it was most embarrassing.
She was not old she did not look it ;
and the explanation involved madc
the stranger suspect her of being
olGer than she really was, But for
this. Ms. MarrAblcs might have
marriod loug before. She was never
invited olt without her daughter and
whenever any eligible gentleman be-
gan to pay her the slightest attention,
some dear fricn or other won.l hs
certain to whisper, "Thut ie Mutil"
da's mother ~ and of course their
was an end of it.
It must not be concealed that moth
er aud daughter did not s'hit it, very
well together. Mrs Marrablcs resent
ted her daughters very existence,
while Matilda could not but be scan
dalized at having so youthful moth
or. IL was plain to Mrs. Mrr.blcs hat,
in order to her own success in life, her
daughter must be got rid Of. People
who arrive ut such determination in
novels, too often resort to crime
to remove person from their
path. But Mrs. Marrubles went to
church twice every Sunday. At last
she married Matilda out Of her way
to one Mr. Wimbush, most re >pecta-
bic retired corn-merchant Of High
gate. Poor Mrs. Marrablc,! How
bascly did Matilda return her kind
ness. Twelve months after her mar
riage, everybody read in tho Times,
"rhe wife Of Jetho Wimbush, ESQ,
of daughter" This was too much.
A grandmother at thirty.six! A
youthful, singing waltzing trandmoth.
or, whose very youthfulue,s, taken in
conjunction with not unnatural dc.
sire to get married again, became a
rcproach in the eyes Of right.think-
ing people.
"MJ dear, the is n grandmothcr,"
women would say to one another
"and how deceiteful of her it is to
look 50 young
"Carrics three generations re-
markably well," said the men "but
you know, old follow, she must be jolly
old"
CHAPTER II.
Seventeen years passed away, and
still Mrs. MArrables, to the scandal of
everybody, was as young as ever, or
nearly SO nearly so, to all appearance,
and rs single as ever. In years she
was fifty.three, and of course ough, to
have dressed for the part. But her
whole manners feeling, and appearance
were in ladicrous defiance Of hor
years, and seemed palpably to refute
them. Had she done anything wick
ed in her youth : people whispered,
and was it a punishment ? Was she
n wandering Jewcss Z How could sho
wear A,xen hair aud chigno1 at her
time of life 1t was indecent, i'm
proper, soandalous She might al
least take to caps, with gray front,
and corkscrew ringlets aud piece OF
narrow black velvet ac,oss the fore
he ID, for the sake Of det Drum. Their
look at the way she re,sed Always
in the fashion, sire aiming up the
church aisles on Sunday, scttlin:
her silks aud laces and ribbons like
girl. As for her complexion
hoard one lady say: Bloss you, il
isn't paint, and it can't be enamel
I've tried both, and know how littl,
wear here is IN either. The woman
is petri6ed, or else embalmed. I'm,
sure of it, for she usss nothing bu
violet powder"
Mrs. Marrables, or, ns she was com
monty called, Mrs. Evergreen, wa
not evon engaged. There seemed
eettled conviction in tho minds o
eligible suitors that, since o man m q,
not marry his grandmother, th'
golden, rule Of "Do unto others'
ought TO forbid them from marvin,