New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-05
MRS, WIMBUSH'S REVENGE
A STORY IN SIX CHAPTERS.


Poor Mrs. Marrables So young, too
only six-and-thirty, and very little the
worse for wear. A widow with the bloom
Of youth still upon her cheeks (spitefuI
people who aged faster went so far as to say
Mrs. Marrables' bloom was like the mama
OF the Israelites, 'new every morning" but
this was malice), haxen hair, gray-blue
eyes; a small-boned woman with downy
skin; and figure, just plump and no more
which would wear forever without spread
ing to obesity or criddling up into wrinkles
She had a daughter Of eighteen, by name
Matilda, less young, in proportion t, her
years, than herself. 1t is no affectation to
say that the two women would pass any
where for sisters-Mrs. Marrables as the
elder by at most four or five years. A
stranger would really be incredulOus as to
the relationship between them being that Of
mother and daughter. Such a mistake,
when it is made in favor OF woman who
is old, and looks it. is said to be not un-
pleasant to the omnivOrous appetite for
fattery developed in some of the sex by adj
yancing years; but to Mrs. Marrables it was
most embarrassing. She was not old: she
did not look it, and the explanation in
vOlved made the stranger suspect her OF
being older than she really was. But for
this, Mrs. Marrables might have married
long before. She was never invited out
eligible gentleman began to pay her the
slightest attention, some dear friend or
other would be certain to whisper: That is
Matilda's MOTHER and, OF course, there
was an end of it.
l. must not be concealed that mother and
daughter did not hit it" very we'll together
Mrs. Marrables resented her daughters very
existence; while Matilda could not but be
seandaliZed at having SO youthful mother
n rc Mo- III %l,.<
to her own success in life, her daughter
must be got rid Of People who arrive at
such u determination in novels, too often
resort to crime to remove a person from
their path. But Mrs. Marrables went to
church twice every Sunday. At last she
married Matilda out OF her way to one Mr..
Wimbush, most respectable retired corn
merchant of Hghgate. Poor Mrs. Mar
rabies! How basely did Matilda return her
kindness. Twelve months after her mar
rage everybody read in the Times, 1.-THE
wife OF JethrO Wimbush, Esq, Of daugh-
ter This was too much A grandmother
at thlrty-six! A youthful. singing, waltz
ing grandmother, whose very yOuthfulness,
taken into conjunction with not unnatural
desire to get married again, became a
reproach in the eyes of ali right-thinking
people.
My dear, she is a grandmother" women
would say to one another; land how deceit
full Of her it is to look SO young"
Carries three generations remarkably
well, said the men; but you know, old fel.
low, she must be jolly Old
CHAPTER II.
Seventeen years passed away, and still
Mrs. Marrables, to the scandal of every
body, was as young as ever, or nearly SO, to
all appearance, and as single as ever. In
years she was tfty-three, and of course
ought to have dressed for the part. But
her whole manners, feeling and appearance
were IN ludicrOus defiance of her wears, and
seemed palpably to refute them. Had she
done anything wicked in her youth people
whispered, and was it punishment! Was
she Wandering Jewess! How could she
wear taken hair and chignon at her time
OF life! 1t was indecent improper, scandal
GUS She might at least take to ea1e, with
a gray front, and cOrkscrew riueI68s, and
piece OF narrow black velyer across her
forehead, tor the sake of decor7lm. Then
look at the way she dressed. Always in the
fashion, streaming up the church aisles ON
a Sunday, settling her silks and Iaces and
ribbons like girl. As for her complexion
l heard one lady say: "i1less you, II isn't
paint, and it can't be enamel. i've tried
both and know how little wear there is in
either. The woman is petrified. or else en-
banned. I'm sure of it, for she uses nothing
but violet powder .....
Mrs. Marrables, or as she was commonly
called, Mrs. Evergreen, was not even en-
gagged. There seemed a settled con viction
N the laiDds Vt eligible suitors tina. since a