Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-02-27

ol even possible harm to them from
their relation with her. there was always
doubt, even in The minds of her bitterest
enemies. | myself have never doubted
that in the AFFAIR between her and John
/ Gray she was the one who suffered most /;
she was the one who had u true, deep
sentiment, and not only never meant u
wrong, but would have shrunk. Tor his
sake. if not Tor hei own. from the
dangers which she did not iol ssee. but
which were inev table in thcii intimacy
/ | think that her whole life alterwartl
proved this. think that even my sister
believed il
Mrs Long had spent six weeks ia my
sisters house, and bad then established
herself ia - very beautiful furnished
house on the same street Almost every
day Mrs. Longs carriage was ut my sis
! ler's door. 10 take my sister OF the chill
/ dren TO drive Amos, every evening
Mrs. Long came with the easy familiarity
ui an habtuated guest in the house. to
Ill in my sisters parlor, OF sent with The
easy familiarity o! al old friend Tor my
sister and her husband 10 cone 10 her. or
I to 60 with her 10 The theatre or to the
opera.
VIVA could bc more natural ?-whai
could bo more delightful, had the relation
! been Que which centred around my sister
! instead OF around my sisters husband ?
/ What could be done, what oifen>o could
DC iaAen, what obstacle interposed so
I long rs Tho relation appeared 10 be one
which included The whole family
! Yet no human being could see John
Gray five minutes in Emma Longs pres
euce without observing that his eyes, his
words, his consciousness were hers. And
no one could observe her in his presence
without seeing that she was kindlsd, slim
uIated, positively lit by it, MS she WAS in
no other eompanlonship.
All this the city had been seeing and
gos,iping over Tor four months. All this.
with weary detail, was poured into my
ears by kind friends.
Ny sister said NJ wor,l For the first
7 time in my lilc there was II barrier he.
tween Us | dared not pass. Her every a'-
fusion To- Airs Long was in the kindcst
/ and most uncmbarrassed manner She
/ Tel heartily and gracionsly into every
plan which brought them together; she
not only did this. she also fully recipro-
Gated all entertainments and invitations !;
it was rs often by Ellen's arr angement as
1 by Mrs. Longs that an evening or day
was spent by tho two families together.
Her manner To Mrs. Long was absolutely
unaltered When during nu entire even
ing, he sat almost motionlesS and often
quite speechlsss, listening to Mrs.
/ Longs conversation with others, Ellen'S
| face never changed. She could not have
seemed more unconscious if she had been
blind. There we're many bonds ot sym
pathy between John Gray and Emma
Long which had never existed between
him and his wife. They were both pas
sionately fond OF ari, and had culture IN
that direction. ElIen's taste was unde-
veloped. and her instructive lkings those
of child. Blu, sho listened with appar-
ent satisfaction and pleasure To long hours
OF converse between them, about statues.
pictures. principles ot art. etc, ot which
she was as unable to speak rs one OF her
! own babies would have been. Mrs. Loug
also was q woman who understood affairs ;
and one of her great charms TO men oil
mind was the clear, logical, and yet pic
turesque and piquant way in which she
talked of men and events Ellen listen
tened and laughed as heartily as any
member OF the circle ut her repartee. her
brillian, characterization, her off-hand
description.
To John Gray all this WAS II new revc-
lation. He had never known this sort ot
woman. That woman could be clever as
men are clever, and also be graceful,
adorned, and lendcr with womanliness,
he had not supposed.
All, poor Emma Long! not all my 10y e.
atty to my sister ever quite stifed in my
heart the question whsther there were
not in Mrs. Longs nature something
which John Gray really 'nceded--some-
thing which Ellen, atfectiouate. wise, up
right. womanly woman rs she was could
never give any man.
The winter wore Oh. Idle and mali
cious tongues grew buster and buster.
Nothing excep: the constant presence OF
my sister wherever Mrs. Long and her
husband were seen together, prevented
the scandal from taking the most Often
sive shape. But Ellen was SO wise, so
unremitting in her wisdom, that not even
tlfe most malignant gossip monger could
point TO anything which looked like q
clanlestine intercourse between the two.
la fact they met SO constantly either in
Mrs. Longs house or my sisters, that
there was small opportunity for them to
meet elsewhere. alone knew that on
many occasions when Mrs. Long was
spending the evening at our house, Ellen
availed herself oil one excuse and another
to leave them alone for great part OF
The time. But she did this so naturally,
that is, with such perfect art that not un-
til long afterward did know that it had
been intentional.