Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-06-06
A TRUE STORY.


True, it is not as aristocr9tc as Cowes, for
the snob of either sex riots in the widest
luXuriance on that long pier which extends
so far into the sea. Without doubt, the
wealthy tradesman feels himself at home
as he walks the pier,head, and compla-
Gently surveys his yacht riding at anchor
hard by. The sea breeze which hutters
out the gaudy pettcoat of his wife or
daughter, appears to blow from his memo
ny his mushroom origin and intense vulgar
ity, But in spite Of this Margate and
Ramsgate division, Ryde laid claim, and
suppose does so now, to- being considered
u fashionable seaside place. At any rate,
during the time was there, there were a
number of people to whom the existence
Of grandfather was fact, and the proper
pronunciation of the letter "hn not an
impossibility.
Among that number none shone to more
advantage than little blonde, whose real
patronymic of course | cannot tell but
whom | will call Adele cher christian
nance, instead Of hiding her under the
cosmopolitan appellaton of Jones or
Smith.
Adele was quite young. and had made
her debut into fashionable society that
season, having wheedled her husband into
breaking through old habits by coming up
to town for the spring. She was very
pretty, and possessed manners so agreea-
bic that before the month of May elapsed
she had been quite able to dispense with
the kind offices Of the great lady under
whose patronage she had been launched
into fashionable society. Indeed, her sue
cess was so great that nine out of ten of
her male acquintances voted her charming,
and, as natural consequence, exactly
that proportion of her own sex were en-
vious of her.
Her husband was a great may years
older than herself; an old man who had
married so late in life as to drive ne
phew, in the entail, out of his seven senses,
and whom the prospect of their being no
son and heir was slowly bringing back to
sanity. 1t had been a ma,7iage de c0uc3
nance on her side, for she had not six
pence, and lie was very rich. In these
practical days Adele did what any girl OF
the period would have done under sim lar
circumstances.
If she ever had any scruples on that
score, the spectacle of her mother, cursed
with a large family and an attenuated in
come, had long driven them ont of her
head, especially az that worthy lady had
never lost an opportunity of dining into
her child's comprehension that matrinony
without money was worthy Of 4 life long
residence in Bedlam.
Adele, when first met her in society.
looked happy enough, in spite of the ill.,,
natured remarks of her best friends. who
accused her Of having sold herself for
pounds, shillings and pence, and in all hu-
man probability would have continued so
to the end of the chapter had she not met
with misfortune.
The contretemps was making the ac-
quaintance of Arthur S; for in spite
of all the worldly teaching she had been
subjected to, her heart had taken the bit
between her teeth and bolted.
Few men could have known Arthur
$ and not have agreed that lie was q
real good fellow. Handsome, and always
made much of, he possessed the rare at
tribute OF being natural and unaffected. |
was fortunate enough to share his friend
ship largely, and his having been appointed
first lieutenant of ship lying at Spithead
was the reason Of my going to Ryde, in
stead of turning my face northwards for
the Moors.
| can recollect as well as if it were but
yesterday landing from the Portsmouth
steamboat within an ace of being seasick,
and cIamberng up some steps the receding
tide had left very slippery, suddenly to
encounter $ talking so earnestly to q
lady as not to notice my arrival. As they
turned, | recognized Adele, whom | had
always thought pretty when faded and
worn by being out night after night, but
at that moment, listening with pleasure to
something her companion was saying she
looked quite lovely. The fresh breeze,
which helped to show to much advantage
the neatest pair of feet, had brought back
to her cheeks the color that hot rooms
and late hours had driven away.
felt confident $ was very fond OF
me, but | saw at a glance, when accosted
him, that he wished me anywhere else
| do not mean to say at the bottom of the
sea, but on it, and far away too. He in.
troduced me to Adele as q great friend
and on that recommendation | met with {
cordial reception; but, on the plea of Sc.
curing rooms at the Pier Hotel | relieved
them of my presence, which felt was {
little out of place.
s. and myself dined together thai
evening, and, to my surprise, from the
jolly fellow | had hitherto found him, he
had become as stupid and preoccupied
companion as / had ever sat down to
table with.
d" Hit at last" | thought to myself, as
surveyed my friend f; and ! found before
many days had passed that this conclusion
was not erroneous. So much so that the
Irritation between s. and Adele march
cd SO rapidly, that it soon reached the
phase when friends began to wonder why
the husband was so blind as not to see it
or such m ass as not to mind it. To give
the devil his due-and by the devil NEAR
this wicked world-there were few tina
believed that there was really nothing il
it--a limited number who knew how Otter
weak woman furnishes her good nam,
foolishly but not culpably, whilst on thu
other hand cleverer sister by far more
erring, whose virtue is a thing of bygont
days, is valued as spotless by the people
she hoodwinks.
Poor Adele had found out that money
and position, advantageous as they are
could not fill up the dreary blank her new
position had stretched before her. or still
the pulse that would beat quicker wher
s. approached. She soon perceived
that many of her friends began to lool
shyly at her; but instead of taking this a.
a warning, like thorough woman, she
became defiant, rebelling against the world
which she felt was judging her too harsh