Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-02-14

u not be so TO all oil us
This part of my story is best told in few
words | had not been at home one week
before found that rumor had been for some
months coupling John Grays name with the
name Of Mrs. Emma Long, a widow who had
but just returned to --, after twelve years
Of married life in Cuba. John had known
her in her grhood, but there had never been
any intimacy or even friendship between
them. My sister, however, had known her
well, had correspondcd with her during all
her life at the South, and had invited her to
her house Immediately upon her return TO
-. Emma Long was a singularly iasoin.
atng woman. Plain and sharp and seli-as-
sertng at twenty-five, she had become mag
netc and winning, full Of tact, aud almost
beautiful, at thirty-hve. We see such sur
prising developments continually it seems
as If nature did her best to give every wom.no
one period Of triumph and conquest perha,'h
only they know its full sweetness to whom it
comes late. In early youth it is accepted un-
tbinkingly, as is the sunshine, enjoyed with
out deiberation or full realization, and only
weighed at its fulness when il is over. But
a woman who begins at thirty to feel for the
first time what it is to have real power over
men, must be more or less than woman not to
find the knowledge and the consciousness dam
gerously sweet.
never knew do not know to-day,
whether Emma Long could be Justly called a
coquette. That she kcenly enjoyed the adj
miration Of men, there was no doubt. Wheth.
er she ever were conscious Of even possible
harm to them from their relation with her
there was always doubt even in tn,
minds Of her bitterest enemies. | myself
have never doubted that in the affair between
her and John Gray she was the one who sui
lered most she was the one who had true
deep sentiment, and not only never meant o
wrong, but would have shruDk, for his sake
if not for her own, from the dangers which
she did not foresee, but which were inevitabl,
in their intimacy. think that her wholt
life afterward proved this. | think that ever
my sister believed this
Mrs. Long had spent six weeks in my sis
ters house, and had then established herself
in very beautiful furnished house on tn,
same street. Almost every day Mrs. Long
carriage was at my sisters door, to take my
sister or the children to drive Almost ev.
cry evening Mrs. Long came with the easy
familiarity Of an habituated guest in tn,
house, to sit in my sisters parlor, or sem
with the easy familiarity Of an old friend fol
my sister aud her husband to come to her, OIL
to 60 with her to the theater or to the opera
What could be more natural what coul,
be more delightful, had the relation been on'
which centered around my sister instead o
around my sisters husband ? What could b.
done, what offence could be taken, what OBJ
s,acle interposed, so long as the relation ap
peared to be one which included the whol
family?
Yet no human being could see John Ora
five minutes in Emma Longs presence with
out observing that his eyes, his words, hi
consciousness were hers. And no one coul
observe her in his presence without seen
that she was kiudled, stimulated, positivel
lit by it, as she was in no other companion
ship.
All this the city had been seeing aud Cos
siping over for four months. All this, wit
a weary detail, was poured into my ears b
kind friends.
My sister said no word. For the fir
time in my life there was barrier betweC
us dared not pass. Her every allusion
Mrs. Long was in the kindest and most III
embarrassed manner She fell heartily an
graciously into every plan which brough
them together; she not only did this, sh
also fully recprocated all entertainments an
invitations it was as often by Ellen's al
rangement as by Mrs Longs that an eyenin
or day was spent by the two families tt
gether. Her manner to John was absolutel
unaltered. When during an entire evenln
he sat almost motionless and often quit
speechless, listening to Mrs. Longs convers.
tion with others, Ellen's face never change
She could not have seemed more unconsciou
if she had been blind There were man
bonds of sympathy between John Gray an
Emma Long, which had never existed b'
tween him and his wife They were both pa
sionately fond of art, and had culture in thi
direction. Ellens taste was undeyelope'
and her instructive likings those of a chile
But she listened with apparent satlsiactlo
aud pleasure to long hours Of converse be
} tween them, about statues, pictures prime
Piles Of art, ect., of which she was as unabl
| to speak as one of her own babies would hay
been. Mrs. Long also was woman VINO VINO Ut VI
derstood aiialrs ana one oil ner great Gn"rn
" 'uyn y. lu'uu wa va t"s o,'n' nh;ob 81
ye, picturesque "n1 p'Iuau' "" S,I !" ~ Me,ana
.a'Seu ol l'en anu vveu's' ,o,,hor arI ot os ~
anu iaugneu as neal'i'y 40 suy nea'Dea - ~
eircie AZ hor aePartee nur pil'''"' ''' 1''
'zaI,on' her oI-nunu uesol,p.ion' ,,i
10 2gnr u,ay al .nis ""s = W" , 80. ac -.
'ion ne ,I nau never SHOWN know, '"'s 'or' u w w
man ina' woman 0ou'u eu '.oae, 1 40 ~, y,
are c'ever' ano also DC grace,u'i auOlneu, a.
'ehaer WIN Toinanilness' W 'o nau uo. uPPosG
An poor i.liil'a Long nI' a.. ny ~, 10y 81 II
70 my s'''ei osoI qu,'o s'',ou :" n ~, 20 NJ, H.
question whether 'ueio VII VI NJ. Ta, - o., ~,
Long na,uIe so'notnius uioh ~lioh iSHn TVn Ng'
teally neeueu- so'ne."ius "n'O" ',.'sn' ""1 =,
: tlona'e' wise, upr'gn'' "onu"u,y "o"''" 10 o
was, ~. eou'u ne'ur s'o " m Ijo and ro,;c;o,
I rue "lu'u' WIZ on, -. nu;o '" 49, -
tongues grew pus'er anu pusisr Eo.n"g ;,o ,gho
oep' ,nc constant p,esen01 VI "y ''a''' WV
: ever PITS Long anu ner 3I nus9a"u W.T.. 30 sG'
: toge'her' prevented lno s'Inua' ,i, ,ro.n saA'
=