Litchfield enquirer., 1873-11-20
Fr. m t..e Transatlantic. A STORY OF TKE STOCK Ek-
 CHANGE.

AOUOs DSlOIO cDiDIIlSuclilg my Eouis0 OA visits to my patients. letter waso ought me from Mrs X, residing ill one of tine newly-built fashionable squares in Bays water, requesting ne to call on her with ont fail in the course of the day. AL though 1 was in the habit of receiving frequent communications from that lady, this note somewhat puzzled me, from the mysterious manner in which 1t was word ed. Probably. after all. the mysterious element which imagined 1 had detected in 1t, might have risen from the generally explicit phraseology Mrs. K was m the habit of nsing when writing to me 1t should be understood, however. that the frequent letters 1 received from her, If not of description always openly to be quoted in polite conversation. contained III them nothing that could in the slightest manner to be used to her disadvantage.
 Mrs. \. was the wife of a man of prop erty. which he had few years before somewhat unexpectedly inherited. AL though of good education, it would te wrong to say he was a man of superior ability. He was also of good family; not so his wife, who was the daughter of a small tradesman in the country, and not overburdened with brains, still less with education, which on frequent occasions was visible in the orthography of her let ters. When Mir x. married her, she was exceedingly attractive i'll appearance, and 1t Is but justice to her to say, that upon the date of my narrative, time had treated her with every consideration; ill fact, he had changed the very pretty girl into the handsome matroniy woman. Unfortunate ly for Mrs. K, ill one respect. the acces- sion of fortune which her husband had re- celved, by no means improved her men, tai qualifications. True, although the amiable good nature so fully developed Tn her when girl, had apparently consid- erably diminished in proportion as, what she called, her position in society had im- proved; from the frequent visits had to pay her famlly-she was blessed with no fewer than seven children-I had good opportunity of perceiving it was la- tent Tn her. She was in every re- spect an excellent mother, watching over her children with great kindness and con slderation, and may here remark, that the many notes was in the habit of re- ceiving from her, related generally to their maladies or sanitary condition.
 As wife, can hardly speak of Mrs. X. In as high terms. In making this re- mark, however, it must be understood that l do not in any way refer to impro- prlety of demeanor, for in that respect & more honorable woman it would be diff cult to find. At the same time, as her husband became richer, she hardly paid that regard to his wishes and idiosyncra cies which he merited He was naturally of quiet, contented disposition; nor did his newly acquired wealth in the slightest degree make any alteration in his man. ner of thinking, or-if he had been allow ed to have his own way-in his unosten- tatious habits. Mrs. K, on the contrary, insisted on their living in a style befitting their means, hypocritically abiuring on her own part any show of love or splendor merely proposing it, she maintained, for the purpose of introducing her children, who were now growing up, into a better class of society than they had hitherto been accustomed to associate with. For some time NIT. X. reasoned with i1is wife on the folly of her ambition, but it was useless. He at last acceeded to her wish es, and took the lease of a mansion in - Square, furnished it in most luxu- rious manner, his wife insisting that as in all probability the furniture would last them their lifetime, they might as we'll have 1t of the best description. A few months afterward they left their house in the country, and took up their residence in London.
 To return to my note from Mrs. X. In It, as said before, she requested me to call on her in the course of the day, and said, if possible, she should like to see me about two o'clock, as she would then be alone. Her note evidently showed that this time 1t was neither her children nor her husband who was ill. On driving from one patients house to another, be- fore calling on Mrs. X., I occasionally found myself divining what particular communication she could have to make to me, and each time the conclusion ar rived at was one of very interesting de scription. However. my conclusions were as nought on the subject, for afterward found I had been totally in error.
 On my arrival in - Square, I was shown by the servant into the parlor, and few minutes afterward Mrs. X. entered the room. When saw her, I of course took professional glance of her face to judge, If possible, what particular cause it was which induced her to send for me, for am one of certain class in the pro- fession-possibly not so numerous as it ought to be-who consider that every dis ease has its particular expression in the countenance of the patient, which consti- tutes far more valuable diagnostic than IS generally imagined. The expression on Mrs. Ks countenance, however, pug zled me extremely. Though naturally oi somewhat forid complexion, she was now exceeding pale; yet it was rather the pallor arising from continued anxiety than positive ill-health. Moreover, she she wore look of painful doubt, which seemed greatly out of place on her, flea. lures, for, although occasionally I had seen her out of temper, It was simply g temporary ebulition which soon passed away, totally different from the care and thought now so plainly visible. --
 She also appeared to have some objec. tion to allude to the subject she had wish. cd to see me upon, and after the few first ordinary expressions on meeting, instead of immediately, as was her won't, bringing forward the subject prominent in heI mind, she spoke on general topics of the day, as if wishing to put off till the last moment communication which nigh, very probably be of painful description At last, and as if making sudden effort she said ,: .. -as
 'I wish to speak to you, doctor, abon1 my husband; for, to tell you the truth he makes me very uneasy. Haven't yor noticed lately great change in him?"
 have not seen him for some time,
 l replied. Fortunately, it is now tive l months since you had occasion for m, services, and even then I did not see Mir K" ,..s ,-f-s..,
 II remember you did not" she re marked. "He was at the time very busy and, in fact, is so now; indeed, I am afraid 1t has very prejudicial effect on hi health, and I wanted to consult you abou him" -S --z ,. a"of what does he complaint" I inquir ed. 3u5 ri esass t-s .3' ;
 .sThere is the difficulty" said Mrs. X 'He does not complain of anything; if. h.
 did, we might know what would do hin good He seems to get weaker and weak CT, but if I speak to him on the subject
 he merely answers me fractiously, tha
 there is nothing the matter with him. iS
 angrily does he say this. :. she continued
 the tears coming into her eyes as sh