Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-03-06


an airing in the carriage! This long confne.
ment is very irksome and trying to you"
1T makes no difference" said Florimond
listlessly. "It is all the same to me. If there
is no sunshine in our hearts the brightest sun
shine without is but mockery~
my dear girl, you must not give up to such
feelings" demonstrated her grandmother.
"Think how wrong it is! You disappoint me !
1 thought you would have borne these physi-
cal trials incidental to womanhood, with more
fortitude and patience"
"I do not mind my physical suferings,"
said Florimond; cor, rather, under different
circumstances, I would not but as it is, am
utterly wretchedp
"My daughter, you are ungrateful to God
for your many blessings. You are positively
wicked in your repinings, when yor have ev-
erything on earth to make you happy"
Everything p said Florimond, sadly, "but
the one solitary thing I want"
"And what in Heavens name is that?
Tell me, and you shall have it, if it can be
bought with money"
"Alas money cannot buy it" said Flori-
mond bitterly; "all your money is worthless,
mother, since it cannot purchase the para
mount desire of MY heart. Mother, crave
the tenderness, the devotion of a fond and de-
voted heart. I seek love high as life and
deep as death.''
"And have you not even that in me-aud
in your husband?'
I'm you I have" said Florimond, precipi-
tating herself into her grandmother's arms,
and embracing her passionately. eyes, you
are all-everything my heart could wish-the
dearest mother, the truest friend! But Al
bert does not love me, and this is the mortal
disease which is sapping away my whole life's
happiness. Mother, tell me, honestly, did you
ever see Albert return my tenderness, my
foolish, overwhelming love, with anything but
cold indifference?"
"You must not expect too much from AL
bert in that way" replied Mrs. Summerville,
evasively. "He is very differently constituted
from you, and has been reared in an atmos-
phere of repression and formality. Even if he
felt as deeply as you, he has been taught not
to show it."
II don't believe in that undemonstrative
sort of affection" broke in Florimond abrupt
ly. eff there is any fire, there's obliged to be
some smoke. Whatever has life and strength
will make some positive assertion of existence.
If love is voiceless and without fruit, then I
say it is worthless"
"But still Iprotest," said Mrs. Summerville,
"that real, positive, undeniable affection, is
sometimes wanting in outward protestations.
Albert is one of those selfsustained, umim.
passioned-not cold, but"
ri think you may safely say cold," inter-
rupted Florimond; "at least cold to me-cold
as an iceberg, and unfeeling as stone.
Otherwise, would he allow week after week to
elapse, and write me not word, knowing,
too, that am delicate and feeling so badly"
"Has he only written you that once since
your return home ?" interrogated the grand
mother, musingly.
"Only once-and I have been home two
months"
"And how often have you written to him ?"
81 haven't written at all"
"Why, Florimondw exclaimed Mrs. Sum-
merville, in grieved amazement. "And can
you wonder at Albert's sience?'
"What is more" said Florimond, sullenly,
"I shall never write to him again, so long as
I live, unless he changes his demeanor toward
me?"
(which would be very wicked and su-
premely foolish course of conduct on your
part" said her grandmother. "Granting your
your supposition is true, and he does not love
you, is such a course calculated to win his
regard? Do you imagine you are the first
woman to pass through this heart struggle :?
Do you imagine you are the only unloved
wife in this wide world? You are now learn
ing the hard lesson Of patient endurance.
Why, my poor child, were it not for mutual en-
durance, mutual forbearance and mutual
making the best of things, half the married
couples on earth would be at open rupture
with each other-would fight in open war
fare! Nor must you imagine that all the
forbearance, all the sacrifice, is on your side.
Not bit of it! I can easily suppose, know
ing Albert's disposition and education, that
your very excess of affection annoys him as
much as his GOODNESS annoys you"
"My excessive affection shall never annoy
him again." cried Florimond, vehemently
"be assured of that"
"Do not give way to temper, my child"
said her grandmother, gently. II do not say
that it does-I only make the supposition for
the sake of argument Try to regard this
subject from a christian point of view. In
the eternal order of things, the very trials and
rigid discipline of matrimony make it desi.
rable state for all human beings 1T is atrying
ordeal, but a very beneficial one; severe dis
cipline, but equally Advantageous hard,
fought battlefield, 1 may say, whose defeats
and conquests fit our tried spirits for the glory
of our eternal hereafter! These trials are
not sent with view to the rewards of earth
"Where men that faint, do strive for
Crowns that fade,"
but with view to that eternal commendation
and never-ending reward, which will hereaf-
ter crown duty, we'll done, with halo of an
utterable felicity"
"You require too much of me, mother"
said Florimond. "In the contemplation Of
celestial happiness so far of-so unattana-