Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-09-25


during the meal At the close, he left the
table without word, and went up stairs.
"What is the matter with John Z" l asked.
Dear, God above knows!" replied Helen.
"He's been acting queer for good while l
can't imagine what's come over him..
"Does he come home this way often? l
asked.
eyes, he's moody and as disagreeable as he
can be, most of the time. I'm getting dread
full worried about it.
AS we talked, we heard John moving about
with heavy footballs in the room above. Pres
emily he came down and stood for little
while in the hall at the foot Of the stairs as it
in hesitation. He then went to the street
door, passed out, and shut it hard after him.
Helen caught her breath with start and
turned little pale
"What is the matter" I asked, seeing the
strangeness of her look.
81 don't know" she replied, in 81 choking
voice, laying her hand at the same time on
her breast, "but I feel as if something dread
full was going to happen"
She got up from the table, and | drew my
arm around her. I, too, felt ia sudden depres-
sion of spirits. We went slowly up to her
chamber, where we spent the afternoon and
then took upon myself the Office of a friend,
and talked seriousl to my cousin about her
neglect for her personal neatness, limiting that
the cause of herhusband's estrangement from
his home, and altered manner toward herself,
might all spring from this cause. She was
little angry with me at first but pressed the
subject home with tender seriousness that
did the work of conviction and as evening
drew on, she dressed herself with care and
neatness. With a fresh ribbon in her hair
and color little risen from mental excite.
ment, she looked charming and lovable. |
waited with interest to see the impression she
would make on her husband. He could not
help being charmed into the lover, I was sure.
But he did not come home to tea. We wait
ed for him whole hour after the usual time,
and then sat down to the table alone; but
neither of us could do more than sip little
tea.
went home soon after, with pressure of
concern at my heart for which I could not ac-
count. All night I dreamed uncomfortable
dreams In the morning soon after breakfast
ran over to see Helen. found her IN her
room, sitting in her night dress, the picture OF
despair.
"What is it" I asked, eagerly. "What
has happened?"
She looked at me heavily, like one not yet
recovered from the shock Of stunning blow.
"Dear cousin ! what is the matter = l
asked.
now saw, by the motion of her hand, that
it held, tightly clutched, piece of paper;
She reached it to me. 1t was a letter, and
read:
awe cannot live happily together, Helen.
You are not what believed myself getting
when we married-not the sweet, lovely, love-
able girl that charmed my fancy and won me
from all others. Alas for us both that it is
so! There has been shipwreck of two lives
Farewell! I shall never return"
"And this was all but it broke my poor
cousins heart. To this day, though nearly
three years have passed, she has never heard
from her husband.
81 saw her last week, in the country home
to which she has been taken by her friends
wreck both in mind and body. She was
sitting in an upper room, from the windows
of which could be seen beautiful landscape.
She was neatly attired, and locket containing
her husbands picture hung at her throat.
Her head was dropped, and her eyes on the
floor, when l entered. But she raised herself
quickly, and with kind of start-I saw a
momentary eager flush in her face dying out
quickly, and leaving it inexpressibly sad.
II thought it was John" she said mourn
fully. "Why don't he Gomez"
had to stop here, for Maggy broke out
suddenly in wild fit of sobbing and crying,
which lasted for nearly a minute.
"What ails you, dear ?" asked, as she be-
gan to be little more composed.
"Oh you have frightened me so. If John
should"
She cut short the sentence; but her frighten-
ed face left me in no doubt as to what was
in her thoughts
She arose and walked across the room in all
uncertain way for some moments, and then set
down again, drawing her breath heavily.
"If young wives" I remarked-believing
that in her present state the truth was the
best thing to say-"would take half the pains
in making themselves personally attractive to
their husbands, that they did to charm their
lovers, more of them would find the lover con-
tinued in the husband. Is man, think you,
less an admirer fwomanly grace and beauty
after he becomes husband than he was be-
fore?"
"Hush hushw she said, in choked voice.
81 see it all q! l comprehend it all !" And
she glanced down at herself. "Im hateful
and disgusting"
After plain, earnest talk with Maggie. J.
went home. give her words as to what hap
pened atterward
81 was wretched all the afternoon. John
had acted worse than usual at dinner time !;
and what you told me about poor Helen set
my fears in motion and worried me half to
DEATH Long before the time he usually came
home, / dressed with care, selecting the very
things | had heard him admire. AS l looked
at myself in the glass, saw that was at
tractive; | felt as | had never felt before,
that there was power in dress that no wo-
man can disregard without loss Of influence,
no matter what her position or sphere Of
life
"Supper time came had made something
that knew John liked, and was waiting for
him with nervous eagerness it was imposs-
BILE to repress. But the hour passed and his
well-known tread along the little garden walk
did not reach my anxious ears. Five, ten,
twenty minutes beyond his usual hour for re-
turning and still was done. Oh l shlver
as recall the wild fears that began to crowd
upon me as was standing at the window, be-