National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-02-28

"Did he want you to elope with hin
before your wedding clothes were done?'
asked Haviland Morton, our naval cou
sin, who stayed with us between voy
ages. :" / suppose you would sooner
give him up than do that ?"
81 should hope So" said mother
severely, with an eye to the younger
girls. :" Secret marriages never turn
out WE'LL"
~ am not so certain, saving yonl
presence, auntie," said Haviland. II
seems to me all that girls marry for il
these latter days is the fuss and new
dresses. 1t would be a delightful
thought to take to sea with me that my
love and belonged wholly to each 9th.
er, and nobody else knew it. | would
not have SO much as pair of white
gloves to distract our attention from
the beauty and glory of the main fact. '
We all made up II face Mt Haviland's
absurdity, and | went to try on my new
dresses.
said no more to Mr.. Eustace of his
daughter, thinking all the more and
the wedding-day came like all days, If
you wait long enough. We were mar
ried at noon and Mr.. Eustace drove me
in his carriage the ten miles tiat y
between my old home and the new. As
we approached the latter, he grew alb
sent and restless. / knew by fellow
feeling that he was thinking Of his
daughter, but | would do nothing to re-
lieve him he deserved half an hour of
misery.
Eleanor came te meet us as her father
opened the door, girl who might have
sat for Tennyson's Isabel:
the world hath not another
OF such finished, ehastened purity.
My first feeling, as / stepped across
, The threshold where another woman had
ruled before me, was very meek one.
| Ii that woman had resembled her daugh-
ter, how could her husband find any
thing to admire in me?
=" My darling Eleanor said Mr.. Eus-
tace, and paused. 1t is amazing how
aifectionate people may become when III
distress.
4" Ny dearest girl, this is"
"Mrs. Eustace, believe, said Flea
nor, holding out her hand to me with
faint sweet smile. "Shall you like to
go to your room first q
| followed her up stairs, leaving a
very azed-looking husband in the hall
below In all the appointments Of the
room ! saw the delicacy OF Eleanor's
taste. " You have been too good, /
said, taking up Il vase of tea-roses te
hide my embarrassment
Not at all. You will be my guest,
you know, until you can guide the house
for yourself"
81 will be anything, if you will not
look so terribly resigned. You may
scold me every day for marrying your
father, if osly you Will like me little
at last :"
was in quite alttle flush of emotion,
but the inetiable calmness of her man
ner, as she had reduced everything to
its lowest terms and left not a super
lative in the world, steadied me III a
moment.
81 think / shall like you very we'll"
she remarkedas she left me. When Mr..
Eustace came up stairs, he was very
happy.
Don't you see, Lizzie, he said,
chow much better it was toilet the thing
come to pass naturally than for me to
have n scene with Eleanor beforehand
She had probably heard of the marriage
from outside people"
" suppose Sc" | said, allowing Mr.
Eustace to plume himself on his delu-
sion, since it amused me and did not
hurt him.
Eleanor not only submitted to me, as
to a necessary evil, but to the seven
other spirits worse than myself, in the |
shape of my brothers and sisters, who |
overran the house like an inundation,
carrying all before it.
1t never entered their honest heads |
that they could be otherwise that hearti-
ly welcomed
They fraternized at once with Hugh |
Eustace, and by dint of sheer good
nature and stupidity they sometimes
made breach in Eleanor's reserve.
They dragged Haviland in their
train at last, to see the oldest girl in
the world.
"You will not like her." I said 'sho
is not at all your sort, but l will not
have you tease her"
"How can you tell what is my sort
Because you are lately married, you
need not take it upon you to know all
men by these presents"
Eleanor is very silent. You must
not expect her to talk to YOU
Does she never say 'Yes?' with an
mark after it 2"
"Never."
"Then take me to her quickly lest I
be snatched away before mine eyes have
looked upon this miracle of women"
Haviland's manner was as perfectly
by the yoke of Eleanors
serene quietness as l could desire.
When we "speered " at him for his
opinion he professed to be disappoint-
ed but he came every day, with an ex-
,use or without one and studied her
with the eye of an artist. A faint little
lush sometimes rose to her cheek when
'he met his gaze. He was with us one
lay when my sister Anne suddenly laid
lan6s on Elanor's hair, and with dex-
erous turn or two laid it in loose waves
bout her head. 1t was always Ma
lonna-wise before.
you have no idea," said Anne,
how lovely you look when your hair is {
oosened up this way-more 'fu6y,
'ou know. Isn't it so, Haviland 2" '
Excuse me-" said Eleanor, drawing |
lerself gently but completely away from
Anne. "It is weakness of mine that {
cannot endure to be handled in that |
Vay, except"
Except what ?" said Anne, bewil- ]
ered
Except by those whom 1 love very l
luch." a