Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-09-01
MY HUSBANDS FIRST WIFE.
BY AMY RAND OLPH.

"Not sixteen yeti" said old Mrs.
Merwin.
II don't know what this world is
coming to !" said Desire Higgins,
who at forty'six, was an ungathered
rose upon the bush of "maiden medi-
tation."
Yes, it was all quite true. l was
very young to get married. and yet it
seemed as if had lived a whole CEN
tury since first I had seen Edward
Rayner. Only sixteen, and yet as l
walked down the broad aisle with the
orange wreath in my hair and the
cleaning wedding. .circlet on my fin
ger, l could hardly realize that it was
only yesterday was playing with
dolls and chasing butterflies down
the shady aisles Of Aunt Tabitha's
garden.
81 hope you won't regret your pre-
cipitancy, child," said Aunt Tabby.
81 know | shall not, aunt" l flashed
back. For was not my hero stainless
as Galahad without fault, like King
Arthur's self?"
80, yes" said Aunt Tabitha, in that
dry way of hers that I particularly de-
tested; 'that's what all young wives
think, I've heard girls talk just so be-
fore"
All this was very provoking, but
what could I do? Only preserve a
dignifed silence, and leave Time to
disprove all Aunt Tabitha's gloomy
forebodings.
0, the cloudless summer sunshine
of those first days of my welded life!
Shall I ever forget them, if I should
live to be as old as Joyce Heth? Our
sunset walks on Goat Island, the. wild
flowers we used to bring home from
the Canada meadows; the sweet, low
singing of the birds, audible even
amidst the thunders of Niagara! I
remember, even now, how people used
to pause and look at us, and whisper
one to another how handsome Edward
was, and what youthful bride I
seemed.
Niagara was very gay that season,
and when a telegram unexpectedly
arrived, summoning my husband back
to New York on business of import
ance, he came with apprehension lest
I should be lonely.
"1t will only be for week, Rosa" said
he, "and you must be as gay and hap
py as you can until I come back"
So he left me. And in that first
evening of his departure I put knot
of white rose buds in my hair, and
went down into the great, cool veranda
as gay as lark.
Mrs. Ingoldsby Bennett was there
a friend of mine from New York,
with three blowsy, overdressed daugh-
ters-and she smilingly made room
for me, and introduced me to a friend
sitting by her side.
"Mrs. Raynor-Mrs. bennington.
"Mrs. bennington bowed and smiled
in an automatic sort Of way.
"Mrs. Edward Rayner of Budding
Vale ["
l bowed, in some surprise.
"Ea-actly So" said Mrs. Tenning-
ton. The world is full of coinci-
dences. knew your husbands first
wife, Mrs. Rayner."
I colored and then grew pale.
81 think you must be mistaken in
the person, Mrs. bennington" said I.
Mr. Rayner-my husband-has never
been married before
"Ah-h !" said Mrs. bennington, with
a little contemptuous laugh that made
me hate her cordially.
'1t's so natural for a wife to believe
as she chooses. But that don't alter
the true facts of the case. Mr.. Ray
ner 'cas married three years ago to
Isabel Mortimer, friend of mine, and
and two years ago he was divorced
from her. Yes, yes, remember it
very well. People gossiped good
deal-they always will in a small place
like Budding Vale-and how you ever
lived there without hearing of it"
"But l never lived in Budding
Vale" l interrupted hotly. 81 am
only just from New York"
"O," said Mrs. bennington, wisely,
"that accounts for it. And dare say
I'm telling tales out of school, if Mr..
Raynor himself has chosen to keep his
counsel on the matter )" and she nod
ded more provokingly than ever.