Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-17
A WIDOW INDEED.
From the GALAXY for January.

II.
able. IL has come TO be one Of the fixed facts
that no one wastes argument upon; nearly all
women acknowledge il At once, as do but
Whist We do contend for, with one voice, is,
that we never change without good reason.
When nv friend Label Desne Suddenly sank
from a pinnacle OF proud and happy wifehOod
into a dcsOlate and heart-broken widow. 1t was
change quite proper, and to be expected, that
she should turn her face to the wall, and refuse
10 he C0mfOrted for many days.
John Deane had been her lover, as well as
her husband, as long a. he lived, and all the
world quoted them a. model of married hap
IInesS. HIS death was sudden, ami ali the
more overwhelming to the wife who had lain so
serenely on his strength that she had never need
10 put out her own.
am an old maid myself, but / can dImly i'm
agine what il might be to lean ones heart and
sonl on good man for many years, till ones
bones were all bent that way, aud then how
long IL might take, when the support was
sUatched away, to grOpe iamely about the
world, till one could learn to stand upright
again. offered Isabel no consolation, because
| knew OF none; just sat down with her and
her children day after day. When she gave
long WiStful looks at the portrait OF her husband
which hung always before her, made her look
a. the baby's smile; but when saw her needle
so hard through her work for falling tears, j
could only let the baby 90, and cry with her.
ASweek dragged after week. Isabel began 70
take NJ the stitches she had dropped in mother
love, and the real strength that was in her.
hitherto Dormant spraRg up full-armed for her
children. She had been wounded well-ngh
unto death, but half dozen soft little hands
did much 10 sOOthe and stroke away the pain.
have some idol, and, since the big one is bro
ken, she will set up three little ones in its
place, and the worship will go on in her temple
all the same, said to a friend whom /
visiting for a week, when Mr.. Deane had been
dead about three months. | had liked John
Deane very well myself. If Isabel must marry
at all, WHICH seemed strangely necessary to her
happiness, as it does to many other women, |
rather preferred him to any one else as her hus-
band. He was wholly devoted TO her, which
WIS no more than she deserved, and for a man
he was very little in the way. Nevertheless,
returned TO her with certain inward comfort
in the thought that she would be more than
ever my friend, when she had fairly settled into
the new groove that widOwhOod would make
for her. To my blank surprise and consterna-
ton, found her urging forward all possible
Preparations to go abroad with her children for
an indefinite time.
Her eyes were hard and cold as if she had no
more tears left, and the corners of her mCath
were sharply drawn As of one in the fixed habit
OF enduring pain without mentioning it. Her
manner had brisk aGruptnesS that had never
noticed before. The household habits, which
had become a little dsmOraIiZed by the pre-
senCe OF sorrow, had suddenly Strengthened into
the utmost order. The servants eyed me Gu
Tiously 70 see If ] noticed the change, and made
many furtive attempts 20 talk about it. | could
not have been more bevildered if a soft, pink
baby had suddenly hardened under my Eand
into one of those grim old statues that keep
EnaId over Egyptian tombs. She did not seem
70 manage IL, but could never see her alone,
ara she carefully ignored my hints at the
Her beauty had always been warmed and
heightened by happiness; she needed sweet eN-
citements TO keep flush in her naturally pale
cheek, and devy brightness IN her large gray
eyes. When the sun Is saying good night TO the
peaks Of the Jungfrau, she colors like blush
rose; bu. when the sun is gone she turns pale
and gray, and is nothing, but cold rock after
all. Tbs was precisely the change in Isabel
Heane. Her face was like transparent pic
ture, softly glow ing when the light Of happiness
was be hiId Il, but without that light it was no
picture ar all.
Sue lad let her house on a long lease, and
an Of her affairs were as carefully settled as if
she were going out of the world.
% ron behave as If YOU had received sentence
OF everlasting exile" said to her on her last
day when she could no longer escape me.
'' hope II may be So" She replied, looking
straight at the wall; IL have suffered so much
here, that, but tor the chidren's interest,
Should be glad 10 see this house burned to the
1 looked at the wall, too, and perceived that
Mr.. Deane's portrait had been removed.
- You will take il with you, OF course said
by waving of making talk
a. Oh, nc; il would be troublesome package.
lave sent il 10 Mr.. Desne's sister; she always
admired and wanted it."
Had grief turned the woman to stone? took
her chin in my hands, and made her look at
me, while entreated her with tears to tell me
what blight had fallen on her.
'DOntyOu remember the lay when John sent
home that portrait TO surprise you on your
birthday, ard you went on your knees to it
with delight, as if il it had been an altar? You
were directed with joy that day"
''Since then have known what it was to be
distracted IN other ways, and only Tor the
Chidren's sake / would have died and made no
sign. You see change in me, but feel it; and
assure you DO not md any more comfort in
1t than you do, but il cannot be helped"
That l. nonsense! Ii can be helped If you
will look at it in the right way"
have look at IT in all ways, and there is no
right way but to take up my cross and bear 1t
to the end. 1 can bear it better if am away
from all that can remind me of the old days. /
shall not come home till have outgrOwn even
the memory of them"
"That memory was your dearest treasure
when left you for that short week, Isabel"
W
made in a week. 1t is long enough for moths TO
corrupt or thieves to break through and steal
our greatest treasure. Do not speak lightly of
week, - she said, with woeful smile that had
better have been a sob.
% babel, YOU break my heart" l cried ont.
=" Do /? Then You will be in the fashion.
WOmen's hearts were made to be broken. The
crack comes late TO some and early to others l
had long probation, but it came at last all the
She went away across the sea next day with
al her flock. but the dregs of her bitterness
staid with me. 1 had believed in her. and been
disappointed; II Is not an uncommon experience
between lovers, and am assured that the sensas
ton is very uncomfortable. / certainly found
~ IN my own case. There must have been
leaves on leaves folded away in her character,
that had never found or suspected, TO &C
count for the savage change in q woman who
had been ''all wOmanly."
II injured my digestion ard disturbed my
sleep; for il forced me TO take TO pieces all my
Pet theories about women, and make them over
again.
Her insreqaent letters told nothing of her
ties about pictures and cathedrals, and now anu
then a bitter lest on the hOllOwness of lite.
Married happiness seemed TO provoke her to
special wrath. The traIl OF the serpent was
over all her thoughts. When ] pressed her
about her own he alth, she wrote, al am always
well enough TO bear my burdens, such a. they
are. Nothing can ILL woman, you know
But one or two travellers who saw her at
Heidelberg where she had fixed herself, to b.
near her brothers who were in the university
brought word that she was white aud wan, ana
Cny The shadow OF her former self.
. have been bored to deG-h lately" she
wrote once, with the devotion of Cousin
George ard bis wife. They may be called
Nagt bonds, having no visible means of support;
tui love Is 10 be food and drink and IOd giug, to
say nothing of clothes. The deluded woman
tLl.As she has power 70 keep him always at her
fs ct, and II would not surprise me al An If he
v ere already IN his heart, a little weary of her
women are 30 easily deceived that 1 wonder
n, have taken so much pleasure in doing IL
through all ages. begin to favor the French
Gus tom OF selecting wives and husbands for
o Is children, instead OF leaving them u their
Own devices in the most important matter of