Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-12-12

were doomed to early disappoint.
ment. Instead of his wife growing
docile and yielding, she became
more willful and intraotable, ,rebelled
with a high spirit against any rule,
aud looked upon her husband more
as a companion with whom to enjoy
the amusements of fashionable sOci-
ETY., than as a helpmate and friend
with whom to pass through the tri.
ais and cares of life. Still she had
q kind heart and warm affections {;
and had more love and sympathy
been exhibited in connection with
efforts to change her habits, and less
cold, severe exactions shown on the
part of her husbands relatives, the
event might have been better for
all. At last the usual result follow
ed. Quarrels became of frequent Oc-
curance; estrangement grew up be.
tween husband and wife; and it
was only year after their marriage
that the young wife, one day, after
a passionate outbreak and most un-
happy scene with her husband, lett
his home and returned to that of
her parents. Here she was not only
received with open arms, but con.
doled and sympathized with to her
great injury-a divorce proposed,
and all chance Of reconciliation de-
stroyed.
Such was the painful story, as l
gathered the particulars-no rare
one in the world, l am quite aware,
and yet sad enough as embodying
the wreck of two lives. Perhaps a
knowledge of the whole softened
my pride toward Mr.. Lee trifie,
though it by no means cured my
wounded self-respect or put me more
at ease with myself. What more
acquaintance might have followed
is uncertain; perhaps none what.
ever, under the changed conditions;
nor have 1 the clearest idea how my
revenge would have been accom-
plished, had not been favored by
new and unexpected circumstances.
1t was in the month of December
that one very cold and clustering
morning lady was ushered into
the instruction. room by one of the
statesmen. She was a young and re.
markably pretty woman, as l dis
covered atthe first glance, and dress
ed very becomingly in the prevail
ing mode. The usual remarks that
''she was afraid she would be stu
pid," and my reinsurance that l had
taught pupils from twelve to eighty
in age and from irish Norah to the
Hon. Mrs. Highfyer in position,
passed between us; and then, after
feet were comfortably warmed, and
gloves removed, the lesson began.
Upon the raising of her veil, as she
seated herself, I discovered that her
beautiful brown eyes showed traces
of recent tears and several times
as the lesson progressed an uncon.
sciously drawn long sigh or sob prov
ed very plainly that she had lately
passed through some strong emo
tion, and that nature was kindly re-
storing the equilibrium.
In the course of the lesson, that
day, she told me that she was mar
ed and the mother of little boy
somewhat over a year old. She
limited at trouble in connection with
her marriage relations, and of late
news that had caused the past night
to be spent very unhappily. She
seemed low spirited, and deeply
ashamed of her ignorance as regard
ed all knowledge of sewing or the
construction Of the simplest gar
ment. l encouraged her-told her
that patience and application only
were necessary, as she showed very
good natural abilities and would
learn easily. But she replied sadly
that she was afraid that those were
virtues she Mad never cultivated,
nor even until lately deemed at all
necessary. She assured me that l
could form no idea how useless and
HELPLESS she had been. She never
liked to sew, and her mother had
never wished her to do SO, telling
her that there were plenty of poor
people who would be glad to do
such labor instead. She hoped l
would not laugh at some of her, no
doubt, tritling and silly questions,
as she had never even made gar
ment of any kind in her life-not
even a little one for her baby! l
laughed good-naturedly; l could
not help it; and told her that she
took too severe a view of her defici-