Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-10-17

|
her bright golden hair from under its
little lace morning cap, and sent it roll
| ing in golden shimmering waves over
her shoulders.
There was light in her blue eyes,
which her husband had never before seen
there; and the fresh red lips which had
always greeted him with smiles, were
| parted over the white teeth with an ex-
| preston of unmistskable scorn.
at is cruel and exacting of you, Nor
| man, when you know how much, how
very much like Mrs. May, and how
| fond she is Of me. 1t is selfish to ask me
to give up the society Of best my friend
just to crafty a capricous whim Of
yours"
And Mr.. Wilde burst into tears.
1t was not in Norman Wilde's nature
to see q woman's tears unmoved. 1t is
scarcely that of any man, when the
tears are those of his own wife, and with
one go fondly loved aud tenderly
cherished as Nellie. His habitually
grave and quiet voice was full Of trouble
aud tenderness now, as he bent over her,
and said in tones ofgentle remOnstrsnce,
"NellieW
Don't, Normsnu' was the pettish
answer, as she turned away from the
caressing touch Of his hand upon her
| soft golden hair. 81 am not q child to
be tyrannized over one moment, and
| coaxed and petted into good humOr the
| next"
Selfish, cruel, tyrannical! 1t was too
| much.
Mr.. Wilde took his hat with that in
deseribable air which injured husbands
know so well how to assume, and left
the room. With slow step he passed
| down the stairs into the street.
Was il wrong, he asked himself, for
him to win this bright young life to
| gladden. his quiet home, and diffuse the
| sunshine of her buoyant spirits over his
graver, maturer life? For though there
was a difference of ten years in their
respective ages, many cares had made
Norman Wilde older at tWenty-seven
| than most men Of thiIty-five. He
thought of it now with something like
contempt for himself. He might have
known he could never make her happy;
he with q gravity of demeRnor that was
almost sternness; and she, with her joy
GUS, loving disposition, for Nellie was
good tempered and affectionate general.
ly. in spite of her willfulness.
Some thing weightier than the great
lawsuit Of"Hobart.vs. Long" pressed up
on the spirits of Mr.. Wilde as he walked
slowly down the street that bitter winter
morning; and his head clerk, Richards,
to whom an honest lawyer Wasa paradox,
and law a sublime mystery, thought, as
he watched him from the Office window,
that some new legal stratagem must
have taken possession Of his brain, to
make him walk at that pace, when the
thermometer stood twenty degrees be-
low zero.
"Bts'sm," said Kate, putting her
bead in at the door Of Neliie's room,
"Mrs. Dion would like to see you direct
ly, If its quite convenient"
every well Kate"
And Nellie, after arranging her hair
and bathing her face, proceeded to her
aunt's apartment.
Glow do you feel this morning,
auntie?"
"Very cheerful, very contented, my
child" was the invalid's reply, as she
looked up into the innocent, giriish face
that bent over her couch. II should be
ungrateful indeed, if, after all the al
fectiOnsts care lavisned upon me by my
nephew and his wife, 1 should be other
wise.n
Some shadows resting upon the
usually happy face, caught Mrs. Dion's
attention. She loved Nellie dearly, not
less for her loving kindness to her, than
because she was the wife Of her nephew,
the only ipfallible mortal, in Aunt
Ruth's eyes, that the world contained.
"Are you not well, Nellie?r
"Quite well, auntie."
"You are unhappy, Nellie?"
There was no answer, but Nellie's lips
quivered, and two large tears gathered
beneath the heavy dropped lashes, and
rolled slowly down her cheeks.
my dear child, l am surprised, griev-
ed to see you thus. Can you not con-
fide in me?"
ooh, auntie, Norman is so selfish, so
unkind."
"Nellie, tell me one thipg-have you
qusrrelled?n
eyes"
Gard parted in anger?"
"Yes.n
"Go to him, my child, and reconciled.
II Norman has erred, he will see his
fault; if you have, 1t is all the more
fitting that you should seek q reconcilia-
tion.n
Never"
"Hush, Nellie; l will tell you story,
a true one, about husband and wife
who parted in anger, and never spoke
to each other again. 1t is 8 terrible
thing to anger those we love, Nellie. |
This man, whom ! shall call Robert,
was proud man, grave and self-possess- |
ed in his manners, commanding as a |
king should be, nObler than any king |
that ever lived, Nellie, and far, far |
h8ndsomer. Some thought him stern, |
bus there was one who never found him |
so; and, though he might have been |
cold to others, be was oil love and |
tenderness to her"
"His wife, aunt?"
Yes, Nellie. He loved her with a |
strength and depth Of affection OF which |
few men are capable. Why he loved |
her with such passionate devotion, l |
could never see; for she ives a wild, |
girl, eXacting and willfal;
great faults they must have seemed to
one as thoroughly selEdisciplined as he
was Perhaps he OWNED what she
never knew herself till afterward, her
deep love for him.. They had been
married but few months. They had
thus far been very happy, for he was
so tender and thoughtful toward
her, and che thought she had overcome
her fault in her great happiness. They
were not overcome, however. One
he told her that he was going
away 10 vernon, ana snOuld not De BACK
for two or three days. Vernon was the
place where she had always lived till
her marriage, and her mother still resid-
ed there. She wished to go with him,
but he told her 1t would be impossible.
She persisted, and he refused. Shegrev
very angry at his immovable cslmness,
ana said bitter, cutting words, that would
have maddened man less able to con-
troll his tsnlper. But he controlled him.
self. This exasperated her more, and
she grew more, and more sarcastic and
but though he grew pale
with anger, he gave her not one angry
word. She refused TO say goodbye
when he went, and thus they parted, |
never to meet again on earth"
"Oh, Aunt Ruthw whispered Nellie,
with psling cheek.
After be had gone, her anger ali died
away, and she thought she would follow
him and ask his forgiveness, for the |
hought Of his calm, cold scoTn nearly |
,razed her. She hastily put on her bon
act and cloak, and reached the depot