Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-16
PART SECOND.

lived happily in the house OF NV relative.
satisfied with the ordinary pursuits OF Il
country gentleman. Time hal long since
cured ING ufmy b0yish infatUation for the
nursery gOVcrncS>. | could revisit with per
lCvi conn O>urc the paths along which we
hat walked. the lake on which we had sale I
together. Hearing by chance that She was
married IN her own country. | could wish her
an possible happiness, with the sober kind
ness Ola disinteTested friend What a sfr2nga
threat Of IRONY runs through the texture OF
The simplest human life. 1ha "arlv love lof
which had sacrificed sjaU suffered 30 much
was now revealed 10 me. in its true color>, as
boys passing fancy-nOthiug mOrel
Three wears of peaceful freedom passed:
frGet!om which, ON the uncDntr;iiictod taS IL
iuonN OF respectable witnesses. | ncYC ;tbUS-
81. W ell, that long and happy interval. like
All intervals. came to its Cud-aud then the
great misfortune of my life fell upon me
thc oil IA! unCllS oied and left me luheTi,Or
Oi MS whole fortune. / alone, to the cXclu-
SION of inc other heirs. now received. no. on
~ the large income derived from the estates,
a. well.
The vile calumny which had asserted me TO
be mad was now revived by the Wrctchcs
VINO were Interested li stepping between IN"
aId my Inheritance. y year ago was sent
back again to the asylum IN which mad been
last Imprisoned. The prctcu>e for continuing
was Called which hal committed i'm {: mo-
ment&TE outbreak of anger, and which il was
acknowledged hal led To no serious results.
HAVING got me into the asylum. the con
Sp!ralOrS proceeded Ia complete their work.
\ commission in luEacy was iSNuci against
me. IL was held by one commissioner. with
on. jury. ami without the presence OF Il law
yer 10 assert my interests. By one mans
decision | was declared to he of un~0lal
mind. The custody OF my person, as well ~
the management OF nv estates WAS cf,nfi,I..I
10 men chosen from among the cOnSpjratOrs
who Lad declared me to be mad. am here
through the favor of the proprietor of the
asylum, who has given me my holiday at the
seaside, and VINO humancly trusts me- with
my liberty. as you see. At barely thirty
years Old, am refused the free use of my
money, and the free management OF my
ahhfS. Al barely thirty years Ola, / am
officially declared to Ue a iunatic for life
VI
He paused: his head sank on his breast; his
story was told.
have repeated his words as nearly as !
canrcmcmbrr them: but can give 10 idea or
The modest and touching resignation with
which he spoke. To say that | pitiel Inn
ann I'm my whole heart. is to say nothing.
loved him with my whole heart, and may
acknowledge Il now.
"Gh. MIR. Cameron said as soon as /
Gould trust mySel. To speak. lean nothing be
done To help YOU? is there no hope
There Is always hope" he answered with
out raising his head. Il have to thank HD,.
Hiss BrsIdlng- for teaching m that
Il am glad To hear it, said. How have
taught you to hOpc?'
You have Frightened my dreary life
When am with you all my bittorram
branccS leave me. am happy man again
and happy man can always hope. dream
now Of hiijlhG what never Vet hJi-a deG'
and devoted friend who viii FOL. Sc tie crCrry
lhat Ec has sunk inme under the mart yTtiDu
that | have endured Why do / submit to
the loss of my rights aud NV liberty withou
an chort torccOycr them? was alone in the
world until met You. had no kind hand 20
raise me: no kind voice 70 encourage mo
Shall ever find the hand? Shall ever hear
The voice? When am with you tichop" mat
NnU nave taught me answers. YES. When /
am ~ myself the OLD despair comes back
ana ,.ig--. No
He lifted his head Tor tho first time. II
mad not understood what Lis WOF a. meant.
his look would have enlightened me. The
tears came into my eyes; my heart halvol
an" tiuttcrc1 wildly; my hands mechanically
tore ny and scattered the grass around M.
Ihe silence became uncomfortable. j spoke.
hardly knowing what I was saying. tearing
harder and harderat the poor harmless grass.
as If my whole business in life was t. pull
"ut The greatest quantity in the shortest pos
~iNIc space OF time!
80 W. have only known each other little
While ! said. "aDI d woman IS buL n wrtr
ally in SdcL terrible position as yours. Bat
useless as may be-. count N me NOW AMI
always. as your lrieHd'-
lie moved close - Iue before I cOuII say
more, ana took nay iduu. lie mUrlHGrcI IN
mycaT:
May ] count on yo1, one day. a. the near
e. anu dearest friend faII2 WiH y0u for
give me. Mary. il own that lDvc you? You
have laugh, me To- love. aS you have tauy5i
me "a hope. II Is in your power 10 tighten my
l.. s'i i'i- J GA can TccOnpCuSe me iOr = 4 that
nave suffered; yOu can rouse IL" 10 struggle
ing my freedom and my rights. Il. the GOOD
anger 81 my life. Forgive me, love me, rescue
mp-bC my WIFE
don't know how IL happened. I found nv
SELF IN his armS-a'd / answered him ia
hiss. Taking al the circumstances iut0 con
SidcTaiion. dare say / was guilty. IN accept
committed. Very good. didn't care thee
don't care now. / was then. and am ROW.
tLe hap9ie>t woman living.
VII.
Il y,-gs ,,ac.--ar,- I'll, 80 10. Ia, 800 = .,
Tell my father OF what had passed between
us. ON reflection | thought it best tFlaf ]
should max" The disclosure. The day after
The picnic / repeated To my father R,land's
melancholy narrative, as q necessary preface
10 the announcement that had promised u
bJ ROidudS wife
marriage. He warned me q! the impru Ience
which contemplated committing ia rie
strongest terms Our prospect OF happiness,
II we were married, would depend entirely
on our capacity To legally superccde the pro-
ceedingS of the lunacy commission, Success
IN TINS arduouS undertaking was, to say the
least OF IL, uncertain. The cOmmOneSt prIl-
dence pointed 10 the pTopriety of delay wing
the marriage until the doubtful experiment
had been put 10 the proof.
This reasoning was unanswerable. 1t was,
nevertheless, completely thrown away upon
me.
When did a woman in love ever listen to
reason? believe there is no instance III il
on record. My fathers wise words OF caution
had 10 chance against Roland's fervent en-
treaties. The days of his residence at East
bourne were drawing to a close. IL let him
return to the asylum an unmarried man,
months, years perhaps, might pass before
our union could take place. Could | expect
him, could expect any man, to endure that
cruel separation, that unrelieved suspense?
His mind had been sorely tried already; his
mind might give way under il. These were
the arguments that carried weight with
them in my judgment. ] was of age, and
free To act as pleased. You are welcome, if
you like. 10 consider me the most foolish and
most obstinate of women. In sixteen days
from the date of the picnic Roland and
were privately married at EaStbourne.
My Gather-mOre grieved than angry. poor
manufactured 10 he present at the ceremony;
II justice To himself. Ny brother gave me
away at the altar,
Roland and / spent the afternoon of the
wedding day, and the earlier part of the even
ing, together. At O'Clock he returned to
the DOCTORS house, exactly as usual, having
previously explained to me that he was in
TIE power of the Court of thancery. and that
uhlli we succeeded in setting aside the pro-
ceedings of the ldnacy commission. there
was = serious necessity Of keeping the mar
mage secret My husband and / kissed. ana
Saiid g"o.-bN until tomorrow, n the clock
struck Tie hour. little thought, rs / looked