River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-01-01


all the world like his house, as he sat on
his tall horse and looked down POM
pously over his vast waistcoat at a
frightened crew of village children.
The Squire had an ugly, sickly wife
and daughter, and they had an humble
companion that was an angel Of beauty.
| fell in love with her at church. Oh.
the LITTLE church in the west countrie
hid in the boNery orchard hollowi Oh,
the sudden delicious gust that Uttered
the graves with blossoms your
mothers grave, Charley; has the dear
woman the violets planted there or
did they die hike the faith and none
she set in me l fell in love with
Fanny Vale before knew her name |:
! learned that from the farm house
folks with whom lodged. They told
me, moreover, that she was Young
widow, and still in weeds when she
came to lodge very humbly in the vii.
lage six months before; that the
Squire wife and daughter had taken
fancy to her, and had adopted her
into their family as kind of reader
and useful companion Of all work.
made her acquaintance By note which
| threw at her feet over a hedge the
first time | spicd her walking alone.
| need not swear to you that |
never had an evil wish or thought
about her. To me woman was a holy
thing, desecrated by no lowness of con-
dition, deserving of any gentleman's
love and reverence, if endowed with
certain qualities. These Qualities now
took on trust, and, being enchanted by
her beauty, saw also the perfection Of
moral loneliness in her face. Such an
angelic face, Charley! There she sat
in the Squire's pew, beside her ugly
patronesses, with such intelligence in
her melancholy blue eye and fair half
moon of brow, such breathing sensi-
bility in her silence; and when came to
know her, what sympathy in her
smile, what silken manners, so soft, so
graceful, caressing, yet modest and full
Of suave dignity ! She did not answer
my note but when went to the copse
behind Ringwood house, where | had
her to meet me, she was there.
She came, she said, only to beg me to
come and write no more. She was
poor dependent, and the least suspicion
falling on her would cast her homeless
and friendless on the world. will not
dwell on this stale love story it was
perfect Y commonplace of its kind, ex-
cept that the d ipe was not for once
the humble beauty, but the gentleman
from London. She consented to be my
wife; and at the summers end, without
asking her a single question as to
her past, without knowing
more Of it than the farm folks
had volunteered to tell me the first
day | saw her, brought this girl to
London, and married her. That's what
came Of being too good for this world,
Of evil, or the comprehension
of it. had written to tell my father
of my intended marriage to Il, frankly
confessed) perfectly obscure and pen.
nilcss young woman. that had of course
everything but position and wealth to
recommend her. ! wrote respectful
letter which | received back in blank
cover. Yet my heart yearned to the
cross-gained old man, and from the
glory and JOY of my fools paradise
emerged voluntarily, before the honey.
moon was over, to seek reconciliation
with my father.
"When | got to his dc or he drove me
away like beggar, like strange dog,
with his lifted stick with his mouth full
of curses. That is the last ever saw
Of him. lie died six months after, i'm
placable.
81 hurried back to town to be com.
fortcd by the angel in my house.
returned sooner than | was looked for.
| opened the door by latch-key, and
went softly upstairs to surprise my
wife. 1t was about 2 in the afternoon.
Our little drawingroom had folding
doors, which were now ajar. No one
was in the front room, but | heard
heard my wife's voice in the other.
heard her voice and a mans. | had
but to step forward, and l say"
1t was quite dark by this time, and
here the voice that had come out of
Urquehart's black corner suddenly
broke into an awful sob.
"Don't 60 OH, said |, much distress
ed.
"Let me alone, gaspcd Urquehart,
In less than minute he resumed
III saw my wife with her arms round
A mans neck. She was passionately
him not to leave her he was
trying to release himself. The next
they saw me and started apart.
Then, instantly, my wife, that tender
angel, flung herself at me like a wild
eat. She did not scream, but through
her shut teeth she said, III kill you,
III kill you, if you touch him Her
blue eyes glared much like yonder blue
lightning that keeps flashing out there,
and something gllttered close TO my
face. She had sna;ched up her scissors
and verify believe would have dug
them into my temple if the man, her
lover, had not come and pulled down
her hand. She was going to fall into
his arms again, but he put her from
him, not very gently, and told her
to sit down. She obeved him in.
stantly. | cannot in the least describe
my state Of mind all this time,
which was only minute or two, | sup.
pose. Ny impression is that | had
ceased 10 feel that, if my brain and
heart had been scooped out, could
- Haze loo, ar,,ttav ~ ou.atioy aud