Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-08-08

iauy, "ioii': ""7 S"H''0 ~ Wv
steps from the carriage. She was
very young, richly robed, and instant
ly addressed me
"Arc you not my brother Roscoe's
wife ?" she asked. II am his sister
Ora, from New Orleans"
don't remember how | welcomed
her, but ! threw open the drawing
room door, and she entered and drop
ped INTO a seat.
"Where is Roscoe? | have come
to stay with you," she said her face
pale as ashes.
81 took vague alarm at her appear
ance, but l endeavored to speak IS
usual.
"You are tired-il. Lay off your
wraps and let me get you a glass of
wine"
| went across the hall to the china
closet. When I came back she lay in
a dead faint upon the floor
Roscoe had gone out of town, and
did not return till evening. | had
Ora taken to q room next to mine and
put to bed. She was mere delicate
child when undressed, not more than
seventeen years old.
"Oh, how good you are-how good
YOU are !" she said with heartrend-
ing pathos, as bathed her temples
and rubbed her delicate limbs. | had
studied medicine q little with my
father, and | knew she was close upon
a fever. AT length she lay warm and
quiet, and soon fell asleep.
I sat up till eleven o'clock, waiting
for Roscoe. At length | heard his
step in the hall. hurried to meet him.
He looked astounded at my news.
"Why, what does it mean 2" he asked.
The next morning Ora was in a
burning fever. She talked incoher-
ently-she did not know me. She lay
very, very i'll for three weeks.
Poor girl at one time it seemed
certain that she would die, but, we
kept her.
AT last her first act Of consciousness
was to kiss me, and murmur:
81 love you!'
AT last she could sit up and talk q
little. And then she told Roscoe and
me her story.
l will not repeat it here. 1t was a
tale too sickening of human passions
infamed by liquor; Of mans tyranny
of woman's weakness. Her husband
was false to her and to his manhood.
She chung to him, pleading he
knocked her senseless at his feet -
And, before that, she had borne oh,
pitiful heaven, so much
"He has killed my love for him,
she said, white and shuddering. 81
= am afraid of him / had rather die
. than live with him again Let mt
: stay here Here he will not find me
| Oh, Observation-Disclosures, let me stay
with you! !"
; We soothed her-promised earnest
ly that she should stay protected, be
loved by us. For the conversation
was most hurtful to her, and nearly
, brought on a relapse of her fever
5 So found what had never bad
3 a sister--ond / think we made hel a
happy as she could possibly be afte
the terrible blight upon her YOUTH
e She found fund of comfort in littl'
a Lyle, who was very fond Of her. call
+ ing her "Lolo" in his soft, lisping &C
@ cents. She was the most unselfisl
e and sympathetic in disposition, AM
:, this latter trait won from me, at least
J., a confidence.
d She sat with me, sewing in m
chamber one day. Roscoe had jus
t sent out from town a package of ne;
l books wished to see. We had look
s ed them over-promised ourselve
l much enjoyment in the long wiute
II evenings coming.
y "What a splendid man Roscoe is
1t Ora said, thoughtfully. "He is
g champion-a triend-he is intereste
st in everything you care tor-he couI
y ellis iyour wishes-ministers to you
1t tastes. Now my husband never seen
If ed to care for anything only to ow
ME !"
1t She seldom or never referred to he
husband. 1t seemed to make he
'e physically ill to do so. l hurrie
m away from the subject.
81 know l have good HUSBAND
Ora respect him, / admire him.
ID But yet" I added, 81 should ha,
e. been happier if I had married anoth'
!. man."