Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-01-29

time, even though fate and uncontrolla-
BILE circumstances have intervened to
cause delay, and there has not been
particle of carelessness in the transac-
tion. He fatigues himself pleasantly
every day by hunting or coursing, shoot
ing or fishing, in company with men
who are like minded to himself, and so
thoroughly congenial and acceptable as
sociates to him. This being the case,
slumber as rule, claims him for her
own during the long hours that inter-
vene between dinner and bed time, and
Polly's proper sphere is the home from
which he is absent all day, and in which
he only sleeps when he returns to it at
night!
"If were not thoroughly quiet,
well-dispOsed fellow, Polly is Just the
woman to drive me from home" Mr..
Staunton sometimes tells himself virtu-
ously when he wakes up from prolong-
ed and happy sleep to find Polly sitting
motionless before the window or the fire,
according to the season, gazing with a
sad, absent expression into the misty
distance over the woods, or into the fiery
vaults, in which she strives to picture
possibilities that might have interested
her and filled her heart. He is perfectly
satisfied with himself and his manner of
treating her. She has handsome house,
handsomely furnished. good establish
ment, orders to "dress well and let him
have all the bills" and pony carriage
to drive about in, when he doesn't want
the pony. By day she has the society of
her two children and their nurse; he
dislikes country neighhGggs' ghtGg nssFsssIf ssI to a
round of mere formal visiting. By aight
she has the solace of her own thoughts,
and the sight of him STEPPED in slumber
on the most comfortable sofa in any room
they may chance to be occupying! New
crtheless, surrounded as she is with all
these aids to happiness, it is clear to ev-
cry one (but her husband) who sees her
that Polly is not happy.
The solace of her own thoughts Poor
thing, the one thing round which her
thoughts revolve happily is the old life
at home, in the little rectory, which he
has tried to teach her to desplse That
is the one stage of her existence which
has been suffered to come to perfection
and live itself. Her childhood flourish
ed and fOwered bright, happy, natu-
raj, unstunted plant! But her girlhood
was nipped in the bud before it had been
glorifed by one touch of real romance.
Her sister was right ia feeling indignant
with Mr.. Staunton for having robbed
the child of that time that is flooded
with the life's dull light that ne'er can
shine again on stream"-he married
Polly before she had tasted the joy and
pain of the fever called first love"
Mr.. Staunton had a vast number Of
theories concerning Polly. and he pro.
pounded great many of them to her
sister Belle, whenever he saw the latter.
One was, that retirement was good fol
his wife another, her briet experience
of life had given her a taste for gayety
which he could not sufficiently condemn
though she never spoke about it /! An.
other was, that woman who was sc
Systematically ''silent as Polly was
when in the society of the most consid
crate of husbands" must either be bur
dened with a sulky temperament or {
sorrowful secret.
Il think it's simply that she has moth
ing to say" Belle would answer sadly.
"Then you imply that she is stupid.
} "Not at all but woman, in ordeI
to speak we'll (and, unless she speak
} well, she had better hold her peace
must have education, experience and fire
: quent intercourse with others who like
wise have something to say on the SAM
: grounds"
"POlly belongs to class of society
which presupposes that she has these ad
vantages,' he interrupts.
Society may presuppose what i
pleases. She has had nothing of tn,
kind" the elder sister says, bluntly
7 "You cut short her education at home
!; you did away with the possibility of he
gaining any experience IN the best school
= house a woman can have-love-anC
| you immure her here in the most stulti
flying of all atmospheres-comfortabl
solitude; how should Polly gain ideas
$ And even if they do spring up in sucl
| poor soil, how is she to learn the art o
: expressing them in words ?-from he
| babies or her nurse?''
D "You forget that she has me-" h
q says. stif1y.
, "She has you to tell her, when your
in the vein, of what you and your gul
: did upon the hills in India; and for cur
E rent history you give her details of Pon
S to's lameness, and the LoughborroV
e hunt. Polly has no memories, except
S ing of the sudden way in which yo
: swooped down upon her, and asked he
to marry yon, before you had taught he
= ! xul,a4 lozzo d 4LanLf..l 4hn4 sL