The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-03-02


which her thoughts revolved happily
is the old lije at home in the little rec
tory, which be has tried to teach her
to despise. That is the one stage OF
her existence which has been suffered
to come perfection and live itself. Her
childhood fiouirshed and fiowered, a
bright, ,appy, natural, unstunted
plant, But her girlhocd was nipped
in fhe bud before it had been glorifi
ed by one touch of real romance. Her
sister WIS right in feeling Indignant
with Mr. Staunton for having robbed
the child of that time that j. flooded
with the life's dull light that ne'er
can shine again ON stream-he married
Polly before she hld t1stad the Joy
and pain OF the fever called first
love-"
Mr., Staupfon had vast number Of
theories concerning Polly and lie pro-
pounded 4 great many of them to her
sister Belle, Whenever he saw the lat
ter. One was. that retirement was
good for his wife; another, her brief
experience of life had given her u taste
of gayety which he could not sufficient
ly condemn, though she never spoke
about it, Another was, that a woman
who was 30 Systematically silent as
Polly was, when in the society of the
most eonsidersts of husbands" must
either be burdened with a sulky temp
erament or a sorrowed secret.
II think it's simply because she has
nothing to say" Belle would answer
sadly.
Then you imply that she is stupid r.
Not at all; but woman, in order
to speak well (and, unless she speaks
we'll, she had better hold her peace, }
must have education, experience and
frequent intercourse with others who
have likewise something to say on the
same grounds"
'Polly belongs to "a class of society
which presupposes that she has these
advantas es,' he interrupts.
Society may presuppose what it
p!.ases. She has had nothing of the
kind, the elder sister s1ys bluntly.
You cut short her education at home,
you did away with the possibility of
her gaining any experience in the best
school house a woman can have-love
and you immure her here in the
most stuitifying of all atmospheric
comfortable solitude. How should
Polly gain ideasi And even if they
do spring up in such poor soil, how Is
she to learn the art of expressing them
in words! from her babies or her
nursel'
''You forgot that she has Inc, she
says, stiffly.
''She has you to tell her, when
you're in the vein, of what you and
your gun did upon the hill in India,
and for current history you give her
details of Ponto's lamepess, and the
Loughborrow hunt. Polly has no
memories, excepting of the sudden way
in which you swooped down upon her,
and asked her to marry you, before
you had taugh her what lovewas. Be
thankful that she has not created
hopes for herself.
Zone would think / had wroDged
her," he says, discontentedly. III.
who have given her a good home, my
name-everything / had to give, in
fact
You robbed her of the period of
Illusions" the elder sister answered.
"And woman who skips that will
always be looking vaguely for the
missing link between herself and hap
piness. You should have been con
tented with giving her the bon boos, as
advised you, a little longer; you
should have let her live to feel that the
sun was brighter to her when some one
comes, and to grow desperate over the
possibility of not seeing nim for twen
ty four hours; In fact you should have
let her suffer and refine into woman
hood, instead of jerking her into it, as
you did. Now, all that for you to do
is to bear il like n:an, ana save your
from the fate that overtakes
plants that are forced into too early
bloom. The child wife is a pretty
enough thing in fiction. In fact, she is
a sacrifice to the greedy vanity of the
man who will gather the bud, though
he knows, il ne does 80, it can never
develope into the rose"