Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-22
MY MOTHER-IN-LAW.
"A wife ;. Confession.

did not marry for love. Very few
people do. so in this respect am neither
better nor worse than my neighboIs. No,
l certainly did not marry fol love; l be-
lieve married Mr.. Cartwright simply
because he asked me.
This was how it happened. He was
Rector of Devotion, and we lived at the
Manor House, which was about ten min
utes' walk from the church and the rec
tory We had daily service at Devotion,
and nearly always attended it, and it
came to pass that Mr.. Cartwright invari-
ably walked home with me. It was a
matter Of custom now, and | thought
nothing oft: it pleased him, and on the
whole it was rather pleasant to me also.
| must confess, however. | was rather
surprised when, one morning as we got
to the avenue which led up to the Manor
House, Mr.. Cartwright asked me to be
his wife.
I have never been able to find out why
| said yes, but did, perhaps l thought
1t pity to throw away SO much love;
perhaps it was because he was so terribly
in earnest that dared not refuse him {;
perhaps [ feared his pale face, and his
low pleading voice, would ever haunt me
ii rejected his love; or perhaps it was
because he only asked me to marry him
he did not ask me if loved him, for |
hink he guessed l did not; perhaps it was
all the reasons put together, but anyhow
said yes, and in due time VIC were mar
ried.
ought to have been very happy, for
he was most devoted husband, but was
not, and though I did not notice it then,
| know now that for the first six months
after our marriage he was not happy
either.
1t was all my fault, either would not
or could not love him; I accepted all his
devotion to me as a matter of course, but
l made no effort to return it; and [ am
sure he had found out that he had made
mistake in marrying woman who did
not love him.
One morning, about six months after
our marriage, he told me at breakfast that
he intended leaving me alone for few
weeks, to stay with his mother, who was
not very we'll. He watched the effect of
this announcement on me, but though
was really displeased, / concealed my
annoyance, and asked, carelessly, when
he would start.
He replied, the next day, if I had no
objection, and so it was settled.
He was more affectionate than usual
that day, and was colder than ever;
only once alluded to hisjourney, and that
was to ask if might have my sister
Maud to stay while he was gone.
The next morning [ was anxious to
avoid formal parting, so drove to the
station with him; as the train moved off,
remembered this was our first pal ting
since our marriage, and wished I had
not been so cold.
When got home the house looked so
dreary and empty, and there was no one
to meet me; presently one Of the servants
came for the shaws, and with her Nero
Mr.. Cartwright's retriever, which, when
he saw was alone, set up howl for his
master. patted MIN, and tried to COM
fort him, feeling rebuked by his grief
as he followed me, whining, into the
house. Every room seemed empty, and
each spoke of the absent master; at last
wandered into lis study, where he spent
his mornings, and liked me to sit and
work; and now remembered how often
I had excused myself, saying 1 preferred
the drawing-room, and this reflection did
not ad to my happiness.
There was a photograph of me stand
ing on his writing table, and another on
the chimney piece; on the walls hung
two or three of my drawings, which he
had begged ct me when we we're engaged +;
indeed the room was full of remmebran-
ces of me: [ opened book [ had given
him and in it was his name in my hand
writing, and underneath in his own, From
my darling wife" I laid it down with 4
sigh, as though. how carefully he treas
ured every thing had ever given him,
and how little care l took of all his gifts
to me.
Every thing attempted, every thing I
looked ar remined me OF his goodness to
me, and of my GOODNESS and ingratitude
to him. At last went to bed, where at
ter working myself into fever of ankle
ty lest he should not have reached the end
of his Journey in safety, at length cried
myself to sleep.
The next morning I went down to
breakfast with a heavy heart, for I knew
could not hear from him till the next
day; 1t seemed so strange to breakfast
alone, and Nero seemed to think SO, too,
for he was most unhappy, shifting round
his masters chair in the most melancholy
manner.
My plate, for the first time since nv
marriage, was empty, as I sat down to