Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-04-11
LANCASTER. WISCONSIN. THURSDAY APRIL II, 1878.

were certainly no. vanity and ill-tem-
per; sbut do you think it matters so
much in married woman like me ?
Who will see me, or care %
"Oh, Amy, will not your husband ?
81 don't think he often sees me-"
she answered, truthfully, cor notices
me when he does. Besides, he
knows | am bnsy with the children"
sob, Amy" cried Eleanor again,
with such energy of utterance and
feeling as thrilled through her
listeners apathy like a sudden pain.
"Poor unhappy girl, can you say SO
of your husband-do you count on his
indifference and rejoice in its protec-
ton to continue in your own path,
when that Indifference alone is sign
of waning love Child, yon will have
need of all your youth and beauty, Of
all the rights your title of wife and
mother gives you, of all the senti-
ments of honor or tenderness in your
husbands soul to win him back again.
"What have / done ?''sobbed Amy,
startled. "What shall / do. 1t is
easy for you to talk, Eleanor, you are
SO beautiful"
81 !" said Eleanor, with contempt
She had dropped the wrappings from
her head aud shoulders, in her excit-
ed gesticulations, and stood revealed,
certainly looking beautiful in spite of
her irregular features and thirty four
years. Her auburn braids, rich and
smooth as velvet; her tall, handsome
figure, in its majestic and becoming
garb of cream-white popIin and fine
old lace her bright complexion. the
easy grace of her motions,lh change
FIJI charm of her expression, produced
this effect as thoroughly as her cous-
ms exquisite outlines and delicate
coloring. Her diamonds were small,
the brilliant flowers OF her bouquet and
headdress not expensive but taste
and training had in her produced
magnificent results from ordinary ma
terials.
II am nine years older than you,"
she added, presently IL was never
pretty; | have not the command of
much money; l have four children,
as you say, and not halt so many SER
wants to help me attend them but l
have a treasure in my husbands
heart that l cannot afford to lose by
idleness or neglect"
"And do you think-you cannot
suppose, that his love depends on
such trifiing things as these ?"
"On what trifies are all our actions
founded all our likings, loves and
tastes You choose a peach tor it's
pink cheek. and the red side is the
sweetest; rose lis admired for its
perfume and tint, as a noisome weed
is hated for the same reason vet,
though one may be incidentally useful
the other comparatively worthless,
you would not willingly exchange the
blooming treasures of your garden
for something ugly and disagreeable.
You choose the flower for its beauty
and fragrance were 1t transformed
in those respects, altered entirely
from what you loved when you placed
it there; could you care for it longer"
but, Eleanor"
"You bny an instrument of music
and find it dumb--you pay literally
for dinner from which you come
unsatisfed away-you go to hear an
eloquent speaker, who suddenly be.
comes stupid-you hire servant to
do work that she does not perform -
is there no disappointment in all
these? Then imagine worse; fancy
a greater loss, a lite long disappoint-
ment; suppose the faith and
hope you had cherished for your fu-
ture forever destroyed, your ideals
stripped of illusion, your chosen hap
piuess proved your bitterest misfor-
tune. If you were deceived into ex-
pecting beauty, and found repulsive-
ness; ii, desiring neatness, you were
forced to endure disorder and neg.
lect; If, instead of light, and love, and
warmth, happy home and pleasant
society, you sat in darkness, cold and
and alone-Amy, what would you
DO p
But Amy had dropped her face in
her hands, and was weeping bitterly.
"My dear, you know | could not
mean to hurt You. But we who are
wives have assumed more than we
realize or know. The world is very
, wide, some OF its allurements are al
most irresistible, and we have not
only won our husbands, we want to
keep them. Ii we fail to be attractive
there is much beyond to fill our def,
ciencies; if our homes are dark and
dull, there Is light and life enough in
places where we cannot come; if we
neglect or despise our influence, there
are perllous charms without; if we
are careless, indifferent, or selt,ab.
sorbed, can we wonder that they are
revolted by such traits, and, seeking
to satisfy heart and eyes, and judg
ment, as they could not do with US,
find pleasanter companionship than
ours ?"
"But you would not be mere hut
terfiy?" interrupted Amy, Indignantly
''like Emily Jasper, for instance
with no thought for anything bu
dress and amusement"
"You do her less than justice she
| is bright, and sweet, and winning, ani
has many good qualities besides hel
exquisite taste in dressing! ASH
Charles.
| will You let me 60 with you, Ell
eanor ?" cried her cousin, hastily
starting up. "Will you help me tc
get ready?"
Mrs. Grayson glanced despairing
ly at the clock she knew too well
what the difficulties of the undertak
ing would be and realized all its ter
rors in advance but she was too kind
and too just to withdraw from the
consequences of her own good natur.
ed Interference She took off hel
| delicate gloves, summoned and brib-
ed bewildered Bridget, dressed hel
cousins beautiful hair with her own
hands, and sacrificed her boquet to
it; and then an hour OF wild confusion
| follawed in which she displaved