Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-15

bitter tears apart, and then, by common con-
forth implied that Lydia had arrogated to her
self the post OF nurse, and that they only hoped
she had sense and strength to do her duty to
their poor dear father.
While their fathers illness continued at its
height Lydia believed that her sisters asperity
was due to her anxiety about him, and to their
very natural doubts OF her skill and ability
But during his discovery it slowly dawned upon
her that gulf had suddenly opened in the dry
soil of the family life, and that she was left
standing alone on one side of 1t. For as he
Tegained strength, her fathers preference for
her vanished, and he openly chafed at the
'other girls" leaving him so much to her So
ciety, as, with malicious dutffulneSs, they
persisted In doing, except when expressly COM
manded TO the contrary. 1t was not much that
Lydia had lost, for 1t was little that she had ever
had. But 1t seemed great deal to her, and it
was her all. Nobody knew that she suffered;
probably she did not know herself; she was too
humble to think that anything she could feel
could be worthy the name OF pain. But day af-
after day the stairs grew more wearisome, and
furniture heavier, and the food less appetzing.
Ana one evening strange mist hung over every
thing-in-doorS as well as out OF doors. And next
morning she could not lift her head from her pill
low, and Dr. Hardy had new patient.
Dr, Hardy understood the situation very fair
H, rs doctors often do. He had had his COLO
quteS with Eliza and Jane. Even now they
were not slow TO lay Lydia'S illness at her own
door. ''She would not let them take their fair
share OF their fathers illness, and now she had
come upon them herself" He wanted them 10
fearing lest their pride might resent and resist
any supposed slight on their own powers he
slyly urged that the train of illness was likely to
be heightened out If all the care were cast on
delicate and sensitive relatives. That did not
gain his end, but it mollitied the ladies. Had
Lydia been conscious, she might have wondered
at the effect produced by so slight a compliment
rom one OF that sex which her sisters deSpiSei
so heartily!
Lydia's illness was that sort of low fever
which fingers long and often leaves deep traces
behind it. Eliza and Jane never quite believed
Tn it. They thought Lydia did hot bear up Well
When She was worse they child her; when she
was better they exhorted her. They would read
aloud to her, and II she asked them to STOP they
felt so injured that it was easier to let them 90
on, at any cost of confused brain and bewildered
dream.
Dr. Hardy grew to pity the PALE quiet woman.
who seemed to watch for his coming, because
he brought the comfort of a comprehending and
sympathetic presence She interested him as
the first revelation of the sad subsection which
underlies so many womens lives. Its result he
had often seen before; the secret of its process
had not hitherto been displayed to him. But he
felt little more than pathological interest
with genuine healer's instinct to relieve. Not
only was she thirty-SiX and wan and faded but
her mind was as little likely TO fascinate him as
her face. 1t had been starved on the direst and
poorest nutriment, and her sympathfes, like the
limbs of man long fettered to seat, were now
scarcely able to stir themselves DR.. Hardy was
twenty-Seven, his whole nature throbbing with
The ambitions and visions of an ardent, warm
hearted young man who does not even dream
that anythfng in the world or in himself can
hinder or check the strong tide of energy he
feels within him. 1t was simply because he was
so glorying in the race Of life before him that
this poor thing, who had never left the starting
point, touched his heart and craved from him
little help, which at its utmost could be so
small.
He brought her books to beguile her GONZALES
intellectually, and he did not startle her by
presenting too vioiently-Opposed mental stand
points, nor shock her by requiring too far a
leap from her accustomed ground. 1t might
have aStounded Edward Hardy had he guessed
how difficult it would have been for anything
from him to startle or shock her Accustomed
all her life to unquestioning loyalty to her
standards she had now made him one of them
Under cover of his medical authority had
grown up another. She began to make an I'M
conscious reference to his opinion on all sub
lects. 1t was formidable rival, even to that of
Eliza and Jane.
AS she recovered one wretched case of her i'll
ness did not yield In its course she had grown
deaf, and this deafness continued; though. like
most nervous affections, it varied much in in
tensity. This troubled her sadly, because she
saw it troubled others, who did not disguise
that they found it troublesome. Jane Wore a
wrap round her throat because she "had
strained it, shouting at LYDIA" Lydia's recov-
cry was visbiy retarded when she found the
deafness did not go. In her heart She wished
she had died. and then shed SorroWful tears
over her wicked rebellion. She chung more and
more to DR.. Hardy's daily visits. He did not
seem to blame her for suffering. After he had
been with her for few minutes, she could hear
his voice more readily than the Others though
on his first coming in she was always at her
worst, since any excitement, painful or pleas
ing, served to increase the affiictton.
Still, She gradually progressed, and she said
to herself that Dr. Hardy would very soon dis
continue his visits. (She had already overheard
Eliza and Jane discussing their cost, and she
felt pang of self-reproach that She had pleas
ure in what involved the expenditure of their
scanty meansl No further thought was In that
simple, unworldly mind. There had been gray
days before-there was CLEAN of sunshine
just little darker. She hoped that perhaps
DR.. Hardy might oftener find his way to Briar
Cottage as friendly visitor. After his long
professional attendance, even Eliza and Jane
formal invitation.
1t was glorious summer afternoon. On Din
nent High-street the sun had poured NIGHTLY
and there the air was Close and little thick
ened by dust. But on the moorland roads around
a breeze would be blowing, and past snug old
farms those roads would dip through leafy hol-
lows, where even noontide had not scorched.
DE-. Hardy, leiSurely driving out, behind his
sturdy pony, thought on these things and how,
at the very moment, Lydia Ray was probably
tottering round her narrow weedy garden, hear
ing just enough to catch some OF her sisters
SharpeSt words. Why should not he volunteer
TO give his patient drive? He was going some
miles by lovely route to visit case in which
there was no fear of infection. DIR. Hardy was
never slow TO carry out an idea when there was
nobody to oppose it. He pulled up his pony
before the gate Of Briar Cottage. And there
sure enough was Lydia, seated on a garden
chair, quite alone, looking very pale and drag
gled.
DR.. Hardy had to repeat his invitation twice
before she caught his meaning, and then her
face lit with intense pleasure. Such thing was
so unprecedented, so outside the usual range OF
Eliza and James opinions that she actually for
got all about them and accepted it without any
reference to them. The very idea seemed to
bring back her youth. A long, long drive over
the InoorS gave a sense Of boundleSS freedom to
one whose peregrinationS had for years been
limited to the shops, the church, and the neigh
boring villas. She assured Dr. Hardy that her
preparations should not detain him five minutes
and left him i'll the garden smiling. indeed yet
half sad TO think that so small a pleasure seemed
10 be worth so much.
But Lydia remembered Eliza and Jane, and
tTembled when, on her way to her own ROOM
she had to pass those ladies seated at the Win
dow working. She paused timidly, and said that
Dr. Hardy had offered TO take her for q drive;
he thought it would do her good, and so did She
Eliza said, ''Humph." Jane remarked, ''You
are quite your own mistress, Lydia. But all
Dinnent Will say you are trying to delude that
youth into marrying you.
surely Dinnent can never be so foolish" an
swered Lydia, opening her eyes wide at a Slg-
gestion so entirely new to her own mind. .'Well
l can't say will not go, now have said will"
And secretly she was very glad that for once she
had made decision before asking advice.
She left the door open between the rooms
While she dressed, and Eliza, watching her,
dryly remarked. 1.-THE ride won't do you any
the more good. lydia for YOUR putting on yOur