The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-04-17
Mrs. Glendenning's Husband.
lLippincotfs Magazine.I

lLippineotfs Magsztne.I
You remember Hawthorne's story of
Wakefield, man who, from mere oddity
and whim, after parting from his wife
to go on short journey, vanished into
the wilderness of London and never re-
turned to her, although he lived SO near
that he watched curiously her comings
and her goings year after year, seeing
her change from happy matron into a
melancholy widow, and so 20 ON into
cherries age. Other things have hap
pened quite as strange, perhaps stranger.
Let me tell you the true story of Mrs.
Glendenning's husband.
Agnes Holt met Hugh Gfendenning
before she left school; they fell in love,
were engaged, and by the time she was
eighteen she married him. He was 3
young fellow of twenty-six, and his
most striking qualities seemed to be
good looks and impetuosity of tempera-
ment. In person he was of average
height, his figure good, his face remark
ably handsome, his hair and eyes dark,
his complexion pale. Agnes was a
quiet, graceful creature, with blue, BASH
full eyes and the most charming smile
in the world. In speech she was GU
riously reserved, and rarely expressed
herself freely. One of the discemforts
of the season of her engagement was
that Hugh constantly pressed her for an
ample confession Of love, which she
would never make in words by more
than quiet assent when he demanded
if she loved him. She hoped and ex-
pected that after marriage he would be
less persistent, and more ready to take
things for granted; while he, on his
side, looked forward to wediock with a
belief that, once wife, Agnes would no
longer torture him with her evasions
and denials, but tell him with the same
freedom and eloquence which he used
himself the whole story of her passion
for him. The two probably loved each
other equally, but their temperaments
were too powerfully contrasted to make
mutual understanding possible. Agnes
was slow, puritanica1, and, however
faithful and strong in feeling, utterly
destitute of spontaneity; while Hugh
was quick, ardent, and given tofthe
most powerful expression of whatever
feeling or mood came uppermest.
They had been married a month when
business arrangements compelled Hugh
to go to England, and he insisted on
taking his wife. She yielded, but he
inclinations were against the journeyr
she disliked to leave her family, and
was, besides, in great fear of the sea
She was melancholy and nervous in
parting from her friends, and for the
first three days on the ocean spent the
entire time in tears. Hugh could not
understand her terror of the water, and
felt, besides, that she was using him ill
in feeling the least reluctance at sever
ing her connection with her old home.
He tortured her with questions. Did
she love him? Did she trust him7 if
she loved him, if she trusted him, how
could she help being glad to accompany
him anywhere. on the wide earth
These demands, incessantly repeated,
inastently urged and pressed, wore upon
the young wife; she knew they were
actuated by love which jealousy de-
manded everything from her, but they
developed sort Of GOODNESS. and per.
verseness in her mind. -
On one occasion, when Hugh asked il
she really loved him, she replied, list.
lessly, How can you expect me to love
you when you wear me out like this
I shall soon begin to hate you if you 90
on in this way"
| These careless words produced the
most profound impression upon Hugh's
mind, and were the beginning of ca
lamity. He brooded over them, inces
sanity repeating thenS tc himself. Ag
nes, who was mere child at heart, anc
of nature not wide enough fully t.
absorb the idea of another's, realized
nothing of the suffering she had in
hicted. Besides, Hugh's conduct bega1
TO estrange her. 1t became his won't tt
sit looking at her, his large black eye
growing gradually cavernous in theil
depths and unearthly in their bril-
liancy. AT times he would exclaim
You do not love me. You will soor
hate me- AT night he never seemed
to sleep, and, hanging the lantern s,
that the rays fell on her face, blindin,
and dizzying her, he would sit on tn
edge of the berth staring into her face
and muttering, She hates mel"
| The voyage was short one; in tel
1 days they were in London, where the,
4 met friends, and for the three month
which followed both Hugh and Agne
had a comparatively happy and cheer
full time. Agnes upbraided her husban,
for his absurdities, and he himsel
seemed to see his conduct in the light o
day, instead of the lurid glare of an in
sane, jealous dread. Still, married lif
was palpable disappointment to Agne,
who began to feel that if she must ben
her every faculty to the task of plea:
ing man whose brain seemed in whil
of false and distorted ideas concernln
her and his love for her aud her feeling
for him, she should lose all respect fo
and belief in her husband.
Toward the latter part of the tim
they spent in London, her cousin
George Dana, young man of twent,
two, whom she had known and love
like brother from their infancy, ha,
pened to join their party. His comm
was the signal for the most violent ou
breaks of jealousy on Hugh Glende1
ning's part. His mind seemed a
astray; he was Indifferent to the fax
that he placed his wife ina cruel an
humiliatipg position; he persisted i
the ehimera that an easy habit Of int