The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-07-10

illness. They seemed no longer to have
part or parcel in the matter.
If Edna did not realize the pain of al
this to her parents, it surely was not be-
cause she did not love them. She loved
them dearly, with tenderness all hel
own; but at that time she was too ut
terly absorbed in her own tumultuOu:
happiness to be able to conceive of there
being serpent trail in her paradise. She
clung to them with passionate kisses be-
fore she started on her wedding journey
and had almost to be torn from thcil
embraces; but this without probing the
nature of their regret and wretchedneSs
She and George sailed for Europe al
most Immediately. He was rich man.
but he had profession to which he
proposed to devote himself. For the
next two years he attended medica
lectures in Paris as assiduously as though
he had been needy student anxious tC
go to work to earn living. He and
Edna were very happy during those two
years; it was the life that suited Edna
art and music and con genial society.
The world was even gayer and brighter
than her day dreams had pictured it.
Then year of travel. Then home.
Eddie had never known how she had
missed her dear father and mother until
she found herself once more claSped in
their loving arms, How had she done
without, all this while, their extraordin-
ary devotion, their blind infatuation:
She had never half enjoyed her own two
babies until she had shown them to her
father and mother. Tears Of Joy and
pride rained down Mrs. Clark's cheeks.
Eddie's little girls! There never were
such beauties, such darlings. Eddie's
ewes, clear, brown, eager, with their
fathers beautiful golden hair. Forum
ately they were sufficiently like their
fathers family to win favor with their
grandmother lie Roy on that score. On the
whole, she was satisfied with the appear
lnce presented by her sons family. Ed
dies sEfench toilettes were stylish and
becoming: the elder baby prattled in
French in distinguished way the baby
proper was study for 4 picture rs she
Jay in the arms of her bonnie, whose pic
Turesaue cap and apron were the first
|{hat had ever appeared in Port Royal.
Edna reallydid not do George discredit
Size weuld be well enough, if only it
were net for her vulgar father and
mother
3 Still there were MO jars. But, all the
$isisse, Edna grew gradual yAarAssed and
sSflt}s sSshxs 1tsbecalne patent to her that
/ Mrs. EesRoy looked down upon her ante
a.ed tents, and that it was perpetnaaf fftsApon
her ,nind to instruct her IN the difesent
SIrtis!S !Ss fher own social creed. Eddie,s
gentle soul lrebeiled She haA her own
pride Of BIRTH She xsed s Msss y B; I4e Roy's
lrroganee and .assllnl She almost
hated Mrs. Le Roy. she
fore George. Day aftersdag she that
she was stiffsning and hardening belSre
the icy breath of her motheFsinsla nv s
constant surveillance. A word hexeM and
a.word there will prejudice almost ain-
lwares. George, for the first time,
noticed that his wife had defects; she
lacked self control, selfpossession. These
things would come In time. but they were
ian Indispensable part of the equipment
of a finished woman of the world.
l. Gradually George began to object to
her frequent visits TO her parents, al-
though never in so many words. The
argument he used was that she was so
much away from home; he saw so little
Of her. Gradually Eddie abandoned
this point; but in return she resolved
that She would be equally chary of her
visits to other places. She established 4
character for unsociability and indiffer-
cnce among all the lie Roys' friends in
Port Royal, people whom Mrs. lie Roy
had urged her to cultivate for yonr
husbands sake, my dear; 4 physicians
wife cannot exercise too much discretion
in the choice of acquaintances.
Gradually she did not seem to herself
TO be the same girl. Oh, if only she and
George could live in little house of
their own! This great, grand house was
Il prison. But it had. always been on
the cards that George should live with
his mother An unusual devotion cX-
listed between the mother and son.
Eddie was not wise woman. She
made no effort to conceal the bitterness
in her soul from her own parents. They
knew that she was not happy; they
never dreamed of blaming her when day
after day went by without their seeing
her. But they did blame Mrs. lie
Rov, and none the less rs they saw Eddie
grow quiet and dull and changed.
George and she drifted farther and
farther apart. His was an impression
able nature, which speedily fell away
from the magnetism of any influence
which was not vigorously eXerted. And
he liked life and gayety; Eddie's mood
chilled and repressed him. He had no
sympathy for people with the blues. So
he sought amusement elsewhere. If Ed.
CT 1,n
son that he should visit vigorously. He
was always warmly welcomed at the
houses Of his old intimates. The Sto-
reys, for instance, made rs much OF him
us though he still were unmarried. He
believed those girls would do anything
for him. lie showed Eddie with some
what of schoolboy triumph a pair OF
slippers Minna Storey had worked fol
him in shaded flosses.
Port Royal-at least its exclusive
circles always left home in August and
September. Tie lie Roys from time i'm
memorial had gone to the Sweetbricl
springs during those months. 1t wa:
decided to carry out his usual pro
gramme, almost without consulting
Mrs. George lie Roy. She, for her part
detested the idea of going, as indeed sht
had ended by detesting all the LIE Roys
doings.
Nevertheless, Sweetbrier springs wa!
pleasant place enough, in the heart o
the peaceful, serene mountains. 1t wa
not so tar from Port Royal but tina
George could Join his family once ;
week, for which fact Eddie would hav,
been more than thankful had she hat
the full benefit of his society when III
did come. But there were not man!
men at the springs, and DR.. LIE Roy wa
handsome and popular. His week.,
arrival was the signal among the idl
girls at Sweetbrier to monopolize hi
attentions. And George was nothin!
loath. He came up here to recuperat