Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-05-07
VOL. 74.-37S6. NO. 80.

mothers-in-law in general, and my own in
particular, and / vented all the anger |
really felt against myself on the innocent
Mrs Cartwright.
"Why, Nelly" said Maud, "1 thought
you liked Mrs. Cartwright so much, and
thought her SO nice, that you even wanted
her to live with you, only your husband,
very properly, as mamma says, objected"
+" So did," answered but / did not
know then she would ever entice my hus-
band away from me in this way, or, of
course, / should never have liked her"
"Really, Nell, you are very hard on the
poor woman for, as | understand, Mr. Cart
wright went to her on his own free will be-
cause she was not well, and he thought his
company might do her good" said Maud.
Nonsense; / am sure he would never
have left me alone, unless she had put him
up to it," | replied, rather Grossly.
"The truth is, Nelly you are so much in
love with your husband that you are jealous
even Of his mother; and are making your
self miserable about nothing. Why, Mr..
Cartwright will be back in fortnight, and
| dare say you will get letter from him
every day; so cheer up, and let us go for
drive" said Maud.
agreed to this plan, and giving Maud the
reins lay back and thought of her words.
Was she right after all ? Was / jealous
Was really, as Maud had said, in love with
my husband Had / only found it out
now ] was deprived Of his company? Was
this the reason that / could do nothing but
inwardly reproach myself for my conduct
to him ? And the longer l thought the
| more convinced | became that Maud was
right, that | was jealous and that l was in
love, as she called it.
This knowledge did not make me happier,
for / no sooner knew | loved him than /
longed to tell him so, and make up, as far as
| could, for all my former cruelty, for could
call my conduct by no milder word. l
passed sleepless night, and as | lay awake
composed various letters of confession, which
| resolved to send the following day but
| when morning came my pride stepped in,
| and began to feel it would be impossible
| to write, and | settled ! must wait till my
| husband came home, and then tell him how
I his absence had altered me.
got up early and walked out to meet the
| postman, so anxious was | to get letter
from him it was the first had ever re-
ceived from him since our marriage, and no
| girl was ever so anxious for or so pleased
with her first love-letter as / was over this.
1t was long letter, full of loving mes
sages and terms of endearment, all of which
cut me to the heart, for they sounded like
so many reproaches in reality, think there
was a tone of gentle reproach throughout
the letter. He gave me an account OF his
| journey and of his mothers health, begged
me to write to him few lines every day, but
said not word about returning.
| spent the morning in answering it, much
| to Maud's amusement, who, of course, thought
was pouring out volumes of love and COM
plants of my temporary widowhood; after
tearing up about dozen sheets OF paper,
at last sent a short note, cool and with no
illusions to my misery. The more I tried,
the more impossible found it to write any
expressions of love or penitence, though /
was hungering TO do so.
For a whole week | went on this way,
suffering more acutely every day, and every
day receiving long, loving letters from Mr.
Cartwright, and writing short, cold answers
lost my appetite could not sleep at
night and the torture / was enduring made
me look so i'll that Maud became frightened,
and declared she would write and summon
my husband home, and tell him | was pining
away for him. / forbade her doing this so
sternly that she dared not disobey me, for
was determined he should never hear from
any lips but mine that at last his hearts de.
sire was attained, for / loved him.
At last when he had been away ten days,
I could bear it no longer, for felt l should
have brain fever if | went on in this way !;
so determined to go to Melton, where Mrs
Cartwright lived and see my husband.
came to this decision one night, and went
to Mauds room early in the morning to tell
her of my intention. l expected she would
,, laugh at me, but think she guessed some
thing was wrong, for she seemed glad to
hear it and helped me to pack few things
and set off in time to catch the morning
train.
1t was a three hours journey. They seemed
three yeais to me, for the nearer got to my
husband the more impatient was TO see
him. At last we got to Melton, a largish
town. OF course, as | was not expected,
there was no one to meet me, so | took fly
to Mrs. Cartwright's house, where arrived
about three o'clock.
learned afterwards that Andrew was
with his mother in the drawing-room when
| drove up, but thinking | was only visi-
tor he escaped into another room, so / found
my mother-in-law alone.
By her side was some of my husbands
: socks which she was darning, socks which |
! ! had handed over to servants to mend, and
which now longed to snatch away from
his mother. His desk stood open, letter
;, to me which he was writing lying on it.
The servant announced me as Mrs. An
: drews, my voice failing as gave my name,
2 so that Mrs. Cartwright held up her hands
! in astonishment when she saw who it was.
"My dear Nelly Has anything hap
pened? How ill you look What is it y
she exclaimed.
al want my husband" gasped, sinking
3 on to the chair, for ] thought should have
fallen. Without another word Mrs. Cart
T wright left the room | feel sure now she
d guessed all about it, and | can never thank
her enough for forbearing to worry me with
; questions as to what had come for
In another minute heard his step out
!, side the door, and then he came in
"Nelly, my love-my darling what is
v it ?" he cried as | rushed into his out
|, stretched arm, and hid my face on his breast,
Il sobbing bitterly. For some moments could
not speak at last | recovered myself enough
1 to sob out:
o "Oh, Andrew, my love my dear love
o can YOU ever forgive me / came to ask
n YOU, and to tell you l can't live without
It YOU" | would have said more, but his
5 kisses stopped my mouth, and when al
II length he let me go there were other tears
upon my cheeks beside my own.
{, That was the happiest hour of my life, in
a spite OF my tears and before my n'other'
II in-law again Joined us, which she discreetly
d avoided doing till dinner-time, | had poured
IS out all had to tell into my husbands ear
IT and had learned from him that he had
left me to try what effect his absence would
r have on me for he had felt for some time
Z that my pride was the great barrier he had
y to overcome to win my love.
't He had judged right He was too geener
IT GUS to tell now much he had suffered from
ar my indifference, but know it must have
70 grieved him terribly. He is different mar
n now, he looks so happy, aud l know he woulc
not change places with any one on earth
SO We went back to the rectory the next day
'r but we could not persuade Mrs. Cartwright
n to come with us she said we were bes
T. alone, and think she was right.-Selected.
d a.. -.