, 1879-12-25
A Strange Record

his tranquil country life no 'tsl.rNood,
should find in an old box or brass bound
trunk Of Queen Anuirs day mass OF
yellow letters Of the time that Ihackrray
describes. h. would hngrr long over the
treasure with musins delight, lost IN
dreams Of Lady Clstlewood and her
later husband an 'hc beautiful B.atriN
II. a. length, he opened some Of the half
moulderin. manuscripts, and saw that II
was letter Of the Lady BeatriN, and
read these words, would they not bc the
very words that he might expect TO read
il he knew that lady Alright: II hope to
hear nothing about affections being eC
gagged, because that is a poor excuse. We
an know that mems or womens affrc,
tions may he got over, and that only
fools marry for anything but connections
or great wealth. 1 have no other idea
Of comfort in any other mode Of life
than in courts, and living with people
Of rank, and going into company every
dav. | hate retirement and domestic
life, and have sacrificed through life
everything to my ambition" Mr.. War.
rington would smile, perhaps, at the
folly of recording such sentiments, and
more soberly reflect that the words re
vealed the beautiful Beatrix more per.
fectly even than a protrait by Kneller.
AS he turned over the fading manu-
scripts, and peruse the record Of so mean
q worldliness, he might well wonder that
a woman could be so beautiful in her
face and so deformed in her soul. The
ghostly letters would gradually seem to
him repulsive from their want Of bril-
lancy or humor, and from the lack of
any glimpse of the life OF society Of the
time, except that Of her own spiritual
barrenness. He certainly would find
them without charm Of style, or any
charm whatever, and they would be no,
table only as study Of character, and a
character hard and selfish and wholly
without attraction. Doubtless his mind
would constantly recur to the famousy
beautiful woman, and he would perhaps
doubt as he he read whether, after all,
she did not go off with prince, to be
disowned possibly by his family, yet
still to pride herself upon the connec-
tion, and to shine in court circles with
an indirect lustre shed by royal name.
If it were but the imperial family of
Barataria to which she could claim some
tie, if she could only be recognized as a
Princess Panza, it would be glory
enough, and the Lady Beatrix would
envy no woman.
But how much more would Mr.. War
rington be amazed if he discovered as he
read the yellowing manuscripts that his
beautiful relation had been for a time
the rightful wife of king, and by mar
riage member of the most conspicuous
family in Europe of her time, and at a
most interesting period OF history !
How would his amazement grow as he
perceived that the writer Of the letters
that he held lived for many years in the
highest circles frequented by famous
figures of every kind, herself by her
name and her beauty striking part of
that brilliant society, and that, with her
unequalled opportunities, her letters
might we'll be fascinating chapters in a
delightful kind of literaturel He would
scan The leaves with eagerness to seize
the very form and pressure of a prodig-
ious epoch, and if some happy thought
suggested to him that woman of whom
tradition said Chat beauties envied her
beauty and wits dreaded her wit, that
kings sought her acquaintance and
princes claimed her friendship, might
write letters which should show the
savoir-vivre of Chesterfield, the cold
cynicism Of Rochefoucauld, and the
practical economy of franklin, he would
think it only probable. and turn the
page to see what the clever Lady Beat
rix said of Bolingbroke and Marlbor-
Ough and Harley, of Addison and Swift
and the Duchess.
This what he would read--some Of
the illusions seem, indeed, to be s:ngu-
lar for beauty and wit of the last CEN
tury:
Marriage ought never to be entered
into for any other purpose than comfort
and there is none without consequence
and fortune; without these it is more
prudent to live single"
"For this life there is nothing but dis
appointment. The happiest are those
who support misfortune best. find that
travellers exaroerate. there is snar,itu nf