Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-08-27

The Wife's Dream.

SUE DTthhS OuJ lHtO buITtub VI
impatient words
"The same tiresome things day after day
first breakfast then kiss Charley goodbye,
then directions about the six O'Clock dinner,
after that needle-work--how / hate it tl-or
calls, made or received in which one is
treated to full account of Mrs. Blake's ex-
travagance, of Miss Honiton's hirtations, Of
that horrid Colonel St. Cyr, so awfully fast,
my dear, and so distressingly good-looking."
How tired am of it all Aud there is
Charley. Who could have believed he could
change in so short time He no longer
cares for ball, theater or opera, but dons
dressing-gown, smoking-cap and slippers di.
rectly he has swallowed his dinner, lights
that horrid meerschaum, and passes the
evening behind newspaper, enveoped in
smoke clouds. o, dear, wish | had not
been in quite such hurry TO get married.
o, go away, Bijou 2" and with her slippered
foot she thrust the teasing pug from her.
A rap at the door; to her sharp "Come
inl" a servant appears bearing card.
Madame fushes, says, +" will be down di-
recty," flies to her dressing-room, brushes
her flushed cheeks with cooling powder
puff, pats the brown waves of her hair with
two pretty dimpled hands, glances at herself
in the glass, smiles, and descends to the
drawing-room.
A tall gentlemanly-looking man rises and
comes forward as she enters.
"Mrs. Thornton"
That is all he says, but the tone and man.
ner are most impressive, and thrills through
the heart of the wife as Charley's words and
tones used before he took to neglecting her
for dressing-gowns, sleepy-hollows and meer-
schaums.
Well, they talked of the weather, the last
new opera, etc. Commonplace subjects
enough. But why should his eyes cause
hers to waver and droop, glad to shelter
themselves behind the white lids 7 Why,
at parting is the little hand so hastily with
drawn from the close, warm pressure of his
Why, after he has gone, does she gaze so
tenderly at the hand so hastily withdrawn,
raise it almost to her lips, then suddenly
drop it at her side
Why2 | can tell you She loves her
husband with her whole warm, passionate
heart. And for year or more has been
living on husks. He considers his whole
duty done when the table is bountifully sup
piled, the wife well dressed, and he does not
waver in his allegiance to her. Possession
has dimmed the bright luster of his love,
and SO the wife's heart is hungry for it, and
this old admirer, whom she gladly threw
over for Charley, is welcome to-day, for the
sake of the ripple he makes on this dead
sea monotony, down which she is slowly
drifting. And his eyes cause hers to droop,
and his hand-pressure cause her heart to
throb because there is love in the eyes and
tenderness in the hand pressure.
She does not care one iota for this Ray
Still aha hi hnD Uara1 an lonu
that this crust is not so unpalatable to her
as 1t once would have been. There, sir or
madame, you have the explanation. As for
you, Mr.. Jones or Robinson, is there so much
difference between your conduct and this
Charles Thornton of whom write, that you
can afford TO pass the lesson by as not ap.
plicable to you? II so, Mrs. Jones or Robin.
son is to be congratulated. She is happy
woman, and God bless you sir, say l. and
wish there were more like you.
Now, | am not going to make of this
handsome Ray Remington tiend incarnate
No, he was simply what would be termed a
genuinely good fellow which means he was
witty, generous, a warm friend, no ones en-
emy, and little, just little weak, and i'm
pulsive enough to follow up his own de
sires and inclinations, recking little of the
cost or consequences to himself or others.
He had been very much in love with
pretty Mrs. Thornton when she was pretty
Lou Tremaine-and had asked her to change
her name 10 Remington. But pretty Mis-:
Tremaine was very much in love with some
one else, and a few months thereafter made
herself and that other supremely happy by
going through certain ceremony in Grace
church, resplendent in white satin anC
Brussels lace. Aud Ray Remington, with 8
dull, gnawing pain at his heart, acted a
groomsman, and there was not tremor il
his voice, though the brave face was quit.
colorless when he congratulated bride ant
groom.
He had met Mrs. Thornton several time
since her return from her tour, but nevel
alone, as to-day, and he found it dangerously
sweet to sit there gazing into the lovely eye
and at the dear, tender little mouth of hi
early love.
But let us return to Mrs. Thornton. Sh,
stands there in the center Of that prett,
room with a white, white face, and wild
frightened look in the blue eyes, then burst
into passionate tears, throws herself on tn,
nearest chair, drops her face on her hand
on the table before her.
Five-ten--fifteen minutes pass. Tn
sobs grow fainter and fainter. At lengtl
silence reigns, save for an occasional chirl
from the canaries, and the ticking of tn
pretty French clock on the mantel.
A rap at the door arouses her, and Jane
enters with cluster of violets. There i
no card-nothing to tell from whom the,
came but she knows only too well. In tn
dear old days, when she was Miss Tremain
two such clusters were left every day at he
door, one bearing Ray Remington's card
and the other Charles Thornton's.
How long ago it seems, and how changes
the violets are As fragrant as of old AM
as quantity pretty, their dear little faces al
awry, but somehow they almost make he
cry. And she likens them to little tearfu
| blue eyes, kisses them tenderly, pityingy
| and then-thrusts them hurriedly into tn
open drawer of the table, closes it, and turn
TO greet her husband, whose step has al
nounced his coming.
| A moment she is excessively provoked a
herself for thrusting the violets out of sigh
Why did she do it Il? She could not hav
told. Perhaps she felt instinctively that he
husband would hardly approve of her recei,
ing even so tritiing gift as wee bunc
of violets from his old rival, Ray Remington
Well, the thing was done, aud there wa
no help for it. We're she now to take theI
from the drawer, Charley would certainl
require an explanation as to how they &c
there, and surely 1t was queer place i
which to put pretty, fresh flowers. Bette
not say anything about them. And shoul
she speak of Rays visit y Yes; she woul
surely tell that-but not now-after Dime
Charlie was but triae impatient-cros
when he was hungry She would wal
until after dinner. But before the desser
was brought on, while eating her salad, he
husband asked to be excused.
There was most interesting article
the Evening Spouter on the Chinese questio
which he had commenced In the omnibu
on his way home, and became deeply inte
ested in"
Aud off he went, and when the daint
custard, fragrant mocha, aud luscious fru
were brought in, there was troublesom
lump In the white throat and suspicion
moisture in the blue eyes of the wife, an
the custard was triAed with for momen
and spoonful or two of the mocha swa
lowed, for We're not the watchful eyes Q
+" Jeemes upon her Aud then she ha
tened from the room, her mind fully mad