Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-04-13
MRS. GLENDENNING'S HUSBAND.

You remember Hawthorne's story of
Wakefield, man who, from mere oddly
and whim, after parting from his wife
10 go on short journey, vanished into
the wilderness of London and never re-
turned to her, although he lived 80 near
that he watched curiouslv her comings
and goings year after year, seeing her
change from happy matron into mel
ancholy widow, and so 60 on into cheer
less age. Other things have happened
quite as strange, perhaps stranger. Let
me tell you the true story of Mrs. Glen
denning's husband.
Agnes Holt met Hugh Glendenning
before she left school; they fell in love,
were engaged, and by the time she was
eighteen she married him. He was a
young fellow of twenty-six, and his most
striking qualities seemed to be good looks
and impetuosity of temperament. In
person he was Of average height, his figure
good, his face remarkably handsome, his
hair and eyes dark, his complexion pale.
Agnes was aquiet, graceful creature, with
blue, bashful eyes and the most charming
smile in the world. In speech she was
curiously reserved, and rarely expressed
herself freely. One of the discomforts Of
the season of her engagement was that
Hugh constantly pressed her for an am
pie confession Of love, which she would
never make in words by more than a
quiet assent when he demanded if she
loved him. She hoped and expected that
after marriage be would be less persistent,
and more ready to take things for granted
while he, on his side, looked forward to
wedlock with belief that, once a 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 tenn
peraments were too powerfully contrasted
to make mutual understanding possible.
Agnes was slow, puritanical, and, how
ever faithful and strong in feeling, utter.
ly destitute Of spontanity; while Hugh
was quick, ardent, and given to the most
powerful expression Of whatever feeling
or mood came uppermost.
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 her
inclinations were against the journey
she dislikea 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 under.
stand her terror Of the water, and felt
besides, that she was using hin i'll in
feeling the least reluctance at severing
her connection with her old home. HI
tortured her with questions: Did she
love him2 Did she trust him? If sht
loved him, if she trusted him, how coult
she help being glad to accompany him
anywhere on the wide earth2 These de
mands, necessarily repeated, PERSISTENT,
urged and pressed, wore upon the youn!
wife; she knew they were actuated by {
love which jealousy demanded ever,
thing from her, but they developed
a sort of GOODNESS and perverseness in he
mind.
On one occasion, when Hugh asked i
she really loved him, she replied, istless
ly, Chow can you expect me to love 20,
when you wear1n out like this2 I shall
soon begin to hate you if you go on 1
this way"
| These careless words produced tn
most profound impression upon Hugh
mind, and we're the beginning of Calami
ty. He brooded over them, incessantl
repeating them to himself. Agnes, VIII
was mere child at heart, and of Mt
ture not wide enough fully to absorb tn
idea of another's, realized nothing Of th
suffering she had inflicted. Beside
Hugh's conduct began to estrange he
It became his wont to sit looking at he
his large black eyes growing gradual
cavernous in their depth and unearthl
i in their brilliancy. At times he woul
exclaim, "You do not love me. 70
/ will soon hate me-" At night he nevt
, seemed to sleep, and, hanging the lante1
I so that the rays fell on her face, blind
7 ing and dizzying her, he weuld sit c
the edge of the berth staring into h
face, and muttering, "She hates mel"
, The voyage was ashort one; in ten da.
e they were in London, where they m
r friends, and for the three months whi'
followed both Hugh and Agnes had