Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-14
lCharles Leslie's Mistake.

How do you like MISS weston, uncle
81 like her appearance very much, Charles,
but am not prepared to say hoW much |
like her until / know her. After years
acquaintance l may venture an opinion"
"Of course, uncle, but | am pleased to
see your first impressions are favorable, and
hope, during years acquaintance, that you
may have no cause to form other than
good opinion, for l intend soon to marry
Miss Weston"
"Indeed Charles, had heard some ru-
NOR of this but really hoped it was not
true. How long have you known her "
cit is some over three months since first
met her at Mr.. Winters party"
Has she always lived in New York "
"No, sir, she was born in Baltimore. Her
parents both died while she was quite young;
she was educated at fashionable French
seminary in this city since she finished
school she has lived most of the time with
an elder sister who resides in Paris. The
family are well known in our best society
here. They are also wealthy; Lucy has
about one hundred thousand dollars OF her
own"
"Wel, Charles, hope all your bright ex-
pectations will be realized, and that this mar
riage will prove happy one, but | fear you
have made great mistake
"Do MT say so, uncle. You acknowledge
the charm of Lucy's appearance and man
ners. Pm sure the rest is all right though
she may not quite come up to your old-fash-
toned standard"
ooh yes, Charles, Miss Weston is charm
ing and beautiful in the parlor; accom-
plshed in the ordinary acceptation OF the
word. But life has many strange vicissi-
tudes. Where would she be in circum-
stances such as befel your mother?"
You forget that she has money which
will, in all probability, render such circum-
stances impossible"
at might seem so, Charles, but very
often riches takes to themselves wings, you
know. One hundred thousand dollars seems
like large sum, and it is more than any
man can earn by life of labor; for it is
one thing to earn money, another to make
it. But great fortunes often melt away in
a very short time. would rather see you
married to even very poor, plain-looking
woman without any pretension of family,
and unknown in society, who had received
good home education. Notwithstanding my
misgivings really hope you may be happy;
so do MT be offended with your blunt, old
fashioned uncle"
Charles Leslie sat as if in deep revery
long after his uncle left.
"Uncle Charles is as solemn as the day of
judgment" he said at length, but do what
he would he could not get rid of the infu-
ence of his uncle's words.
Charles thoughts would, in spite of all
his efforts, go back to boyish scenes. He
recalled his fathers long and painful illness;
his mothers devotion. He remembered
when his father died how everything of
value was sold; how his mother started
little thread and needle store; how she
toiled every day, living in rooms back of her
store, doing her own work, waiting on her
customers, buying her own goods; how he
had helped her when not in school; how he
had sold many yard of lace and spool of
thread, and run on errands for her and
others. What would his elegant bride elect
say if she knew all this He dared not
answer the question.
Uncle Charles, for whom Charles Leslie
was named, had always been very kind to
his nephew. As soon as he was old enough,
Uncle Charles obtained for him situation
in the store where he himself held respon-
sible place, and Charles by strict attention
to every duty gradually worked his way up
until he had salary of two thousand dol
lars year. His mother died two years be-
fore my story opens, with her last breath
blessing her steady, honest boy, who had
been so kind and faithful.
There was another ghost of memory which
haunted Charles Leslie that night, and
would not down at his bidding" 1t was
the face and form of a fair young girl who
his Uncle Charles could not have said was
unprepared by home education for all the
vicissitudes of life. 1t was not the face of
the young girl he had promised to marry.
Oh no, he had made Kate Mercien no such
promise, but he had treated her in such a
manner as to cause her to love HIM and
tonight he could not but feel that he had
been false to her and to himself.
More than one year before, Charles Les
lie had left the dry-goods. house where he
had worked so long-of which his uncle had
become partner-and had connected him
self with firm on Wall street in the brok-
erage and exchange business.
His uncle had said then as now, "Charles,
I'm afraid you are making great mistake.
You may make money faster, but slow and
sure is my method"
In spite of his uncle's fears, Charles had
made money even beyond his own sanguine
expectations.
"Uncle Charles Judgment is not infalli.
ble," said Charles Leslie at length, and SO
gradually he threw off the influence of his
uncle's words and the train of thought sug-
gested by them.
The wedding-day came and the grand af
fair passed off in the most satisfactory man
ner, and it was pronounced on all sides tc
be the most recherche event of the season
Even uncle Charles was charmed by the
beautiful and gentle manner of the bride
and was heard to remark that he did moi
blame Charles 50 much after all.
After the wedding came the conventional
bridal tour, at the completion of which the
happy pair returned to New York, tool
board at fashionable hotel, and 80 com
menced their married life.
AS the fashionable season had nov
opened, all kinds of gayety were the orde
of the day--or night, should say. Charles
was highly fattered by the attention his beau
tiful wife received, and by the congratula
tions and fayors that were heaped upon him
To be sure he saw but little of Lucy ex
cept in the presence of others, for their even
ings were spent in a constant round of amuse
ments, which often kept them out very late
Lucy was too tired to be up in time TO
breakfast, so Charles took his alone, and hui
ried off TO his office.
Lucy breakfasted in her room about elevel
O'Clock, after which-with the assistance o
her French maid-she dressed herself ant
went out shopping, or made calls, returning
in time TO dress for dinner at six o'clock, a
which hour Charles was home from business
After dinner she must dress again for som
evening entertainment.
Charles sometimes caught himself as h
rode in the cars TO and from bushes
dreaming as it were of a cosy home and o
home entertainments, but these were onl
dreams, for what could Lucy do in such
quiet home as had once been his ideal
She was too delicate, too accomplished
too aristocratic, for any ordinary home life
She could not even dress herself and kee
her own clothes in order without the assis
ance of her maid
After his marriage Charles Leslie foun
that his wifes fortune was not quite on,
half what he had supposed it TO be; an
one day, several months after the wedding
he was very much surprised and hurt b
his beautiful, amiable wife becoming yer
angry and using the most undigni6ed lar
guage on learning that her mother-in-la'
had supported herself for many years. Ii
deed, she stormed and cried until she wei
into violent hysterical fits, and declare
ever after that she had been most cruel
deceived.
Charles bore all this with great deal {
patience and outward composure, althoug
intensely hurt and really very angry at IL
senseless and unkind remarks of his wifi
But he knew that he had been to blame