The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-03-23
MRS. NORRIS TEST.
A Story of Welded Life.

1t had been painful breakfast. The
room was bright with sunshine, Towering
plants, pictures, statues, and the ineffable
charm wealth, good taste, and good house
keeping impart.
The table was faultless; every dish was
cooked to perfection, and served on dainty
china in the daintiest way. The lady at its
head was still in her youth, with a piquant
face, upon which each shade of feeling
was instantly photographed. She was in
lmitably dressed. Worth, in his moments
of highest inspiration, never devised toilet
which so perfectly bespoke the character
and taste of the wearer. She toyed with her
breakfast rather than ate it, and ended by
playing with her teaspoon, balancing it upon
the edge of her cup, while she waited for her
husband to finish slipping his coffee This
he did in a most leisurely manner, with his
eyes fastened upon the morning paper,
which lay beside him on the table. He was
also Young; but he looked old, careworn,
and unhappy. His forehead was drawn
together in deep wrinkles between his eyes
and his lips were sternly set.
After he had finished his coffee and paper,
he rose, pushed his chair slowly away,
walked to the window, came back to his wife,
and, stopping near the table, said, coldly:
i Il think we have had enough of this.
shall see Wentworth this morning. The
sooner it is all over the better for both Of
u.s."
Eyes" said his wife, without turning her
head or looking at him. The sooner the
| better"
He left her without another word; but
when he reached the outer door he came
back, and said, more gently than he had
spoken at first:
Katrina, you understand fully, when
Wentworth has once been spoken to there is
no going back"
| II was the first time he had called her by
| her pet name for months, and there was a
| little CULVER in her voice as she tried to an
swer, bravely:
ayes, understand"
You accept it as final!" he asked.
''Yes, as finalr' she answered.
He turned quickly and went out again
She listened with head upraisedand strained
nerves Would he, could he go?'
Yes. he went The door between them
he had closed softly, but it was shut-"shut
forever" size said with start Then she
went to The window, and watched him as he
walked swiftly away.
When he was out of sight, she sat down,
still by the window. 1t had come suddenly
at last, so suddenly that she was bewildered.
Everything was in a whirl. She put her
i hand to her head and held it, as il by that
action she could mold and steady her
thoughts; but relentlessly they trooped on,
faster and faster, until, as with TIE drown
| ing, there was no past or future, only the
vivid present. There was their first differ
ence. after only q few months OF happy
welded life, when she wanted him to wear
a pair of light brown gloves, and he pre-
/ ferred the dark ana wore them. Such a
/ - Ii ,,,l. frif cd 20 har
now; yet she was hurt and vexed ndshowed
it. Then his refusal to go TO tea with her at
her aunt's. He disliked tea parties and he
was not cordial with this aunt Then her
refusal to go with him TO concert, on the
hearing of which he had set his heart, and
his coming home happy, humming one of
the airs he had been listening to. Happy
that was the pang. Trities, trifies all of
them-such very little things that, loving
each other truly, as they did, they ought
never to have had feathers weight with
them; and yet
Then came a more serious difference. He
wanted TO spend q short vacation from hard
working life among the mountains, where
he could hunt and fish; and he wanted her
to go with him. But she preferred the sea-
shore; so he went to the one, she tothe
other. Separated for the first time in their
married life, they wrote letters daily and
the happiest hour for them both was when
the mail came in. Then Eddy, dear little
Eddy was born (the tears are on Mrs.
Norris cheek nowl and every difference
vanished. Heavensl what tie could bind
them more closely? But he only staid a
short time and in their desolation they be-
gan to fall apart again. She was restless
and miserable he was disappointed. and
did not make allowance for her weakened
nerves and aching heart Now they began
TO look critically into each others nature
and its developments in character. Very
late for that; but it is an inevitable point in
the dividing lines of intelligent and thought
| full people.
Had they made a mistake? Were these
things-obstinacy in trihes on her part, in
difference and neglect on his-the outgrowth
of traits which had always been there, seen
/ by others before, by them only years after
marriage? Love was proverbially blind.
Surely, they were not only blind; but, like
anger, il had been a short madness.
Mr.. Norris could not blame himself for
what had happened. He never wished or
meant to be anything but the best and kind
est of husbands. He had not only supplied
all his wife's real, but what he imagined
might be want, with a lavish hand. He
had always been proud and fond of her.
He was never happy away frlm, but alas!
he had come now near to never being happy
with her
MIS-. NOlllS was tHudllg SURF lldt uCl nus
bands home had been well kept; that she
had not failed in any of the wifely duties;
that she had loved him, did love him more
truly and deyotedly than any other living
being. Whence, then, had come all this
sorrow and trouble?
The immediate cause of the crisis had been
Mrs. Norris refusal to go to an entertain
ment with her husband; and ier determine
ton, against his expressed wish, to attend
/ raUiyal raaa afinUo which than in
progress. She was drawn toward these by
great want in her nature, which she could
not and probably would not, If she could,
explain to him. Life had come TO her, as
she had thought. in its most attractive and
satisfying forms, and she had found it
what? If there was another that promised
something different, something better, sure
ly, she of all living beings most needed il.
Mr.. Norris misunderstood her motives in
going, when he supposed them to be from a
wish TO annoy him. and he did both weak
and foolish thing when he ventured to COM
mand her never 10 go again; nor did she do
| justice to her true reasons when she an
swered him with bitter and cutting sar-
casm, he felt he could never forget or for
give.
Over all these separating incidents and
many more, with minuteness and fidelity
which seemed to set at naught all the usual
psychological laws, went this unhappy wife
now. That her husband would see Mr..
Wentworth, as he had proposed, she did not
\ for moment doubt; and that the able law
| ,,or ,,,onlI aooona r,lfeh iucf uybat ba ,roo