News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-15
ASHER'S WIFE.

1t was with feelings which she stroN e
in vain to anaIyze that Clara Clark, at
the mature age of thirty eight changed
her maiden name, and became Mrs.
Addison Asher.
The love was no rev one that induced
her to do this. All through the odium
of being an old maid, she had preserved
in her heart love that was ever fresh
and fair. She had gathered her roses
while they were buds, and not one petal
had lost fragment of its bloom.
With that clearness of insight which
characterizes a universal opinion, every
one argued that Addison Asher was one
of the last men in the world whom
Clara CLARK would be supposed likely to
marry. Clara was fastidious Asher
was free. Her family had for genera
tons been constant church goers his
family, SO far as it could be traced, had
been free-thinkers and free livers, with
no particular capacity for any thing
excepting epic urism. Drunkenness was
hereditary with them. The father and |
grandfather had died of drink the boys
all excepting Addison-had died of
drink ; and it was more than probable
that Addison, having inherited the re-
mains of once large fortune, would
follow in the same pelil-planted track.
The love of drink was hereditary with
the Ashers-so said Clara's friends and
relatives. Tt was an incurable disease
of the blood-a sort of physical madness
which descended from father to son,
and sooner or later would destroy Addi-
son, as it had destroyed so many a
strong man of his family already. The
question was only question of time.
The minister who joined them to-
gether the groomsmen and bridesmaids
who looked on the relatives and ac-
quaintances of the bride, who filed
every eligible part of the church, all
agreed in one unspoken opinion-un-
spoken, at least, for the time-and that
was, that Clara had thrown herself away
upon a vagabopd who would break her
heart.
The ceremony over, the twain that
were one passed through the murmurs
of the congregation down into the doom
of welded life. For Clara, old friends,
old scenes, old influences existed only
in the trembling mists Of memory. Her
husband took her with him to his home
in a quiet inland town. and, buried in
that seclusion, her friends only heard of
her at long intervals. Such news as did
come represented her as leading life
of quiet happiness. Not single irreg-
ularity on Addison's part had as vet
been known to tinge that union with
the shadow Of grief. Her friends won-
dered and shook their wise heads.
"Of course, this will last for little
WHILE" they said. "It Will be strange,
indeed if he don't keep straight six
months after his marriage" remarked
Clara's sisters among themselves. And
they all agreed, with innumerable shak-
ings of the head, that they wonld give
that enfa1tt perdt just six months, and
not day longer
The little town in which Clara and
her husband lived was not easy of access;
her marriage had estranged from her
her family and friends; consequently
she had no visitors beyond the new
friends she made there. But one day,
toward the middle of summer, when the
six months were nearly ended, a horse
man stopped at the large white house
where she lived, and asked whether Mr..
and Mrs. Asher were IN. Being told
they were, the visitor gave his horse in
charge of boy and handed in his card.
He was an old friend of Asher, and an
old lover of Clara and while he was
waiting alone in the large, cool parlor,
through whose bowed shutters light
as soft as twilight was admitted, he
found himselfso deeply meditating upon
Clara's probable happiness, and what
might have been had there been nc
Addison Asher to stand in his way, thai
he only heard steps, which he did not
recognize, when the being who made
them had approached close to him.
He turned about to stretch out his
hands with all his old Understandable
fervor, but started back on beholdingr
close to his elbow, strange wOran
apparently fifty years of age. Her face
was as white as flesh can become IL
which the blood still circuiates. Hel
large, translucent eyes were gioomeo
with faint blue shadows underneath.
She stood there, like mournful spirit,
gazing before her With serene sadness.
AS ne looked dim attempt to smile,
oidden forth from some distant lair oI
the soul, became visible around the
corners of her mouth and, as he still
looked, the apparition held ont il,
"As'eo hand and seemed about to speak.