Connecticut western news., 1882-03-08

forget herself as to marry that brother, Tn whose house they held it improper for her to live otherwise than as wife.
 This curious confusion of strictures, produced by an unnatural law which had muddled public opinion, had its inevitable effect upon Hugh and Maude. It would have been very bitter for them to part; indeed, Hugh felt chat the whole future of his children must be effected for the worse by their being deprived of such motherly love as Maude gave them, and Maude, on her side be- lieved it was her plain duty, in the sight of Heaven to watch over the poor little things who chung to her, and were learning to call her mamma. Besides, was it not the opinion of the great ma iority of the nation-nay, of the whole civilized world-that a man ought to be allowed to marry his dead wife's sister The House of Commons had just passed bill, giving it's sanction to such mar riages, and it had only been rejected by the House of Lords, body which in no way represented public opinion. Everybody was saying that the Lords could not hold out long against the good sense of the community, and so Hugh and Maude waited another year, hoping that the Lords would at last give way. But, meanwhile, Hugh thought it hon. est to tell his friends that he and Maude had quite made up their minds to marry and were only waiting until the law had been altered. The consequence was that poor Maude was more whispered against than ever. Once again the Hereditary House threw out the Com mons bill, and then day ca1ne when some of Hugh's friends told him it
 would be better for Miss Ashurst's own sake that he should make her his wife
 without further delay.
 "People will talk, you know," they
 said, ''and after all, every person whose
 opinion is worth having will think you
 are doing right. The bill must be
 passed before long, and then clause
 will certainly be inserted to give il
 retroactive effect, so that your marriage
 will be legalized." Accordingly, Hugt
 and Maude went to Switzerland ont
 autumn and got married. If Hugh hac
 been rich, he would probably have set tied in Switzerland until the Lords chose to hear reason but he earned his living by an appointment which obliged hin
 to reside in England, and even thii
 short trip abroad caused him incon venience. But he took it because hi
 conscience would not have allowed hin
 to give an untruthful answer to tn
 adjuration: "I charge ye
 ye know any just cause or impeachment,
 etc. Though he knew of no just caus
 before God why he should not contrac
 marriage for which unanswerabl
 Biblical warranty exists he found him
 self in dilemma. Besides marriag
 in England would have been of no us
 to him. In Switzerland, where ma
 may wed his deceased wife's sister,
 was joined, as he believed, in perfectl
 lawful union.
 MT. and Mrs Follet came back t
 England, and had some right to expe, that they would be kindly received b
 the friends who had counselled them |
 marry. Certainly, their men friend
 greeted them pleasantly enough; but was different with the ladies. It curious how certain ladies irreproach bIe in most respects-or at least appa rently so-should take such a pleasu. in seeing members of their own st placed Tn cruel and humiliating pos tions. Maude Follet was known to r very good, and yet many who passt for good forsook her. Even those WI braved prejudice for her sake did n dare to do so long. The magnate of u
 neighborhood was Lord links, who { own morals were none of the strictes f generally speaking, but on this que l tion of marrying deceased wife's si ? ter he professed to have strong opi I ions. So had Lady Jinks. The nob 3 pair tabooed Maude Follet, and the 3 example was followed by the comm t nity, not because anybody thoug ? much of Jink's opinions, but becau s few had the courage to put themselv a in opposition to peer and peeress. s It was painful life which Maude W t made to lead. To live amid the respe g of ones neighbors, or to be exposed - ungenial stares and whispered jih 8 makes all the difference between resi- j. ing in sunny climate or in an icy cc
 one. Moreover the cold introduced r self into Maude's home. According s men are made of strong grit or dispos l. to feebleness they meet public injusti i- with stern front, which becomes m2 r and more stern or else their self-respt !, gets slowly obliterated. Hugh Fol D first suffered keenly from his wife's U !. mer1ted disgrace then he got acc1 y toned to it, and, from weakness h character, came to make mental conc 8 sions toward public opinion, or, rath d toward the opinion of Lord and La is links. He was @ person of social d habits, who found it troublesome to Ie obliged to keep aloof from the houses h his friends because their wives wol G. not receive Maude. One day he co is promised his dignity by accepting an 10 vitation to dine at friends house wi le out his wife, and on that occasion le virtually crossed the Rubicon. Ev. sr step he took from that time was fla al one.
 ct He loved Maude still very well in r, new way. Two children had been bc t. to her, but they had not diminish r. one particle of the affection which ,