The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-26
Our JOe---A Tale OF the West Riding.
CHAPTER III.

"Happy they that hear their detractOns, and
can put them TO mending." Shakespeare.
For a little while Joe was very we'll sat
isfed with what he had done. The eclat
OF having carried off beautiful woman
and great heiress, the bridal festivities,
and foreign travel, compensated for the
charms of his bachelor existence. Tray
cling in countries whose language she
could not speak, Elizabeth was compelled
to rely upon her husband; for Joe, in
spite of his fathers opposition, had man.
aged to acquire fair knowledge of French
and German. During their four months
travel, therefore, Joe had things very
much his own wav; but when they re-
turned to Bradley, Elizabeth was on native
ground again, and she quietly but firmly
resumed the power she had temporarily
abdicated.
Then life settled down to its everyday
aspect, and Joe found the little village in
sufferably dull. There were no mills in
Bradley; the villagers were strictly rus
tics, to whom life was only daily work. a
pot of beer, and pipe. In month he
would gladly have welcomed some big
brick mill, with its hustle and chatter, its
debating societies, and its ultra-radical-
ism. Elizabeth also began to show the
weak side of her character; her near
ness" She counted up the wedding ex-
penses with ugly knittings of her black,
handsome brows, and began a regular
course of retrenchments, which Joe an
grily resented. Then he found that his
wife was capable of making little, witty
illusions to his own income, which he
could only meet with sullen silence.
The long dreary winter was wretched
one to him. He spent it mostly in his Of
fice--the handsome office into which no
client ever came. But, as nature sets
herself instantly to repair any wounded
part of the body, so some higher power,
if we would but notice it, speedily turns
our mistakes this side and that side until
good can be wrought from some of their
phases. The days were interminable to
Joe, and he took to study. Fortunately,
he had taste for science, and, though
Elizabeth grumbled at the expense of
books and magazines, she had sense
enough to understand that these things
were more economical than other sources
of recreation open to bored and weary men.
In ordinary circumstances, or with a
wife of different temperament, Joe could
have found plenty of employment in the
management of the estate, and in the in
vestment of revenues, which were con-
stantly accommodating. But Elizabeth was
too cautious to trust her affairs in untried
hands. Perkins had managed for her IA
ther, and he managed for her. Her banker
made her investments, and her farm, gar
dens and park were under old, experienced
servants, who looked upon Joe only as
"Missis' husband"
As for herself she felt no ennui. She
had her house and her conservatory, her
servants and toilet, her charity school,
and whole colony of pet birds and ami
mails. Her days were too short for all
the small interests which filled them and
these interests she would gladly have
shared with Joe, but to him they were
insignificant and irritating. The first
year of their marriage he made some eff
forts to establish his proper position and
rights but they only resulted in anger
and failure, and he gradually withdrew
himself to his Office and his books. But
he had by no means accepted his mis-
take as irrevocable. At the end of the
second year he began to have some
thoughts which would have rudely shaken
the calm complacency of Mrs. Brierley, if
she deemed it worth her while to inquire
what occupied her husbands mind as he
paced the park through long, moody
hours, or sat silently gazing out of his
Office window.
Perhaps it did strike her as danger.
GUS symptom in some respects; for one
morning she astonished Joe by entering
his Office with letter in her hand. She
looked 30 handsome, and had such a
grand way with her, that Joe could not
LII. oIp,, ~ i'll;
how much he could have loved her, if he
had been master of Bradley, and she had
nothing but her love and beauty to give
him. But her first words had in them
that unfortunate pleasantly which irri-
tated Joe.
I" I am come as client, Mr.. Brierley, if
you have time to attend to my case"
"Don't chaff me, Elizabeth. You know
have nothing else but time. Will you
come in 2"
Yes, want to speak to you" They
sat down at table with dreary polite
ness. Elizabeth thought she had been
snubbed; Joe had an equally unpleasant
feeling. Elizabeth touched the letter
with an Indifferent shrug. sit is from
Sykes. He offers to buy the house l own
there. He says he will give me 100000"
"Why do you not take 1t, then Z"
"If the house is worth $4,000 to him,
1t is very likely worth more to US. Will
you 90 to Manchester and see about it ?
Or shall send Perkins p
81 will CO."
"Then you had better 60 to Perkins
to-day he has all the papers relating to
the property and if you want any adj
vice."
81 don't. know my business as well
as Perkins does"
"Of course"
Next morning Joe was on the road to
Manchester. lie had naturally gay,
elastic temper, and for the first few miles
he enjoyed the simple sense of freedom.
Then resolution which had long lain
dormant in his mind began to take shape
and form. His eye frightened, his mouth
settled into firm, definite curves, there
was an air of purpose and resolution in
every movement he made. Arriving at
Manchester, he first of all devoted him.
self to his wife's business. This he man
aged 80 wisely and profitably that Eliza.
beth pondered good deal over the mat.
ter; it seemed to her that Perkins fees
might be curtailed in the future. Then
he had business of his own to attend TO-
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