The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-06-29
D0NALD'S WIFE.

When Donald McKeon married his
ward, Jessie Sumner, many of his
friends said he had made mistake.
She was merry, laughing girl of
eighteen, fresh from school,; and he,
her fathers old friend, quiet, self
contained man of thirty-fve, and it
can scarcely be wondered at that many
wise heads were shaken over the ILL
assorted match.
Jessie had always stood a little in
awe of the quiet, stern man, who had
been frequent visitor at her fathers
house during his lifetime.
But she was quite unprovided for,
and Donald McKeon was wealthy; and
when he asked her to be his wife in a
matter-of fact way, very much as he
might have asked her to be his house
keeper, it seemed the easiest way to
solve the troublesome problem of her
life; and beside this, she knew her
father to have been under obligations
to him, and more than suspected that
the three years she had spent at fash
ionable school since her fathers death
had been at his expense.
And 50 they were married, and he
took her to the old home that his family
had owned and occupied for genera
ions.
1t was quite a stately house, sur
rounded by handsome, o!d-fashioned
grounds. But little time ago it had
been quite on the suburbs, but the city
had reached out ever-encroaching arms
until now it was surrounded by stately
rows of brown stone and glaring new
bricks.
But in spite of its great, handsomely
furnished rooms, its stores of plate and
fine linen, and the bright, old-fashioned
garden at the back, it seemed dreary
prison to the laughter-loving girl
wife.
Mr.. McKeon had done what he
could to brighten the old rooms, and
had built large conservatory, know
ing that Jessie Was fond of flowers,
and she might have been quite happy
had he known more of the ways and
needs of women.
But he had always been devoted to
business, caring little for the society
of women, and knowing little of them,
except the grim, old spinster aunt who
had presided over his house since his
mothers death, until he brought his
young wife home.
1t never occurred to him that it was
a dreary sort of life for girl like Jes-
sic, alone in the gloomy old house all
day, with only the servants and the
ghosts of bygone generations for COM
pany.
And when she grew pale and listless,
and lost her old elasticity of spirits, a
fear that had haunted him since his
wedding day took possession of him
and poisoned his life-a fear that she
had married him for home and position
and already regretted her choice.
Gladly would he have given her
back her liberty had that been rossible.
But being a sensitive, undemonstra
tive man, he let her see nothing of
this, but rather shrank from her be-
cause of the wrong he felt he had done
her, and came and went and made no
sign.
And then people began to discover
that Mrs. Mckeon was very charm
ing woman, and her husband wealthy
and influential man, and invitations
began to pour in upon her.
And Jessie plunged into this new
life of fashionable dissipation with a
Zest that was the natural reaction from
the gloom and loneliness of the past
year.
At first her husband accompanied
her wherever she went, for he had
somewhat old-fashioned notions as to
what was right and fitting for women
to do.
But it was life he utterly detested.
1t interfered with his business, and
he looked below the surface and saw
the hollow falsehood it was after all,
and it grated on his fine ideas of truth
and sincerity.
Perhaps he was somewhat dicta.
torial in his manner of telling her
this; perhaps she imagined so. But
when he urged the point she rebelled
against his assumption of authority.
1t was their first quarrel and their
last, but it was very bitter one.
She spoke cruel, singing words, that
ranked and hurt him the more that he
had learned to love her so dearly, as
only reserved, self-contained men such
as he can love, and then only when
they hoard all the treasures of their
nature to lavish it in middle life on
the one woman who is their fate.
After that he opposed her in nothing
but it was as though great wall OF
ice had risen between them.