Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-03

vowed he wonld never write or ca
upon his wife for a word till she re
turned to his house.
And he kept his word. And he
thought every day how he had to fore
go the sweet presence that others could
enjoy, how he missed the hand and head,
skill and talent, with which she beauti
fed the home and changed the beauti-
flying. Perhaps he had no thought OF
the tax at all that had been upon her, in
addition 10 the cares of housekeeping
but he thought great deal about the
tax it was to her to be painting and
selling, in addition to the keeping of
her mother and her mothers home and
the home of those three hulking boys.
He could not comprehend or make al
lowance for her natural feeling, it had
grown into something that so outraged
his own rights and feeling; and to him
her bewildered conscience seemed at last
to be only an excuse for doing what
she preferred. He grew more and more
angry, in sort of blind rage, that her
life should be spending for these people
and not for himself, and one day she re.
ceived notice of suit of divorce upon
the plea of desertion.
Poor Mclicentl She had felt it com
ing. When week by week and month
by month went by at first, and her pleas
ant home was still so far away, she had
felt it coming in her husbands impa-
tience, that she recognised to be as
righteous as it was unreasonable. Every
day had been an agony of apprehension
to her. But when at last the notice
came, she was, at any rate, out of her
suspense, and had the rest of certainty.
She did not blame Charlie; she could
not. She did not believe in divorce her
self, she held herself as much his wife as
ever; but in the silent depths of her
heart she bitterly upbraided fate that had
forced this cruel lot upon her, and she
wore black gown always afterward.
1t was at this point that Ben, the
eldest of the three lads, brought home
one day young wife. Perhaps the out
spoken reproaches of James and Francis
made Melicent more lenient. Ben had
nothing with which to support wife,
but Melicent felt that, at any rate, here
was help in household duties and in
the nursing of the mother, and agair
silently upbraided fate that Ben had not
brought her home year ago, and set hel
free herself to go to her own home for {
while, before the husband whom she SC
loved had taken this fatal step.
But of course Melicent was mistaken
in hoping for any good fortune out O.
her lifes events. The young wife soon
proved to be only miserable invalid
and another weight upon her hands
Melicent dared not think; she le
her mind dwell neither upon the
future nor the past; she onl.
lived from one moment to the next, anC
only set one foot before the other Thi
would have been easier for Melicent il
she had had anything to console her a
she went along. The boys seemed fon(
of her in their way-she was an affair o
their comfort, and they valued her as {
part of it; they were not fond of her il
a way to save her an hours work or
moments pang. Her mother was o
course so fond of her that she would
hardly let her out of her sight-an op
pressive, savage fondness that made onl,
bondage. But she had none of
daughters friendly condolences with her
the height of their intercourse was sub
dued fault finding on the mothers part
as if it were owing to Melicent's act Uha
she was ill and poor and helpless and go
we'll no faster.
So Mclicent went along with her bur
den; now and then she found time t,
read book, although usually it was il
the watches of the night, and in order t
keep herself awake when some exacer
baton of her mothers illness occurred
and now and then Maud, the new wife
gave her little pleasure of music, bein
often well enough to play the piano Q
an evening, and letting the strains noun
to Melicent in the sick room, the least i
} the world refined and mellowed by tn
ascent.
Whether 1t was that her power
ripened now with the years, or whethe
the strain upon ner nerves wrought ther
to highest expression, Melicent ha
never painted so we'll as she did now
T.. and her work took ON a decorativ
character that brought fine prices
She had not sufficient suspicion in he
nature to think of concealing tn
fact; and as soon as the brothers kne
of 1t they saw vistas of good fortun
opening before them. They were nC
going to ask Melicent directly for ht
: money; they knew trick worth two c
: that. Francis had long wanted hors
7 and phaetcn; and James wife was Ions
ing for velvet carpet on her parlors an
: hall. They had their respective desires
And then the wives quietly let Melicer
| know that the boys were worrying
t death over their debts. And Melicer
paid the debts. And what had bee
done once was presently done again.
4 Well, if Melicent could do that, wh
$ could she not do more If Dolph migl
/ only go to Europe for ayear and improV
: himself in his speciality, what an arch
: tect he would bel 1t was talked
t guardedly till Mclicent caught the ide
t and then gradually discussed openl
o And at last Melicent thought she migl
s venture. OF course it required her
:, work all but night and day; and all b.
n night and day she did. Dolph wro
( her delightful accounts of what she cou
G see only through his eyes; and he sal
}, little of other experiences that he hs
# while she delved with her brushes an
s colors, and called upon a tired brain f
S fresh effort.
I. One day now James decided to chang
!, his business. But it involved his lea
II ing town for while. And while
/. was away, why could not his wi
/. and daughter come and stay at mother
L 1t was always mothers, although Me
l. cent provided everything there W
l. there except the house. Very tru
y why not 2 Mother was delighted,
d her feeble. way, with the idea Of add'
G, u,aroharS and chnnr in the house. az