Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-03-28


Harrington accompanied them to the
door, talking as she went, kept them for a
| minute or two on the threshold while she
arranged to ride with them to the meet on
the following day, and then returned.
| smiling, to hear what Canon Stanwick
| might have to say for himself.
Now she knew as we'll as anybody, to
what she owed the honor of the Profess
sor's visit; but she did not see why she
should make his path smooth for him.
Therefore she smiled and held her tongue.
while he, after some Introductory COM
monplaces, managed to drag Bob Annes-
ley's name, without much rhyme or rea-
son, into the current of his remarks.
"a promising young fellow" he said;
"but, like other young fellows, he gives
his friends some anxiety at times. His
mother. poor thing, is feeling very uneasy
about him just now"
"Mothers,'' observed Mrs. Harrington,
generally do feel uneasy about their sons
That is because they have such difficulty
in realizing that their sons may be old
enough to take care of themselves.
"But they can't take care of them
selves" rejoined the Professor. eagerly.
| "At least. he can't take care Of himself.
His position, as no doubt you are aware.
differs in some respects from that Of his
brother officers, and think that if you or
I we're in his mothers place, we should
! wish, as she does, that he should leave the
army, live upon his property. and-and
make suitable marriage"
yes" said Mrs. Harrington "and
why is his mother uneasy p because he
won't leave the army. or because he won't
make q suitable marriage?"
well. for both reasons. believe. I
think mentioned to you some time ago
that there was talk of his marrying
Violet Cecil, and I have since ascertained
that his own feelings incline him toward
a match which would give great satisfac-
ton to all those who are interested in
him; but unfortunately it appears that he
is hampered by some previous entangle-
meDt with-with-"
"With an unsuitable person ?" suggest
ed Mrs Harrington. still smiling.
II fear we must pronounce her SO. All
other considerations apart, the fact that
he no longer wishes to make her his wife
should be conclusive. He might feel
and don't say that he ought not to feel
bound in honor to her but it seems to me
that she is equally bound in honor to re-
lease him from his engagement"
"Oh. you think she is bound to release
him ?"
II do" answered the Professor, firmly.
YES, may say without hesitation that
that is what think"
II am not quite sure that I agree with
you" said Mrs. Harrington. 81 can't of
course, form any guess as to who the per-
son to whom you allude may be but let
US put an entirely imaginary case, and see
how it looks from the LADY, point of view.
Because, you know, even unsuitable
women have their point of view. and some
of them might be disposed to think their
happiness almost as important as Mrs
Annesley's. Let us take the case of q
woman with whom life has gone very
hard-a woman who was married young
to husband who ill-treated her, deserted
her, and left her at his death with mere
pittance to live upon. Well. this imag-
nary woman IS not wise, let Us say, al
though she has no great harm in her. She
is fond of amusement, she likes riding, she
vuor hot
she likes flirting too. She has no near re-
lations; 80, instead of taking lodgings in
suburb of London, or hiring cottage it,
the depths of the country, as no doubt she
ought to do, she attaches herself to cav
airy regiment, in which she has friends,
and she rides her friends horses, and
dances at their balls, and has great fun
for time. Perhaps it serves her RICH,
that this way of going on causes her to be
cut by all the ladies, wherever she betakes
herself; perhaps she doesn't care straw
for that at first, and perhaps she cares a
great deal as she grows older. Perhaps
she sees no way of escape from a kind OF
existence which she has learned to hate.
and perhaps that serves her right again.
What do you think, Canon Stanwick ?'
The Professors honesty compelled him to
reply, II should not blame her for Selling
any opportunity of escape from 1t that of.
fered."
Yet most people would blame her; she
would have to make up her mind to that
We are supposing, you know, that Mr..
Annesley is the way of escape that offers
itself, and when this forlorn woman seiz.
es him ecstatically she must expect his
friends and relations to tear their hail
and call her bad names. dare say that
would trouble her very little. After
knocking about the world sfor so many
years, she wouldn't be over and above
sensitive, and she would know perfectly
we'll that, when once she was married and
had plenty of money, everybody, includ-
ing her husband 8 relations, would be civ
il enough to her. But now, just as she is
exulting in the prospect of peace and plen-
ty, 10 and behold the miserable young
man goes and falls in love with somebody
else. What is she dor You. in an Off
hand sort of way, answer, ooh. let him 60
free, of course but I, OH the side of the
poor disappointed woman, venture to say
that she should be guided by circumstan-
ces. Suppose she knew this good
Bob Annesley to be man who couldn't
break his heart about anything or any,
body if he tried ever so hard? Suppose
she knew that she was quite as we'll able
to make him happy as Miss Cecil? Mighn't
she in that case be justified in thinking a
little bit about her own interests, and
holding him to his promise?"
IL can t answer positively,'' said the |