Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-12

cErrIyc MD or 4 THORN.


--~-4--,<~--.--
The Argooaall
Ifth, woman ever really existed who
sincerely never wished 10 ne married,
haze faith 10 believe tia, my friend
Agnes Brand was the unique person.
Her prayer. ifshc had been capable ola
burkwque prayer, would have been ava
ration Of the celebrated Italians: MAY
I never he married; but IL am mar
RED, may never ha,, any children
bus IL I hive children, may they DO
bows, ShS married Tom Hat,on, and
became the mother Of ,hrec dsugh- |
tiers. Her admiration Of the dark |
sex was coexisert with the most con-
temptuous opinion Of them as indi-
viduals--nay, ~ q class--ior she would |
eiscnlste. ~ Men :" in bitter under
tone calculated 10 n>ke mad the guilty /
and appall TIE free. In the oscs OF
her head, I know. she believed ANY man |
capable Of anything. ! think perhaps |
that she would admit thss very yell
bred and well-,rsined man wosid not
pilfer small sums Of money, bct that
would be the utmost Of Ter conceS-
sions. She certainly never believed q
word q man said her incredibly was
simply confounding when any chance al
fusion disclosed its extent; but ss nature |
has dccreed that woman shall find the |
strength OF men admirable-ss men /
look for softness in women--Agnes |
made up her terrible verdict on mems
conduct and code by an almost abnor-
NAL appreciation OF, and fierce, enVi-
Gus ioy in, their power and prowess,
independence, and liberty. had
tanned her daughters in North Amer'-
can Indian fashion, with reference to
her supposed feelings on the score OF
their gender. The eldest. " In attend
ant mieux"; the second, Better luck
next time. and the third. "fate's isss
word" To siolid world their names
were Tony, Nina, and Grace.
Agnes and had always been excel
lent friends, because | was willing to
accent her AS the coolest woman in the
world. and vet intellectually receptive
and compsnionable. do not say that
she was incapable Of affection, but she
was incapable Of feeling or compre-
bending affection that wasnot stimulsted
by pride in its object or made reason
able by some large-accruing benefits;
love for loves sake she refused to adj
init within the scope Of really we'll
bred woman's consideration, thought.
had been living in British Columbia
Just before | had accepted Mr.. and
Mrs. Hatton's invitation to visit
them. And upon my first re-
turn to civilization everything in
their home seemed of such de-
licious daintiness that details were lost
in the pleasurable completeness Of the
whole. Anon, however, my eyes be-
gan TO become used to the mellow ra-
dance O. domesticity. and to be aware
Of q peculiar moral atmosphere per-
meaiiDg the menage, and of certain
s,rain in the relations all round, which
TO his day find it difficult TO define.
Tom Hatton was n large, handsome,
clever man, devoted to business, rea-
sonably domestic III his tastes, fond of
reading. and suffering from no worse
disappointment than that his children
were all girls, which, by the way, he
felt more acutely than most men. He
would run them all over with his
eye, as one might search box Of candy
for chocolates, and push away the box,
saying, VERY good candy, bat non the
kind want" Naturally these looks
sharpentd the dart Of Agnes's kindred
disappointment. but for that very rea-
son it might have served as a bond Of
sympathy between them; at least it
could not suffice to explain their odd
disunion, which sometimes embarrassed
mo and more often caused me serious
regret that two such earnest and honest
natures could no, adjust their differ
ences permanently, and witch gaping
world with the spectacle of united
and aflcctionate household.
Hatton's everyday tone toward his
wife was one Of good-natured iidicale,
which she did not in the least dader-
stand or know how to parry or render
harmless. While in reality his hearty
appetite, sound sleep, fresh complexion,
bright eyes, and healthy interest in
what went on around hin, proved on
the surface that he was a man entirely
contented with his home aud the way it
was managed, and therefore by infer
ence contented with the manager, the
method he had adopted Tor enliycning
the routine Of daily life was potently |
believed by Agnes TO be only |
less direct way Of indicating to her !
that she was what would be called |
in servant unsatisfactory. She put a
great deal Of pride to the doing Of all
she undertook, and | could see that she
resented Hatton's would-be funny dis
paragement with all her cold, silent
might. Beside, she adhered to the
old-fashioned, mistaken plan of doing
good by stealth, and yet expected to
find IL fame. She would exhaust her-
self with q personal rehabilitation o.
Hat.on's bureaus, wardrobes, and
desKs, and then sit all The evening
freezing from &nticipatiye watchfulness
to dumbly impenetrable resentiulness,
while Hatton would sit reaG'ug, aware
that he was in dsgrace, bat sin
cerely unconscious that he was
expected to express gratitude for
q service he did not know had
been rendered, and finding solace in his
book and the reflection that women are
strange creatures who do and say and
are things without motive, and a man
must be content to wait until the clouds
roll by, and enjoy the fine Weather
when IL comes. The sad result Of Ag-
ness secretiye and brc ,ding temper
was that when Hattcn's osa soft mood
OF affection and generosity was upon
him she would seem TO say; This is
my time for vengeance for the offence
Of dsy before yesterday" and inAict
upon her husbands heart a pride or
feelings one Of those bitterly cruel
blows that can only be given by the
Asnd Of an intimate--the one from
whom we cannot conceal the weak
places IN our armor.
"You don't look vindictive, Agnes"
said !, sadly, as Tom went away one