The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-11

I M " al li5cA lillUllI ever
know about Pauline. TIE me9nine, ~
/ the old womans repeated phrase ashe
Is not Tor love or marriage" was mani
Tested to me. The reason vbv ~
Seheri had stipulated that PaIIina's
husband should be content 10 faEe her
without lnqulrlng into her early life was
no pastl ~ I6iu
or no knowledge of the past. SLOWLY
al HfSt, then with swift stems the trutb
came nome to me. Now | knew how tn
accQ Tor that puzzled. strange look
~ nose bedutliul eyes-knew the rea-
59H lot me indifference. the apathy. she
IlsPiayed: The face of the woman /
Latin Eau married was lar as the morn: her
HSuIe as perfect as that of a Grerian
statue; her voice low and sweet: hut tbe
one thing which animates every charm
the mlnd-was missing!
hVW shaL l describe her. Madness
means something quite different from
her state. Imbecility would still less
GonVey my meaning. There is no word
can ind which is fitting to use. There
was SIMPLY something missing from her
hlJellect-as much missing as limb
HHldy De from a body. Memory except
LOT o com paTatVely recent events, she
| seemed 10 have none. The power of
reasoning, weighing and drawing de-
uucIlOns seemed beyond her grasp. She
appeared unable to recognize the i'm
Porlance or bearing of occurrences tax
ing place round her. Sorrow and de-
Ilght were emotions she was incapable
OF feeling. Nothing appeared to move
her. Unless her attention was called to
tnem she noticed neither persons nor
places. She lived as by instinct-rose.
ate, drank, and lay down to rest as one
nor KNOWING univ ghaHfI
tlons or remarks as came within the
IlIhlted range OF hercapacity She replied
to-those outside it passed unheeded. or
else the shy troubled ewes sought for a
moment the questiOner's face. and left
hum as mystiiied as | had been when
hrst L noticed that curious inquiring
| look.
Yet she was not mad. 4 person might
nave met her out in company and after
spending hours in her society might
have carried away no worse impression
IMAM that she was Shy and Teticent
heneVer she did speak her words were
as those OF a perfectly sane woman: but
as a rule her voice was only heard when
The ordinary necessities of life demand
ed, or IN reply to some simple question.
/ Perhaps, / should not be far wrong in
comparing her mind to that of a child
put, alas. 1t was a child S mind in a WO-
A''tA'' IVY tt4AAA AAAtAL 0Olldu " d. lily
wifel
Life to her, so far as l could see, held
neither mental pleasure nor pain. Con
sldered physically, | found that she was
more influenced by heat and cold than
by any other agents. The sun would
tempt her out Of doors, or the cold wind
would drive her ii. She was by no
means unhappy. She seemedquite con-
tent to sit by my side, or To yak or
drive with To- D.,
ing. Her whole existence was a mega
tive one.
And she was sweet and sdocile. She
followed every suggestion OF mine. fell
IN with every plan, was ready to 90 here.
there, or everywhere, as ! wished: but
her compliance and obedience were as
those OF a slave to new master. 1t
seemed to me that all her life she must
lave been accustomed to obey some one
1t was this habit which had so misled
me-had almost made me think that
Pauline loved me, or she wouldnO have
consented 10 that hdSty marriage. Now.
l knew that her ready obedience to her
uncle S command, WAS really due to the
inability OF her mind tOoffer resistance.
and its PoWeriesspCss to comprehend
the true meaning of the step She was
taking.
Such was Pauline, my wife, A wO-
man in her beauty and grace of person:
q child in her ciouded and Uniformed or
stunted mind! And |, her husband.
strong man craving fer love. might win
from her. perchauce at last. what might
be compared to the affection of a child
to its parent, or a dog TO his master
As the truth, the whole truth. came
home to me. ! am not ashamed to say
that | lay down and wept in bitter grief
| loved her even now | knew all /
yVn1tlI mt huKrA IlfatlNna 10 mn
riage. She was my wife-the only wo-
man had ever cared for. / would full
! nj my yOw-Would love her and cherish
4 her. Her life, at least, should be made
: as happy as my care could make it. But
all the same | vowed | would have fit
! ting reckoning with that glib Italian
! doctor.
Gee at once. From him | would wiring
all particulars. l would learn if Pau
/ line had always been the same-if there
I was any hope that time and patient
4 treatment would work an Improvement.
/ | would learn, moreover, the object of
/ his cOncealment. | would, | swOre, drag
the truth from him, or it should cost
him dear. Until | stood face to face
with Ceneri l should find no peace.
/ | told Pauline it was necessary we
I should return to London Immediately.
She betrayed no surprise; raised no OBJ
! lection. She made her preparations at
once, and was ready to accompany me
/ when | WilIed it. This was another
thing about her which puzzled me. So
far as things mechanical went, she was
as other people. In her toilet, even in
! her preparations for a journey, she
| needed no assistance. All her actions
were those of perfectly sane person;
it was only when the mind was called
upon to show itself that the deficiency
became at all apparent.
1t was gray morning when we reach
ed EustOn Station. We had travelled all
night. / smiled bitterly as | stepped
on to the platform; smiled at the con-
| traSt between my thoughts of to-day
and those of few mornings ago when
/ handed the wife / had so strangely
won into the train, and told myself, as
| followed her, that life of perfect
happiness was now about to begin.
And yet how fair the girl looked as
she stood by nv side on that wide plat
forml How strangely that air of repose,
that sweet, refined, calm face, that gem
eral appearance of indifference, con-
trasted with the busy scene around US,
as the train disgorged its contents. Oh,
that [ could sweep the clouds from her
mind and make her what | wlshedl
| had found some difficulty in settling
what course to pursue. decided, after
yentilating various schemes, that l
would take Pauline to my own rooms
in Walpole street. | knew the people
of the house well, and felt certain she
would be taken care of during my alb
sence: for. after a few hours repose, 1t
was my intention to start IN search OF
Ceneri. l had written from Edinburgh
to Walpole street, telling the good ,peo-
pie there to be ready for me and whom
l,a.l IN ON.
pealed to my faithful old servant, Prls-
ella. and begged her to be at the house
awaiting my arrival. For my sake,
knew She would show every kindness tC
, my poor girl. So to Walpole street We
went.
All was in readiness for us. Priscilla
received us with eyes full of curious
, wonder. | saw that her sympathles
, were at once enlisted by Paulines ap-
t pearance. After cup of tea and some
! thing to eat, begged Priscilla to leac
my wife to her room, that she might
take the rest she needed. Pauline, II
her childlike, docile way, rose and tol
: lowed the old woman. !.
when YOU have seento Mrs. Vaughan !:
t comforts, come back to me" said, :
3 want to speak to you.
VI Priscilla, no doubt, was only too cage
to return To me. | felt she was brim
1 ming over with questions about my un
/ expected marriage; but / checked he
r voiuhility. Ny face must have told hel
/ that had nothing pleasant to com
| municate. She sat down, and. as l Gle
) sired her to do, listened without com
: ment to my tale
: was compelled to confide in SOM
one. The cid woman, l knew, wa
: Trustworthy and would keep my affair
{ secret. So told her all, or nearly all
: explained as well as | could Pauline.
/ peculiar mental state. [ suggested al
: that nv short experience brought T.
e my mind. and prayed Priscilla, by tn
V love she bore me. to guard and be KIM
I in nv absence to the wife loved. Tn
. promise being given | threw myself up
!. on the sofa and slept for several hours