Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-02-27

she displayed. The face OF the woman
had married was fair as the morn;
her figure as perfec, rs that of 4 Gre
clan statue; her voice low and sweet;
but the one thing which animaieS every
eharm-the mind--was misSingt
How shall describe her? Madness
means something quite different from
her state. lmbeeility would still less
convey my meaning, There is no word
can fiud which is fitting to use, There
was simply something missing from
her intellect as much missing as q
limb may be from body, Memory,
except for comparatively recent events.
she seemed TO have none. The power
OF reasoning, weighing and drawing do
duet:onS seemed beyond her grasp, She
appeared unable to recognize the inn
portance or bearing of occurrences tax
ing place round her. Sorrow and do
light We're emotions she was incapable
of feeling. Nothing appeared TO move
her. Unless her attention was called
to them she noticed neither persons nor
places. She lived As BY inStinct--roSe.
ate, drank and laV down To rest as one
| questions or remarks rs came within
the limited range of her ,apaeitv she
replied to-thoSe outside ii passed I'M
| needed, or else the shy troubled ewes
sought for moment the queStioner's
face, and left him rs myStiiied as had
been when first noticed that curio2S
inquiring look.
Yet she was not mad. \ person
might have met her out in company,
and after spending hours in her society
might have carried away no worse i'm
preston than that she WAS shy and
reticent. Whenever she did speak her
words were as those OF perfectly sane
woman; but rs rule her Voice was
only heard when the ordinary neceSSi-
ties of life demanded, or in reply to
some simple question. Perhaps. l
should not be far wrong in comparing
her mind to that of a child but. alas!
/ it was child'S mind in n woman'S
| body-aul chat woman was my wife,
| Life to her, so far rs l could see, held
neither mental pleasure nor pain. Con-
I s;dcred physically, found that she was
more influenced by heat and cold than
hy any other agents. The sun would
| tempt her out of doors, or the cold
wind would drive her IN. She was by
no means unhappy. She seemed quite
content to sit by my side, or to walk or
drive with me for hours without speak
| inc. Her whole existence was y mega
! tive one.
| And she was swce. and docSle She
followed every suggestion of mine. fell
III with every plan, was ready to go
here, there, or everywhere, rs wished;
but her compliance and obedience were
as those of Il slave TO 4 new master. Ii
seemed TO me that all her life She must
have been accustomed to obey some
one. 1t was this habit which had 50
miSlcd me-had almost made me think
/ that Pauline loved me, or she would not
have consented to that hasty marriage.
/ Now, | knew that her ready obedience
! to her uncle'S command was really due
| to the inability of her mind TO offer re-
sstence, and its power!essness to com
prehend the true meaning Of the step
she was taking
| Such was Pauline, my wife! 4
woman in her beauty and grace of per-
son; a child in her cloudrd and IN
| formed or stunted mind. And |. her
husband, a strong man craving for love,
might win from her, perchance, at
last, what might be compared to the
affection of n child TO its parent. or a
dog to his master.
AS the truth, the whole truth. came
home to nue., am not ashamed to say
that | lay down and wept i'll bitter
grief
| / loved her even now knew all
would not even have undone the mar
riage. She was my wife-the only
woman had ever cared for. l would
fulfill my vow-would love her and
cherish her. Her life, ut least, should
be made as happy as my care could
make it. But all the same | vowed
would have fitting reckoning with that
glib Italian doctor.
Him, | felt it was necessary | should
see at once. From him | would wiring
all particulars. | would learn if Pauline
had always been the same il there
was any hope that time and patient
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 should find no peace.
told Pauline it was necessary we
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 | willed 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 IA journey, she
needed no assistance. All her actions
were those of q 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 reached
Easton Station. We had travelled all
night smiled bitterly as | stepped
on to the platform; smiled ct 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 us
she stood by my side on that wide plat
form How strangely that air of re-
pose, that sweet, refined, calm face,
that general appearance of indifference,
contrasted with the busy scene around
us, as the train disgorged its contents.
Oh, that 1 could sweep the clouds from
her mind and make her what | wished!
TO BE CONTINUED