The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-07-28
POOR LITTLE EMILY,
The History Of a Prudent
Marriage.
BY MISS MULOCK.
CHAPTER VI.

soYn in her constitution, but they were
very slow of developing themselves. Per-
haps the exceeding peace in which, ex-
ternally, her daily life WAS passed partly
caused this; but chiefly it was because, if
she had seen an end to happiness, so she
lad to all its bitterest elements, its tur-
mol, trial, restlessnessness, and pain.
she was not strong enough to suffer, and
now she had ceased to suffer any more.
eke even seemed for a while TO rally, and
to take an interest in things about her-the
tender farewell interest of one soon de-
pG.iing. She was especially sedulous in
all duties TO her husband-at least those
which she was able to perform. But she
had long sunk into a thorough invalid
VIE, most kindly watched and tended,
sueugh more by his orders than by his per-
tonal care, while he went his own ways,
and fell back gradually into much of his
old bachelor" life, as ii had been spent III
the long interregnum between his first mar
riage and his union with poor Emily
Kendall.
Sir John is quite comfortable; he will
not miss me very much" Mrs. knowle
once heard her say, more meditatiyely than
complaininglv. But that lady, who had so
Keen a sense of wifely duty, even without
love, never took any notice of the remark.
And when, according to promise, she
Stenhouses-how that they lived in Lon
don on Mr.. Stenhouse's not too large sal
airy In a merchants office, and he was re-
ported TO be a most kind husband to the
widow, and a careful father to the three
fatherless children-after this the prudent
maiden said as little as possible to Lady
Bowerbank on the subject of her old lover.
Only once, when, after as long an in
tervil as it was possible for civiity to adj
NH ,F 70, L h.
gratulations he had received on his mar
riage in letter to Mrs. Knowle, contain
ing the brief message-"his own and his
wlfe's compliments. and thanks to Sir John
and Lady BoWerbalk -Emily's eyes filled
with tears.
Gle might have ibeen q little kinder,
she said. "But he does not know, and he
cannot forgive. He never will forgive me
till l die. -
And meantime the two. once lovers lived
on, and did their duty to the husband and
the wife unto whom Fate had united them
Whether bitter thoughts ever came
whether IN the dead of night either woke
up and remembered the past, their young
bright, innocent mutual love, and the
cruelty that snatched it from them and
turned 1t into a curse; whether their hearts
ever burned within them against man, OF
alas! against Providence, because in this
short, short mortal life they were not made
happS--they whose happiness would have
injured no one, and who needed nothing
III the world to make them happy except a
little love-these were mysteries which
must remain forever undisclosed.
But month by month here was disclosed
the plain sad fact that Sir John Bower
bank second marriage was not likely to
be of much longer duration than his first
one, which most people had altogether
forgotten; and much was The sympathy ex-
cited both for him and for the sweet
fragile creature who was fading away,
peacefully and conten5edly, it was evident
but still fading, no one quite knew how OF
why. All the Liverpool doctors, and more
than one London physician, were brought
to his wife by Sir John in undemonstrat-
ave but evident anxiety; but they could not
cure her they could not even find out what
was the matter with her. Hereditary weak
ness, want Of stamina, deficiency of vital
force they called her disease, or no dis
case, b. all these fine names; butno human
being guessed the root of it except Mrs.
hnowle.
She. honest woman, as she sat knitting
beside hor Edward was getting an
old man now, stour, and little infrm with
rheumatism, and sometimes a little cross
too with the weight of business, but still
ut heart the same hearty, kindly good
man" as ever-would often say with a
Sigh, "Ah, poor Emily, if those two had
only been left to fight the battle out to-
gether as we did, my dear, how much bet
ter it would have been!"
At which Mr.. knOwle, who never senti-
mentalized in his life, Just assented.
smiled at his odd woman" and perhaps a
Little weary OF the subject, generally, went
to sleep.
How the Stenhouses struggled on, for it
must have been a struggle at best, with
their small income and the three children.
Mrs. knowle could not easily learn; John
Stenhouse seemed determined to drop en-
tlrely out of the range of his old Liverpool
friends. To any letters ard Mrs. Knowle
wrote him several-he always returned
polite, but long delayed and unsatis factory
answers, telling her nothing that she wish
ed to know, and inquiring of nothing
which, she hardly knew why, she would
have liked him to inquire about.
And there IS that poor thing dying, and
he does not even know it." lamented she
sometimes. To which her husband only
answered with the common sense ques-
tom
And what would be the good of it if he
did know"
Not on her side was Emily aware-apd
Mrs. hnowle took care to keep II from her.
lest 1t might disturb her peaceful DYING
that his struggle was the equally hard
struggle of living, grinding poverty: a del
leate, nervous, broken spirited wife; three
hungry children to be fed, from duty.
without the natural fathery love to sweefen
It; and above all, the daily blank in the life
OF strong, faithful. single hearted mar,
who, having once taken it into his head. or
heart, to love one woman, never can learn
TO unloye her to tie end of his DAYS. Such
men there are, but they are very, Yery
faIo' ana John S'onhouse happened to be
one of them
So he locked his secret UP in his breast
and, whether or not his marriage was a
happy one, went on working steadily and
patiently for his wife and for the children.
not his own, whom Providence had sent
t. him, He slipped away from all his old
associates, till even Mr.. aud Mrs. Knowle
were half inclined TO DO as he apparently
wished, and let him go.
Bus the one person who, with an almost
faithful pertinacity, held to him, was Sir
John Bowerbank. Whether he. too vos
the sort Of person who, once taking hk-
ing great or small, never relinquishes il
OF whether some other secret inner sympe-
my attracted him TO young Stenhouse. as
teing not unlike what he himself had been
as young man. certain it was that the bead
q the firm never lost sight of his former
clsfN, ana when, on Mr.. Knowles suggest.
1AE the adVlsablllty of junior partner. the
question arose who should be adopted int n
such valuable and responsible situation
tie trst person Sir John proposed t.
whom the offer should be made was NJ
S!enhouse.
Edward knowle was greatly amazed
na--, perplexed. He rubbed up his hair
with a troubled aspect
Stop bit; | think-I think I shouI
Ike to speak to my wife about this.
Dir John looked in undisguised surprise.
As you please. But it never would occur
10 me TO consult nv We on business mat
ters' --'''-
Indeed" said the other, catching eager
" at the opportunity. 4 wish Won Womb
I really think you had better-in This maj
ter.
"Why?"
You see, awkwardly explained Mr.
movie, partner, which also implies a
partners wife, is a serious thing 10 the