Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-10

sae" 40 icar, no misgiss1g. troubled
him. He scarcely asked himself II aha
loved him, he felt so secure In his own
devotion, 80 assured that no woman
heart would fail TO respond "a the ter'
derness he would lavish upon his dsrling
Blinded, though he was, however. Il was
not long ere vague something thre ;ts
CHASTITY shadow across his Paradise sn5
struck chill horror to his heart.
Was II mere fsncs. born OF his NOR.
bid sensitivenees, or was it true that bjs
wife never willingly let her ewes rsst
upon him ? Could il be possible that
the very fact OF marriage had made tho
girl more alive to his deformity or was
1t Just some Observation-Disclosures OF ma
ture some strange feminine vapary--
that made her now shrink from his ca
resses now, when he had horned ba,
heart would open TO him OF its own 90.
cord NOV, when he was trembling
with q new JOY aud hope Of coming
blessedness
surely their child would draw them
nearer TO each other; surely motherhood
would give 10 this lovely creature the one
touch OF diviner beauty she needed to
perfect hes. But, alas for his dreams
tAe boy that was 20 be the croypinc ioy
OF ms life, the flower and the glory OF
hers was born, as IT seemed. but to per
petuate his humiliation. The child was
the living image OF his father, and when
the poor little fellow was able TO toidle
about Gilbert used to watch BIN with a
great mute pain at his heart, and his
eyes hot with unshed tears.
and the mother? Who could saw
what size felt, or if she felt at all l.? For
the most part she ignored both the father
and the child, and lived her own life as
brightly as sho raight. And the years
did much for her outwardly. She had
some dramatic instinct, some talent.
and she adapted herself to the Oie she
had 10 play wonderfully we'll.
Tho eccentrlcitics Of pronunciation
and phlaSeOlogv had toned down, till
DOW what remained only gave little
air of piquancy and unconventionality.
She had grown 10 know her beauty and
It's power, and this knowledge brought
with it On added dignity with just enough
tincture Of coquetry to make it attract
i've. That She was profoundly ignorant
still few discovered. When beautiful
woman smiles. little more is required of
her by way Of answer, and Celia could
occasionally be racy in addition.
Gilbert had long given up the hope oil
winning her love, given 1T up from the
/ first moment their eyes met over the
child that had been born to them, and
his were wet with tears and hers were
cold and bard and unresponsive. He
who began by seeing bis wife through a
mist of poetry now read her very clearly ;
I yet he only pitied her the more. His love
had done grievous wrong TO the beau
/ tilul woman. AMI he lived in dread of
/ the time when she should fully awake 10
the knowledge OF all it meant.
If love, real, true love, should ever
rouse her heart, and the slowly-develop-
/ ing nature should spring to maturity at
its touch. who could answer for what the
end might be ?
Already her soul was stirring in its
sleep, and the first hutters of awakening
life were changing her. Though she WAS
surrounded 10y every luxury she was less
happy than in the old days of work and
poverty and hardship She was so dull
at times that even new dress or fresh
bauble diverted her no longer. Then,
again, she had fits Of high spirits, that
20 her husbands anxious eyes seemed to
have more than dash Of recklessness.
A crisis must come sooner or later, Gill
bert knew, blessed or cursed by love s
terrible prophetic insight.