The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-05-29

from her confidence, and am ashamed TO
say that l had hardly been near Miss May
burn since my marriage, but Lofty and
Olive both took me to task for deserting
my former way of life. On the Sunday
after the assembly, for instance, Captain
Brague met me at the church door. was
rather surprised to find him still in town,
for the rest of the New York men had gone
back on Saturday afternoon, but was by
no means displeased to walk up Walnut
street with him, and if 1 had not seen
Lofty sitting in my window we might have
taken quite stroll together fancied
that he did me the honor to be little
vexed at having our tetea-tete interrupted,
but wanted Lofty to see him, so took
him in with me.
where's Mr. Temple, Lotty2" said I.
ooh, my dear, it's too distressing He's
gone to Harrisburg ON business, and this
morning we were to have gone out to st.
James the Less"
"Faith, Miss Hathorne," said Captain
Brague, distress is mighty becoming to
you, then, for you look charming this
morning, and one could wish that Mr..
Temple was oftener in Harrisburg"
At this extremely Hibernian speech Lot
ty chose to be very angry. 1t was little
awkward, but the poor captains meaning
was perfectly plain and his intention good;
however, the result was that when asked
him to stay to luncheon Lofty discovered
that she must leave us. This was all the
more unfortunate because, as she knew,
Penny was not going to be at home-the
remembrance of which fact, by the way,
had caused me some little cynical amuse-
ment when Lofty spoke of her distress in
her Macy's absence. In a few years, my
dear, l said to myself. you'll be not only
willing, but sometimes glad, to have him
off at distance. The captain and sat
down to luncheon together, without much
regret for her departure probably, but I
refused to walk with him again in the aft
ernoon. When met Lofty the next day
her brow had by no means cleared. /
brought her displeasure to head immedi-
ately, for, with great want of tact, logged
her feelings by telling her that she was not
looking as we'll as usual.
''Ethell'' she cried, "why have you
changed so much? Yesterday it was that
horrid captain who took it upon himself
to make comments upon my personal ap-
pearance, and today you tell me that Pm
going off. don't mind your remarks my
dear, but you are no longer the Ethel that
used to know. Itcan't be only your mar
riage that has changed you-it's that New
York set and nothing else. Don't be angry,
now, Ethel; you know Pm not saying it
for spite. / have been thinking of speak
ing to you about it for some time. You
don't care for reading, you take no inter
est in any feminine employment; all you
do is to gad about and enjoy yourself"
did not suppose that she said it from
spite-I thought it was the result of little
temporary bad humor, but all the same l
resented it, and, am sorry to say, spoke
my mind. After woman is married she
is less willing to receive the criticism and
advice, however we'll meant it may be, of
her fellows. 1t does not matter how ex-
pansive she may have been as girl, con-
tact with masculine habits of mind seems
to affect her. OF course, with some women
the reason is plain enough. Their husbands
are their oracles, and they will tolerate no
other Judgment than theirs. But con-
sidered that Lofty spoke injuriously of my
New York friends. and stood up for them,
and l regret to confess that we both be-
came slightly heated.
She instanced tu me what Macy said, and
of course I promptly retorted with what
Penny thought, the result of which was
that we both got worse opinions of the man
of each others choice, and no good was
done to anybody. Her remonstrances eff
fected very little. I had chosen my way of
life, and having set my hand to the plow
did not care to look back. / may have
given the impression by what l have said
in regard to the assembly of that year that
l still chronicled my doings and struck
standard of enjoyment-but such was not
the case. never came home saying to my
self that had had "perfect time"
No married woman of my then caliber
would allow chance to have anything to do
with her enjoyment Girls permit them
selves to be affected by extraneous circun-
stances. They cast up their accounts and
carry their invitations, their admirers and
their various adventures, to profit and loss;
they carefully calculate their capital, and
keep watchful eye on their investments,
but we married women who are, so to
speak, capitalists are above that. cared
little where went. My nerves were never
strung by expectation, my appetite never
cloyed by safety nor deadened by want of
success; | went from ball to ball, from din
ner to dinner, from theater party to theater
party, often ignorant until few hours be-
fore the event as to where / was going. /
only knew must be going somewhere.
AS consequence of this frame of mind
| lost all desire to maneuver and never
found it necessary to assert myself in any
particular way. People came to me. If
they did not, so much the worse for them
l never troubled my head about them.
was now entirely innocent of f'any feelings
OF rivalry toward her, and very sensibly
made up her mind that 1t would be much
hattO for fO 10 INn fhars