The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-12-30

mas beliefs clothed themselves with
that sane shining tissue OF sorceiE
which invested the turn OF her white
wrist or the curves of her still pe;lr!i2-
throat He wanted her just as she was
and in amorous hatred of disnlcaSing
her he recklesSlv forgot the gravity OF
his own falS"hoodS.
But her father, hedscd in by what he
loathcG as the most autocrat;c conscrva-
tisms, became such a keen bore to him
during the term of courtship that one
CAV he hailed with secret relief the
calamity OF the Old parsons abrupt
death. Maynard's last year at the uni
versi1y had then just ended. Georgina
aad suddenly been made an orphan and
one dowcrleSs to the degree OF pcnury.
This fact expedited the marriage which
in any ease would now shortly have oc-
cUrTed.
And . miserable marriage it had
proved The brides awakening was
inevitable: it was also cruelty speedy.
The very word 'in6dcl' had long been
Q horror to her. She was now called
upon to meet that horror, paloabie and
persistent. at almost every step she
took. Some women might have loved
husband all the more dearly because
disi!lusion had thus roughly handled
him: there arc feminine affections
boarding that saIf-crcative energy Of
repair which is like the way its rccm-
rent grass heals the raw gash IN a
meadow Bat GeorGina was not
wrought Of that clay. She bore May
nard two boys, ard br this time her
love had grown as autumnal as her
look. TO save these babes from the
whitening blight ot her husbands i'm
p;ety was alike her purpose and her
PRAYER. There We're moments when her
s.raiaeG mind came near brcaki2@ its
bonds Of sanity ana recling into thao
sort Of medea-liEe bloodshnd which now
anG then bespatters the columns O. our
newspapers. Her sutferings increased
as those four little childish ears grew
matlrer ard more receptive. Maynard
would be sure 70 try and i!npregnate
the hearts Of either sou with his devil
ish theories There began to Cl.n1ucl'
d hope concerning Sylvan. he'l ever.
The lad showed signs Of having inhcr-
tied his mothers religious temperament.
Georcina felt that the levotions which
She imposed upon nm were lar from
pnveicolne Gerald, on the other hand,
wou}d often yawn and pout with an II
-eve-ence that seemed full OF dark lore
bodiags to the vigilant maternal eye.
Meanwhile Maynard, who had been
bla1uevorthv TO-. not having told his
sweetheart that :le was quite without
al conventional creed until the law had
made them one, now acquitted himself
amiabiy and gently in tie extreme.
Perhaps the bittcress thing that he said
to his wife for a long period after their
marriage was the following chain OF
sentences, delivered moSs in depression
than reproach:
s'Well, Georgina, I suppose there's
no use OF my asking sou to sponge OF
the slate and begin all over again. You
probably think some things are there
which no sponge could wipe out. And
upon my word. if you were to say so.
should quite agree with you. Only,
they're not all marks of my making,
Heaven knows
Heaven she repeated. What a
strange word from your lips, Egbert!
Do you believe in one?'
''Who is so devout," he answered, mot
sometimes to find such faith very
hard?"
'.Oh, I won't listen to abominable
thoughts like those-' cried Georgina,
hurrying toward the door. She paused
before quitting the room, and hurled
forth sugrily at her husband: "As if
any better proof Of Heavens goodness
were wanted, Egbert Maynard, than
that you're permitted to stand there
and insult it without being struck
dead"
"What conceivable satisfaction would
there be for it in striking me dead be-
gan Maynard, IF, as you state" But
she had fed from his profane presence,
and so he left the sentence unfinished.
He did not usually wound her like
this; he indeed sedulously avoided do
ing so. She was always ready with
some attack, peevish or irate. One sum
mer day, a few months later, some com
pulsory visit Of courtesy took them past
the immense pillared pile of Maryle-
bone Church. Gushing in rich unbrage
from behind their solemn brick walls,
rose the maple-trees, plenteous and
vocal; through the iron bars OF old
gateways the passer could glimpse occa-
sional gardens radiant with geraniu1n
and rose. Bathed in the moist, silvery
air OF an English June, over this entire
quarter brooded witchery not woven
by beauty alone You felt that behind
those dingy walls prodigious amount
OF life must have elived-perhaps some Of
it poetic or dramatic-and that the mur-
murs of the big boughs overhauging
those secluded doorways might mean
some sort OF airy saga concerningit. The
dusly and stately church, with all the
huge columnar sobr:ety of It's architect
ure, and with the beggars and other
loungers along its steps, gave to the
suns bright search many a steel-gray or
smoky tint which gloomier weather
would have LETT bid
Maynard, though Of late his days had
become more than ever dedicated to
science, loved the pictorial element in
things with q hearty iondness. How
glorious3y sunshine and good weather
improve this town of ours!.'' he said to
his wife as they strolled onward. i
don't believe there is a more iascinat-
ing part of London than just this strip
OF road; and as for the effect Of that
sedate old church yonder, it is simply
enchanting in the absence OF cloud, fog
or rain
Georgina gave panied start. What"
she queried, with grim irony. "Io~
admire church under any circum-
stances, Egbert! N greatly astonished
to hear you say the least good word for
one