New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-21

OF heart, ana lrc!f-ri Id'"ci W.
fortune thar to challenge her. As we have SEEN
Bob Anslie did not at the present time even W.
stir himself sufficiently to obtain the invitations
ubicb his soul loved preferring rather TO DRIFT
along beneath the maternal wing ana take what
ever came in his way.
"IIe will never do anything for himself. she
v ould now and then cry. when at her wits end'
distracted by the absence of even the most
slender amount of practical sense on the part OF
the insouciant dandy and favorlte. i am uo'''s
all | can and more than | Ike. 10 ma nm
amusement and house-room: ana ne taxes II "a, a.
a matter of course. and Will not even IAN III VIZ
my views until l nave dTSHeu WIN '''''' $780,
suaded him" CT, ,,,r,
She never appealed to Sir Robert; Sir Rooer'
would have hidden her cut Bob adrHt Oh az , ,,,
slant He had been peeVishiy dNerSe 10 pV,"s
saddled with his son from the first moment ,hai
the tour of autumn visits was proJecleu anu al
his wife would have got from hiin' hau S", ~
saved now to complain or consult would nav
been Il told you So but you would not De!ieN'
me Send him about his business. LelI nm we
can't manage TO take him along any lurlhoI;
Had she ventured upon. But he mas hoWneic
10 90 and n, has no funds to keep himself al
hotels or places of that kind, she would nav
been met with The more tool ne ne "usi'' ~
have thought of that. and made friends ana sot
invitations" She might have talked lof nouns
and she would have got no further.
II was perhaps this absence Of sympathy ana
support from her husband in her hour OF heed
which told more upon the poor struggling woman
than al NY besides she would have done every
thing for her children; Sir Robert would 90
nothing His own misfortunes ana efnDaffaSS-
ments had weakened whatever paternai are t
lions he might once have had, and his one thought
now was how to be as little encumbered 10y 'heil
and hear as little about them as possible;
They must learn 10 dc as others DID me Worin
was full of other peoples younger sons ana II
they could make their way SO could ms. ne
had never intended to bring them mp to ldlen, SIS
and by George they mus, work now, II they
never did before now when he had not ROOF
to shelter himself, let alone them. ,..... ..
some such outburst would be tolerably sure 10
follow the arrival of epistle from Archlc or
Davie announcing a months or fortnights
leave. and begging to know what was 10 be 1oh h
with 1t. Lady Ainslie would be sitting ny sign,
ing with the note in her hand. sir Robert Wouid
he very cross with her-cross, as he had never
been at Roberts Tower He would demand 10
know what she wanted. and what she meant 10y
those funeral signs She would own that she
was wondering if the little cupboard near Alices
room could take In a bed. and hoping mat perhaps
the boy might be allowed TO make use OF MS
fathers dressng-room.
Al first Sir Robert would swear he should not
allow anything Of the kind; but ultimately tacit
consent would be wrung gOomily out OF MN. ana
the boisterous young cadet TO whom tle Mn .,"
thing was good joke, would take possession not
only of the cupboard ana the Cressing-roorn Dut
of every other nook in the lodgings; leave ms
things in every corner. turn everything upside
down wonder why nobody was jolly as they USED
TO be at home and finally end by being somewhat
the reverse Of jolly himself. and not AT al sorry
when his term Of absence was expired
still Sir Robert was more tolerant when u
came 10 the point towards these jOvial lads than
toward his eldest son and heir.
He simply could not stand Bob Bobs air OF
negligent well-being his indifference 10 fate, his
contentment above all. his calm habit Of pro-
viding himself with the best of everything. and
his being able to do so in spite of the cloud which
hung over the family fortunes was n constant
exasperati ton. Sir Robert could not conceive how
the thing was done.
He himself. with sense Of bitter degradation,
La..r aud FrI q hAIY
tradesmen. and had reduced by Onehalf the mum
Der that used to be periodically sent him He
had cut down hs county subscriptions When
In London he went about In Oinnbuses.
But Bob would dash up to the door In han
SON. and there was not a heater nor a smarter
looking fellow to b seen In Pail Mall.
A growl from his father would Invariably be
turned aside with laugh and a cheerful. "All
right. sir. ! know what I'm about" with which
IL was perhaps prudent 10 seem satisfied. lest
interest and interference might have been mis-
interpreted.
IF he thinks ne is going to get any help from
me beyond his allowance-ir Is as much as can
do TO give him that Sir Robert would exclaim,
when what he termed some "ruinOusly expen-
sive" article made its appearance: but he never
could find out what his wife thought on the sub
ject.
The truth was. rs has been said. that by sheer
dint Of sorely won experience poor Lady Ainslie
learning to play another part in life than
that for which she had been originally cast
She was being taught silence, patience and
certain kind Of wisdom. No would have
guessed how much the poor creature passed
through seeing how little she said. about It,
Some daughters would have helped to bear this
brunt. and comforted and consoled with brave
loving words and little tender minstrations; but
Alice Anslie though not abnormally selfish
/ girl was too full Of her own concerns TO have
much time or sympathy 10 spare for those Of
others. She would occasionally kiss her mother
and tell her not to "bOther: and she would in
dignantly turn upon her brother and vow it
"a shame" for Bob to expect to have everything
done for him like a baby; but she was generally
full Of project other got up by her own
friends, with whom she was favorie-or she
was just going out-or had Just come IN and must
take off her thngs--Or she had dozen notes
to send Off-in some way or other she was busy
and had obvious an impotence Of being
caught and such a palpable desire to be left in
peace to pursue her own devices that there
no help 10 be had from her when difficulties
on the family horizon.
Sometimes Lady Ainslie wondered what would
be the end Of these. or whether they would ever
have an end at all.
/ Sir Roberts solicitor had airily named half
dozen years or so" as the limits Of their enforced
wanderings; of these. three had been spent but
far from being In any better case. they were
/ IN worse than when their exile began.
/ The boys more expensive: Alice was
grown up; there all kinds Of unforeseen
/ claims TO be met, and the rents on the estate
were lower than ever She would sit brOoding
| over every bridesmaids account even for the
planest necessaries considering whether she
could not find a cheaper butcher or greengrocer;
| then start up and hide the Rrewsome red book
out Of sight. and force the smile Of welcome into
/ her race When gay NlSltOfS were announced brim-
full of news and vivac,y. She could not bear
that they should think her less light hearted and
ocular and smart than they She would not
mention such thing care. but would prattle
OF balls. concerts. wedding trousseaus. the latest
/ engagement. anything and everything but the
subject which haunted her days and nights: she
would send the party away with the careless
/ promise to follow to some place Of fashionable
resort. "wherc Alice had already gone with some
friends" but the same visitors would say to each
other they drove from the door. Poor Lady
Ainslie, how III she looks, How different from
what she used to look at Roberts Tower"
And and all shrewdy suspected what It
was which had wrought the change, and there
were among those who came to the lodgings
many who had formerly been welcomed TO the
! old Scotch country seat. and as human nature Is
/ not so bad but that ii has is better points the
Ainses received the invitations which tided them