Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-02-07

SOCtA CANk O"ICSuAN " ALSb
"Come, you know that l Away
get them away, those ugly marks
that no one can see them in the
least after / have attended to them
but if you will not show them tc
me, of course I cannot cure you
She murmured:
"W'ell. you I do not mind; but
I do not know the gentleman who
is with you."
"He is also a doctor, who vii.
care for you still better than L"
Then she allowed her face to bs
uncovered, suffused with blushe:
from emotion and the shame ot
being seen. She lowered her eyes
turned her head from side to side
to avoid our gaze ard stammered
:'Oh, how I suffer at showing
myself like this! Horrible, is il
not? Horrible?"
1 contemplated her with the ut.
most astonishment, for not the
slightest mark, spot, or scar was
visible on her countenance.
She turned to me, her eyes still
lowered, and said:
"It was while taking care of my
son that I caught this frightfu5
disease, sir. I gave him my beauty
poor childl Well! I did my duty
and my conscience is at rest. Il
1 suffer, only God knows IT."
The doctor had taken frum his
pocket a small camel's hair brush
"sit STILL" said he, ''and let me
fix those spots" She turned bel
right cheek, and he began touching
it mere and there as lightly af
though placing small dots of color
He then treated the left cheek in
the same manner; next the chir
and forehead, and exclaimed:
"Look, they are all gone, al
gone!"
She took up the mirror, contem.
plated herself fxedly for some
moments, with the keenest anxiety
striving, if possible, to discover
something; then said with a sigh
"No, they no longer show much
I thank you infinitely"
The doctor had risen. He bowed
to her, showed me out, and follow.
ing after said, as soon as the dool
was closed:
II will tell you that unfortunate
woman's cruel history. Her name
is Madame Hermet. She was ex.
ceedingly beautiful. very coqueit'
tish, sincerely beloved and entirely
happy. She was Ole of those wo'
men who have nothing in the
world but their beauty and the de-
sire to please, to sustain, cherish
and console them. The constant
care of her complexion, her hands
her teeth, and each visible charm
occupied every hour and ell hel
attention.
':She became a widow with an
only son. The child was brought
up as are all children of greatly
admired society women; neverthe'
less, she loved him.
"He grew tall, and she-old
Did she see the fatal crisis ap.
preaching? I cannot tell. Did
she, like so many others, look each
morning for hours at the skin
once SO delicate, transparent, and
fresh, now beginning to wrinkle 8
trlhe under the eyes, to change be.
meath a thousand strokes, still i'm.
perceptible, but which would grow
deeper. day by day and month by
month?
"Did she also see increase, slowly
but surely, the long forehead lines
endure the torture, the abominable
torture, of the small hand-glass
that one cannot decide to lay dowr
and yet throws apgrily aside te
seize upon again and view nearer
still nearer, the calm, odious raw
ages of approaching old age? Die
she lock herself into her bedroom
ten or twenty times day, leaving
for no reason the drawing room
and the conversation of friends, tt
gaze once more on the work q
destruction, 10 view with despair
the slow progress of the i'll tina
no one else seems yet to see; bu
that she, herself, sees 80 clearly