The Press., 1895-01-10

Sir Humphrey Gilbert dressed his wife in lady's garb and surrounded her with all the appointments that were suited to her new station. The first jar. to his happiness was given by his per ception that, beautiful as was Macha in her silks and faces and trinkets, mu- sieal as was her speech, graceful as were her movements there was yet some thing wanting in her to make her bride that could be presented, without risk of criticism, to his friends. The enchanting mountain girl, with her picturesque beauty and wild charming ways, was no more. The lovely Lady Gilbert was little too unconventional, with her soft brogue, her vivid and fig urative language, her quick natural ges- lures, her little slips in grammar and artless habitual utterance of the truth. But Sir Humphrey was very patient with her and set to work to polish his precious gem in the rough.
 A long time passed over, and the hus- band felt no desire to revisit the high lands of Connaught.
 ''Dear,'' said his wife to him one day, "when are we going back to see my mother?' S-s=- {,
 She was standing before him in a flowing robe of soft white stuff, with her honey colored hair dressed by a French maid, with jewels in her ears and flowers at her breast, looking such picture of beauty and refinement that even the peculiar intonation that still clung to her speech could not declare her other than lady. Macha possessed in high degree the power of adapting herself to the ways of those around her. Her husband recognized this power in her and relied upon it to carry him through the consequences of his own rash and extraordinary conduct. He was grateful to his wife for the persistent efforts he saw her make, knowing she was influenced solely by love for him, for she took but little interest in the pleasures that surrounded her. He did not know how far she was influenced by another motive also, the desire to earn reward, in the fulfllment of his prom ise to bring her back to her native hills.
 So long ago did it seem, that folly that had married him to peasant wife, that all recollection of the details of the circumstances had almost passed away from his mind. He was man of quick, overpowering impulses and memories that faded with case. Things that were full of pathetic interest to him yester- day were very likely to be folies to him today. Yet he was faithful in his affec- tion for Macha, and the sight of her struggling with her difficulties, labor ing to make herself all that he could wish and succeeding by the inspiration of something like genius touched and delighted the best feelings of his na- ture. He was the more disposed to be satisfied with the results of his mar riage bet.Anse his wife's low extraction learn to forget Macha, and Macha must learn to forget them.
 How was she to be taught to do it, though? Why was she so stupidly, so obstinately blind to the exigencies of the case? Full of intelligence on every other subject she could not be brought 1 to see that between Sir Humphrey s wife and the wild tribe of her people there could not and must not be any further personal intercourse. How slow she was in taking up his meaning when he tried to bear it in upon her without putting the fact before her in pncom- fortable wordsl With her beautiful seri- GUS face, her outward and inward refine ment, in her soft white draperies and delicate faces, how could she contem. plate a visit to that abode of poverty which he remembered only too we'll: Fancy the wild, brown little sisters hug- ging the elegant Lady Gilhertj the meager, weather beaten mether weeping oyer her; the mummylike grandmetheE mumbling. Irish into her earsl There i was grotesqueness in the picture as presented to,Sir sHumphrey's imagina-