Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-02-15

iouCes VI CoutSo you uoH "hut tut
children to hear their mother tell the
plain story of your neglect, your out.
rage"
Here Mr.. Temrleton took of his hat
and made low bow with a glittering
smile to gentleman and lady passing
IN an opposite direction.
"What in the world is the matter
with Mrs Templeton?' asked the gen.
tleman. "She looks like thunder.
cloud full of lightnlngs."
"Hetty Morrss earrings, I guess"
was the answer. "She mas probably
seen them at church to-day. Poor
Mr.. Templeton! What a life that
vixen leads him"
~ don't know about that. He is
tremendously in love with her"
"How can he be?"
"Force OF habit, maybe. And she
is beauty, you know. And when
she is good natured there's nobody
like her"
"Well, by Easter you'll see her
with pair OF solitaires, I'll wager an
other pair. Take me up?'
'Not 1. I shouldn't have any nse
for them if I won, except to give them
back to you and l couldn't afford to
lose. Besides, don't bet on GER
tainty," said the careful Mr. Bowman.
And Just then, Hetty Morris coming
up, they stopped to admire her prec-
lous acquisitions; and Hetty heard
OF the wager, and shamed Mr.. Bow.
man into taking it, before they parted
and went their opposite ways, more
merrily than was their Sunday wont.
Not so Mr.. Templeton. As soon as
his wife had banged the door behind
her she tore of her bonnet and threw
herself on sofa, and called for Jane
to bring the ammonia, and her hus.
band to drop the shades, and Maria to
take the children where she could not
hear them, for her head was splitting
with pain, as any ones would be,
treated as she was. And she would
not go upstairs to bed, and MIR. Tenn
pleton's Sunday romp with the chill.
dren was abrogated, and his dinner
was made an act of silent and solitary
penance and if he told his wife he was
going to afternoon service, and did 60
over to his cousin Hetty's, she, at
least, had no right to blame him.
But woe for Mr.. Templeton when he
came home that evening! Mrs.
Templeton had been removed to her
own room, which reeked with steam
of camphor and alcohol she lay there
in her white nightgown. with her
black hair streaming over the pillow,
with her great black eyes rolled up
and fixed on remote point of the
ceiling, and with the foam standing
on her lips-ghastly, stiff and i'm.
movable. 1t made no odds to Mr..
Simpleton-I mean Templeton- that
he had seen her so fifty times before;
in, fact, always when che wanted some
thing she coull not have. Cold ter.
ror struck to his soul lest lie should
lose his torment; all her virtues
swelled into the hosts OF heaven, all
her faults were wiped out as with
sponge. He was down on his knees
beside her in moment. ooh, my
darling! my Juliet! my love! speak
to mel Tell me you know mel' he
cried. "Run for the doctor, Jane.
Where is DR.. Harvey? Why haven't
you had him here already? Get him
at once. Give me the brandy. Heat
these soapstones. Where are the hot.
water bags" And he was bathing
her lips, aud rubbing her hands, and
kissing her forehead, and adjuring
her to give any sign of life. But it
was not till the doctors steps was
heard that Mrs. Templeton vouchsafed
the least indication; and then her
breast began to heave, her hands to
tremble, her long supple body, that
had been stifily resting on its head and
heels only, began to sway and subside,
her feet to twitch, and presently those
feet were beating tattoo on the
footboard, and the lips parted in
shrieks, and the shrieks turned to
sobs. and the doctor was pouring
chloral between the teeth, and the
sobs sank away into sleep, and the
Mysteries were over.
"What could have excited you so,
my dearest, and thrown you into such
a terrible convulsion?" Mr.. Temple
ton was saying next morning.
("Hysterics" was forbidden word.
Mrs. Templeton would have had an
other attack at the sound of it.) ut
must have been the heat of the church
it was overpowering. Thurlow has
never learned to regulate that fur.
nace."
1.-THE heat, sighed Mrs. Temple
ton, family, land the glitter of those
diamonds. They kept dancing SO be-
fore my eyes with their bright spots
that they dazzled the brain. l am
afraid ! was very cross yesterday,
Jarius. / didn't know what was say
ing. Oh, never want to see any
diamonds again."
"You shall have a pair of your own
before I am week Older" exclaimed
the feeble husband.
lob, no, no, no! l should be 80
ashamed. don't deserve them. l.
I couldn't think of it. Indeed, indeed,
I wouldn't have you, Jarius darling;
1 should feel just as If I had begged
for them"
But when Mr.. Templeton returned
from the city that night, as pretty
pair solitaire earrings as he could
buy with the bond he sold glittered
in a velvet case marked with her
name.
As he opened the case and held it
before her, Mrs. Templeton shuddered
and turned her glance away from the
beautiful white sparkle, and said they
looked at her with two great eyes of
reproach, and she ought not to have
them, and they were as heavenly as
twin stars. Aud presently they were
glitteling in her ears, and all the
faiutness and languor were gone, and
she was running to the glass aud hold
ing her head on this side and on that,
and admiring herself, and turning to
her husband for admiration. Looking,
l.