The Yale expositor., 1896-09-04

and poorp she said. "a woman, too.
whom society forbids, upon penalty OF
Punishment from the circle in which
she was born and bred, to seek i've
lihood by manual labor. 1t is easy for
men to talk OF freedom of thought and
action. The world is before them. To
them the bread of charity and depend
latter is the only nourishmunt of most
women from the cradle to the tomb. I
wish the passage between the two was
shcrter-for their sake"
II never looked at the subject in that
light before" was Edwards remorseful
reply. Poor old Harriet / see now
how much more she merits pity than
contempt"
"She is no worse off than thousands
of her sisters" said Constance, in
harsher judgment. Content yourself
with giving thanks that you were
born a man.
She had spoken out of the pain of
wrung spirit, with no thought of plead
ing her own cause. She was too proud
to murmur, least of all to her hus-
bands brother. But the conversation
was key that unlocked for her in his
heart recesses of interest and sympathy
which must else have remained forever
barred against woman who, whatever
were her virtues and destinations, had
| deliberately bartered her charms and
| perjured herself in order to secure an
eligible settlement.
, And, to do her justice, she is supe-
| rlor TO the practice of the arts that make
Harriet acceptable to my brother and
odious to everybody else" he meditat-
ed. "She offers no profession of devo-
| ton to the man she has married, while
she accords to him the respectful duty
| OF wife. Elnathan seems satisfied.
Perhaps he Graves nothing warmer
Pray heaven he may never guess of how
much fate has defrauded him in with
holding from him the free, glad affec-
tons of true womanw
IL there were any changes in his be-
havior to Constance after this, IL was
to be discerned in gentler address, in
unobtrusive regard for her wishes, ex-
pressed or surmised, and prolonga.
ton Of his stay in a house that held sc
few attractions for her. That this ar.
rangement was highly satisfactory t
his brother was not without effect IN
shaping his conduct. That Harriet piled
him with solicitations to remain before
his decision was announced, and wa!
loudly voluble in her protestations O
delight when the question was cettled
had not a straws weight with aim
she annoyed him less than formerly
however, either, as he explained 1t t
himself, because he had learned charit,
from Constance's defense of the lionel,
spinster's policy, or because she KEEP
herself more in the background thar
was her wont. She seemed amiabl,
disposed toward Constance, toe and h
strove to credit her with kind inten
lions with regard to one whom mes
people in her situation would hav
hated as a usurper. She abetted what
ever project of outdoor excursion o
domestic recreation was proposed b.
him for Constance's diversion, ofrerin
herself as the wife's substitute in tn
|
Moons, that Constance and Edwar
might act as outriders, and neve
failed TO call the husbands notice (
her graceful Workmanship and tn
brighter bloom planted in her cheek
by the exercise. Mr.. Withers neve
tired of chess, and the indefGtigabl
toad-eater apparently shared his yea
on this point. The board was produce
nightly as the days became shorter an
the evenings cooler, and music, readin
= or conversation upon art and literG
ture was carried on for hours by til
remaining two of the quartette withou
interruption from the automata bel
over the checkered surface.
For Harriet could be taciturn whe
need was-a very lay figure in dumb
ness as in starch. Whether she eve
ceased to be watchful was another ma
I. ter.
, ITO BE coNTINUED.l