Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-09-16
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q Society Novel.
MARIE CoRELLL


ieLces, apart from her home life, eX-
tended merely TO the narrow and re-
stricted bounds OF simple and severe
convent discipline, where she had
been taught that the pomps and yani-
ties of the world were foolish and
transient shows, and that nothing
could please God more tnar purity ana
rectitude OF soul. Her character was
formed, and set upon firm basis
hrmer than she herself was conscious
of The nuns who had been entrusted
with her education had fulfilled their
task with more than their customary
zeal--they were Interested In the
beautiful Norwegian child for the sake
OF her mother, who had also been their
charge. One venerable nun In partcu-
lar had bestowed deep and lasting
benefit on her, for, seeing her extra
lordinary beauty, and forestaling the
dangers and temptations into which
1.-THE possession Of such exceptional
Icharms might lead her, she adopted a
wise preventive course, that cased her
las 1t were in armor, proof against all
IuhbHI VI buLtCl y. WV WIN VIZ
girl quite plainly that she was beauti-
lful but at the same time made her
IaWare that beauty was common, that
she shared 1t alike with birds, flowers,
trees, and I'll the wonderful objects Of
nature moreover, that 1t was nothing
Ito boast OF, being so perlshable.
Suppose rose foolish enough to
boast OF It's pretty leaves" said the
gentle religieuse on one occasion
"They all fall to the ground III a short
time, and become decayed and yellow
1t Is only the frangrancc, or the soul
of the rose that lasts" Such precepts,
that might have been wasted on less
sensitive and thoughtful nature, sank
deeply into Thclma's mind she aC-
cepted them not only In theory but In
practice, and the result was that she
accepted her beauty as she accepted
her health,-as a mere natural occur
renee no more. She was taught that
the three principal VII tues of a woman
were chastity, humility, and obedience,
these were the laws of God, fixed and
immutuble, which no one dared break
without committing gricVous and UNI
pardonablc sin. So she thought. and
according to her thoughts she lived
What strange world, then, lay before
! her In tho cont amplated change that
was about to take place N the even
tenor of her existence! A world of
intrigue and folly--a world Of inidel-
ty and falsehood! how would she
meet IT.? 1t was question she never
asked herself she thought London a
sort of magnihed Chrlstinnia. or at
best, tho proycncal town OF Aries on II
lai ger scale. She had heard her
father speak of it, but only in a vague
way, and she had been able to form no
just idea even even to herself of the
enormous metropolis crowded to eX-
cess with It's glad and sorrowGul, busy
and idle rich and poor millions. Eng
land itself noated before her fancy as
u green, fertile empowered island
where Shakespeare had liVed-and 1t
delighted her to know that her future
home. Burlington Manor, was situated
in Warwickshirc, Shakespoares Coun~
ty. or the society that awaited her
she had no notion. she was prepared
to keep house for her husband in II
very simple way--to spin his house
hold linen to spare him all trouble and
expense, and to devote herself body
and soul to his service. AS may be
we'll imagined, the pictures she drew
ot her future married life, as she sat
and span with Britta on that peaceful
afternoon, were widely different to the
destined reality that every day APP
preached her more nearly.
Meantime, while the two girls were
ut home and undisturbed In the quiet
farmhouse, the mountaineering party,
! headed by Sigurd, were we'll on their
way towards the great Fall of Njede-
gorze. They had made II toilsome
ascent of the hills by the side of the
Alton river they had climbed over
claggy boulders and slippery rocks,
sometimes wading l<nee-deep In the
stream, or pausing To rest and watch
the salmon leap and turn glittering
somersaults in the air close above the
diamond-cloar water, and they had
boeuilod their fatigue with songs and
laughter and the telling of fantastic
legends and stories IN which Slgurd
had shone at his bcst-indeed. this
unhappy being was in singularly
clear and rational frame of mind, dis.
pc sed, too, to be agreeable even to-
wards ErrinRton l4orimor, who for
reasons Of his own, had kept close
watch on Sigurd ever since his friends
engagement TO rhelma, was surprised
ard gratihod ut his change in his
former behavior and encouraged him
in ii, while Errngton himself ie-
slonded to the dwnrf's profferod
friendship, and walked beside him,
chatting eheerfully, during the most
part of the excursion to the Fall. 1t
was long and exceedingly difficult
journey and in some parts dangerous
but Sigurd proved himself worthy OF
the commendation, bestowed on him
by the honde. and guided them by the
easiest and most secure paths, till At