Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-05-19


Jhey' were mostly very old, draughty
and ill-built. some people had been
9 known to leave much more comfort
able dwellings for their sake. Ihere
we're certainly, however the adVah-
rages of a fine view Of the cathedral,
and an open, healthy situation, not
tn mention one Of the great attrac-
tions to the inhabitants of chichester
"a first-rate view of your neighoors
houses, and the best possible chance
OF knowing all they did.
For like all small towns, hllcheS-
ter derived it's pleasure, its store OF
anecdotes, it's daily conversation
from gossip; and as there was but
little amusement of higher kind in
the place, and a dearth Of work, or,
more truly, a sleepiness in the atmos-
phere. which tended to destroy the
faculty for work there was some eX-
cuse for this.
! The arrival of a visitor at the dean
cry was sufficient to set all tongues
in the place going, and when II
gradually became known that the
dean had adopted his niece, and that
she would thenceforth live at Riches
ter, Esperance became quite a nine
days wonder"
Had she only come to the place
earlier in the year, when every one
was full Of compassion for the whole
French nation, she would have met
with a much warmer welcome; but
the horrors of the Commune had
quite altered this feeling, and to be of
French birth was the reverse Of a.
commentator.
Her appearance was criticised Sc
yerely and strange stories were set
afloat as to her history; one old lady
-well-known as the greatest gossip
in the close--had told her friend that
! the dean had been seen to flush quite
angrily when some one had made In
! quiries after NJ de Mabllon-she
feared he had been a most notorious
| Characterize dean had felt his sis
! ter's marriage most acutely, she knew
/ this as a fact.
From this beginning arose a wild
story exaggerated still more at each
/ repetition, in which 1t was stated TINT
/ Esperance's father had ended a most
Ubiquitous life by attempting to betray
| his country to the Prussians, and had
/ in consequence been shot, while her
brother had assisted in the murder of
l 4
~ been killed as a communistic in
surgent When II transpired that he
was alive and well in London, mar
velous escape was first supposed, and
afterward added to the story as q
| fact.
/ OF course the subject was avoided
/ both with the Collinsons and with Els
/ perance herself, so that il was long
before the truth was really known
/ Esperance, In consequence, thought
the Rlchester people hard-hearted
and unsympathizing, 1t would have
/ been relief to her to talk sometimes
/ of her father, and of thir troubles In
the siege, but no one opened the sub
/ iect and il she ever alluded to 1t, they
changed the conversation at once. in
reality from kind-heartedness and
wish to spare her, but with what
seemed Of course, to her, an utter
want Of interest.
Those first few months tried her
severely She was very lonely.
anxious about Gaspard and out Of
harmony with her surroundings
Cornelia was cold and sarcastic. and
her time for study was a real trial
Mrs Mortlake was unjust and irritat
/ ing, Bella, cross and spoiled; Bertha
disappointing and reserved. This. at
least, was Esperance's view of the
family She had yet to learn that
lis We not they who are In fault,
/ when others seem so wrong"
or course her grievances were not
/ wholly imaginary but she magnifed
them greatly and would not see the
good points which couutcrbalanced
the failings.
Her letters to Gaspard. which had
mt first been brave ana cheerful. were
now either In strain of forced merri-
ment or with an undertone OF bitter
ness which was very foreign to her
nature She never complained. It is
true. but she indulged herself mora
and more i'm little sarcasms at the ex-
pense Of her friends and Gaspard
sfew seriously uneasy about her.
He wrote to her al last with a very
gentle remonstrauce. and entreating
her to tell him il she were really up-
happy but the reply was far from
satisfactory and only made him stin
more anxious. It ran as follows:
The Deanery chichester, 10th
September 1871.
My Dear Gaspard. A thousand
thanks for your welcome letter and
for The scolding you gave me. onlv i
can hardly call it by such a name
since | am accustomed here TO 4
much more severe fault-hndipr So
laa really think am growing sar.
. castle Well M, h,rgt,. ,.