Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-06-26
CHAPTER X.
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caution against danger was n cause
or sen-reproach with my poor father
ln-law during the remainder of his life
Inc accident had been immediately
tatal to both the animal and its master.
No spark of life fingered i'm pitbar
When they were raised from the spot.
need not dwell upon the extent of
my despair and grief. 1t is only neces.
sSary to say that the shock precipita ted
an event which was near at hand
ana within twenty-four hours 1 passed
from one of the happpiest. one of the
most joyous and hopeful young Great
ures upon whom the sun OF love and
prosperity ever shown into a state of
wretched and desperate widow and
motherhood which l. so gloomy, even
IN retrospect that l cannot bear to re-
call it.
oh my child, 1 have fallen short
OF the standard which God REQUIRED
or me! L have failed to fulfil the 10
mands His infinite wisdom hes laid
upon me. l have erred lamentabIv
ana nave been weighed in the balance
and found miserably deficient. But
little, little plea l must offer i'm ex
tenuation, founded upon the awful
agony of that period Dorothy, II was
a sudden and terrible call to arms in
NE that had never dreamt of war
dare. 1t found me unfurnished with
weapons of defence; ill-eouipped nm
prepared. I knew not how to meet ths
emergency. Bred in the lap of peace
sheltered from even n rude breath TO-
norant even of the meaning of stress
and conflict, how could l be expected
10 Valiantiy face and defend myself
from the enemyi AnG, alas, 1 did not.
L proved myself coward: YES. even
more than that-a cruel coward
My baby, who should have been
welcomed as solace in the bitter hour
OF my bereavement became an object
OF aversion to me. So associated was
he with my grief that his presence
grew to be insupportable. 1 delivered
him over almost entirely to the care of
his grandmother and nurse, and avoid
ed him whenever IL vas poss;bla for
me to do so. 1t was allbvt u crime that
I committed against my firstborn in
my wicked selfshness. and ] some
times think that God has seen fit To
punish my sin by laying His chasten.
ing Hand, heavy with retribution. nm.
on the heart which coldly neglected
one child to make an idol of another
Il was removed TO The Ivies. Her,
passed ten quiet uneventful years
Deneatn the roof of ay husbands
Iather and mother. Tenderly they Low.
ed me, and no daughter was ever more
carefully watched over and admin.
1stered unto than was their daughter
'tn-law. During those years my attach.
ment for the child grew no stronger
i could not bring myself (aIasl fear
I made slight effort TO do sol to over
come my GOODNESS towards him. And
yet he was a good little lad and gave
me almost no trouble. Through tho
long perspective Of my advanced years
i now look back upon the chiIdhood
OF my son Darracott, and the vision
of its loneliness and dreariness fills
me with yearning pity and ceaseless
remorse. l was oblivious of its pathos
then. Thank God, the boy had his
grandmother to love and make much
or him. Her devotion in some measure
repaired my objectionable fault.
Finally, the old people died III
found life at The Ivies unbearable
without them, and determined uDon
placing Darracott at school and Great.
ing new existence for myself by n [
long sojourn abroad. For three wears
/ devoted myself to foreign travel.
greatly enjoying the variety and ex-
element of constant change ami
movement after the extreme oufet
and monotony of my home-life. / was
furnished with excellent letters of in
production, and found ample oppor-
tunities afforded me for the Indulgence
of my natural inclination for gaietv
which had long been kept under re.
.straint.
lone evening, at ball at the British
Embassy in Madrid, / met Mr.. Ed
Aredge, man who was many wears NV
senior, but who was a man of finest
endowments and most finished cult
ure, and who interested me, extremely
by his brilliant conversational abilities
i experienced a keen delight in bis
SnRlpfU Wn
and saw much of each other: and
when, few months later, he asked me
to become his wife, | accented him
i had never thought TO feel again as
happy as / did in my marriage with
Mr.. Eldridge. He was man of slend
er means, and had frankly explained
to me before asking me to marry him.
that he had an income only sufficient
for a bachelors moderate reoujre
ments. But 1 had ample wealth nj
my command. My widows 1ointure
was handsome onS, added to which 4
as guardian of my sons minority. 7
had control of a very large amount
of income from his estate After n 4
few months more Of travel Mr. Ed.
colt. However, ha was completelyE
under her spell, and my expostulations1
went for naught finally, he came tos
me one day and informed me that he !
was to be married without delay Hes
had offered himself to the girl, at the
same time questioning her closely as.
TO her relations with David These
she assured him were merely of M
friendly character, and she accepted
my son without hesitation. / wass
much distressed, for L felt how un-s
wise Darracott's choice was, and wass
also firmly persuaded that Davids
looked upon Alice as in some ways
bound to him. felt nervous and uni
happy about the affair and in con-
sequence went to Mrs. Spencer be-S
fore the wedding, and asked her i'll
she knew whether there was anyt
understanding between Alice and hert
son. She was much disturbed by theS
suggestion, and / saw that sucn AM
idea NEas Innst I1nIunI cnI,aa. to hor ~