Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-04-04

iiioIASl udu asked MIN, as distinct
personal favor, to keep his marriage
secret for short time, alleging as her
excuse that she wished Violet to as
! soclate with herself and her daugh-
tiers before she took her part in thu
world, Lady RIVERS had pointed out
to him many little deficiencies in
Violet which could be rectifed only by
attention and training.
You must not take her into So
ciety until she has been civilized. ;
said her ladyship, unless You wish 10
brand her and yourself too. If you
introduce her just as she is to the
world, every one will know you have
made mesalliance"
What is the matter with Violet.
mother, that you are always finding
fault with herr asked the young lord
Your wife's greatest fault is that
she IS perfectly and undisguisedly
natural said her ladyship. "She has
not been trained in any way; she does
what she likes, she says what she
thinks"
And why rot?" asked Lord RIVERS.
Seeing that all her actions are like
herself. noble and graceful, all her
thoughts grand and beautiful, why
should she rot do them, why not ex-
press them?"
IF she goes into society, she must
conform to the rules of society,"" said
Lady RIVERS: ''and you know how
utterly out of place a perfectly natural
woman is. Violet-how l dislike the
name!-is capable of saying anything
to any one She would tell the truth,
for instance, if she offended the most
important parsonage in England. She
would express her opinion on sub
ject, no matter what proprieties she
outraged. Given one Or two such wo-
men as Violet, and the world would be
all confusion"
Il am disposed to think rather that
we should be much nearer heaven
than we are. returned Lord RIVERS.
do understand you rightly, mother,
that my wife is not fitted for society
until she has learned to move artifi-
cially, to speak truthfuliy, to conceal
her thoughts?'
You willfully misunderstood me-"
said her ladyship. Il repeat that your
wife is not fit to go into society until
she understands its laws and rules
And those you and my sisters ar
to teach her?' said Lord RIVERS.
She can learn them from us, if
she chooses" answered her ladyship,
proudly. 81 shall not condescend to
give her lessons. Marguerite is con
sidered perfect model of good man
ners; Monica, too, although somewhat
animated, is very charming. When
did Marguerite ever hurt any one with
an unpleasant truth, or disturb the
polished surface of society by one
word out Of place? Did you ever hear
Marguerite express any raptures OF
joy Or give way to any outhurst of
sorrow? She has her feelings perfect
ly under control. Let your wife IL
to copy her"
"My wife might as we'll transform
herself into marble statue" said
Lord RIVERS. "The very beauty Of
Violet's face is the change of ex-
preston, the light that comes and
goes in her eyes, the rose-bloom that
changes in her face. Her eyes fill
with tears of pity, her lips laugh
sweetly when she is pleased, hun
| dred tender thoughts at times speak
in her face, her very glance denounces
all things mean-and yet you wish her
to be like Margueritel You may say
what you will and think what you will,
but am quite sure that the world-at
least, the men of the world-wilI
never look at Marguerite when Violet
is near. One tires in time of even the
most beautiful marble statue; o2e
never tires of a beautiful, intelligent,
animated woman.
your sister should be flattered,"
said the dowager, haughtily. 81 have
given you the best advice cen; you
must please yourself about following
| it,
| Partly because he wished to con-
ciliate his mother, and partly because
he thought there might be some little
truth in what she said, Lord RIVERS
consented that some weeks should
pass before his marriage was made
public. He repented of this con-
cession to his mothers wish most
| bitterly afterward.
| Her ladyship was possessed by the
notion that the marriage could be an.
nulled; her idea was to gain time.
She fervently hoped to prejudice h'r
son against his wife, and if she could
not do that, she had made up her
mind to a certain course. She would
write to one of the most famous law
yers in England, and ask if there was
no flaw in the marriage. If there
| were one. she would make her son
take his choice of annulling his MAI
riage or giving up his mother eff he
can do it. and will not" she vowed to
herself, '1 will never see him or speak
! to him again. If it cannot be an
nulled, l shall insist on living with
them, and she shall never have any
authority in this house
| And in the meantime she made
Violet suffer as much as possible.
| If she could have guessed at the
! thoughts that went through the girls
mind, she would have been more
merciful. The smallest thing, the
! lightest word, gave her some pretext
| for cruelty to Violet. AS rule, the
| girl resented it. but showed her anger
| by proud silence; at other times, when
| she felt tired or unhappy, she would
| weep bitterly.