The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-15

June 15th.-The confusion Of their ar |
rival has had time 10 subside. Two days !
have elapsed since the return of the
travellers. and that interval has sufficed
TO put the new machinery Of our lives at
Blackwater park In fair working order.
| may now return 10 my journal, with
some little chance OF being able 10 con-
tinue the entries In II as collectedly as
usual.
/ think / must begin by putting down
an odd remark which has suggested itself
to me since Laura came back.
When two members OF family. or two
intimate friends. are separated, and one
goes abroad and one remains at home
the return OF the relative or friend who
has been travelling always seems 90 place
the relative OF friend who has
been staying at home at painful
disadvantage, when the two first meet.
The sudden encounter OF the new thoughts
/ and new habits eagerly gained In the one
case, with the old thoughts and old
habits passively preserved in the other.
seems, at first. 20 part the sympathies
/ OF the most loving relatives and the fond
est friends. and TO set a sudden strange
ness, unexpected by both and uncontrol-
| liable by both. between them on either
side After the first happiness OF my
meeting with Laura was over. after We
had sat down together, hand In hand, TO
enough 10 talk, | felt this strangeness In
stantly. and / could see that she felt II
| too II has partially worn away, now
that we have fallen back into most OF our
old habits; and It will probably disappear
before long. But Il has certainly had
an influence over the first impressions
that I have formed of her. now that we
are living together agan-for which rea-
son only have thought At to mention II
here.
She has. found me unaltered, but have
found her changed.
Changed in person. and. I'm one respect,
changed in character. | can not abso-
lutely say that she is less beautiful than
she used to be: can only say that she is
less beautiful to me.
Others. who do not look at her with my
eyes and my recollections. would prob
ably think her improved There is more
color. and more decision and roundness OF
outline, in her face than there used to
be. and her figure seems more firmly
set, and more sure and easy In all it'
movements. than II was In her maider
days But miss something when lool
at her-something that once belonged e
the happy. innocent life OF Laura Fairlie
and that I can not find I'm Lady Clyde
There was. in the old times. freshness
a softness, an ever-varying and yet ever
/ ~ naining tenderness OF beauty In hel
face. the charm Of which II is not possible
10 express In words--or. as poor Hart
right used often To say, I'm painting
either. This Is gone. | thought | saw
the faint reflection OF Il for moment
when she turned pale under the agitation
Of our sudden meeting. on the evening
her return; but IL has never reappeare'
since. None OF her letters had prepare'
me for a personal change in her ON TN
contrary. they had Jed me 20 expect ina
II t,,-,.- MARRIAGE had -left her. In appearance
AT least. quite unaltered Perhaps rea'
her letters wrongly In the past, and an
now reading her face wrongly I'm the pres
entg No matter Whether beauty ma
salned or whether ~ has lost In the las
. six months. the separation. either way
. has made her own dear self more preciou
=, me than evef-and that Is one good re
sui, ~ her marriage at any rate!
, The second change. the change that
,-ra,-e orscrved her character. has no
surprised me. because I was prepared 10
II. in thi, case, b. the tone Of her Letters