Year: 1873

ton aud the immense field Of mythical construction
had bocnmc luminous with the reflected Eight of |
correspondences But 20 gather in tins greaV harvest
of truth was no EASY work His notes already made
n formidable range Of volumes, but pe crownlng
task would be 20 coudense the Icsutt' within the
limits of q single shelf. D0rOthoa bSteneS with
palptaing heart. In explaining to Ter ms ldelS ne
expressed himself with the same harned IreclAen
that he would have used with fellow stodent,
although when he employed a Grsek or l'atn phrase
he always gave the English with scrupuous care.
Dorothea was dazzled by the splendor of this vast
conception Here was living Bossuet who could
reconcile cemplete knowledge with devoted piety a
modern Augustine who combined in his own person
the CLONES of scholar aud saint The Sanctity was
no less conspicuous than the learning. Her dearest
views with regard TO the absorption of self III com
munion with the Infinite reflected from the
spotless mirror of his stupendous intellect.


He was not long in coming to an eclaircissement
with the beautiful soul that he had taken captive
When he looked at her radiant loveliness, his face
was liz MP by smile like pale wntry sunshine. One
day while taking pleasant walk along the paveled
terrace he informed her that he felt the disadvan
tage of loneliness and needed the cheerful compan-
ionship with which the presence of youth can
tighten the serious tolls of maturity The statement
was delivered with the grave dignity of diplomatic



tions. The idea that Mr. Casaubon wished to make
her his wife touched the heart of Dorothea with
sense of reverent gratitude. 1t seemed as if winged
messenger from the skies had suddenly stood beside
her path She had onged to make her life noble and
greatly effective. All her youthful passion had thus
far been concentrated upon this hunger OF the SOUL
| The union which now attracted her would denver
her from the grlish subjectOn to her own ignorance


and enable her fully TO accept guide who wouid
take her along the grandest path. Upon more in
innate acquaintance with Mr. Casaubon, her first I'M


pressions were more than justified. He proved all
J that her fancy had painted him. Every word that


fell from his lips was like specimen from nlne.
| His conversation resembled the inscription on the


door of museum which might open on the treas
ures of past ages He talked to the young girl, not


with absurd compliment, but with appeal to her


understanding and sometimes with instructive cor
| rectiOn She had never dreamed of such delightful
| companionshp.


Soon after came a formal letter of proposal from
| Mr.. CasaubOn DorOthea trembled as she read II.
! Then she fell on her knees buried her face, and
| sobbed Her feelings were too strong for
! prayer. Amid the rush of solemn emotion, her


thoughts became vague, dim images fioated before


her mind and she could only cast herself into the lap


of divine consciousness which sustained her own.


Her whole soul possessed by the fact that more
!
neophyte about to !enter upon moro transcendant


order of initiation Now she would be able to devote


herself to large yet definite duties. She would be
| allowed TO live continually in the light of mind
! that she tcould reverence. The hope was mingled


with glow of proud delight, the joyful maiden sur
prise that she chosen by the man, whom her ad-


miration had transfgured into idol. ALI her pas
| sion was dffused through mind struggling toward
an ideal life The radiance of her gorfed girlhood


fell OH the first object that came within its level.
The interval before his marriage was the first in
| terruption which Mr.. Casaubon had experienced in
the progress of his great work. He ehence looked for


ward the more eagerly to the happy termination Of
courtship. But he had deliberately accepted the
hinderance He had made up his mind that it was
now time to adorn his life with the gTaces of female
| companionshin He wished to irradiate The gloomy
| atmosphere of scholastic labor with the play of
female fancy, and in his eliminating age 20 secure
the solace of .wOmans tenderness for his declining
years. He thus resolved TO abandon himself to the
| stream of feeling. But brief experience soon
awoke him to a sense of illusion. He was amazed TO
find that the of love only a shallow pool
He came to the conclusion that the poets had much
exaggerated the force of masculine passion.


Before the marriage, Dorothea made a visit to the
clerical mansion which was to be her future home


She found the house and grounds all that she could
wish. The dark book k-shelves in the long library
the carpets and curtains with colors subdued by
| time the curious old maps and veins the walls
of the corridor. had oppression for her. She
walked about the rooms with delightful emotion.
Everything had a hallowed charm. When Mr..
Casaubon drew her attention to some special
| rangement, she gratefully met the appeal to her
taste but saw nothing to change. His efforts at
act courtesy and formal tenderness had no defect.
She filled up all blanks with unmanifested perfec


tons, interpreted him she interpreted the works
of Providence, and accounted for seeming discords
! BY her own deafness to the higher hamonies.


But as the time fixed for theEmarriage drew near,
Mr.. Casaubon did not find his spirits rising. The
contemplation of the matrimonial garden, where as
all experience showed the path TO be bordered
with flowers. did not prove more enchanting than
the dim vaults where he walked taper in hand. He
did not, however confess to himself, much less
would he have breathed to another, that though he
had won lovely and nOble-hearted girl, he had not
won delight. The poor gentleman had imagined
that his long studious bachelorhood had stored up
for him compound interest Of enjoyment, and that
large drafts on his affections would not fail to be
honOred But he was saddened by the very
conviction that his circumstances were unusually
happy. he could not account for a certain blank
ness of sensibity that came him just when his
gladness should have been most lively. II was q
weary experience which condemned him to as utter
loneliness as he found in the deSp pair which threat
ened him while tOiling in the mOrass of authorship
without seeming nearer the goal.


In spite of cloudy weather, the marriage day at
length dawued uponithe celestial lovers and after
the knot tied, they took their wedding journey
to Rome Before many weeks had passed, Dorothea
found herself IN a handsome apartment in the Via
Sistina sobbing as if her heart would break. Mr.
Casaubon was away as usual at the Vatican She
had no distinct grievance which she could even
state to herself. In the midst iof her confused
thought and PASSION twas the selfaccusng cry that