LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2518, 4 May 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

"WHY SHOULD A MAN MARRY HIS DEAD WIFR’A BISTER ? When Hugh Eolht’a young wife was on her death-bod sho turned to her husband—■who was holding one of her thin bands between his—and whiepcel, almost with her last breath, ‘ How nice it would have been, dear, if you could have married Maude. I should have gone away so happy to think sho would be a mjther to my poor babes,’ There was a wistful look in the dying young mother’s eyes as she said this, for thoughts were passing through her mind ■which she could not speak, Maude was her favorite sister, who had nursed her through her Illness, and had taken the tenderest care of her children. Nobody else could have taken such care of them, and tho young mother could not help wondering why any law should exist to prevent Hugh from marrying Maude. A time might come when Hugh would be married again to some strange girl, and when Maude herself would go away to a home of her own. What would become of the children then 1 Would Hugh’s new wife love them as Maude did. treating them like her own flash and blood for her dear dead sister’s sake ? The young wife considered it would be a natural and almost holy thing that Hugh and Maude should bo married to each other, and her last moments were saddened with anxieties from reflecting that this could not be. Yet, when the young wife was dead, her sister continued to redda fn Hugh Follel’s house. Maude became her brother-in law’s housekeeper, his companion, and the guardian of his child ran, whom she truly loved as if they were her own. She was a sweet and comely girl, very like her sister in appearance, and with a voice which ao much resembled hers, that when Hugh closed his eyes and hoard her talk, he often fancied that his dead wife was in tho room. He could have felt for no other woman what he felt for her, for part of the love which he bore her came from the deep affection which lie had cherished towards his wife; and she could have regarded no other man as she did him, beoause the memory of her beloved lister and the duties she had undertaken towards her children formed the strongest natural link between her h*»rt and his. Vet Maude was in law only Hugh’s sister, and other men had a right to pay her attentions and make her propo.-als of marriage—whi :h they did, to her own distress and to Hugh’s misery and annoyance Maude refused all offers ; but when it was aeon that she did this systematically, people began to whisper. People are very good-natured. They might have tolerated Maude’s residence with her brother-in-law had she been an elderly -woman ; but they doubted the propriety of her living with him as things sto.id ; for all which they kept on repeating emphatically that she was only his sister, and several of -them expressed the hope that sho would not so far forget herself as to marry that brother, in whose house they held It improper for her to live otherwise than as a wife

This curious confusion, produced by an unnatural law which had muddled public opinion, had its effect upon Hugh and Maude. It would have been very bitter for them to part ; indeed Hugh felt that the whole future of his children must be affected for the worse by their being deprived of such motherly love as Maude gave them j and Maude, on her side, believed it was her plain duty to witch over the poor little things who olang to her, and was learning to call her mamma. Besides, was it not the opinion of the great majority of the nation—nay, of the whole oiviliaed world—that a man ought to bo allowed to marry hia dead wife’s sister ? Tha House of Commons had juatpaased a Bill, giving its sanation to such mar'iages, and it had only been rejected by the House of Lords, a body which in noway represented public opinion. Everybody was saying that the Lords could not hold oat long against the good sense of the community ; and so Hugh and Maude wait d another year, hoping that the Lords would at last give way. But. meanwhile, Hugh thought It honest to tell hia friends that he and Maude had quite made up their minds to marry, and were only waiting until the law had been a'tornd. The consequence was that poor Mande was more whispered against than ever. Once again the Hereditary Honse threw out tha Commo is’ Bill, and then a day came when some ol Hugh’s friends told him it would be better for Miss Ashnrst’s own sake that he should make her his wife without further delay. ‘People wi'ljtalk, yon know,’ they said, ‘and after all, every person whose opinion is worth having will think you are doing .right. The bill must be passed before long, and then a clause will dertalnly be inserted to give it retro-aotive effect, so that your marriage will be legalised. Accordingly, Hugh and Maude went to Switzerland one antumn and got married. If Hugh had been rich he would probably have settled in Switzerland until the Lords chose to hear reason; but he earned bis living by ao appointment which obliged him to reside in England, and even this short trip abroad caused him inconvenience. Bat he took it because his conscience would not have allowed him to give an untruthful answer to the adjuration; “I charge ye . . . . If ya know any just cause or impediment, &c. Though he knew of no just cause before God why he should not contract a marriage for [which unanswerable Biblical warranty exists, yet,'admitting his allegiance to the law, be fonnd himself in a dilemma. Besides, a marriage in England would have been of no use to him. In Switzerland, where a m»n may wed hia deceased wife’s sister, he was joined, as he believed, in a perfectly lawful union. Mr and Mrs Foil at came back to England, and had some right to expect that they would be kindly received by the friends wh r had counselled them to marry. Certainly, their men friends greeted them pleasantly enough ; but it was different with the ladies. It la curious how certain ladies, Irreproachable in moat respects—or, at least apparently so—should take anch a pleasure in seeing members of their own sex placed in cruel and humiliating positions. Maude Follet was known to be vary good j and yet many, who passed for good, forsook her. Even those who braved prejudice for her aake did cot dare to do so long. The magnate of the neighborhood was a Lord Jinks, whose own morals were none of the strictest, generally speaking; bat on this question of marrying a deceased wife’s slater he professed to have strong opinions. So had Lady Jinks. The nobis pair tabooed Maude Follet, and their example was followed by the community, not because anybody thought much of the Jinks’s opinions, bat because few had the courage to put tbemselves In opposition to a peer and a peeress. It was a painful life which Maude was made to lead. To live amid the respect of one’s neighbors, or to be exposed to nngenial stares and whispered jibes, makes all the difference between residing in a sunny climate or in an icy cold One. Moreover the cold Introduced itself into Maude's house. According as men are made cf strong gift or disposed to feebleness, they meet public injustice with a stern front,’which becomes more and more stern, or else their self-respect gets slowly obliterated. Hugh Follet first suffered keenly from his wife’s unmerited disgrace j then he got accustomed to it, and, from weakness of character, came to make mental concessions towards public opinion, or, rather, towards the opinion of Lord and Lady Jinks, He was a person of sociable habits, who found It troublesome to be obliged to keep aloof from the houses of his friends baoanae their wives would not receive Mande. One day he compromised his dignity by accepting an in vita tlon to go and dine at a friend’s honse without hia wife. Every step he took from that time was a false one.

Ho loved Maude still very wall, in his new Way. Two children had been born to her, bat they had not diminished one particle of the affection which she bore to her sister’s little boy and girl, and she brought up her small family of four like the most devoted .and impartial of mothers. Hugh saw it and admired her. She was a good wife ; she had sever said or done a thing of which he could complain. However, there was no denying that the deceased wife’s sister question was a teasing one. There had been a general election, and the new Parliament, which was Conservative, had destroyed all hopes that the law would be altered within any measurable time. Hugh dined out more and more often, and fell into the way of talking and being spoken to as if he were not a married man. Ladies made a point of never alluding to Mrs Follet. If they asked how hla childi en were they always meant the elder two, and assumed chilly expressions If he Inadvertently said that the last baby was doing well. Ho had the meanness at length ts Invent excuses on Sundays for not going to church with hla wife. Ho was ashamed

to show himself with her in the street. She, poor woman, was a long time before she subpe< t )<i all this. In her simple trustfulness she imagined that her husband was more stduioui to shio'd her from annoyance than co avoid any on his own ao ■< u .t, Even when Hugh’s manners changed —when he booame irritable, quick to find fault, and ger.er.illy unkind—she still thought thit he was vexed at the pu’nlio injuaiice against herself, and as it w .a for her sake that he was suffering all this she fels for him with the grateful, wholly unselfish, sympathy of W'raea who love.

On s oven’ng, when Hugh had gone out to a dinner, Mr Bwaln, the rector of the par it h, called on Mrs Follet. He was a young man. but lately boneficed—one of the good sort of clergymen; gentlemanlike, earnest, and yet pleasant to talk with. He knew Maude’s story, and entertained the aincoreet respect for her. Ho had called on her several times before, and had alwaya sought to give her consolation for the injustice she was enduriog by assuring her that he looked upon her as beyond all doubt legally wedded. On iho particular evening in question ho took one of her children on his knee, and seeing her sad, said a few kind words to exhort her to bear her persecution with fortitude. Some tears escaped from her eyes, and she had not wiped away all traces of them when her husband suddenly returned. He had oome away early from the dinner party, as he did not feel well, and he was in a bad, nervous temper. The sight of Mr Swain evidently did not soothe him. ‘ It’s a strange hour for that man to pay you a visit” he remarked, sulkily, when the rector had gone ; * this is the third time he has called within ten days.’ ‘He came to-night to bring me o book, 1 said Maude.

‘ It was quite a family picture, I declare,’ continued Hngh, with a spiteful sueer; ‘ you in tears, ho sitting in my chair with a sentimental look, and holding baby on his knees. Did he make you aa offer of marriage?’ ‘ Hugh !’ ‘ Oh, he might, you know. You’re a free woman in law. Only. If you mean to play that gams yon had better tell me, for I can play it, too.’ • Hugh ! Hugh ! what have I done that you should treat mein this way ?’ exclaimed the poor woman ; but hor husband left the room, telling her not to make a scone, as his head ached.

He did n-.t mean what he had just said. He was sorry f>r it the next day, and did not ref jr again to the subject. But the last remnant ot had been swept away from his relations with hia wife by the Insult be had thrown at her, and nothing he oould ever say thenceforth would have the power to restore that confidence which Maude had frit to him, and which ho had broken. The consciousness of this rendered him morose. Socking self justification, ha accused the Inignitions law which left him uncertain as to whether he had a wife or not; but on Maude there fell a heavier blight than mere moroseness. The contempt cf the world had been very hard to bear, bat the flight from her own husband was unendurable. She dared no longer receive visitors, lest Hugh should be jealons, and she became ashamed before her own servants. Hugh, seeing her every day, did notice that there was muoh change In her ; but, after some months, the doctor, who had come to see one of the children, was alarmed at her wan appea-ance. He went at once in quest of her husband, and told him the truth.

‘ yoa must bo very careful, Mr Follett, Your wife is In a decline,’

‘ What makes you think that ?’ said Hugh, turning pale. In an instant there before hia imagination the picture of what his Ufa woo'd be without Mande, Ho hurried home. By the light of what the doctor bad said, one glance at Maude’s face was enough ; he read coming death in it. He sat down beside her, and took her hand. It was s long, long time now since ho had dona her a kindness, or spoken her a truly kind word. She looked surprised ; and that half-shrinking look cat him to the soal.

‘ Maude, the dootor says you are not very well,’ he faltered ; * you want a change of air.’ She forgave then all at once, as women do.

‘ Hugh,’ dear, I think I shall not be here long,’ she said gently; *1 would try to got well If I oould, for the children’s sake. , ” * Oh I and for my sake, Mande !’ ‘Yes. and for your sake,’ she said with a faint smile, as she stroked hia head with one of her wasted hands, ‘ Hugh, dear, you will promise me to be good to the ohilren, when lam gone ? If you marry again, don’t let your wife speak badly of mo to my two darlings,* it almost broke Hugh’s heart to hear her talk la this way. From that day he went about asking everybody what was beat things for patients In a decline. As if to atone for his former want of spirit, he talked incessantly, and, indeed, aggressively, of hia ‘wife,’ looking as if he would pick a quarrel with any person who denied Maude’s right to that title. But all this could not save toe poor sufferer’s life. She declined rapidly, and one winter evening died, leaving him with the miserable reflection that she might have lived long and happily with him, had be protected her with more manliness, and cherished her as he had sworn to do when she had bound herself to him by a marriage as sacred as was ever contracted. Hugh’s troubles were not at an end when Mande had been laid in her last bed beside her sister. The bishop of the diocese, who claimed jurisdiction over churchyards, and who, like Lord Jinks, had strong views about marriage with a deceased wife’s sister, took it upon himself to object to Maude being described as Mr Follett’s wife on her tombstone. * She was not your wife by law, ’ wrote the bishop’s chaplain to Hugh, ‘ and his lordship trusts that yon will, however painful it may be to your feelings, see the propriety of avoiding anything that m ght promote scandal.’ A man who cannot st nd up for his wife while: she is alive, is not likely to do battle for her very chivalrously when she is dead, so, after a weak interchange of letters, Hugh gave in, * to avoid worry,’

The words on tho second Mrs Follett’s tombstone, which was the same as her sister’s, ran simply:— ‘ Also of Maude, eister of the above, aged 27.’ But even this concession did not pacify Lord and Lady Jinks, who declared it ‘ outrageous that the two sisters should sleep In tho same grave.