LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7734, 9 February 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

!'-. EWTCWBLY RECONCILED. S" L, Esther Remington slood before her the pkture 01" dejection. EviS4lffrt<y her thoughts wen' not of the charming reflection centred in its ?? -clear depths, anil .vet the slender, erJvSrt figure, in Its close-fitting, sntin 6f g»wn, with filmy lace forming de'i- | gt.otto shadows en sho round arms nnd IVsWck, was very pleasant to roKtein|vptnta. But the proud face, with its ' g asiatll.v lie:icillt_'d ovebrows and el -ar, % <rey eyes fringed with heavy lashe.-, <k Dad rat air of weariness and sadness. isi,, Vet it was only three months since Tana had »tood in all the j&f splendour of this very attire, and St, ' sronounced the words which made g her Arthur Remington's wife. |!" The door was opened with noisy !g iMsfe, n»i a young man entered. £ "I forgot everything ahout this erafoutxied paity. Either," he began ' " ill Irurrif*) explanation. "I seo you are drev-cd, but you know it never taWts we long to get ready." And ; Mr Remington commenced the preparations (or his toilet. " We shall be rather late, I think," has wife responded, without turnj" tag towards h'tiu i but there was a n tremulous resentment in the manfier with which t%3 clasped the wide band M gold upon her arm. C said her husband. " I always thought you women liked art - rirrag at * sensation timo,' "We adBed oareiesßly; " but then—l can sec »_ that you Aave the bad taste to be • hufly ' again this evening," as Estb- *• maintained silence. }' She confronted biiu with flushing \ " I Certainly should nol go at this r teto hour," she said in proud dis- £' - data, "except •that it mlghl oi-i>ear £ a trifle odd to toe absent from an eni" t/srtalnineat given especially in hon- ■■■- our of our marriage." j> ,_ *At leas* you can decline all such * " invitations in future," her husij_ band coolly retorted. " You know I do aot care (or parties und balls—fc Indeed, they are almost bow in mils*' experience." EjV ** You would rather stay ai home f\ with a nasty old book, 1 suppose." J*. "I certainly should. Our own fireg.' aide is good enough for me." gi- "■* But I like society. I have been E aecßStained to it all my life." g •* That is unfortunate, for mothei P» *od I entertain very tittle. It's nc Itei use, Eo.her—you can't make a socirety man of me. If you want to gc to* social functions you must provide yourself vjth another escort." And with a laugh Remington delib- £ erateiy proceeded to arrange his tie g Poor Ksther ! She walked proudlj r- into the next room and throw her E self on the pretty hlue lounge, re E, cordless alike of lace, flowers, an; |> flilatily-drtßsed hair. But there wer K- •• tears—only miserable thoughts %■ that tilled her heart almost tc E: bursting, and took away the powei a* to draw long breaths. She had look f * ed forward with almost a child': fc/ pleasure to this evening, and now it gj- was spoilt hy the words just spok » But it would not do to think jusH |~ low, Her husband was ready, anc p" tha ordeal must I* got over saomegfv how; and she must personate th< W'~- fcappy hrkte. A wrotched evening i! proved lo her, and to please him sht £• , proposed an early departureL All th( »- happiness was over already, shi Ml thousht. as they roaicd silcntlj l honn S? SB, the carriage. And she had givei &■; up the old fvee homo life, and coin St mrles and miles away from the tlija % ' home faces, to meet only culdne* P - and Bejiect. Oh, how she detested this nev home, where the watch-word of lit' work, with never any amust except some dismal lecture o eg Htarary reunion tedious And her changed h was since 'those haato days at Rus &"': , per, when they and love< %'" each other. Already he was accus K* tomed to receive her aflt-cti'on an< |g* ministrations as "ordinary events tgjr whil» in her own bonw it was al a ways she who h«4 recived hoinag' W[; aad attention. ffi'' . AH this Esther Remington wen ■p over In har mind, with a .v.tisj o B&'- dbtress working at iter heart as sh fjti~ thought of the future: that was to 1> |&, ' ao different from the life she ha< &£ plannad. - Whero was her loxw-husband witl Hbe eonskant, devoted attentions tha |p> had begun with their courtship ? KK' But she knew the cause of it all E|-' It was that stern woman whom sh fir* bow catted mother. It was so dif gj|s. fterent from the " happy-go-lucky ' 7 Ufa of her maiden home. Here i Wg£ W«» breakfast at seven, dinner at oni tea at six, and to get thvec meal: Epf' wej l . oVyt seemed the chief business o P" tha day. * Elr'' Wien her husband's mother prtpar f|p:, cd to waah the china and polish tin BEte;- Silver, Esther offered rather timiUl: *° assist in these duties ; Mrs Rem ||p; faigton accepted her services, but di< K;~ - not veil her contempt of the inefnei g£t- - ency with which the task was per §|p r formed. It was all very differed *BSe'. Irom what Esther had pictured ;bu m&,* sno wa * detcrnuned never to com Star'' plain, for had not her husband tok KT had she not declared , with th< Rp eKthusiasni of a girl who loved th< Kp man she was about to marry, thai Wg - BBS would be bfs willing holpmati and that Ms mother should be hei K.'- mother T K& To do Remington justice it *ai , jippdsafcle for him to understand thi mi,' effect (of this new home at jnospher* upon his young wife. At EK. Mb life he had been accustomed ti &1~ sea his mother move in the ami El - routino with tho same regularity W'l and truly she had been a good mo fe." ttaer to him, for she herself had pre wtr' pared him for college and sacriiicec many things to his advancement. It was a shock to her when Artht/ nr, taking his summer holiday al . Rasper, bed written a glowing ac- . count of tho beautiful girl who hat consented to become his wife ; anc when Esther at length arrived aftei their brief courtship—for Arthur ha< been a very ardent wooer—the mother's heart was hardened against this ~ piece of mere girlish prettiness as ' with some justice she considered her ffhe evenings that Esther had ex- *■* meted to be full of brightness had been v«r}' -dull affairs, with the cldei Mrs Remington ceaselessly knitting, and -by her very presence putting o constraint upon her most trifling '.words. Esther mistook the elder woman's undemonstrative manner for coldness, &:, and failing to understand the really !§&..-' kind nature beneath the stern extermg£ ior, Woe awkward and constrained in FT.- her presence. So it ended in Arthur's E firs* yawning a good dea», and then r„"' settling down to a book, and to V. _ Esther, who loved Tifc and laughter, p' - ** IffJ»™i verj' dismal to pass evenp>- Ing after evening with no sound ex's cept {he turning over of leaves and p the clicking of needles, g On her side Mrs Remington secrctK ljr condemned her daughter-in-law's fm, "incorrigible idieness." Both were **" good women, but it was impossible that they could understand each rz.', other. And Arthur, carelessSy conf( **■* w 'o» ni » own lifo, selfishly foig;,. got that it was all new and strange j£ to poor little Esther, who gradunl- ' ly lost her innocent gaiety, and bes came pale and silent, the mere shadow of her former self. - . • • » • fe* - Esther was ill—so ill that tliey t .'Bpoke-only in whispers near her, and, J. outside', straw was strewn on the £;. road.to deadert all sound. Her fath- *£~ er had Just arrived, summoned by ko tdegram. &._ " And you tell me that Esther fell g?', Beroß down the ccHar steps ? " he n asked in a tone of astonishment. v And pra}', madam, what necessitv fc: could thero be for my daughter to jf do such a thing ? " fe: "It was her own offer," said Mrs F Ilomington, quite as haughtily. '."Esr, ther was assisting me in my* house- &- hold duties. Why should she not' & . Her husband, as you ought to know, £-. is a poor man." £. Mr Marston turned away without £v«fremony, and went quictlv into his gcdaifghtcr's room. What a change to jkMm was this pale-faced woman with a, the purple shadows under her dull | -eyes, and the pinched lips all purple, *£^ 9 *' Where was the man who was for it all, he asked himb»' L, bUter an K el ". as nc glanced ground : and then he saw nis son-in-WZZ kaec,,n 8 at th « other side of the &-t?J.T'' b his w *°" s Passive hand in g. both his own. - mtJOLmS* i h " k * Q will die?" he V StiTS MrSl ««lo"n«ckoncd •"■ r °° m ' and WWII' >' erTfTbTrir* 1 r. mist ?■ fZ,£ It B**' 8 **' , But "w father anfe.,**»7* *•»» eruel directness: -* Mii * shc dlcs ' ou nnvc i- 'Si » by your nc S'evt and colder /—• ■ Jiy 5 ',!. (T° lw colltJßUed.) ™^°* t -— 3 'ill sin I ■saaaaaaaaai sf _