Elsie's Widowhood

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER XVII.

  "But happy they! the happiest of their kind! Whom gentler stars unite, and in one fate Their hearts, their fortunes, and their beings blend. . . . . . for naught but love Can answer love, and render bliss secure." --_Thomson's Seasons._

  As no invitations to the wedding were to be sent to relatives at adistance, it was thought quite as well not to inform them of Molly'sengagement until after the marriage had taken place; beside, as thepreparations were so hurried, no one had much time for correspondence.

  Isadore Conly did not once during the three weeks write to Roselands,excusing herself on the double plea that her last letter remainedunanswered, and that she was particularly busy about the trousseau.

  She found little time to spare from that which was not taken up inwalking or riding with Cyril.

  He proposed writing to her mother immediately after declaring his love;but she begged him to delay a little till her grandfather and uncleshould have time to consider how to bring their influence to bear uponMrs. Conly in the way most likely to win her approval of his suit.

  The day after the wedding saw a number of letters directed toRoselands, dropped into the Viamede mail-bag, and a few days later theyreached their destination.

  The family--consisting of Mrs. Conly, Calhoun, Arthur, Virginia, Walter(who was at home for a few days on a furlough, being now a lieutenant inthe U. S. Army), and several younger ones--were at breakfast when Pompcame in with the mail-bag.

  Calhoun opened it and distributed the contents.

  "Letters from Viamede at last," he remarked; "three for you, mother,from grandpa, uncle and--somebody else; one for Walter (Dick'shandwriting! I didn't know he was there) and one for Virginia."

  "From Isa," Virginia said as she glanced at the superscription; thentearing open the envelope, and glancing down the first page, "Molly ismarried! to a rich planter, too! Will wonders never cease!"

  A simultaneous exclamation of surprise from all present.

  "Nonsense, Isa's hoaxing you," said Walter, stirring his coffee. "Here,let me see the letter."

  "No. Open your own."

  "That's not in Isa's line," remarked Arthur, "but really it is veryastonishing news. What does Dick say, Wal? He went down there to attendthe wedding, I presume?"

  "No; didn't know a word about it till he got there," Walter said, givinga hasty perusal to the not very lengthy epistle; "went to settle; goodopening for a doctor; splendid country, everything lovely, likesbrother-in-law immensely, is overjoyed at Molly's good luck, says she'sas happy as a queen."

  "Which may mean much or little," remarked Conly.

  His mother cleared her throat emphatically, and all eyes turned to her.She held an open letter in her hand, and her face looked flushed andangry.

  "Isa, too, it seems, has lost her heart," she said in a bitter,sarcastic tone; "and with her usual good sense, has bestowed it upon apoor clergyman. Doubtless he has heard of her Aunt Delaford'sintentions--Elsie perhaps has given him the hint, he being a relative ofhers--and thinks he is securing a fortune. But if Isa throws herselfaway in such fashion, Sister Delaford may change her mind."

  Calhoun and Arthur both repelled with warmth the insinuation againstElsie; the latter adding that he thought Isa's personal charms werequite sufficient of themselves to captivate a man who was not in pursuitof wealth.

  "And Isa," remarked Calhoun, "is so unworldly that wealth would be amatter of small consideration to her where her heart was concerned."

  "A fact that should make her friends the more careful how they encourageher in taking a poor man," said the mother; "but my father and brotherare both strongly in favor of this adventurer's suit."

  "Adventurer, mother! I thought you said he was a clergyman!"

  "Well, Calhoun, I don't see any contradiction there. But his name isKeith, and that explains it all, for my father was always very partialto those relatives of his first wife. Horace, too, of course."

  "But as Isa is a good deal more nearly related to them, they are veryfond of her, and, men not easily deceived or taken in, I think we maysafely trust to their judgment. You won't oppose what they so highlyapprove, mother?"

  "I don't know; must take time to think it over. Do you and Arthur comewith me to the library," she said, rising with the letter in her hand."I see you have both finished your breakfast."

  They rose instantly, and followed her from the room, Walter lookingafter them and muttering discontentedly, "I think mother might take meinto her counsels, too."

  "You are too young and foolish," said Virginia.

  "The first objection doesn't lie against you, though the second may," heretorted. "You'd better look to your laurels. Isa and Molly are bothwell ahead of you."

  "What of that?" she said, reddening with vexation. "Isa's two yearsolder than I, and taking a poor minister whom I wouldn't look at."

  "Sour grapes," suggested her brother, teasingly. "And Molly's not a yearolder than you, and has married rich."

  "A second-hand husband!" sneered Virginia; at which Walter laugheduproariously.

  "O Virgie, Virgie, those grapes are terribly sour!" he said. "But do letus hear what Isa has to say about it."

  "I haven't finished the letter; but there, take it; what do I care abouther fine dresses and presents, and the splendors of Magnolia Hall?"

  "Well," he cried presently, "Cousin Elsie did the thing handsomely! andhe's a splendid fellow, if he is second-hand. No wonder Dick's pleased.I only wish my sisters might all do as well."

  In the library Calhoun was saying, as he laid down his uncle's letter,which he had just read aloud, "Cousin Elsie is certainly the mostgenerous of women! Mother, you could not have read this when you utteredthat insinuation against her a few moments since?"

  Mrs. Conly colored violently under her son's searching gaze.

  "Twenty-five thousand is a mere trifle to her," she said, bridling, "andyou perceive she promises Isa that dower in the event of her marryingthat poor relation of her own."

  "It is extremely generous, nevertheless!" exclaimed both her sons in abreath.

  "And I do not think it by any means a bad match for Isa," Arthur wenton--"a good man, of fine talent, receiving a very comfortable salary, alovely home rent free, very little expense except for clothing, seeingthey are--as uncle says--to have all the fruit, vegetables, nearly theirwhole living, in fact, from the Viamede fields and orchards; use ofcarriages and horses too, whenever they like."

  "No, it isn't so bad," their mother acknowledged, "and if she gets herAunt Delaford's money, she will really be very far from poor. But Idislike the thought of having her, with her beauty and talents, buried,as one may say, in that out-of-the-way corner of the world."

  "But she chooses for herself, and ought to be the best judge of what isfor her own happiness," Calhoun said. "So you will consent, mother?"

  "Oh yes, yes, of course! But I'll take no blame from your Aunt Delaford;nor from Isa either, if ever she sees cause to repent."

  So a letter was sent that made glad the hearts of the lovers, spite ofsome ungraciousness of tone.

  Isa's letter, giving, as it did, a minute description of the trousseau,the wedding, Magnolia Hall, Mr. Embury and his children, and telling ofthe generous settlements upon the bride made by him and her cousinElsie, was read and re-read by Mrs. Conly and Virginia with greatinterest, which was yet not altogether pleasurable.

  They were glad that Molly had now a good home of her own, andparticularly that her mother was to share it--a home so far away fromRoselands that Enna was not likely to trouble them any more, for herfeebleness of intellect made her something of a mortification to them oflate years--yet the good fortune of the poor crippled niece and cousinwas too great, too strongly in contrast with their own rather straitenedcircumstances, not to arouse some feelings of envy and jealousy inpersons of their haughty and overbearing disposition.

  "Dear me, I wonder why some people have all the good fortune and othersn
one!" exclaimed Virginia angrily. "I should say fifty thousand wasquite enough for Molly--especially in addition to the rich husband andloads of handsome presents--and that ten thousand would have been muchbetter bestowed upon you or me, mamma."

  "You've only to get married, sis, and probably she'll do the samehandsome thing by you," remarked Walter, who happened to be withinhearing.

  "Not she! I never had the good fortune to be one of her favorites."

  "Well, Isa can't say that, for she's certainly doing the handsome thingby her."

  "What?"

  "So mother hasn't told you? She's promised that the day Isa marries hercousin, Cyril Keith, she'll hand over twenty-five thousand dollars tothem."

  "That was to get mamma's consent. Mamma, I wouldn't be bought if I wereyou," Virginia said scornfully.

  "You wouldn't?" laughed Walter. "I tell you you'd sell yourself to-dayto any man worth half a million, or even something less."

  "Walter, you are perfectly insulting," cried Virginia, her eyes flashingand her cheek flushing hotly. "I wish your furlough ended to-day."

  "Thank you, my very affectionate sister," he said, bowing low as hestood before her. "Why don't you wish I'd get shot in the next fightwith the Indians? Well, I'll tell you what it is," he went on presently,"if I were one of Cousin Elsie's children--Ed, for instance--I'd enter apretty strong protest against these wholesale acts of benevolence towardpoor relations."

  "She can afford it," said his mother loftily, "and I must say I shouldhave a much higher appreciation of her generosity if she had given Isathe money without any conditions attached."

  "But Isa wouldn't, or I greatly mistake."

  "Do you mean to say you think there has been a conspiracy between them?"demanded his mother, growing very red and angry.

  "No, no, mother, nothing of the kind! but Cousin Elsie is a woman ofkeen observation, delicate tact and great discernment; and she had Isa'shappiness much at heart."

  "Really," she sneered, "I have but just made the delightful discoverythat I have a Solomon among my sons!"

  "I think it was mean not to invite us to the wedding," said Virginia.

  "No; that was right enough," corrected her mother; "being in deepmourning for her husband, she could not, of course, give Molly anythingbut the quietest sort of wedding."

  "Well, Isa will come home to be married?"

  "Of course; and I shall insist upon time to have everything doneproperly and without any one being hurried to death."

  Immediately upon the reception of Mrs. Conly's letter giving consent tothe match between her daughter and Cyril Keith, the work of adding to,repairing and improving the cottage destined to be the future home ofthe young couple was begun.

  It was a matter of great interest, not to Cyril and Isa alone, but tothe whole family of Dinsmores and Travillas; and their departure fromViamede was delayed some weeks that Elsie and her father and grandfathermight oversee and direct the workmen.

  It was going to be a really commodious and beautiful residence whencompleted. Elsie determined that it should be prettily furnished, too,and found great pleasure in planning for the comfort and enjoyment ofthese cousins.

  And Molly's happiness was a constant delight to her. There was dailyintercourse between Viamede and Magnolia Hall, Mr. Embury driving Mollyover almost every day to see her relatives, and Dick bringing hismother, usually on horseback.

  Dick was making his home with his sister for the present, at Mr.Embury's urgent request, and was showing himself a good and affectionateson to Enna.

  The visits were returned, too, even Elsie going over frequently for ashort call, because she saw that Molly very keenly enjoyed being in aposition to extend hospitality to all her friends, and especiallyherself, as one to whom she had long been indebted for a happy home.

  "Oh, cousin," Molly said to her one day when they were alone together inher beautiful boudoir, "I am so happy! my husband is so kind, soaffectionate! I cannot understand how it is that he is so fond and evenproud of me--helpless cripple that I am. But I have learned to bethankful even for that," she added, tears springing to her eyes,"because he says it was that that first drew his attention to me; and,strangely enough, his pity soon turned to admiration and love. Oh he hassuch a big, generous heart!"

  "He has indeed!" Elsie said. "But, Molly dear, you underrate yourself. Ido not wonder that he admires and is proud of your brave, cheerfulcourage under your hard trial, and of your talents and the name you aremaking for yourself as both a translator and original writer; I hope youwill not give up your work entirely now that there is no pecuniarynecessity for it, for I think it is bringing a blessing to yourself andto others."

  "No, oh no; I shall not give it up while I can believe it is doingsomething for the Master's cause. Louis does not wish me to while Ienjoy it, and I find he is just the critic I need to help me to improve.I had a letter from Virgie yesterday," she went on with a happy laugh,"congratulating me on being no longer compelled to work, yet pitying mebecause I am a stepmother."

  "That does not trouble you?" Elsie said, inquiringly.

  "Oh no! The boys, Louis and Fred, are so much like their father--seemingto love me all the better for my helplessness (by the way, Louis, myhusband, says it is a positive delight to him to take me in his arms andlift me about)--and the baby girls are as lovely and dear as they canbe. I wouldn't for anything part with one of the whole four."

  "Dear child!" Elsie said, embracing her with full heart and eyes, "I amso glad, so happy for you that it is so! And how your mother and brotherseem to enjoy your good fortunes!"

  "Yes; Dick is such a dear fellow! and mother--really it is just apleasure to see how she delights in it all. And I think she couldn't befonder of the children if she were their own grandmother."

  "How glad, how thankful I am that we came to Viamede this winter," Elsiesaid, after a moment's silent musing; "grandpa has so entirely recoveredhis health in consequence, a favorable opening has been found for Dick,and four other people are made happy in mutual love who might, perhaps,never have met otherwise--all this, beside dear Mrs. Carrington havingthe melancholy pleasure of nursing her poor nephew through his lastillness. How true is the promise, 'In all thy ways acknowledge him, andhe shall direct thy paths.'"

  "You take a very unselfish delight in other people's happiness,cousin," Molly remarked. "And Isa is very happy."

  "Yes, and Cyril too," Elsie answered with a smile. "I sometimes think myElsie half envies them--thinking of Lester so far away. But her turnwill come too, I trust, poor, dear child!"

  May was well advanced, the weather already very warm in the Techecountry when at last our friends set out upon their return to their morenorthern homes.

  Everything there was looking very lovely on their arrival. Friends,kindred and servants rejoiced over their return, all in good health.

  Elsie and her children took up again the old, quiet life at Ion, missingMolly not a little, and feeling afresh, for a time, the absence of onefar nearer and dearer.

  Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore spent some weeks with their other children, thenagain made their home at Ion, at Elsie's urgent solicitation. In theloneliness of her widowhood she knew not how to do without her father.

  In order to secure her cousin Elsie's presence at her wedding, Isainsisted upon a very quiet one, only relatives and very intimate friendsto be invited to witness the ceremony; but to please her mother andVirginia, there was afterward a brilliant reception. The marriage tookplace the last of June, and the next two months were spent principallyamong Cyril's relatives at the North.