Cora and The Doctor; or, Revelations of A Physician's WifeLeslie, Madeline
General
Cora and The Doctor; or, Revelations of A Physician's Wife
Leslie, Madeline
Physicians -- Fiction
On the day before we left aunt Morgan, a letter was received from Mrs.
Schuyler, in which she said, she found on her arrival in New York city,
that her husband had indeed taken passage for Europe, and that on the
whole she considered it the most fortunate thing which could have
happened for her, as his jealous disposition had always prevented her
having any enjoyment. In a postscript she added, that she had been
invited to go to the South and pass the winter with some delightful
acquaintances, she had formed, and that she anticipated great pleasure
in their society. She said, she now considered herself in every respect
as a widow, and hoped her friends would never mortify her by any
allusion to the man, she had called her husband. In a second postscript
she requested that her trunks should be sent to the care of William
Arnold, Esq.
When aunt had finished reading, Frank and I exchanged glances. That was
the name of Lucy Lee's suitor, and we knew too much of him to expect she
would profit much by his society.
We left our dear friends early on Tuesday morning, having obtained a
promise from Joseph to make us an early visit. A day or two after we
reached home, I noticed Frank in earnest conversation with mother; after
which he requested me to go to her in the library. I went reluctantly,
for indeed I was now so happy, I cared for no farther explanation. But
as I saw Frank attributed my unwillingness to a wrong cause, I took
Emily's arm and went at once to the library, where mother gave me the
following account.
Fidelia Lenox was left an orphan at the age of fifteen, and was
immediately received into her uncle's family, and treated in all
respects as their own child. She was one year younger than Frank, and of
course they were constantly in each other's society. But it was not long
before mother perceived that from being willing and apparently pleased
to be with his cousin, Frank avoided her as much as possible, and often
refused positively to accompany her to parties of young people. Mother
did not at first pay much attention to the circumstance until her son's
conduct became so marked as to require a reproof, especially as she
could perceive nothing in the deportment of her niece to elicit such
dislike. She therefore appealed to him as a gentleman that it was in the
highest degree impolite and unkind to treat his cousin otherwise than he
would treat a sister.
For a long time Frank refused to give any explanation of his conduct;
but at length told his mother that he would agree to treat her as a
sister, if she would be content with that.
"What can she ask more?" inquired mother, in surprise.
Frank, like any boy of sixteen, blushed crimson, as he replied,
impulsively: "She is altogether too sentimental for me. She can talk
about nothing but love, and such nonsense. When the time comes for me to
be married, I mean to do the courting myself."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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