A Struggle for a Ring — page 127: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“GIVE ME LOVE, OR HATE.” 123 accomplishments ; she had full and perfect liberty, yet she. was most unhappy. Like every other daughter of Eve, she longed for what she had not; she was not content with what she had. She wanted her husband's love, and it seemed to her that she might more reasonably long for the moon. He was very kind to her, very indulgent, in his careless, indifferent fashion; he would give her anything and everything ; he was liberal in all his providing for her; he had never spoken harshly or unkindly to her; he had always admired her, admired her beautiful face, her grace, her abilities; but love—she knew, and the knowledge almost killed her, that he had no more idea of loving her than he had of killing her. It had never entered her thoughts, and the girl wore her heart away with passionate longing and wild prayers. Shut up in that gloomy house in Cecil street, while the others were all busy, she spent whole hours in long, deep, silent thought; she longed for beauty such as women never had, for talent that had never been surpassed, for grace such as men worshiped in olden times ; surely, if she hadvall these things he must love her. Then she would go to her glass, and, looking at it, wonder at the great beauty of the face mirrored there. ‘Tt is strange that he does not love me,” she thought, ‘for Iam passing fair.” She knew, she was quick enough to understand, that love such as she felt had never even entered his mind or heart. She was very unhappy; it seemed to her that this marriage, which had at first appeared so grand and won- | derful, had in reality spoiled her life, marred it com- pletely. Against her will those words of Shakespeare returned to her: ‘‘A young man married is a-man that’s marred.” If that was true, what could be said of a young woman married, yet never seeing or hearing from (E(0) mm (C @yo\o) SG