After the Storm

Not many of these true reformers--all honor to them!--are found

among the noisy coteries that infest the land and turn so many

foolish people away from real duties.

One of the dangers attendant on association with the class to which

we refer lies in the fact that they draw around them certain

free-thinking, sensual personages, of no very stable morality, who

are ready for anything that gives excitement to their morbid

conditions of mind. Social disasters, of the saddest kind, are

constantly occurring through this cause. Men and women become at

first unsettled in their opinions, then unsettled in their conduct,

and finally throw off all virtuous restraint.

Mrs. Talbot, the new friend of Mrs. Emerson, belonged to the better

sort of reformers in one respect. She was a pure-minded woman; but

this did not keep her out of the circle of those who were of freer

thought and action. Being an extremist on the subject of woman's

social position, she met and assimilated with others on the basis of

a common sentiment. This threw her in contact with many from whom

she would have shrunk with instinctive aversion had she known their

true quality. Still, the evil to her was a gradual wearing away, by

the power of steady attrition, of old, true, conservative ideas in

regard to the binding force of marriage. There was always a great

deal said on this subject, in a light way, by persons for whose

opinions on other subjects she had the highest respect, and this had

its influence. Insensibly her views and feelings changed, until she

found herself, in some cases, the advocate of sentiments that once

would have been rejected with instinctive repugnance.

This was the woman who was about acquiring a strong influence over

the undisciplined, self-willed and too self-reliant young wife of

Hartley Emerson; and this was the class of personages among whom her

dangerous friend was about introducing her. At the house of Mrs.

Talbot, where Irene became a frequent visitor, she met a great many

brilliant, talented and fascinating people, of whom she often spoke

to her husband, for she was too independent to have any

concealments. She knew that he did no like Mrs. Talbot, but this

rather inclined her to a favorable estimation, and really led to a

more frequent intercourse than would otherwise have been the case.

Once a week Mrs. Talbot held a kind of conversazione, at which

brilliant people and people with hobbies met to hear themselves

talk. Mr. and Mrs. Emerson had a standing invitation to be present

at these reunions, and, as Irene wished to go, her husband saw it

best not to interpose obstacles. Besides, as he knew that she went

to Mrs. Talbot's often in the day-time, and met a good many people

there, he wished to see for himself who they were, and judge for

himself as to their quality. Of the men who frequented the parlors

of Mrs. Talbot, the larger number had some prefix to their names, as

Professor, Doctor, Major, or Colonel. Most of the ladies were of a

decidedly literary turn--some had written books, some were magazine

contributors, one was a physician, and one a public lecturer.

Nothing against them in all this, but much to their honor if their

talents and acquirements were used for the common good.