Lillian, Or, the Battle of Life (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Florence Carroll had not made as mistaken a choice as had her fond and doating husband. Although many years older than herself, his heart still retained some freshness of youth. The world had not robbed him of every vital emotion. He was still alive to the beautiful. In youth, he had formed an ideal of woman, but it had existed only in imagination, until he saw his bride. Alfred Moore was proud of her attractions, but not only that, he had hoped in his present bright existence to revive his youth, to repose upon the confidence and love of a trusting and gentle heart. Alas for this early dream; alas for the present fatality. They embarked in the Queen of the Sea for an European tour. Excited and flushed by admiration, Florence never appeared more charming, and her husband regarded his newly-found treasure as all his own. Nothing had yet occurred to mar the serenity of their peace. The proud ship sailed gayly over the placid ocean, but the novelty of the scene?the solemnity of the great deep awakened no response in her soul. The sun dipped his fiery disc in the foaming waters?his farewell kiss lingered on the wave, reflected in azure?in gold?in soft and mellow shades. Some passengers were seated on the deck in groups?some still lingered below?others stood drinking in the glory of the scene. There was one?a foreigner, who, by his distinguished air and admiring gaze, had attracted the attention of Florence?her eyes following all his movements. Her husband finding herindisposed to converse pleasantly, sought the society of a friend. She was in a soft and dreamy mood, quite inconsistent with her real nature. The stranger drew near and addressed her: This is a glorious scene, miss; look at those clouds at those gentle waves see, how lightly the breeze swells...