Domestic stories Author:Dinah Maria Mulock Craik 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: THE TWO HOMES, A STOBY FOB WIVES. Oue story begins—as most other stories terminate—with a wedding. Mr. Stratford, the rich banker, gave away at the marr... more »iage altar on the same day, his only daughter and his niece. The fortunate bridegroom who won the former was Sir Francis Lester, a baronet of ancient and honourable family. The husband of the latter was of lower standing in society—plain Henry Wolferstan, Esq., a gentleman whose worldly wealth consisted in that often visionary income, a " small independence," added to an office under Government which yielded a few hundreds per annum. These were the two who carried away in triumph the beautiful heiress and the graceful but portionless niece of Mr. Stratford. With the usual April tears, the two young brides departed. A carriage-and-four conveyed Sir Francis and Lady Lester to the abode of a noble relative ; while the humbler railway whirled Henry and Eunice Wolferstan to the quiet country house where a new father and sisters awaited the orphan. And thus passed the honeymoon of both cousins, different, and yet the same ; for in the lordly domain and in the comfortable dwelling of an English squire, was alike the sunshine of first, young, happy love. In a few weeks the two couples came home. How sweet the word sounded, " our home! " What a sunny vista of coming years did it open to the view, of joys to be shared together, and cares divided—that seem, when thus lightened,no burden at all. Sir Francis Lester forgot his dignity in his happiness as he lifted his young wife from her downy- cushioned equipage, and led her through a lane of smiling, bowing, white-ribboned domestics, up the noble staircase of his splendid house in Square. Hand in hand the young pair wandered through the magnificent rooms, in which taste re...« less