The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-03-29
: times begun With Dark and distant hints b.

fumes OeguH with UArk ana distant hints by
which intended o lead gradually to a smii
Reimbursement but as IN as found tn 1T
sine began to take my meaning, have
shrunk from my own purpose and said to
ny trembling neart a little longer. YET a
little longer: let me spare he'. le. me spare
myself. -Do not reproach me. / know
how unworthy this conduct is of me !:
how unworthy i is OF her. know that
1t were, at once, to disclose the truth, the
worst would have to appreh, nd would tie
few broken signs. aud perhaps NOR if, ing
retrospections and comparisons. But after
that. KIN SO we'll the worth and noble
ness OF her soul that there i, nu plan of re.
treuchment and ECONOMY, which she won d
not adopt with, the most generous aiacrity =
But it is the shock of tie moment winch
cannot bring myself to brave how. then,
shall be able to brave hat still more Dire adj :
fui shock which visit from the common
wealth's officers must soon give her /?
/ 1t IS Illuminating to remember to what lit
tie, pitiui, degrading shifts. actions, and
(not to disguise the matter) t.,sehoods. l
have descended, in order to explain suspi
Gus appearances and disguise from the wife
vt my bosom the true state of my affairs
! How do feel myself debased by the recol
lection of this low and unmanly course and
how will She feel herself humbled and de-
graded by the opinion of her which this Con-
cealment SO strongly, yet, in my case, so un-
truly implies.
Sometimes fatter myself that some pro-
vidential Change OF fortune will occur, to pre-
vent the necessity ct making all these pam
tul explanations. But this hope has cheat
ed me for months and years. and no such
change has yet occurred or is more likely %
occur, now than IN the beginning. Some.
times, in he frantic paroXysms Of my des
RI l.
presented themselves, from which, in :.
caner moment. my soul has started back.
appalled, with ho"ror! My last hopeis tha,
death will soon drop the cuttair and hide
from the word rever the wre cned
ROMEO"
There is something in the sickiy md mis-
guide senaibity Of this ran, that makes
me pity him (: but his weakness j. 100 great
and 90 insult ing to his amiable wife. t.
permit me TO respect him. I am con
vlnced from the spirit Of her character, as
p auTtr ayed BY himself hat instead of those
broken signs and mortitving ierrnspections
and comparisons which he anticipates from
he disclosure she would only give him
gentle rehuke. gilded with smile for per-
| miiting her so long to remain IN ignorance
| OF his circumstances, and that she woald
immediately lead the way, by her own ex-
ample, to the speed, repairing of his shat
tered es,a,e 1bave never seen an in..anc
OF the fall of a family from high fortune.
in which the wife did no. display much
more of what We are pleased to call manly
tor'itude and magnauihity. than the hus
band in which she did not support and
encourage, and re-animate him by her su
perior spirit. and give fresh impulse TO
his industry and eRterprze. Le, the boast
| ed lords of the creation RENE nbe, this, and
pay proper respect to their superiors
Alas fear that there is more than one
Romeo amcng my readers do moi mean
that there is more than one, (nor do indeed,
even know one )te whom all the circumstan-
ces OF his case would apply But mean hat
there is, fear, more than one Example "a
mong them of the want of that full and per
| feet mutual confidence, without which |
should hink that conjngal life could be moi
Their dig 'iied nor happy. How many are
there who through "a false and foolish pride
! or shame, or tenderness just as false and
too.sh persist, to the last, in conceal;Dg
Their pecunlary embarrasSments from their
wives, G thereby render mem innocently in
strumenta' in enc leasing those embarrass-
meats and Fastening their downfall ! How
very uiimauiy, InJudCious. weak and even
CRIMINAL is such a Course II is SHINING a
gainst the convictions of Conscience and the
clearest light of knowledge for there is moi
| ''iN 10 sunny vi SuCn COTQQCt
who does not distinctly see the ruin which
he is bringing, by it, on those whom he is
bound, by every principle OF morality, to
provide for. How can man love and res
pect woman towards whom he thinks il
necessary to practise this duplicily and con
cealment How Can a woman love md rec
Pect man who betrays so poor an opinion
OF her as such conduct cvincesf
may be mistaken but il seems 10 me
that it heaven had blessed my bosom with
wife, should as soon have Thought of rob
bmg temple or digging up the halIowed
bones OF my ancest RS and scattering hem O
yer the earth, as hiding from her single
thought | had supposed that the most
pure aud exquisite happiness of that state
consisted IN the free and unreserved com
munion OF spirits: in that perfect correspon-
dence and unity of knowledge and feeling,
which idt ntified their two persons aud made
them as it were. one person and one soul
youch is the sweet and enchanting picture
which Milton das drawn of connuDi4l felicity
till the tempter came to darken its tints &
such would always be the case, where the
bosom was Tree from the consciousness of
guilt and the understanding unclouded by
error and folly.-Ycs, IL is invariably either
conscious guilt or turbid and refracr,ny
mind that give birth to this perhdiuus con
cealment, this bane, this evil genius, this
tiend OF matrimonial life.
y - there be indeed any other of nv
readers except Romeo who may have
heretofore. fallen into this fatal error, let me