The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-09-24


to her hostess, "My side combs are sadly
broken. Did you ever see gold side combs?"
On being answered in the negative, she adj
ded, ave have elegant ones in England;
Sir John gave me two beauties" Who is
Sir John? inquired her hostess. "Oh,
forgot you would not know whom meant.
He is Sir John tombstone of Montreal, son
of Sir John tombstone, who gave his name
to town in New York. A church and
mansion house he built, are still in tolerable
repair. My husband went to see them
when he was in America, on account of the
and ours. Young Sir John is in the goth
regiment of his Majesty's troops. My broth
er sent letters TO Sir John JChnstone by
me-" 1t is great pity you did not send
to him when you were in Quebec" said
her hostess. alt is pity indeed" she OBJ
served: but did not remember any thing
about him then; the gold combs brought
him to my mind" She said Mr.. Buchanan,
the British Consul at New York, was her
cousin on his mothers side; her name hav-
ing been Bowring. She objected to writ
ing to him, until she could reach New
Haven, where her husband had left all the
funds he had with him in this country
WHICH W uO It's uOWGNGT, SIG. ultl not
shrink from it,-hut wrote plain statement
of her distressing shipwreck. Her letter
was enclosed in one from her host begging
to be informed whether such people as she
had talked of, as lived in the places she men,
toned, and asking a multitude of minute
questions likely to throw light on the affair."
! Another letter was written to the postmast-
er in New Haven, (Conn.) in hopes of OBJ
tanning information concerning James Town
send. Both these letters remained long
time unanswered. In the mean time her
! friends were laughed at by some for taking
such an interest in a common vagabond
but those who most observed her manners,
and heard her talk in the hours of rational
ity, believed her story to be true. She
spoke of the former President Wheelock,
as having been one of her fathers cores
pondents and related several domestic de-
tails she had read in his letters When
told that the wife of President Allen Of
Brunswick, was the daughter of President
1 Wheelock, she expressed wish to see her,
in hopes she had some of her fathers let
tiers. Her hostess accompanied her to
Brunswick for this purpose. Mrs. Allen
had none of the letters, but she recollected
Bowring of London, as one of her fathers
friends; and when asked concerning the
domestic details of the family, which Mrs.
( Bradlee had related, she said they were
strictly true. President Allen likewise
knew of a Sir John tombstone of Montreal,
descended from old Sir John tombstone.
During the time all this was happening,
the wretched mother was with great diff
Guilty restrained from her wanderings New
| Haven and her boy were the only ideas that
| kept constant possession of her shattered
mind and at times she was like chained
wild creature straining to be off. Once she
made her escape, but was overtaken few
hours after, and persuaded to return. Dur
irg this short absence. her hostess observ-
eel small bunch under the carpet near her
bedside; and on removing it, found it to
he the little blue robe she had grasped at
the time of the shipwreck. 1t was very
dirty, and retained offensive marks of the
childs sea-sickness. When the wanderer
was brought back, her joy was great at
finding the robe she thought she had lost.
She was very aVerse to having it washed,
and the proposal seemed to distress her
exceedingly after few days she observ-
ed, cit is just as the little creature last
wore tiff it must be washed for decency's
sake, wish it might be done without my
knowledge"
( Answers to the letters did not arrive /;
and the will of the maniac was no longer
to be controlled. Comfortably dressed, and
furnished with money, and letters to the
British Vice Consul in Portland, she recon-
menceG her Journey. A very rational letter
from her to her hostes, announced the kind
reception she met with from Mr.. Sherwood,
a. Ia
polite letter from that gentleman expressed
; gratitude for her kindness to distressed
countrywoman,-a conviction of the truth
. of her story, and the recollection of the cir
cumstances of the shipwreck to which she
alluded. Another letter from Mrs. Brad
lee, dated Boston, spoke of the kindness of
several English people in that place, and
J her intention to go to New Haven immedi-
ately. This is the last that has been heard
of her. After her departure, letter from
! the postmaster in New Haven was recev-
ed, in which the writer apologized for his
: silence, by stating he had been long time
absent. The amour. of his letter was that
r he knew of no gentleman by the name of
. James Townsend in that place. About the
, same time letter was received from James
} Buchanan, ESQ of New York. twas very
cold and lafoulc answered no questions
} disclaimed relationship with person by
, the name of Mrs. Bradlee; said the woman
: was delirious and should be put into hos
pital.
, No one knows what has become of this
interesting wanderer. Perhaps, when she
arrived at New Haven, and found her pur-
: suit hopeless, the little light on her mind
was extinguished for ever If her story was
! an imposition, it certainly does not seem
r like it. There are FIVE or six New Havens
} in the United States. II James Townsend
; resides in any Of them, we trust he will