Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-09-05
A WIDOW ron THE Firth r. mr,

The Boston Atlas translates the following
story from late French paper;
There has recently arrived in Paris a young
English lady, already the widow of her fifth
husband. This remarkable chance, this uncom.
mon series Of widowhoods is the more extraor-
dinary that the lady in question has not yet
reached her 25th year. The history Of her sever.
al marriages is so strange both asa whole and ia
its particulars. that we should hardly dare to re-
late them, if the world had not already given
credit to them. The saloons of the English,
almost The only ones 10 remain open in the sea-
son Of general dcseriion, dispute for the honor
Of this young widow. and from them we derive
the following narrative of her coniugal adven
lures.
Mrs wasNot quite 16 years old when
she contracted her first marriage at Gretna
Green. This matrimonial locality is sufficient
evidence that il was a purely sentimental union.
Two rivals disputed Cor her young affections;
one was favored by her family, the other by
herself. The latter Of course, wns the success.
iul one. In order 10 set aside all obstacles, our
two young people had recourse TO an elopemen,
and put in requistion the famous blacksmith,
who unites enamorcd English couples, at mo.
ments warning, and without asking the con.
sent of their relatives. The nup;ial bcnedic.
'ion had bu, just been pronounced, when the
unsuccessful rival appeared lie had followed
the fugitives with all the speed his gold could
obtain from the posillions; but the iugtives
had whole nights start of him ; and the rival
was only able to arrive just soon enough to be
two hours too late.
'You have had n useless chase my dear sir,
said the bridegroom, happy and proud OF his sue
cess, 'tor we are already married.
ut may be so, replied the other; but have,
at least, come in time TO be revcnged'
| In accepting this challenge, the bridegroom
requested that the meeting might be postponed
10 the next day, but his Jealous rival would not
consent 10 afford him this qualification. They
must repair at once to the spot, with the frs: Sc.
conds they could meet ; the duel was fought
with pistols, and the bridegroom, struck by q
bal in the forehead, fell, never to rise again.
50 Mrs. - became a widow two hours az.
, trr the celebration OF her first marriage. This
adventure made so much talk, and led to so
many scandalous rumors. that n second mar.
rage only could allay them. Besides, the young
widow had known So little of married life, that
she very naturally desired to continue the chap.
ter from the interesting point where it was so
unfortunately broken of. This time. ir order
10 eiface as much as possible the consequences
of her first fault, for which she had been SO So.
vcrely punished Mrs. - submitted to the
wishes of her parents in the choice of her Sc
cond husband. They made for her a reason
able choice, selecting nan of mature years
and Offering every possible guarantee. lie was
an old retired merchant, possessing large for
; tune, honoraby acquired. This was not proba
bly, the happiness dreamed Of by soul so poe
,ical and so enamoured but then Mrs. -
, adapted herself TO her new situation, and ha,
not yet encountered those hollow deception
and bitter dccei's Of life, before her husban,
found it necessary to attend to some busines
which required his presence on the continent
/. steamboat was overlaken by tempest and dasi,
cd upon the rocks OF the coast. This shipwrrcl
made Mrs. widow for the second time
In her misiorunes she naturally looked n
bout tor consolation, which is any thing but dil
; iicult to procure for young widow, who uni,e
!. to her own personal charms those of very con
: siderable fortune. Among those attentive t
. her she favored young and showy youth, ful
/. Of grace and wit, who seemed to her 10 unit
d all that wonld best console her for the loss c
, her husband. AS soon as the necessary delay
v were over the reign OF The third husband CON
e menced, under the most favorable auspicei
s Nothing at the commencement seemed likel
TO mar the happiness of the union but sooI
even while devoted TO his wife, the husban
began to display vices beneath his graceful e.
terror. Gaming was his ruling passion, ard i
!, gave himself up 10 1t with mnch nrdnr 'h'
in short time he had dissipaied the rest
o, his own patrmony and the whole fortune OF b
er wife. Then, no longer able to endure his shan
and reniorse. he shot himself.
a, Three successive calan.ites would have d.
e. prived Mrs. - of the courage to make ne
n conjugal trial, had not her pecnniary matte
20 made il necessary to marry again. Complete
no ruined by her third husband, and with no i
re heritance TO look forward to, marriage was Il
.'' 1 only resource by which she could escape Il
enoha ra ssment and miserv pf want The