The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-09-19
Miscellaneous.
A Remarkable Widow.


The following marvellous account of u
Young widow, is translated from Paris pa
per for the Boston Atlas:
There has lately arrived in Paris a young
English lady, already the widow of her fifth
husband. This remarkable chance this I'M
common series ofwidowhoods, is the more
extraordinary, that the lady has not reached
her 25th year. The history of her several
marriages is so strange, both as whole and
in its particulars, that we should hardly dare
to relate them. The saloons of the English,
almost the only ones to remain open in this
season of general desertion, dispute for the
honor of this young widow, and from them
we derive the narrative Of her coniugal adj
ventures. ....-.
Mrs. - was not quite 16 years old when
she contracted her first marriage at Gret-
ma Green. The matrimonial locality
is sufficient evidence that it was purely u SEN
timehtal one. Two rivals disputed for her
young affections; one was favored by her
family, the other by herself The latter of
course, was the successful one. In order to
set aside all obstacles, our two young people
intercourse to elopement; and put iu requi-
sition the famous blacksmith, who unites
enamoured English couples, at mo-
ment's warning, and without asking the
consent oftheir relatives. The nuptial bene-
diction had but just been pronounced, when
the unsuccessful rival appeared. lie had
followed the fugitives with all the speed his
gold could obtain ofthe postilons but the
iugitives had whole nights start of hiuE and
the rival was only able to arrive Just soon
enough TO he two hours too late.
You have had n useless chase, my dear
sir" said the bridegroom, happy and proud
of his success, for we are already married"
cit may he So" replied the other, but have
at least come in time 10 be revengedl"
In accepting this challenge, the bridegroom
requested that the meeting might be post
poned to the next day, bur his jealous rival
would not consent to afford Inn this gratifi-
cation. They must at once 10 the spot, with
the first seconds they could meet; the duel
was fought with pistols, and the bridegroom,
struck ny n ball in the forehead, fell never to
rise again.
so Mrs. - became widow two hours
after the celebration of her first marriage
This adventure made so much talk and led 10
so many scandaIous rumors, that Il second
marriage could only alay them Besides the
Young widow had known so little of married
liie,'hat she very naturally desired TO continue
the chapter from the interesting point where
il was so unfortunately broken off This
time, in order to efface MS much as possible
the consequences other first fault, for which
she had been so severely punished, Mrs.
= submitted to the wishes of her parents
in the choice of her second husband They
made for her reasonable choice, selecting II
man OF mature years, and offering every pos
sDc guarantee. lie was an old retired mer-
chant, possessing large fortune honorably
fkHssgIlllred. This was not probably the
VIVA, dreamed ofby soul so poetical g.
$50 eIfStS1Ned: hut then Mrs. - adapted
herselfto her new situation, and had not vet
encountered those hollow deceptions, and
bitter deceits oflife, before her husband found
1t necessary TO attend to some business that
required his presence on the continent. He
LETT alone, and in crossing the channel, the
steamboat va, vas 9vertaken by a tempest and
dashed up6s tf73rocks of the coast This
shipwreck made Mrs. "A widow for the
second time. .
In her misfortunes she naturally looked u
bout for consolation flom others, which rs a
thing not difficult TO procure for young wild
oW, Who united to her own personal charms
those of considerable fortune. Among
those attentive TO her she favored young
and snowy youth, full of grace and wit, who
seemed to unite all that would best console
her for the loss her husband As soon as
the necessary delays were over the reign of
the third husband commenced under the
most favorable auspices. Nothing at the
commencement seemed likely to mar the hap
piness OF ms union; but soon, even while de-
voted to his wife, the husband began to dis
play vices beneath his graceful exterior
Gaming was his ruling passion, and he gave
hlmsetup to it with so much ardor that he
soon dlssipated the rest of his own patrmo-
ny and the whole fortune of his wife. Then.
no longer able to endure his own shame and
remorse, he shot himself
rnree successive calamities would have
ueprWed Mrs. - of the courage of making
u new conIugal trial. had not her pecuniary
iIiatters made it necessary to marry again.
completely ruined by her third husband, and
WIN no inheritance to look forward to, mar
rage was the only recourse by which she
couId escape the embarrassment and misery
Oh want. There was no time 10 be lost; she
-lhust make the best of her advantages and
turn to good account her youth and her at
tractlons to secure the best chance that offer
ca. Our widow, therefore bestirred herself
una heaven as ifto recompense her for her
TRIALS, sent her husband ofthe first cInss--a
young, rich aud handsome baronet, and quite
famous on the turf He had no passion for
cards, put on the other hand he gave himself
up with unrestrained ardor to horse racing.
and IN this exercise he made use of his own
purse, and his, own person, stalking large
sums in bets, and risking himself with his
horses in disputing for the prize in steeple
chases. Fortune had not thus far affected his
finances. His profits and losses were nearly
balanced, but he was less successful as a RI
der than he wasin his purse. When he rode
himself, he was more often thrown off his
morse than able to alight of his own accord.
90 lar from being discouraged, these falls
rather stimulated him to endeavor to do bet
'er; and this noble perseverance, had already
cost him several teeth, an arm and some ribs