Sunday dispatch. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1845-1854, 1852-03-21
HARRIET JEFSON,
THE MANCHESTER COTTON SPINNER.
A SKETCH OF LIFE IN
EEEH HNaLIsH EACToRTEs,
CHAPTER V

If We turn again to the drawing-room of
Mr. Richards at Anster Villa, and the meet
inc between the wives of the cotton spinner;
the interview between them will be found
replete with On interest which is seldom at
tached to scenes Of domestic character.
Whom such phenomenon as the existence
Of rival wives married to one living husband
occurs, and that husband is allowed to walk
at liberty the impression generally felt ID,
thai the wives, if brought into contact, will
seldom salute each other like Christians, but
be ia danger, instead, of exerting their pu-
gillstio powers to the detriment Of hair and
head gear, the beauty Of their skin, and the
smo0thness of their checks.
We left Harriet Jeffson like an inspired
Pythonesa on her tripod, swelling to her full
majestic stature, pointing to her husband
Henry Richards, as through fear and cow
ardioe he left his house and his wives togeth-
or, with Arthur Burslem, in the drawing
room With him the stimulus to passion was
gone, and she dropped her arm, threw her
self listlessly upon the sofa, and covered her
face with her hands. But through the veil
thus interposed, the tears were soon seen to
gush. The fountain of her heart was opened
up In the presence Of her sisterviotim and
former friend, and her whole being seemed
vent, had subsidized in her bosom and when
she looked upon her position, considered in
whose house she was, and the irretrievable
evil which, by discovering herself, she had
drawn upon her former friend, she lost her
usual self-command, and in the bitterness Of
her anguish exclaimed, "Forgive me, Fran
oeB forgive mel knew not what did
resolved upon vengeance when heard Of it.
and determined to wreRk it upon him; bat
believe me, | knew not that you, my dear
friend, were the other victim, or l should
have perishod in silence rather than have ap-
peared in his and your presence, to over.
shadow your prospects with the woe and
gloom"
Her tears fell fast as she spoke, nor wer'
the tears Of her friend suppressed In theil
agitation they again rose, met, and embraced
each other, and, with clasped hands, sa
down mechanically upon the sofa.
"Forgive you, Harriet said Frances
mournfally, but speaking from the heart
"What, what have l to forgive?"
'sI0iuries, my dear Frances, which wheI
known fully, you will never forgive" Harrie
replied ''Can you forgive my phantom lik
appearance amidst the festivities Of your re
cent marriage assembly Can you forgiv
nv appearance so strangely here to-day
you know not all, OF you would curse me
butuntil you are familiar with it, suspeR,
YOUR curse. Much has occurred since las
We met to embitter the lives of us both unit
the grave closes upon us"
In the eyes of Mrs. Richards the myster
continued to deepen Ignorant of her actu
al position and of the manner in which he
destiny was so interviewer, like warp an
woof With that Of Harriet herself, she b'
came more end more bewildered in the mszi
of her own thoughts.
sFor mercy's sake" she exclaimed, "Hal
riet, release Ene from my apprehensions, an
explain to me the meaning of all this my
terry. That there is something far wrong
know from what have heard and seen;
keep me no longer in suspense, but tell n
at once Of the evil hanging over me-"
ssAlas, Frances, am powerless," mutter'
Harriet; ''but you, Arthur, can explain a
for to your sister 1 cannot, though l did
to you"
81 p said Arthur, in answer to the inc
rect appeal "Alas Harriet, would ma
but poor substitute in giving a narraSi
of your cruel suferings."
"My God p exclaimed Mrs. Richar(
starting "can it be All, yes, too truly
see it You, Harriet Jeffson, have been t
should have been moment blind to it
ter YOU met o-day Harriet, Harriet, ii
thus we meet ;"
Still she did not divine the whole tru
A case Of heartless seduction appeared to
accompanied, as she had before thought
she knew the victim was Harriet, wit
gross breach Of promise of marriage;
further into the dark mystery she did J
penetrate.
ssYes, Frances, it is indeed thus ne NEE
Harriet exclaimed, returning the frenz
gaze Of her friend "But when confess tl
/ am The victim of your husband, think
hardly Of me, or set me down as vile. y
NAV, perchance, think me criminal and b
and my appearance here indicative Of
most euilty hardihood and you may be P
pared 10 crush me in your wrath, and sp1
me with your contempt; but Frances, J
only listen to the truth when you hear
declare, that though victim to the pass
and cruelty Of Henry Richards, am an
RocenE onc,-ay, as innocent as yours
though more deeply humbled." :"
''Whatever may have taken place, d
riet," Frances observed, 81 know not.
mystery seems deep, and unless explain
how am l TO comprehend 1t :"
This she spoke with something OF an
Tended air, as if chagrined at the repugna
manifested in disclosing to her the deptl
her husbands delinquencies.
"Be not offended with me, Frances" H
riet resumed with tenderness "WoulC
God j had no such revelation to make
could make it without wounding you
it may not be--it cannet be. How will
look upon me, Frances, when tell you, t
this very house, your house, into which y
young, and, like myself, deluded W
have but recently entered, should exh
between US divided empire-that l, as
have done, pledged as o wife my loving IL
to Henry Richards st the altar,-that Il
with i'm as his wife, that as his wife |
him lovely babe, which he fondled in
arms, and laid in the grave and was af
Wardl laughed at, discarded, and abando
to the cruel mercies Of the world lay, Fl
oes, tell you, Henry Richards, your
band, is also my husband !"
"Your husband!' shrieked Mrs Richa
springing up and grasplng her spasmodlc
by the arm "Your husband, Harriet
son, your husband 0 my God my {
was not prepared for this. "
She relaxed her grasp upon Hsrriets
and fell backwards; but her brother rece
her in his arms, and bore her to the sof
Harriet was in agony, and endeavored
chafng her temples and by the use of n
rativss, to bring her speedily back to
sciousness, and in all was eagerly ASST
by her brother.
''Oh," exclaimed Harriet, as she rul
the palms of her hands, " that / had
known whose peace l was going to
when / came here to wreak my venge
upon him"
{" What have you done, Harriet" said
thur, endeavoring to soothe her, sis
what under any circumstances it is pr
should have been done. You have only
masked a villain, and taught us to cast
from us"
"But Frances, Arthur-Frances," sh
turned "Her peace is gone for ever,
through me. Think of thatp
"NO, Harriet, no-not through you
even if it we're so, is it not better tha
should pass through the world a widow,
be harboring unoonsciously o serpent to
her at last p
A deep, long drawn sob from the hes
Frances gave evident signs Of her reco
A quivering movement Of the lips, acoo
MED with incoherent sounds, among Y
were the words g Harriet" husband"
distinguishable, proved that her half III
soious mind was wandering upon the
subject. At length she recovered fully
then the two wives-Wives of one husba
mourned their wrongs and wept togeth
When ! received information Of his
riage," said Harriet, " knew not Wit
his wife, and l could not divine, Fra
that you were the victim; else Imyseli
never revealed it to you, but had borr
secret to the grave. But others poss
the secret with myself, and l knew &
could not bo kept, when by some near
retreat was known to other parties; al
my heart, grown callous, rebelled-my
was aroused, and returned here unexr
to have my revenge and crush him.
Frances, knew not that the bolt woul
upon you"
=" It is better as it is, Harriet" Mrs.
ards returned, leaning her head lang
upon her shoulder: cit is better as 1t
know him now. But my heart--it Is
cred p'
What, then, must be mine ?" HarriI
claimed, 'swhen from him l also loved
suffered neglect, cruelty, scorn, and
tempt, and at last been cast of as
mookery Of humanity, and our mar
pronounced farce 0, Frances, you
not how deep have been my wrongs"
Calmness having been at last full
stored, and Mrs Richards anxious to
the whole history of Harriet's marriage
her own lima the latter at last complied