Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-12-30

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speaks in this letter, can teach the lesson of
marital fidelity to one who wavers, or point
out the weary pathway of sorrow which
awaits the betrayer, it will have accom-
plished the object of its publication.
aa On BOARD, SHIP AT SEA, ]
Lat. Al deg. south, Long. 66 deg. east.
: & August 20, 1858.
SIR-Do not, entreat you, allow the
just indignation which / know the sight of
my hand writing will cause you, to prevent
you from reading this communication. 1t
cannot be more painful fer you to receive
than for me to write, and nothing but a
sense of justice to you, and solemn prom
ise made 70 the dead, could induce me to
harrass you, and agonize myself l will
enter Into no unnecessary details, nor wea-
ry or disgust you with any prolestations of
repentance or remorse. iz- alt E7
If 1 have sinned, God in Heaven only
knows how have suffered, and if, in your
cruel bereavement, yau have cursed me,
that curse is fearfully fulfilled. And, now
sadly, to the unhappy task of telling you,
what l have SO solemnly engaged to do,
and TO fulfill the last duty to tdose have
misled. ia.--.a -st- .ia .a1a9zs
Your former wife died in Ceylon, in
June, 1856, of disease of the climate,
which was aggravated by previous one
from which she suffered while in Mauritius.
In that Island both her and myself were
very i'll Of the fever. Ny recovery. was
thought hopeless, and indeed it was repor
ted that was dead. This, of course, com
ing to, her knowledge, had a severe and IN
furious effect upon her. But as these par
ticulars are OF less consequence, I will say
no more on this point. In course Of time
we both recovered, and, on gaining sufi-
cient strength, again took passage on ira
ding vessel to Ceyion, in search of a bet
ter climate. We went to the mountainous
regions of that tropical island, near the city
of Handy, where the air is cool, and, to
most people, healthier than other parts Of
india. There we, lived many mouths in
comparative quiet, but fever again overlook
her who was the mother of your child, and
though she fingered long, and suffered
much, no human means could restore her.
Her moral sensibilities became more accute
as she failed in strength, and with the first
loss of hope of recovery, she became anx-
iously distressed to secure the restoration
of her dear little girl 10 its bereaved father.
She was incessant in exacting promises
from me, that if l lived. E. should be ta-
ken or sent back safely to you. From
these demands had no wish to escape
My only anxiety was to do anything in my
power 10 afford small consolation, in the
strongest assurance | could make, that her
wishes should be carried out. Although
after the mother was gone from me forever.
the poor child became dearer to me. She
was all | had left. Yet, as had promised
her poor mother, and as that mother had
sacrificed the world and everything on
earth for my sake, I had not the slightest
thought or wish to neglect the discharge
of the responsible, and TO me, fearful duty.
During all her last illness, she regretted
having brought the child away, but, hav-
ing then much hope Of the happiness we
might enjoy, and anxious to be less alone
in the world, she could never think of leav-
ing E. behind; claiming as her mother,
that she had a stronger personal light TO
a daughter than its father, whom she was
about to leave forever.
After this sad and dreadful time, 1 con-
stantly and anxiously sought an opportu-
nifty to send the child to you, or her grand
fathers family, where you would eventu-
ally obtain her. My object was to find
some good, trusty woman or family 60
ing TO America, but such chance never
offered in single instance. f4
Before I go further, or into still more
painful results, L beg you will allow me to
say that l have spoken of the anxiety of
c., and her constant efforts to renew my
promise to her, and which were repeated
only two davs before her heath, in the hope
that you will exercise more charity to-
wards her memory. Let me hope that
you will do so and think and feel less Sc
verely towards her. She paid bitter pen
atty for all the outrage that was commit
ted upon you. In her last illness, she
spoke often, feelingly and tenderly, with
how much regret need not say, but wish
ing to acknowledge to me that you had
always treated her kindly and carefully,
and that on her and myself alone rested
the responsibility of that now fatal separa
tion. l- .
You will have perceived ere this, that l
have yet more to communicate, and Of a
still sadder character to you. l have writ
ten purposely in the past tense as it were
in order that you may be less suddenly
drawn to the anticipation of my unhappy
narrative, as cannot write but once, for
obvious reasons. And now comes the pain
full part of my duty. = --A. 5f2'A' y '''''
I hardly dare to tell you how cruelty
severe the poor child took the death of her
mother. She never forgot it. Although
her own health was always delicate, and
she suffered much, yet from this time she
seemed TO become more sensitive, and
grew weaker as she grew older and taller.
But we,e it not for the occurrence Of what
is to follow, should not have attempted
to write you until E. was within your reach,
and on The point Of being restored to you
perhaps not then even. .i.,.5
AS before stated, failing to find any suit
able opportunity, that could trust 70 take
her safe to you, l at last started with her
myself determined to risk going 10 Eng
land for the purpose, there to seek some
married pair Of emigrants to whom could
trust her, or employ suitable person to so
with her. She had been very i'll before start