The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-08-20
MISS SAINT FELIX.
, sroRY OF AN AUSTRALIAN CONVICT!

80 sna said papa wants some more WIZ,
masama. will you send him the key ssdding
eel.rss.e ~ On o ossa he9 and. placing his
S~rd uentiy on her shoulder ne saIa' IN mr. Ne
rsntie tone Of voice which foucheo wa
mother and himself: 10, Ihope mamma
.What il the matter, Ahnie' A"Np
has not been scolding you ,;a ayour
q No Master Charles" she Tepliea- Aoui
rna,nns has been very kind 10 me. ,,.ua
" Then why do you cry F. the o's o''"'
Mrs. Preston and myself rejoined our nus
hands. leaving Master Charles WIN Ine siIl
to whom, In common Win an MS .. y, a,.achad -
sisters he was already very much aI'aeLeth r.
Even before we left the room, ne paItea Ne
upon the head, and begged her 10 dry nei 81 III
CAPTAIN Preston and the MAJOR were . vo.n
much moved, when we Teco"h'e" w
what we had just heard 49,, p-.s
Annie saint Felix remained with the fTes
tons for Ave years. She was 10 them p e..eS'
treasure--acting, as she did, as nous Won
would into the house, you found annie a. a.
WAYS busily engaged, and yet aI"ays a., =" one
mand. From morning III nIgns - e. An
quarter or the other, there was can IA sh.
11isi So maternity and so quietly, 100, oiu sur
pefform her muitifarious duties, ina. ~ We
really pleasure 10 watch ner mo feui. ,s
Can,ain and Mrs. Prest ton respected her tneh
children loved her tenderiy; the male cohfic,s
ON the estate obeyed her orders with cheefiuI-
a ness. and the female convicts this was, per
haps, the highest ties timonai IN he h ss oniv
heir equal As for the guests VINO Were en-
tertained by the Prestons, they not only aa'
mired Annie's pretty person ana most aeco
rous demeanor, but they envled the Iauy Vi
the house and her ex traordinary good fortunes.
need scarcely say that sne was Iea'eu 40
geutlewoman, who, when young giI!, nau
assisted in the commission OF tne greitee' Vi
Ali crimes under very peculiar, II not extehu-
atur circumstan and whose conduct, apart
from her crime, was entirely blameless. one
did not. of course, sit at the same tapie Win
xU
master and mistress) but she had Il room 10
herself and seemingly comprehended her po-
sition so completely, that she was never guilty.
of the slightest eneroachments
After the birth of her eleventh chlid, MTs
Preston had n very serious and painful III
ness Annie tended her with all that care
and affection of which her gentle nature was
so capable; and, at the same time, kept tie
house ouiet. the es establishment in order, and
Captain Preston's wants the was selfish ana
exacting, though well bred man, and a per-
feet gentieman) ministcred unto In every re-
speci But Mrs. Preston sank under her
Qreyous malady-and died, to the great sor-
row of every one who had enjoyed her &C
quaintanee.
For year after his wife's death, Capsaih
Preston never left his home-neyer went De-
yond the precincts of his own domain. But
at the expiration of that period, he PAID us u
visit and as it was near our dinner nouI,
esix O'Clock, we invited him to stop ana
spartake of the meal with us. He assented.-
We offered to send over groom 70 Ils
house to make known that he might no ,,a ps
expected until after ten or eleven. ne Iept'e :,
that we need not do SO, as he had intimaIeo -
Annie that he intended TO stay the nigtl ~
Macqunrie Dale (such was the name Vi gu,
estate). We were rejoiced to hear TINS, aIpeI
there was something In Capt. Prestons man
mer and Discourse which betokened that he was
very unouiet and unsettled in his MIND.
During dinner and for sometime afterwards
the CAPTAIN ws h n0s sp od but he sared occa
sionaliy at the Major and myself after very
odd and suspicious fashion. The dinner over
the cloth removed, and the dessert placed npol
ing M q visit that day was to impart some IN
formation, and that he hoped and trusted tn
course he was about to pursue would not in
s volye the forfeiture of our friendship. lo'
arc awHre," proceeded Captain Preston, 80
the situation in which was placed, when
had the misfortune to lose my wife, notWifh
standing could command the services Of on
on whom such implicit confidence could b
IS placed. ] allude, of course, To Annie Sain
Felix. To all of my children, from my daugh
ter, who is now verging into womanhood
down to the little one who can scarcely wall
alone, her behavior has been such that my es
TEEN and regard for her has ut length resolved
itself into an ardent affection. l love Anni,
Saint Felix, and If she will accept the offer
am about to make her, she shall become my
wife. Yes, will marry my bondswoman. for
in strictness, that is her title. Whatever may
be the opinion of the world will brave it,"
"She Is a worthy creature" said the Major
heartily, "and, with such partner, there
would be no particular valor in Drawing ths
opinion Of the world. In the presence OF my
own wife, / desire to tell you Preston that
il were In your position, my own feeling
should be my sole counsellor"
sYou are silent" said the Captain, address
ing me, and placing his elbow on the table, h
rested his head on the palm of his hand, hi
long brown hair standing out between hi
white and.tapered fingers. He gazed at me yer,
intentiy when he uttered those three words
81 was thinking" replied to him. in a sol
emn tone OF voice, and meeting his gaze with
one Of equal intensity, "of scene which
should never have mentioned, or alluded to
had 1t not been for what you have just stated. ;
what scene !'' he demanded, rather alb
rapsly: .,., .n,r., ~ -. n,,,t ,v,,c,
preceded that Of your wife's death. was with
her, IL you remember. Annie Saint Felix, worn
out and exhausted by continual watching, had
fallen asleep in the armchair. Your wife mo.
TONED me 70 place my ear to her lips. did
so. With an effort she raised her head from
the pillow, fixed her eyes on the sleeping girl
and whispered TO me, If my husband should
ever think OF marrying again, hope that she
will BE- his choice"
Captain Preston rose passionately from his
chair, and grasped my hand. "You have
piucked from my mind the most anxious doubt
that for several weeks past has literally haunt
cd 1t. have asked myself over and over
again,-What would she have said ~
=" Have you put the question to Miss Saint
Felix - the Major inquired.
NO. said captain fresloni but VIII dc
so tomorrow"
Annie at first objected to become the wife OF
Captain Preston, although she was very much
attached to him. She was afraid that his union
with her would prejudice his position in the
colony, and eventually make him unhappy
But at last, her scruples were overcome, and
on one lovely winters morning in the month
Of June, Captain Preston led Annie to the
altar, where their hands were Joined. The
Major and myself, as we'll rs those neighbors
with whom we associated, were present and
albeit the church in point OF structure bore q
very strong resemblance to an English barn,
.no tnsre We're no merry peals OF bells, still
tnese We're joyous faces TO greet the newly
welded pair when the ceremony was conc rld.
g. xney lived very happily together, and
annie became the mother Of little boy,
Ao9ns eien'een months after this event Cap
IAN PRESTON unexpectedly inherited q large
property In England. The amount of Income
may have been exaggerated; but rnmor mn i,
down 81 fifteen Thousand pounds a-year. The
but he would not leave the COLONY mil, hs
could be accompanied by his WIFE Relmemha,
that she was still . convict under sentence =,
transportation for the term of her naturn
SON In extstence would never have dreamt O
yemiAdtnK her Of that frightful fact
IL mnst have been bitterly painful inter
view, that which Captain Preston had witt
the governor OF the colony; but IL resulted i,
the removal Of the obstacle which lay In tn
way Of AnRtess returning TO Europe and the
LEFT New South Wales, TO the very great re
grst Of my husband and myself, and Of man.
aThs iast time saw Annie before she left tn
eolOny WAS in the streets OF Sydney. She wa
{ leaninx on the arm Of her step-son, Charlie
Rreston, who WINS then q tall youth OF twent
koot he regarded his mother (as he Away
Ae1ehA Of heg} with look 20 replese with Mia
a1DhetlOn,yepcte 70 her - kindly and 90 gen
uy-seeeea g psOaa g, neF sios .ne was ssii