Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-12-24
#iseel ella,sepms.
Brought to Light.

Brought to Light.
By THOMAS SPsIGHT.
CHAPTER In.-A DEAD wOMAN's LETTER.
NuL1AxsvII11. MAssAczussrrs,
= O.. A~1s, ise-: :,;. ,!!....
reaches you. shall be no more. Iwrits
it-with much pain and difRculty-on my
death bed; and shall leave Instructions
for to be forwarded - addressed, together
witha newspapsr containing the announce
ment Of my death. - soon - possible sfter
that event shall have taken place. The
painful malaay from which have been
moro or les sufferer during the last dozen
Year,, has struck me dewn ct last, Butit
was net 70 write Of my own su6srings that
l began this letter. but 70 perform a cot Of
iustice eparation-which may NO Ion.
ger bs delayed. The confession ! have -
make 10 . painful one, inasmueh - he who
began the deception which I am about 70
reveal was one whom. in spite Of oil his
faults. loved-my husband !; = deception
which have unwillingly been obliged to
keep up i; and charge you to make knswn
the contents Of this letter 70 Lady s.
without delay, - what have to put down
here concerns her more nearly than It does
any one else,
need not detail the circumstances which
in1used Jeremiah and me TO leave En-
gland. seeing that they are Is we'll known
to you ~ they are to myself. and that
you were ~ deeply implicated in tho atiair
which led to our departure a. any one. You
are aware that on our arrival in this coun.
try We took up our residsncs in one Of the
western states. at that time but thinly pop
ulatsd, and At NO great distance from the
Indian frontier. Here my husband began
to practise q surgeon, and here We con-
tinusd to live for seven years. But Jsre-
miah gamblsd and drank, and We were
Obliged ct last to seek another homo in .
place where We were unknown, An open
ing having offered itself in small town in
the state Of New York. We proceeded thith-
or and there We remained for ten years.
leading . miserable existance. for Jere-
mish's old weaknesses increased upOn him.
and one by one his few American friends
were slisnated. l do not write this as i'm
putting blame to the dead. bat simply be-
cause plain statement Of the truth is now
necessary. Our next move was to the
spot from which write this letter, and
were nv husband died two years after our
arrival. l had three dollars in the house
the DAY he died. and owed three hundred
in debts !; for all the money that had been
sent us WAS gone-who can say whittier :!
Jeremiah himself could not have told.
Every remittance. as it came to hand. was
| required t. meet debts that never seemed
to decrease. The thought that should bs
left destitute preyed heavily on my hus.
bands mind as he lay dying. and he hound
me by . solemn PJonisc mot to reveal, till
after my swn death. the deception that
had been practissd ~ him for 20 many
years. This he did in order that the in
come derived from certain source might
be continued to me. and that might thus
be enabled to live in comfort after his de-
cease. That promise has weighed heavily
on my conscience ever since it was made.
but l have not felt myself justified in break
ing it. Since my husbands death. l have
lived ON the proceeds Of my needle. and
tho sums remitted to me lie untouched at
the bank and have taken steps for hav-
ing the total amount forwarded to you after
my death. for repayment to the sender.
According 70 the arrangement made be-
fore leaving England. my husband was to
write - : certain person. through YOU
three tim~s every year. THIS portion OF the
agreement WAS faithfully carried out BY
jeremiah ~ long ~ hs lived. and BY me
after his death aud once in every four
months statement WA sent you, embrac-
| iux such particulars concerning the Boy q
| it was thfought you might feel interested in
knowing.
The whole Of those statements for the
last eleven years were false in every par
ticulsr.
Let me briefly rscapitulate their con
tents. Up to the time that the boy was
nine years old. the reports sent you were
simple statements Of facts. You were du
" informed Of our safe arrival in the cOun-
nv, and our settlement at Willsburgh ;
you had ample particulars sent yea rs-
speosing the ehild-his health. hls stubborn
osmpsr. and the progress be was making
At school; and every letter gave you the
assurance that the rscollections Of his
former life were gradually dying out Of his
memory, and that with the Progrcss OF time
the Secret wss becoming less difficult to
keen. This went On till hs was nine years
eld, bot after that time the reports sent you
we're purely fetitisus. You were led to bs.
| lievs that tie boy. after remaining at school
| till he wss fifteen years old. was put -
assistant into store. where hs stayed till
| he was quite young msu; but that. grow
| ing tired Of this life after time. hs join
ed an exploring expedition that was being
formed 70 search for new pass across
the Rocky Mountains. and that he WAS
never heard Of afterwards.
Long before the boy was nine wears old,
my husband began to shafs under the bur.
den that was laid upon him. we'll paid for
the duty though he was. There were van-
ous reasons why this should bs 10. In the
first place, Jeremiah was. in reality. man
Of timid disposition. despite the daring
scheme which, under the influence OF
strong temptation. he had 90 successfully
carried out and % long ~ the lad CEN
tinusd to live with us, he trembled lest
some untsward accident should bring the
deed he had done home to him-exposure
before the eyes Of the world being what he
dreaded beyond everything. Then, the
lads temper was most stuhbQn aud Obsti'
nate; and, dsspits all the sffGrts Of Jeremiah
and myself. ks psrsistsptly refused to ad-
dress us o. Uncle and Aunt (the degree
Of relationship decided upon before we left
England). but would stamp bis foot. sad
turn white with passion. when urged on the
point; nay, hs would cry that We were No
relations of his. hut his enemies. who had
.tnla,, hin, awav fv0m his hNAutiful hOm0