New-York tribune., 1870-05-11
avoided Il. But loved you and took no counsel OF

hit afraid TO die so 1 not airalo vi "1S
tGns In S fa s oy whca have been
your helper and comforter and shield, 70 Ina nm "nnS
You into to Isa saey stSl o%f Of it, & If live to get
into harbor with you the Father Will take care Vi your
n INJECTIONS let us take chances. have been In
rOugher seio ana we cam provide for ali con-
cs rs far as possible and then keep the serene
mI hnw innicsimai ali these petty things Of life are,
and feels that infinite love ana absolute Juscc ro
NV darling in all that or do, or have or hope for
in life or death, you irTevocaby interviewer: re-
tat it has affected or mared your happiness My whole
heart my whole life, go out to you think see happy
good to Others inoo see loyalty nothing shake,
trust that is absolute love that is utter ana VIAL
This letter is the keynote of the absolute ove o anu
trust in which Mr. Richardson held me for the thIee
wears which passed until his death. For the leeillig
with which tried to repay his LOYALTY TO me- anu ha
the gratitude felt for the Ghivay Win snrtnnes s
tried TO avert as far as possible all the lsi0rtue
which seemed destined to fall on my helpless hen,
have no word to speak. saw him rarely and our
meetings were always guarded Dy ,c ft hc ynof
for propriety and were either under my father rooi
oy in the presence of friends But the last sentences
of the letter have just quoted was IN my heart M
# do not tS expect y ywbc seeks it's
pirate food in tho vile garbage of The Police Gazette
how can hope that it will understand him 10 such
a public he does not belong. The age OF Sidney or
of Bayard should claim him as its own. =, .oo-
After my return to Massachusetts, in March, 1867,
Mr.. Mcfarland commenced proceedings to get pos
session of my children in suit OF habeas corpus.
Not satisfied with these prOceedingsahe assaled me
in every way possible to harass woman. L hardiy
have one friend in New-lork or New,Lngiah9 lnto
whose house he did not enter to force them 70 listen
TO his story. He aSsailed my character with we
epthets, which should blush to repeat, ana when
he knew in his own CONSCIOUSNESS, would dle tel,
thousand deaths rather than deserve am glad anu
proud to say that none of my friends fell OIL from
me- and that among all my friends and acquamt-
ances, only one door has been shut against me, IN IN
III eli onler NybI
bear At last, weary and worn out with more con-
tests than | can describe here, pursued by his re-
venge, in the form OF anonymous letters Dy spies
set to watch my footsteps, by all that can wear OUT
a woman's courage and heart, made COMPROMISE
with Mr. Mcfarland. 1t was agreed that az pro
ceedings should be stopped by division OF the emil
keep Danny in my charge. Hitherto might nave
been imprudent in allowing myself to loye yea a good
when we had legal right to admit it to each other
but had never felt any of guilt about It, for
knew meant to do the best could. But now con-
fessed my baseness my want of courage In giving up
nv boy. nuIsed at my breast and dearer to me than
my life TO compromise with my sworn foe. My remorse
for letting the child 60 without letting the legal
was very weak. was in Boston, where had no
friends except my own family. In the midst OF all
these proceedings Coy John Andrew, who tTat WAS
by the common law, the children belong to the
father and that it is in the discretion OF the court
whether the mother shall have her children or no.
promised. with a solemnty which seemed like truth
that he would put my child in school that he would
only consult my wishes i'll choosing place Tor hlni,
and that there should be bar between me and the
little boy. So let him go in November, 1857. 1t
was only little while before heard the child was
not in school, not going to be there that he was
dragged from one lodging -hose to another, tlll
became so anxious l came TO New-YoIk to see him.
When, accompanied by my lawyer in New York City,
Mr.. Runkle / went to the lodgings where Percy
lived, was met by 4r. Mcfarland with such a
storm of outrage and abuse as will not try to de-
scribe.
1t was in the Spring of 1868 that 1 attempted to
see Percy. After the outra scene, which nearly
broke my heart, my friends all said one thng-that
must at once take legal steps to get free from Mr.
Mcfarland | decided very soon to go to Indiana.
The laws there, as found on consultation, permit
divorce for drunkenness, extreme cruelty, and
that Mr. Mcfarland had committed adultery while l
lived with him as his wife. had been offered proof
that he had committed that crime against marriage
since had ceased TO live with him. L was told that
adultery the only ground on which divorce III
New York obtainable. But repeat now what
said then with all my soul upon my lips that con
sidered his treatment of me, his personal abuses his
terrible profanity his ouTages OF al xmas, an IN
fntey greater sin against Inc and my wOmanhoOd
than if he had committed AGAIN ana again, nnkG%h WIN
is the only cause the New-lork courts hold Just
grounds for divorce. My opinion in this remains
unchanged even while write. So went to Indiana
and remained there 16 months, only once coming
home for little visit in Massachusetts at Christmas
On the S1st of October, 1869 returned to my
bond by the decision of of the States under
the Constitution which aflirms that full faith and
credit shall be given i'll each State to the public acts
records and judicial proceedings OF every other State
During the long time, almost three years that en-
sued between my former separation from Mcf arland
and my legal divorce, my acquaintance with MI.
Richardson had been most carefully guarded We
agreed and all friends agreed, that we had been
rash and foolish. After returned to my fathers in
March, after MIR Richardson was wounded did notsee
him for months. Then he came to my fathers house
in this wise Mr. John +. Cleye and of New-York,
an old friend of Mr.. Mcfarland, came to Mr.. Rich
ardson and told him that Mr. Mcfarland desired that
could not be made. Mr. Richardson, supposing this
trap at iirst refused to CO. but finally after consult
ing his own lawyer, Mr. John SedgwIck and on. on Mr.
mischief was meant, Mr.. Richardson came on to see
me at my fathers This was his first visit to me- and
lands part which led to the division of my children.
After Percy went away when was most sorely
grieved and troubled, Mr.. Richardson visited me
went to York in the Spring of 1863 before left
for Indiana, saw him occasionally in the presence
of friends of his and mine. During all my, stay in
Indiana and in all his frequent jonrneyngs West,
never saw him once, and he carefully avoided pass
ing through the city where | stopped to give NO
shadow OF cause ior scandal, but on tne Slst Gi
1869 Mr.. Richardson came on to his mothers house
in Medway to Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving
evening met him at the railroad station, as he came
from his aged mothers, whose youngest son he was;
For the first time since he was shot in 1867, walked
with him in the street. In all that time we had en-
tered no place of amusement together, and had only
once met accidently at evening party at the
house of mutual friend 1t seemed as if for the first
time had right to talk freely, and unreservedly
to him. so carefully had our acquaintance with each
other been protected.
On the day after THANKSGIVING Mr.. Richardson
planned about our future. We could still afford to
wait till events shaped themselves. Just a week
after he lett, dispatch came that he was mortaly
hurt, and came to New-York to nurse him till he
died. When came he asked me, if there should
seem at any time to be no hope of his recovery, if
would marry him at once, and said would. Other
wise we decided to wait till he recovered. I.sup-
posed he wished to be married that might have
irmer legal right to take the charge and rearing of