Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-03-10

"Give up your home" he said, "tak,
smaller one in the suburbs, and if you
viii allow me, j will pay one year:
rent in advance, and help you to fnd
means to i've" l thought he was /:
very angel for kindness, and in my
dependent state, was ready to follow
his advice in every particular.
/ owned grand piano. By selling
that and some of the furniture, 1 man
aged to pay most of my debts, and BY
giving lessons in music on hired in
strument, supported myself. Mr..
Saunders seemed always my friend
thought him the soul of honor II
he paid money for me placed it to my
account, and in nv ignorance of bust
ness, felt that l could repay him
sometime.
A year passed. l had taken board
ers, a man and his wife, and had three
or four pupils, who paid me well. l
began to get used to nv strange situa-
.tion-- Mr.. Saunders called once In d
while, and the only thing that troubled
me, now, was my obligations to him
He had expended nearly two hundred
dollars for me, and 1 had repaid him
only very small sum. His manner
toward me gradually changed; it be-
came trifle too familiar. l detected
an expression in his eye that alarmed
me, and yet l hardly knew why. The
lady who boarded with me took the
liberty of asking me if he was a rela-
tive. 1t made me angry, and replied
too carelessly. The next week my
boarders left me--and to my grief, the
woman l had harbored proved to be a
scandal-monger, and my reputation
suffered.
Before long it became too painfully
apparent that Mr.. Saunders was not
what he seemed. One evening he sur
prised me with passionate avowal of
love. was shocked beyond all de-
scription, and answered him with pas
sionate vehemence. He was coldly
sarcastic, taunted me with my obliga-
tions-said that my reputation was al
ready suffering, and professed the dark
est intentions. 1t was a terrible situa-
tion--something worse than death
stared me in the face-humiliation, dis
honor. had no friends; l was de-
serted wife. My boarders had gone,
and my scholars were gradually leav
ing me. Ny prospects were cherries
indeed, but God was still my friend
l repelled the advances of this iend in
human shape, and he left me in tow
ering passion. Malevolent reports were
spread about was in despair. Be-
cause l preferred virtue and poverty
to disgrace and the emoluments of a
mistress. 1 was to be despised.
Misfortune continued to follow me-
My remaining furniture was sold to
pay Mr.. Saunders. What to do knew
not; that wretched man followed me
like fate, from place to place 1 OBJ
tanned situation as nursery-governess;
his blasting breath poisoned the at
mosphere, and l was obliged to leave
it. 1 got situations in stores and
show rooms, but invariably he con-
tinued to lnjure me in such a way that
my services were dispensed with after
a few weeks. At last found employ
ment in the Lowell MILL l deported
myself with great circumspection--
made but few acquaintance, attended
faithfully to my duties, but after
awhile the same prosecutions would be-
gin. The men about the establishment,
who were not gentlemen, addressed
me in a most insolent manner-and l
knew that my husbands partner was
still secretly prosecuting me.
l went to the proprietor only to be
told that women who conducted them
selves properly were never insulted.--
Besides the fact always preceded me,
or become known in some manner, that
l was deserted wife-and it told pow
erfully against me, particularly with
my own sex. / was as near despair
as could be, driven almost wild by the
neglect of those Immediately around
me, and still followed by the man who
was the cause of all my suffering.
Well, he is dead now-and some
times l find myself wondering, curious
ly, if God can forgive him.
One day an employe, finding me
alone in the work-room, anxious to
finish task had undertaken, placed
his hand on my neck, and called me
his darling. All my spirit was aroused,
and with one vigorous blow 1 sent him
reeling to the floor, and left him lying
there. I shall never forget how ex-
ultant 1 felt seeing him at my feet,
stunned for the moment. The next
day, meeting him, 1 took from under
nay apron small pistol which had
procured.
"You see that am able now to de-
fend myself" / said; "touch me or
speak to me again while am here,
at your peril"
He went Immediately and reported
that carried concealed weapons. 1t
was proved that / did, and the en-
ployer give me notice TO quit the estab-
lishment.
When,I look back upon that period
sometimes wonder that l kept my
reason. What to do now, knew not.
1t was impossible to place myself be-
yond the power of that terrible man,
my husbands former partner.
wrote to his mother, beseeching her to
use her influence to protect me: 1t
was an unwise move, for he had her
ear. Inever received an answer.
Providence gave me a friend in the
person of a sailors widow. Her son
was purser's clerk, or something of
that kind. on one of the English steam
ers between New York and Liverpool,
and through his mothers exertions |
was provided with place as steward
aae 7 axulfed now in the khOuOht that