Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-28

greatly to arrange matters agreeably. II
WIS a very nicely conceived plot, and re-
quired delicate management, With the
best French he could muster, Downe one
day proceeded TO business. After a little
hesitation and clearing histbroat, be told
his guest that bis sister wished To marry
him, and If he would agree to il, he would
remove tho difficulty by taking the young
lady who had been brought from France.
| The proposition. was tempting, but did
not in the least discompose NJ. Fonlaine.
| lie prodt oad q written promise of mutual
attachment between himself and the
| young lady, and stated that, on commu-
nlcating With her, he would abide by her
decision. The same evening, he went to
the house whore she lodged, and exc
eutcd the commission with which he was
charged. The answer was such as might
he expected. There was mutual over
How OF tearf. A steady resolution was
formed 10 abide by each other. Poverty
aud its possible consequences, with aiiec-
/ tiOn, was preferred TO worldly wealth and
all It's allurements. The trial had Its
uses. To the distress of Downe and bis
sister, NJ. Fontaine married the Young
lady, and with stout hearts the two began
the world on nothing.
To the Lodging 10 which the happy
pair adjourned, numerous presents poured
In fiOnl friendly refugees In the neighhor-
hoOdi but living on gins of this kind
could not last. Teaching was 1rst re-
sorted to, and afterwards the keeping Of
a small shop In Bridgewater was tried
with no great success. Some friends
suggested an application to the managers
of charitable fund which had been
raised in London for the benefit of French
refugees exilCd hy the revocation of the
Edict of Nantes. The account of !he
effort to benefit by this fuud is som what
painful. FOntaine found that succor was
hopeless for any one who did not attach
himself TO the Church Of England, and
10 this in res0lue way which reniuds
us Of the Scotch COvtnanters, lie bad au
insuperab.e objection. A few PresbJte
rians, who heard of his distress, kindly
gave him some scasOnab'e aid; after
which he removed to Taunton, where he
Ret up In the Triple capacity Of preacher,
teacher and shopkeeper. lie had long
ings TO speculate rs an export merchant,
but was reslrsined by sorrowful recollec-
tions of former missdvenlures. In the
struggle which ensued his yosng wife
behaved admirably She stood behind
the counter and helped materially to
carry ON the concern.
While 50 doing his best In the battle of
life at Taunton fresh industrial opening
Uccurred;he was waited on by two French
men with sanguine notions about the
wooden manufacture they wanted him
TO lay ont money On wOrsted, yarn and
dyes, while they would furnish the requi-
site mechanism to make the affair profit
able. The project was irresistible. Fon-
taine risktd twenty pounds, which he
borrowed 'irom a Mrs. White, n widow,
Who dealt in tobacno at BridgeWRter. "
Out Of this trading speculation he came
out better than there were reasons for
anticipating. The manufacture proved
profitable, aud tho borrowed money vas
repaid. But the partners disagreed, and
Fontaine was glad to gel rid Of them,
and carry on business on lis own ac-
count.
From this period all was sunshine.
On Sundays he preached, at certain times
through the week he taught French,
while, as principal reliance, he carried
on a system or manufactures besides
which Madame, a pattern wie was busy
as n bee, keeping the shop with two hoy
to help her. NJ. FOntane did not think
ii the least derogat0ry ~ be AN admins
Ol EuQHAll NOuunIA hlh ~ AAlA otNhlN
time woik with all his might. 81, Pam
was his model, and he cared nothing fol
professional etiquette. We cannot re
fruin from quoting tie account he gives
of the industrial arrangements Of the es
tablishment.
81 manufacture stuff In the upper part
Of the house, which my wife sold at d
profit in the lower part. / went to Brs
/ f..r. Ia in d
fresh stock Of grOcercs, and pay oil III,
. old debt. procured direct from HOLLAND
linens of various qualities, gullOcns
thread, needles, and tin and copper ware
manufactured there by French refugees
, These articles cost me much less than il
! ] had bought them in England. ] wnl
supplied with beaver hats from Exeter
where they were made by Frencnmen
; who furnished them tUnu one IN Taunton
, tut myself. | sod FIR uch brandy ruri
: sud unAdultrratcd, whereas the Englsl
e men generally played tricks with theirs
d | drew custom by selling Malaga an1
p Alicai raisins at the price retail that
paid for them by Wholesale. | sOld nee
5 dies on the same terms. Every one knew
u the value of these articles, aud the sal
o of them did not amount 10 any great sum
7 One would say TO another, You can bu
: beautiful raisins from the Frenchman II
a such "A price;' and they would come +
5 sec for themselves, buy some raisins, an
e probably ten or twelve shilings worth q
other articles, upon which we made
: profit, 20 we found our account In sellin
l. cheap raisins."
~ The success of the French refugee !
=. this miscellaneous trade was Calling
n the native shOpkceIers Of Taunton. Fla
n from resembling Englishmen In the
a generous treatment Of foreigners drive
- by misfortune 90 our shores, they COT
;, ccived hatred of the poor Frenchmei
= whose industry ought TO have coumani
- ed their admiration, and they hateful
}" conspired to ruin him. In the nresei
I. day, one reads Of their proceedings wit
~, amazement. They lodged a complain
~ with the mayor and aldermen, accusln
a him of being a mOnOrolist IN trade, a
"a underseller. WoOlen manufacturers, III
AZ plate workers dealers In brandy, raisin
~ stockings, and chamois leather f
~ breeches, denounced him as interlerir
~ unduly with their profits. A summon
~ to appear before the civic digniiaries wi
- of course granted. The description
90 the trial is about the best thing In u
~ hook. hut Il is TOO long for our page
40 Foutdine defended himself by a few SIT
:" pie explanations. lie was bred n schol
1v and II gentleman. Religious pereecutl'
~ had driven him away from his natl
~ country. lie fol owed line of honC
.so industry IN order to support himself Al
Ior family, and trusted he was doing nothil
NJ, wrong in dealing in variety of artlcl
- for the public accommodations. I'll
,et sort OF argument would have had no
'ys feet on the court, but for the good sen
,so of the Recorder, who represented Oh
~ unluss nla 49, i,,i , ~, ,,o
nd q lun1 anu ss..e ~ unui ha ailo,ged to az az
re, ~ nI "V ~ 80 Of himself a