Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-08-16
PLUCKED FROM THE BURNING.
BY FLORENCE MARRYAT.


am not dviug; Heaven has been mer
tlul to me, shall live to be a blessing
to him Cor 80 he fOpdly tells me) whose
cure had so nearly proved. Yet, weak
aud Frustrated as | am, | can not rest
until | have written down the details of
my sad story; for while there is a chance
OF th lr recital deterring such as would
tread the paths | well nigh stumbled in,
aud that chance remains unheeded, feel
that have not made all the reparatiOn
which lirs in my power.
must begin with the beginning of my
life. My father was an officer in the |
B1ugal army, but he and my mother dy- !
ng within few months Of each other, !
lrlt me cary to the care Of guardians, !
who imagined that by keeping me AZ a
respectable boarding school from the |
tine could t0lk plainly until the age Of
eighteen the, amply fulfilled the trust
they had undertaken. From my childhood |
knew that when my eighteenth birthday !
arrived l should he sent out again to |
India, not for the II ere object of mar
rigr, but because there is shrewd
condition attached to the enjoyment Of
tie fund provided by the Bengal army
for It's female orphans, by which, It they
are to continue to draw the allowance
made for them, and which ceases upon
marriage, they must take up a Tesid, nee
upon obtaining II marrisgeabe age.
had no provision to look to except
that derived from the fund, and my
guarliuts had neither the wish nor the
ability TO maintain me Therefore at the
tImc appointed set sail for India alone.
Arriving at Calcutta | found myself
dependent on the hospitality of friends,
D.. tttt 1 lttI lao oil II
ior actual support, at least for that pro
lection without which Il young woman
cannot mix in the world.
WAS proud i'm spirit, notwithstanding
the humb,cness of my position, and after
while the knowledge CALLED me, and l felt
that ! could bear il no longer. Acting
upon this impulse, and the advice of my
friends, ] made the fatal mistake which
80 many of my sex made before me, of
acc, ptng the first eligible oiler which |
received, aud which CHANGED to he from
Laurence Edwards, rising partner in
large mercantile firm.
did BOT love him. Whatever my
heart feels for him now, | must
record that here. How could ! have
loved him and yet have tins story to
relate of myself lie was grave, busi-
uess-like man, some twelve years older
than ! was, aud whose disapprobation of
my luvity was the occasion more than
uncc of our engagement being nearly
broken OIL. However, matters were made
.u.uuth again between us. / liked him
as well or better than most of the butter
Nias who wcrg lowering about mes my
Rruuuiutnncr. congratulated me on the
cAgclonco o. my PROSPECTS,, ami en-
doi-rd their opinions by becoming his
Wic. But very shortly after my mar
riagc had a dangerous Illness So alarm
mg a one indeed that the doctors reeoln-
mended AN Immediate return home as
the only means of restoring my health.
Ms husband could not 90 with mel he
bad lately returned from his tour of
pleasure. aud the other partner of the
lousc WIS away, so lie was compelled TO
Del me depart myself. lie put me on
bOud the huncward bound steamer, was
Hi-lAut in : ruyidiug all things necessary
for my comfort during the passage, and
tull Of cautions M to my behaviour on
DOS arrival in England hut he did not
rVWcss much grief ~ our separation.
That De felt il ] now know well, but he
WAS man who could bow himsclf grace
fully TO the Inevitable; he feared to ex-
clc my alarm by appearing to think too
uuch OF my State Of health, and | at
lrHlted lis rclicence to want OF feeling.
returned tn England, then, as | had
leii IL alone, aud for the first time thrown
on my own discretion as guide. Legal
ly, | was no logger a child to he looked
after and directed by guardians but in
rTliIy was Just AN unit to be my own
u-trcss as when | left school. Having
uu family Of my own, except the most dis
lalt connections, | first visited those of
my husband, In Scotland but | did not
sgy there long. Ills cOuntrilied and
ubuchly Presby teriAn relatives scared
mr with their rigid ways and doctrines
a- doubtless I horrh,d them with the
mAlty OF my manners. Having been
hrough! up entirely ut school, and being
Ncty foolish and ho,dless, Ms became my
youth, ! had no idea OF accommodating
in,rrf 10 the habits Ol those prim Scclcl
leurc, and cited my self w before ! had
lu'u week under their roof, whirh sci
lArW So much agairs me that il was 4
mutual pleasure When the day for my dc
l"tur was fixed. / had never liveI
uut of Lunduu before, aud every Oihe
place Was ,,range to he therefore ny
Husband consented to my taking II hOus'
'n HE suhuihs, where, with my sulal
tst'hl. lment Of maid servants, ! expect
cd 10 hear Tor some time that he was Ol
Ai' 10 rtiUin me. But business in
htl' rtd with his pans, snd one thini
nltt another combined 70 prevent hi
cniirg until we had been three year
separated from each O,hcr; and a thOugl
my own hea th was then perfectly re
slu'ei, ! WAS enjoying myself too mucl
To ltvr any wish ~ revisit Calcutta.
More than that, | had begun to regret
guilty creature that | was, that | ha
.ecn the face Of the man whom l call IN
husband / had never known much 0
NNITI no gurtTtnntA nuriItfr
nl'i married life he had been Occnpie
lgr the greater portion of each day, ani
tne little did know was fast fading fror
my memory. The heart forgcts quickl
nom eighteen to twentY-One, and paTticu
ally when absence is added to feelin
Nulrh has never eliminated beyond graf
n1r. Ana much happened during thos
ilTte years TO wipe the remembrance {
hm of my MUD. / was exceedingl
luuughlcss and fOnd Of gayety, and NJ
A'te house was soon crowded with Wis
'vis. was pretty also-I need have n
hesitation in lrauscrihing the fact, sine
paper can not reflect my blushes-an
s''nr among my hew aCquaintances wei
lo1nd bold enough TO tellme so. Anon
'4'Se was certain Alfred Knowles,
correction OF my own, who had intr'
N"'cl himself to me on that accOun
e'aimlrg distant cousinship, and tai
lus advantage Of that claim to establis
An intimacy between us. He was a hsni
toihe Young fellow, not many years old
tlah myself, with lots of life and spark
.uoNl him and when at last he venture
" Il u ine tldt he loved me as he had new
io'el woman b fore, he made me belief
ne Was very much in earnest and to N
MISERY. went ttill further, and believe
tual not only returned his love, but WI
very mucl in earnest also. Perhal
some may wonder that | can write {
fuielly on such theme but / have
"l1ecl In doing SO. My purpose in te
uL lhls tale Is to show the means
winch was rescued from the wrong
contemplated but l will not sully
lagts by detailing how the sin was
nearly brought about. When it was Oh
hrft tancied that l loved Air
movies can not say but the i'd
srcW little by little, until was strong
unused with It, and when the crisis
lNy late arrived felt as though l we
nlahgled In web from which there W
NO possibility of escape. Il was not ma
uays after the completion of the third a