The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-16

| them wi.houtsecing TINT she WINS puro. hgt.
minded. md refined woman. and that she cox
! sdcrci herself IN the eyes OF God and man
| Imay's vic. But OF course she made tho
| grand mistake oi surprising that 1t Is possible
| for one woman to undo the consccrated custom
! Of H,.cs. 10 nn. Ter slender body under the iron
wheel Of society and not be- crushed Nv H. And
she made tho lar more fatal bundcr OF Judging
Inlay by her own standard. and Of dcemiug
| him rs truc. IA imprisoned. and selfdenging
| as she WIS herself.
In 1874 Mary gavo birth to girl bnt Imiaya
interest in her and his child rapidly cooled,
and though he allowed them to join him in
lIavrc, aud by and by in England. her letters to
him show that she went with heavy hoar; and
! gloomy forebodings OF coming eorrow And
! hero We may point out what In. with exquisite
! dcli'0eT. passed. over In these letters that
| during largo part OF her soiourn in France
| this young mother wns left without tho
noccssaries OF life and WIS forced to oke
out the subsistence OF herself and her infant
with her pen. The meeting IN England was hut
! the prelude to another long separation. lmlays
nfrairs werc seriously embarrassed and it
prov,.d necessary that some one should 20 TO
Sweden and Norway to arrange his business
matters in that quarter. whilo his own presence
was required elsewhere. 1t was agreed that
Mary should mako tho voyage and tho docu-
| ment still exists in which Inlay calls her
| his wife and gives her plcnary powers TO
| act for him. Her letters during this Pc
riod TO him whom tho poor creature
no longer dnrcs 10 call her husband are among
the most pathetic utterances Of the humun
heart You see tho sad struggle between dis
cernmcnt and affection. between her passionate
longing to lnd something noble in the man.
] h.. t.t.. At
baseness and bcsta incapacity for anything
more stable or generous thnn the nccting etngs
Of appetite What. for instance. could combine
more Insight with more tenderness THAI this
passage in letter from Swedcn
All why do you not love ma with moro SEN
| umenty Why nrc You creature of such wide
! sympathy that the warmth Of vour feelings. or
! rather Quickhess Oi your senses. hartens your
! heart? II IL NV misfortune that my imagiuu-
| non is perpetunlly shading your defects aud
| lending you charms. while the Ercssness OF your
senses makes YOU lcall me not vainl overlook
| some graces IN me that only dignity OF mind and
the sensibity OF rn expanded heart can
give. God blese you Adieu."
Although INLAY at this time was able to waste
money with dissolute companions in London.
he neglected to send any rcmittnnces to Mary
| Wolisonecraft. who had gone 10 Norway on his
| business, ana who accordingly was obliged to
separate from her little girl while she earned n
/ small sum by literary work. But there il not "A
| syllable Of reproach on this score in any Of her
| letters. She asks nothing but kind thought
| loving word. and when future arrangements
are discussed she will not listen 20 prefers OF
pccuniarY support. unless they arc TO live
/ together. " / wish for us to live together" she
writes. with n forced composure that brtrays
~ sihkit -g OF her hCa~t. because I~yant -.
TO acquire an habtual tenderness for my poor
girl. / cannot boar to think Of leaving her
! in Ia. D., -, -. 4.
protected by your sense Of duty" But else
whore she says: | can take care OF my child:
| want not protection without affection. and
support need not while my faculties are un-
dlstul bed. had dislike 10 living in England
but PAINFUL feelings must give way 10 superior
considerations. ] may not be able to acquire
the sum necessary 10 maintain my child and
self elsewhere. But be not alarmed shall
not force myself on you any more"
On her return 20 England Mary found letters
awaiting her from Inlay which made II plain
that lie intended 80 leave her. Thoy uaet again
however. when he attempted to gloss over the
past. and for a time Il seemed possible that for
the childs sake they might still remain together
But sho soon discovered that this exemplary
man was carrying on an unworthy intrigue
undor her own roof. Driven TO despair aud for
time quite out OF her mind she attempted to
drown herself by leaplng from Putney Bridge
and when that attempt was frustrated would
not forego for some time the desire ~
ending her existence. AT this deplorable
crisis Of her life her former publisher showed
himself 4 helpful friend and nided her once
moro e. support herself by writing. Thence
forward she nted Imlay's Of r. 20 provide
for her-on'rs which. ms after circumstances
proved. were made merely FOR Appearances and
were never meant 90 be- translated into acts. He
81. a. Al.