The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-01-09
FAIR AGNES.


Became - Lady --------------------
n Sir CharkssEe FtanKhnds san of
a former Governor of Bengal, and de-,
scended from family of England trac-
ing its lineage back ward to the Norman
CONQUEST, had visited America long
previous to the War of The Revolution,
and was holding the Office OF Coliec.or
of his Majesty customs in nosI Waa un
der the Royal Government o. Massa-
chusetts. Unhappily the gay m. MINERS
and licentious principles of the " uns
knight were better accommodated W
the profligate circles Of the Old World
courts, in which he had moved, than to
the severe morality of Puritan New Eng
land society. 49,.
On some occasions,. III pursuit either
of business or pleasure, 1t would appear
that this nobleman CHANGED to visit the
village of Marblehead (some traditions
say Gloucester), where, at the.village
inn, he found damsel of "sweet six-.
teen" without shoes or stockings, and
engaged in the very unromantic en-
ployment of scrubhing the staircase.
Attracted, however, BY her appearance,
for, notwithstanding her deshabille, she
was yet evidently possessed of an un-
usually comely face and form, the
gallant youth went up and then
he came down again. untilat length he
had quite fallen in love with the young
bare-footed beauty. Meanwhile, the
grace of her attendance upon the tea
table materially aided conquest which,
when our hero ascertained that to the
charms of personal yloveliness, were
united withal lively wit and strong,
though uncultiyated mind, became CONF
plete. The "noble y adventurer i'm.
proved his earliest opportunity to make
Known to the fair maid his feelings to-
ward her. He did not feel at liberty at
present, in view of the immense social
disparity between them, to- offer her his
hand in marriage. But If she was dis
posed, she should become his, compan-
ion for life. On their return to Boston
she should at once be put in the way OF
acquiring all the accomplishments in the
way of education, which the best in
structors Of the time could bestow. This
achieved, she should be installed the
| permanent and sole mistress of his man
sion, as she was already the undisputed
]
this sudden and most unexpected stroke
of seeming good fortune, the rustic and
penniless beauty yielded to the ardent
and persuasive protestations of her 's'.no-
ble'' lover, and consented forthwith to
return with him to Boston.
The vigorous tone of moral sentiment
existing from the earliest day here in
New England, it needs hardly be said,
was grossly outraged and scandalized
by such q connection as this, all IN
blessed as it was by any pretense of
matrimonial rites, and especially by one
so conspicuously paraded before the
eyes of all as was this of Sir Charles
Henry FARMLAND. New England was
as yet hardly prepared for the advent of
the free-lover and was particularly ad-
verse to stolerating such, conduct in one
of Frankland's high social position and
commanding influence. Such behavior
might possibly be allowed in the lax
and profligate circles in the old world.
But New England society would admit
of nothing of the kind, even though the
offender was possessed of untold wealth,
was a royal official and an English no.
bleman.
So it happened that, while the COM
panion of Sir Henry was surrounded by
all graees and luxuries and accomplish
ments, she was yet insulated amid yir-
tuous community. The KIM ghts himself
was made to feel keenly the disgrace he
was bringing upon himself and house.
At length driven by the stern reproba-
ton of an -uncorrupted public opinion
to seek retreat beyond its censure for
himself and his frail and comparatively
unoffending associate, he purchased q
wide domain in Hopkinton and erected
within its bounds one of the most
splendid mansions il the coun-
try. The approach to it was
through noble avenues, hewn out of the
deep primeval forest, and overshadow-
ed by the most ancient of trees. And
there, in that quiet, yet palatial retreat,
Sir Henry was wont, it was said, to be.
guile his otherwise tedious DAYS by
maintaining, on mimic scale, the Gus
toms of his baronial ancestors and prac.
ticing many of the usages Of feuda1
times; while his magnificent stud Of
horses and pack Of, hounds, with feast
and festival, combined to invite many
a gay and inscriptions guest from the
haunts Of the metopolis to the solitude
of this then interior town.
But not always was Sir Henry Frank.
land to pursue this aimless. profigate
career or to withhold from his fair asso.
j ciate in sin the dover Of wifehood
which was her due. An event is a,
hand which is effectually to sober him
and, by impressing permanently upor
J his mind o sense of the instability Of
human affairs, to direct his mind te
higher things, and having been appoint
ed Consul General to Portugal, it SC
happened that he was residing at Lis
bon at the time of the great earthquake
, November /, 1853. Saved, as it were
hY miracle from that most ar,,,aIlinc