The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-22
BOUND BY AN OATH.
Mrs ST Evremond. Pandora Road,
Shepherds Bush. to Arthur Prius,
Esq, Barrister at Law, Middle Tenn

proposal, and am grieved to the heart
that cannot say to you. ''Talke her and
BIO happy" Had I foresocn the danger
Of your valued friendship for her ripen-
ing into love / should have told you
earlier what it becomes my melancholy
duty to say to you now-your career is
an insuperable objection to the mar
riage- She can never become tho wife
Of O barrister.
OF course I am aware that 1t Is ex-
ccptional for an actress mother to TO-
fuse her blessing on grounds like these
i know that it is my little Ncllic's
profession and not your own which is
moro usually esteemed an obstacle-but
when you have heard my explanation
you will admit its foloo and exonerato
me, / am sure, from any suspicion of
GOODNESS or Indifference.
am bound by dcathbed oathl
When l married my late husband, he,
like yourself, was ut the bar. was an
unsophisticatcd girl ut the tilne-in APP
pcarance much what my Nellie is today
but While She, as popular ingcnue,
is i'll receipt of q substantial income,
l was penniless and dependent OH his
support
He had no influence; his struggles
We're pitiful
will not weary you with tho tale of
the misery we endured. His talent,
given no chance to display itself was, l
have often thought n misfortune rather
than u boon. lie, who should have taken
silk at five and thirty and risen to the
bench 10 years later was forced TO toll
far into tho night i'll order to earn a
guinea fec. Conscious Of his ability and
oppressed by the sight of the wrctchcd-
ness he had inflicted OH the wife he
loved and the daughter who had sprung
from the union, he lost spirit and
health. Morose and disappointed, his
last illness came almost as a release
but before he died he made me take a
solemn VOW. 1t was that his child should
mover be given to a member of the legal
profession
You may reply that you arc succeed
ing; that your means arc sufficient for a
young couples simple wants-that does
not FREQ me from my sacred undertake
ing. MIR. PriuA it can never be- And l
trust TO you. appeal to your good feel
ing and your honor. to abstain from
seeing my little Nollic any more With
kind regards and sincere regrets, | TO-
main very truly yours,
MATILDA ST EVREMoND.
Mrs. st. Eyrcmond, 3 Pandora Road,
Shepherds Bush. to Captain Maurice
Fairbrain, lib, Jcrmy1l Street. W.
May 10, 1890:
DEAR CAPTAIN FAIRBRAIN-I have
just learned from my child of the honor
of your proposal, and let mo say at once
that | know no man to whom l would
more gladly confidc the happiness of
her life. am the more anxious that
you should believe this assurance be-
cause l am compelled to tell you she can
never be your wife, and wish you to
understand that l am helpless in the
matter
am bound by "a dcathbed oath.
Let me explain: When married my
late husband he. like you, was i'll tho
army. young man and a young, un-
sophisticated girl, we foil in love at IL
country ball and wedded without a
thought OF consequences He was hand
some, popular and practically penniIess
and it was not long before | discovered
also that he was deeply in debt
His father, who idoliZed him. freed
him from his embarrassment, for the
second time, heard, but with his last
effort the old mans powers of assist
ance came to an end, and in year there
were ombarrassments again.
will not detail the history of my
poor husbands difficulties history
of young fellow placed in an expcn-
sive regiment and tempted to eXtrava-
ganco by tho example of bosom friends
whose position made their companions
ship curse l will only say that in his
last years, disgraced and broken heart
cd, it was to his mistaken choice of a
profession that he always attributed his
ruin, and before he died he called NE
to him and bound me by formal VOW. 1t
was that when his child was marriagca-
bio she should never be given to q mill.
tary man. l shall always keep that
sacred pledge gave in the chamber of
death-I feel that nothing can absolve
me from it-and it is my painful duty
to beg you not to approach my little
Nellie again. SympathiZe with mo in
my distress, Captain Fairbrain and be-
ieve mo sorrowfully yours,
MATILDA ST. EvREMoND.
Mrs St Evrcmond, 3 Pandora Road.
Shepherds Bush, to Harley Hares-
foot, Esq, Corinthian Theater, Picca-
dilly, Sept. Z, 1891:
DEAR MIR. HAREsFooT-Nly child in
forms mo that You proposed to her in
the omnibus last night, and that you
are anxious to marry each other without
delay. l nm compelled to tell you that