Gloucester County Democrat., 1894-08-30
BOUND BY AN OATH.

+ BOUND BY AN OATH.
Mrs. St Eyremond, 8 Pandora Road,
Shepherds Bush, to Arthur Prius,
Esq, Barrister at Law, Middle Tenn
pie. July l., 1889:
DEAR Mr.. PRIUs-My dear child has
acquainted me with your very fattering
proposal. and am grieyed to the heart
that cannot say to you, Take her and
be happy. = Had foreseen 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
sriage. She can never become the vile
OF a barrister.
OF course / am aware that it is ex-
ceptional FOR an actress mother to re-
fuse her blessing on grounds like these
Il know that it is my little Nellie's
profession and not your own which is
more usually esteemed an obstacle-but
when you have heard my explanation
you will admit its force and exonerate
me, ! am sure, from any suspicion Of
coldness or indifference
/ am bound by deathbed oathl
When ] married my late husband, he,
like yourself, was at the bar. was an
unsophisticated girl at the time-in ap-
pearance much what my Nellie is today
but while she, as popular ingenue,
Is in receipt of a substantial income,
! was penniless and dependent on his
support aa
He had no influence; his struggles
were pitifuL
will not weary you with the tale OF
the misery we endured. His talent,
given no chance to display itself, was,
have often thought. misfortune rather
than q boon. He, who should have taken
silk at five and thirty and risen to the
bench 10 years later, was forced to toll
far into the night In order to earn
guinea fee. Conscious of his ability and
oppressed by the sight of the wretched-
ness he had inflicted ON 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 release,
but before he died he made me take
solemn VOW Itwas that his child should
never be given to member of the legal
profession.
You may reply that you are succeed
ing; that your means are sufficient for
young couples simple wants-that does
not free me from my sacred undertake
ing Mr.. Prius, it can never be. And !
trust to you, appeal TO your good feel
ing and your honor, to abstain from
seeing my little Nellie any more. With
kind regards and sincere regrets, I re-
main very truly yours,
MATILDA ST. EvREMoND.
Mrs St Eyremond, Pandora Road,
Shepherds q Bush, to Captain Maurice
Fairbrain, 111b. Jermyn Street, W.,
May 19;S1SsO:
DEAR CAPTAIN FAIRBRAM-I have
just learned from my child of the honor
of your proposal, and let me say at once
that know no man to whom l would
more gladly confide the happiness of
her life. ! am the more anxious that
you should believe this assurance be-
cause am compelled to tell You she can
never be your wife, and wish you to
understand that am helpless in the
matter.
I am bound by deathbed oath.
| Let me explain: When / married my
| late husband, he. like you, was in the
army. A young man and young, un-
sophisticated girl, we fell in love at
country ball and welded without a
thought Of consequences He was hand
some, popular and practically penniless,
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 man 8 powers of assist
ance came to an end, and in year there
were embarrassments again.
/ will not detail the history of my
poor husbands difficulties-the history
of q young fellow placed in an expen-
sive regiment and tempted to extrava-
gance by the example of bosom friends,
whose position made their companion
ship curse. ! will only say that in his
last years, disgraced and broken heart
ed, it was to his mistaken choice Of a
profession that he always attributed his
ruin, and before he died he called me
to him and bound me by formal vow. 1t
was that when his child was marriagea-
BILE she should never be given to a mill
tayy man- 7 shah Galways keep that
sacred pledge ], gave in the chamber Of
death-I feel that nothing can absolve
me from it-1and II il my painful duty
toS beg you not to approach my little
Nellie again. Sympathize with me in
my distress, Captain Fairbrain, and be-
lieve me sorrowfully yours,
MATILDA ST EvREMoND.
Mrs St Evremond, Pandora Road,
Shepherds Bush to Harley Hares-
foot, ESQ, Cotinfhian Theater, Picca-
dilly, Sept z, 1891:
DEAR Mr. HARRsFooT-My child in
forms me that you proposed to her in
the omnibus last night, and that you
are anxious to marry each other without
delay. am compelled to tell You that
your G GyoScation 81 makes Ii impossible. imp 81 She
can never BE the wife Of an actor.
I am bound by M deathbed oath
Since my little Nellie is In the pro-
fession. too. this may astonish you, but !
nm speaking In accordance with her
poor fathers wish.
When married my late husband, he.
HE yourself. was on the stage Ours
was not happy union, / confess II
| frankly yet we loved each other at the
beginning dearly enough.
Dependent upon q precarious profess
sion, We were forced to take what offers
we could get-to accept separate engage
ments, to live apart, one in the north
when the other was in the south. one
wandering east when the other was tray
|, cling west. If we encountered eachother
Lat 9 railway station occasionally, we
were fortunate In that way we learned
ito do without each other, and coldness
I began
i Before he died we were reconciled,
hut we had both learned from expert
ence . bitter lesson. On the morning Of
J his death he signed me to approach and