LETTER XXXIX. Mrs. HOLMES to MYRA.
BELLEVIEW.
I readily undertake to give
you a &longs;ketch of the hi&longs;tory of Harriot. Her
mother's name was Maria Fawcet; her person
I yet recollect, and forgive me if I drop
a tear of pity at the recital of her misfortunes.
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MY mother and Mrs. Holmes were remarkable
friends, and the intimacy, you
know, was maintained between the two families.
I was on a vi&longs;it with my mother
when the de&longs;tiny of Maria led her to Belleview.
I was frequently there during her
illne&longs;s—and was with her in her la&longs;st moments.
IT was the cu&longs;tom of Mrs. Holmes to
walk in the garden towards the clo&longs;e of the
day. She was once indulging her u&longs;ual
walk, when &longs;he was alarmed by the complaints
of a woman which came from the
road. Pity and humanity were ever peculiar
characteri&longs;ticks of my amiable parent---She
ha&longs;tened to the place from whence the &longs;ound
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i&longs;&longs;ued and beheld a young woman, bathed
in tears, &longs;itting upon the ground. She inquired
the cau&longs;e of her di&longs;tre&longs;s, with that
eager &longs;olicitude to relieve, which a &longs;ight &longs;o
uncommon would naturally occa&longs;ion. It was
&longs;ometime before the di&longs;tre&longs;&longs;ed woman could
return an intelligible an&longs;wer, and then &longs;he
with difficulty proceeded: “Your goodne&longs;s,
Madam, is unmerited---you behold a stranger,
without home---without friends---and
who&longs;e mi&longs;ery bears her down to an untimely
grave---Life, truly is a ble&longs;&longs;ing---but my
life is become burthen&longs;ome, and were the
Almighty this moment to command me to
the world of &longs;pirits, methinks I could gladly
obey the &longs;ummons, and rejoice in the &longs;troke
which bade me depart from &longs;orrow and
the world.” Moderate your grief, my
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dear woman, repine not at the will of Providence,
nor &longs;uffer your&longs;elf to de&longs;pair, however
&longs;evere your misfortunes.
THE unfortunate woman was at length
prevailed on to accompany Mrs. Holmes into
the hou&longs;e, &longs;he partook of &longs;ome refreshment
and retired to &longs;leep. In a few days &longs;he
appeared to be better; but it was a temporary
recovery; &longs;he then told her &longs;tory, with
frequent interruptions, in &longs;ub&longs;tance as follows:—
History of Maria.
“I DATE the ri&longs;e of my misfortunes,”
&longs;aid Maria, “at the beginning of my acquaintance
with the Honourable Mr. Harrington.—
But for his &longs;olicitations I might
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&longs;till have lived in peace—a &longs;i&longs;ter would not
have had occa&longs;ion to blu&longs;h at the &longs;ound of
my name—nor had a mother's pillow been
&longs;teeped in tears, too &longs;ondly prone to remember
a gracele&longs;s but repenting child---We
lived happily together in the days of my father,
but when it plea&longs;ed Providence to remove
him, we no longer a&longs;&longs;erted our pretentions
to that rank of life which our straitened
finances were unable to continue—
A young woman in no eligible circumstances,
has much to apprehend from the solicitations
of a man of affluence. I am now
better per&longs;uaded of this truth, than I ever
was before—for this was my unhappy situation---I
always entertained a predilection
for Mr. Harrington—he urged his pa&longs;&longs;ion
with prote&longs;tations of &longs;incerity and affection
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---he found my heart too &longs;lightly guarded---
he &longs;trove—he triumphed.
“—MUST I proceed!—
“A SMILING female was the offspring of
our illicit connexion—Ah! my little Harriot!”
continued Maria, as &longs;he wiped away
a tear from her eye, “maye&longs;t thou enjoy that
happine&longs;s which is denied to thy mother.”
“OUR amour was not fated to la&longs;t long—
I di&longs;covered his gay temper to be materially
altered—he was oftentimes thoughtful and
melancholy, and his vi&longs;its became &longs;uddenly
&longs;horter, and le&longs;s frequent.
“I AFTERWARDS thought this change
of conduct owing to jealou&longs;y—for he once
a&longs;ked me if a gentleman had called upon me
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—I per&longs;i&longs;ted in avowing my abhorrence of
his ungenerous &longs;u&longs;picion---He left me abruptly,
and I &longs;aw nothing of him after.
“A STROKE &longs;o unexpected fell heavy on
my heart—it awakened me to the &longs;tate of
mi&longs;ery into which my imprudence had hurried
me.---What recompen&longs;e could I expe
ct from my Seducer?---He had been
married two years---From the inflexibility
of his temper I had little to hope, and I
formed a determination of leaving town, for
I had now indubitable te&longs;timony of his affe
ction being e&longs;tranged from me—half frantick,
I immediately &longs;et out---but whither I
knew not---I walked with precipitation until
Providence directed me to your ho&longs;pitable
door: To your goodne&longs;s, Madam, I am
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indebted for prolonging my exi&longs;tence a few
days: For amid&longs;t the kindne&longs;s and civilities
of tho&longs;e around me, I feel my&longs;elf rapidly
verging towards the grave. I prepare myself
for my approaching fate---and daily
wait the &longs;troke of death with trembling expe
ctation.”
SHE wrote to Mr. Harrington about a
week before her decea&longs;e---I tran&longs;cribe the
Letter:—
“The Hon. Mr. Harrington.
“TO the man for whom my bleeding
heart yet retains its wonted affection, though
the author of my guilt and mi&longs;ery, do I
addre&longs;s my feeble complaint---O! Harrington,
I am verging to a long eternity---and
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it is with difficulty I &longs;upport my&longs;elf while
my trembling hand traces the dictates of
my heart. Indi&longs;po&longs;ed as I am---and unable
as I feel to pro&longs;ecute this ta&longs;k---I however
collect all my powers to bid you a long---
a final farewel.
“OH! Harrington, I am about to depart---
for why &longs;hould. I tarry here? In bitter
tears of &longs;orrow do I weep away the night,
and the returning day but augments the
angui&longs;h of my heart, by recalling to view
the &longs;ad &longs;ight of my misfortunes. And
have I not cau&longs;e for this &longs;evere angui&longs;h, at
once the &longs;orrow and di&longs;grace of my family?—
Alas! my poor mother!—Death &longs;hall expiate
the crime of thy daughter, nor longer
rai&longs;e the blu&longs;h of indignation on thy
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glowing cheek.—Ought I not therefore, to welcome
the hand of death?
“BUT what will become of my poor helpless
infant, when its mother lies forgotten
in the grave? Wilt thou direct its feet in
the path of virtue and rectitude?—Wilt
thou &longs;helter it from the ride bla&longs;ts of penury
and want?—Open your heart to
the &longs;olicitude of a mother—of a mother agonizing
for the future welfare of her child.
Let me intreat you to perform this reque&longs;t—
by the love which you profe&longs;&longs;ed for thy
Maria—by her life which you have sacrificed.
“AND wilt thou not drop a tear of pity
in the grave of thy Maria?—I know thy
&longs;oul is a &longs;oul of &longs;en&longs;ibility; but my
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departure &longs;hall not grieve thee—no, my Harrington,
it &longs;hall not wre&longs;t a &longs;igh from thy bo&longs;om—
rather let me live, and defy the malice and
mi&longs;ery of the world—But can tenderne&longs;s—
can love atone for the &longs;acrifices I have
made?—Will it blot out my errours from the
book of memory? Will love be an excu&longs;e
for my crime, or hide me from the eye of
the malignant—No, my Harrington, it will
not. The pa&longs;&longs;ion is unwarrantable. Be
it thine, gentle Amelia—be it thine to
check the obtruding &longs;igh, and wipe away the
tear from his face—for thou art his wife, and
thy &longs;oul is the &longs;eat of compa&longs;&longs;ion—But—for
me—
“Farewel—farewel forever!
Maria.”
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SHE &longs;urvived but a &longs;hort time—and frequently
expre&longs;&longs;ed a concern for her child—
but Mrs. Holmes quieted her fears by promising
to protect it. She accordingly made
inquiry after it—and it is the &longs;ame Harriet
who was educated by her order, and whom
&longs;he afterwards placed in the family of Mrs.
Francis.
THE a&longs;&longs;urances of my mother were like
balm to the broken hearted Maria—“I &longs;hall
now,” &longs;aid &longs;he, “die in peace.”
THE following is a copy of a letter written
by the Rev. Mr. Holmes to the Hon.
Mr. Harrington:—
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“BELLEVIEW.
“SIR,
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“WE have a &longs;cene of di&longs;tre&longs;s at our hou&longs;e
peculiarly pathetick and affecting, and of
which you, perhaps, are the &longs;ole author—You
have had a criminal connexion with Mi&longs;s
Fawcet—you have turned her upon the world
inhumanly—but chance—rather let me &longs;ay
Providence, hath directed her foot&longs;teps to my
dwelling, where &longs;he is kindly entertained,
and will be &longs;o, as long as &longs;he remains in this
wilderne&longs;s world, which is to be, I fear, but
a &longs;hort time---And &longs;hall &longs;he not, though &longs;he
hath been decoyed from the road that leadeth
to peace, long life and happine&longs;s---
&longs;hall &longs;he not, if &longs;he return with tears of repentance
and contrition, be entitled to our
love and charity? Yes---this is my doctrine
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---If I behold any child of human nature
di&longs;tre&longs;&longs;ed and forlorn, and in real want of the
nece&longs;&longs;ities of life, mu&longs;t I re&longs;train or withhold
the hand of charity---mu&longs;t I cea&longs;e to recal
the departing &longs;pirit of them that are ready to
peri&longs;h, until I make diligent inquiry into
their circum&longs;tances and character? Surely,
my friend, it is a duty incumbent on us by
the ties of humanity and fellow feeling, and
by the duty impo&longs;ed on us by our holy religion,
equally to extend the hand of relief
to all the nece&longs;&longs;itous—however they may be
circum&longs;tanced in the great family of mankind.
“THE crime of Maria is not the blacke&longs;t
in the annals of human turpitude; but however
guilty &longs;he might have been, the tears of
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penitence do certainly make atonement
therefor.
“THUS much have I thought proper to
&longs;ay in vindication of my conduct---in sheltering
under my roof a poor wanderer—who
hath &longs;trayed, but not wantonly, and who
hath now happily returned.
“ONE would imagine, there was little necessity
of making &longs;uch a vindication to you;
but my &longs;entiments always flow from the
abundance of my heart, and I am willing the
whole world &longs;hould judge of tho&longs;e which
influence my conduct—Now, though
&longs;ome men, who&longs;e charity is contracted, and
who may be denominated prudes in virtue,
might deem wrongfully of my attention to
the calamity of this frail woman—yet let
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me appeal to the hearts and under&longs;tandings
of all men, and the&longs;e in particular, if I have
erred, whether it be not an errour on the
&longs;ide of humanity. Would to God &longs;uch
amiable errours were more frequent!—In
as much, my friend, as there is joy in heaven
over one &longs;inner that repenteth, I may &longs;ay
with a&longs;&longs;urance that I have felt an emanation
of this heavenly joy animate my heart, in
beholding this woman delighting to &longs;teer
her cour&longs;e heavenward.
“FROM the unhappy condition of Maria,
I have been led to reflect on the mi&longs;chievous
tendency of SEDUCTION. Methinks I
view the di&longs;tre&longs;&longs;ing picture in all its horrid
colours.—
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“BEHOLD the youthful virgin arrayed
in all the delightful charms of vivacity, modesty
and &longs;prightline&longs;s—Behold even while
&longs;he is ri&longs;ing in beauty and dignity, like a lily
of the valley, in the full blo&longs;&longs;om of her
graces, &longs;he is cut off &longs;uddenly by the rude
hand of the Seducer. Unacquainted with
his be&longs;ene&longs;s and treachery, and too ready to
repo&longs;e confidence in him—&longs;he is deluded
by the promi&longs;es and flattery of the man who
profe&longs;&longs;es the greate&longs;t love and tenderne&longs;s for
her welfare:—But did &longs;he under&longs;tand the
&longs;ecret villainy of his intentions—would
&longs;he appear thus elate and joyous? Would
&longs;he a&longs;&longs;ent to her ruin? Would &longs;he &longs;ub&longs;cribe
her name to the catalogue of infamy? Would
&longs;he ki&longs;s the hand of the atrocious da&longs;tard,
already rai&longs;ed to give the final wound to her
reputation and peace?
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“O! WHY is there not an adequate punishment
for this crime, when that of a common
traitor is marked with its de&longs;erved iniquity
and abhorrence!
“IS it nece&longs;&longs;ary to depicture the &longs;late of
this deluded young creature after her fall
from virtue? Stung with remor&longs;e, and frantick
with de&longs;pair, does &longs;he not fly from the
face of day, and &longs;ecrete her con&longs;cious head in
the bo&longs;om of eternal forgetfulne&longs;s? Melancholy
and guilt transfix her heart, and &longs;he
&longs;ighs out her mi&longs;erable exi&longs;tence—the prey
of poverty, ignominy and reproach! Lo&longs;t
to the world, to her friends, and to her&longs;elf,
&longs;he ble&longs;&longs;es the approach of death in whatever
&longs;hape he may appear, that terminates a life,
no longer a ble&longs;&longs;ing to its po&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;our, or a joy
to tho&longs;e around her.
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“BEHOLD her &longs;tretched upon the mournful
bier!—Behold her &longs;ilently de&longs;cend to the
grave!—Soon the wild weeds &longs;pring afre&longs;h
round the little hillock, as if to &longs;helter the remains
of betrayed innocence—and the
friends of her youth &longs;hun even the &longs;pot which
conceals her relicks.
“SUCH is the con&longs;equence of SEDUCTION,
but it is not the only con&longs;equence. Peace
and happine&longs;s fly the nuptial couch which is
unattended by love and fidelity. The mind
no longer enjoys its quiet, while it cea&longs;es to
cheri&longs;h &longs;entiments of truth and gratitude.
The &longs;acred ties of connubial duty are not to
be violated with impunity; for though a
violation of tho&longs;e ties may be overlooked by
the eye of ju&longs;tice, the heart &longs;hall &longs;upply a
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monitor, who will not fail to correct tho&longs;e,
who are hardy enough to bur&longs;t them asunder.—
I am, &c.
“W. Holmes.”
TO this Letter, Mr. Harrington returned
the following An&longs;wer.
“PERMIT me, my ever honoured
friend, to return you thanks for your late favours—
need I add—an acknowledgment
for your liberality? No—your heart supplies
a &longs;ource of plea&longs;ure which is con&longs;tantly
nouri&longs;hed by your goodne&longs;s and univer&longs;al
charity.—
“THE picture you have exhibited of a ruined
female is undoubtedly ju&longs;t, but that the
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rude &longs;poiler has his &longs;hare of remor&longs;e is equally
&longs;o—The conclu&longs;ion of your letter is a real
picture of the &longs;ituation of my heart.
“PERHAPS you was always ignorant of
the real motives that influenced me, and
gave a particular bias to my conduct—At
an early period of my life, I adopted a maxim,
that the mo&longs;t nece&longs;&longs;ary learning was a knowledge
of the world, the pur&longs;uit of which, quadrating
with a volatility of di&longs;po&longs;ition, presented
a variety of &longs;cenes to my heated imagination.
The eclat of my companions
gratifying my vanity and increa&longs;ing the gale
of pa&longs;&longs;ion, I became in&longs;en&longs;ibly hurried down
the &longs;tream of di&longs;&longs;ipation. Here I &longs;aw mankind
in every point of view—from the
acme of the mo&longs;t con&longs;ummate refinement,
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to the mo&longs;t adject &longs;tage of degradation. I
&longs;oon became a ready proficient in the great
&longs;chool of the world—but an alteration of
conduct was &longs;oon after nece&longs;&longs;ary—I was
compelled to it, not &longs;o much from the
world's abhorrence of a di&longs;&longs;olute cour&longs;e of
life, as the dictates of my own heart—It
was, indeed, my policy to flatter the world,
and exhibit a fair out&longs;ide—for I was in love
with Amelia—My licentious amour with
Maria was &longs;ecret—&longs;he was affectionate and
tender—her manners were plea&longs;ing, but &longs;till
I was unhappy.—
“MY career of di&longs;&longs;ipation, however alluring
it &longs;truck my vitiated fancy, left little satisfa
ction on the mind—Reflection had its
turn—and the happine&longs;s I had promi&longs;ed
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myself in a connexion with the amiable Amelia,
I fully enjoyed in our marriage. A cour&longs;e
of uninterrupted tranquillity en&longs;ued, but it
was of &longs;hort duration. The volatility of
my temper, and the folicitude of my old associates,
induced me at &longs;ub&longs;equent periods
to fall again into my old vagaries. The
taverns frequently found me engaged in
meanne&longs;&longs;es derogatory to the character of
a gentleman. The&longs;e things I perceived affe
cted the foul of Amelia—&longs;he was all meekness,
gentlene&longs;s and compa&longs;&longs;ion, and &longs;he
never once upbraided me with my illiberal
conduct:
But let concealment, like a worm in the bud,
Feed on her dama&longs;k cheek.
“BLESSED he that power who has implanted
within us that con&longs;ciou&longs;ne&longs;s of
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reproach, which &longs;prings from gentlene&longs;s and
love!—Hail &longs;en&longs;ibility! Ye eloquent tears
of beauty! that add dignity to human nature
by correcting its foibles—it was the&longs;e that
corrected my faults when recrimination
would have failed of &longs;ucce&longs;s—it was the&longs;e
that opened every avenue of contrition in
my heart, when words would have dammed
up every fluice of repentance.
“IT was now I appeared fully sensible
that my conduct had hitherto been a
cour&longs;e of di&longs;order, and that &longs;y&longs;tems of reformation,
however well planned, had
been overturned by the breath of adulation,
before they had been thoroughly
carried into execution—that I had been
drifting upon a &longs;ea of incon&longs;i&longs;tency, without
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exerci&longs;ing my judgment; like a &longs;hip without
a rudder, buffetted on the bo&longs;om of the ocean,
the &longs;port of winds and waves.
“THE criminality of my connexion with
Maria appeared with the mo&longs;t aggravated
circum&longs;tances; it &longs;tung me with remor&longs;e—
and I in&longs;tantly determined, however fevere
the conflict, to tear her from my bo&longs;om—to
&longs;ee her no more.—But how was I to inform
her of it?—In what manner was I to bring
about &longs;uch a ta&longs;k?—Maria mu&longs;t be sacrificed
to the happine&longs;s of Amelia. This was
all I had to perform—it was a &longs;hort le&longs;&longs;on,
but it was a hard one for me to execute.
“WITH this determination, however, I
entered the apartment of Maria—Duty to
Amelia and gratitude to Maria
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interchangeably agitated me—the contention was dubious—
but duty prevailed, and I adhered to my
former re&longs;olution—yet how was I to tell her
this would be the la&longs;t vi&longs;it?—Con&longs;cious &longs;he
had ever acted in conformity to my wi&longs;hes—
how could I accu&longs;e her, without accu&longs;ing
my&longs;elf?—I threw out a few incon&longs;iderate,
and ungrateful hints of jealou&longs;y, and left the
room abruptly. The feelings of Maria
mu&longs;t have been injured—but however her
&longs;en&longs;ibility was affected, mine was doubly &longs;o;
I felt for her—I felt for our infant, and
the&longs;e feelings were added to the afflictions
which had already bur&longs;t upon my devoted
head. A few days con&longs;ideration, however,
convinced me of the impropriety and ingratitude
of my behaviour to Maria—I
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hastened to tell her of it—to place her in a &longs;ituation
that &longs;hould &longs;creen her from penury and malice—
and to make provi&longs;ion for the child—
but, &longs;he was not to be found. I was informed
that &longs;he had &longs;uddenly di&longs;appeared, and
that a countryman had, by her order, called
and taken away the child but a few hours
before. This information bur&longs;t upon my
head like the voice of &longs;udden thunder—I
&longs;tood motionle&longs;s, but my agitation was too
violent to be of any long duration.—
A natural tear I &longs;hed, but wip'd it &longs;oon.
“IT was your goodne&longs;s, and the humanity
of your family, that &longs;heltered the wretched
Maria, and provided for the helple&longs;s Harriot—
Your feelings are your reward.
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“FROM all the variegated &longs;cenes of my
pa&longs;t life, I daily learn &longs;ome new le&longs;&longs;on of humanity.
Experience hath been my tutor—
I now take a retro&longs;pect of my pa&longs;t conduct
with deliberation, but not without &longs;ome serious
reflection: Like a &longs;ailor e&longs;caped from
&longs;hipwreck, who &longs;its &longs;afely on the &longs;hore and
views the horrours of the tempe&longs;t; but as
the gale &longs;ub&longs;ides, and the waves hide their
heads in the bo&longs;om of the deep, he beholds
with greater concern the mi&longs;chief of the
&longs;torm and the dangers he hath e&longs;caped.
From what innate principle does this ari&longs;e,
but from the God within the mind!—I a&longs;&longs;ert
it for the honour of human nature, that no
man, however di&longs;&longs;olute but comes back to
the hour of reflection and &longs;emn
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thoughtfulness—when the actions that are pa&longs;&longs;ed
return upon the mind, and this internal monitor
&longs;its in judgment upon them, and gives
her verdict of approbation or di&longs;like.
“HE who li&longs;tens to its call, views his chara
cter in its proper light—I have attended to
its cry, and I &longs;ee my deformity—I recal my
mi&longs;pent time, but in vain—I reflect on the
mi&longs;ery of Maria, and I cur&longs;e my temerity—
I reflect on the &longs;tate into which I have plunged
a once happy female, and am eager to
apply a &longs;peedy remedy, but this is vain al&longs;o:
Can I re&longs;tore her that virtue—that innocence—
that peace, of which I have unmanfully
robbed her?—Let us leave the melancholy
&longs;ubject.—
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“I WILL not &longs;o far &longs;uper&longs;ede the fruit of
your benevolence, as to pre&longs;ume to offer you
any other recompen&longs;e, than my &longs;incere
prayers for your happine&longs;s.
“I have the honour to be,
“With re&longs;pect,
“Your &c.
“J. Harrington.”
THE di&longs;order of Maria was fatal and
rapid—but I ha&longs;ten to the la&longs;t &longs;cene of her
life—it has, though I was young, made an
impre&longs;&longs;ion on my mind that time cannot
efface. I went to her, as &longs;he was &longs;eated on
the bed—virtue and harmony were blended
in her a&longs;pect—&longs;he was &longs;erene and compo&longs;ed—
and her mien, while it expre&longs;&longs;ed a con&longs;ciou&longs;
ness of &longs;uperiour worth and dignity,
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exhibited in one view, a &longs;triking picture of the grandeur
of the human &longs;oul—patient, though
afflicted—of a &longs;pirit broken, and borne down
by &longs;evere di&longs;tre&longs;s, yet &longs;triving to &longs;urmount
all, and a&longs;pire to heaven. In what words
&longs;hall I paint to you, my dear Myra, her heroism
and greatne&longs;s of mind? “Weep not
for me,” &longs;aid &longs;he, perceiving my emotion—
“Death has nothing &longs;hocking to me—I have
familiarized my&longs;elf to his terrours—I feel
the gradual decay of mortality; and waiting
with confidence in the father of mercy,
I am prepared to re&longs;ign this mortal breath—
I re&longs;ign it in firm a&longs;&longs;urance of the &longs;oul's blessed
immortality—Death I view as freeing me
from a world which has lo&longs;t its reli&longs;h—as
opening new &longs;cenes of happine&longs;s—But a
few moments,” continued &longs;he, cla&longs;ping my
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hand, “and the &longs;cene of life is clo&longs;ed forever---Heaven
opens on my &longs;oul---I go
where all tears &longs;hall be wiped away---I welcome
death as the angel of peace.”—She
uttered the&longs;e words with a placid &longs;mile of
re&longs;ignation---her head &longs;unk down on the
pillow---and the next minute &longs;he was an
angel.
“SOUL of the univer&longs;e!” exclaimed my
father-in-law—“there flew the gentle&longs;t &longs;pirit
that ever animated human du&longs;t---Great were
thy temptations---&longs;incere thy repentance.
If &longs;ome human infirmity fell to thy lot, thy
tears, dear &longs;hade, have wa&longs;hed out thy guilt
forever!”
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Brown, William Hill, 1765-1793 [1789], The power of sympathy, or, The triumph of nature, Volume 2 (Isaiah Thomas & Co., Boston) [word count] [eaf034v2T].
