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Leader (1850-1860), 24th August 1850, Edition Country of 1, Page 21, THE UNSEEN WITNESS. ic (LEAVES FROM A JO...

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      Aug. 24, 1850.] &F> * $L$&Tstt. 525

      Aug . 24 , 1850 . ] & f > * $ L $ & tstt . 525

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      We Should Do Our Utmost To Encourage The...

      We should do our utmost to encourage the Beautiful , for the Useful encourages itself . — T GOKTHE .

      The Unseen Witness. Ic (Leaves From A Jo...

      THE UNSEEN WITNESS . ic ( LEAVES FROM A JOURNAL KEPT BY No . 3 IN OUR STREET . ) By CATHERINE CROWE , author op *' susan hopi-ey , " " liiiy 2 > awson , " " nightsidb op natube , " & c . Part the Last . June 12 th . The duel has taken place , and Mr . Leslie is wounded in the arm . This is certainly a very unfortunate circumstance ! Mrs . Gordon seems to think Mr . Glossop was very much in the wrong . She says he is a very intemperate man . I am afraid he flung something in my master ' s teeth about his wife and Mr . Leslie . It was very unjust if he did , for I am sure there is no evil between them . 13 th . I see there ' s an end of all comfort in this family . My master swears Mr . Leslie shall never set his foot in the house again . He says there may be nothing wrong , and he does not believe there is , but that he is determined he won't leave it in the power of any drunken scoundrel to insult him , and so forth . What a shocking thing it is that people will make such mischief out of nothing ! 20 th . I pity my mistress very much . I see she is afraid to appear unhappy , lest her husband should put an ill construction on her affliction , and yet she cannot conceal her feelings ; and the more distressed she appears the more offended my master shows himself . It is surely very natural that she should regret so kind and agreeable a friend ! 25 th . I really believe my master loves my mistress , and that he has no design of being unkind to her , or of making her unhappy ; but somehow or another he does not seem to understand anybody ' s feelings but his own . He certainly does not understand hers , which is very unfortunate ! A little patient indulgence and cheerful society might inspire her with grateful affection , and restore her lost spirits . I believe when people are married they swear to love one another ; it would be more to the purpose if they swore to be amiable , and make themselves agreeable to one another—the love would follow then without swearing . People swearing that they will love anybody for ever is surely an absurdity . It is taking an oath that it does not depend upon themselves to keep ; and which the other contracting party may force them to break . But swearing that they would do their utmost through life to deserve love would be both rational and practical . The very effects of pronouncing such a vow would be beneficial ; it would be in itself a moral lesson ; and one , if I may judge from my small experience , very much needed . It is astonishing how frequently people who talk a great deal about the duties of others forget that it is their own duty to facilitate obedience by making themselves agreeable . October 6 th . I heard Sophy tell Sarah that when she and my mistress were walking out together this morning they met Mr . Leslie with his arm in a sling , and they stopt and spoke for some time . Sarah said she did not know any reason why they should not . Neither do I . I wonder if Mrs . Joddreli will mention this circumstance to her husband ! 20 th . She has not mentioned it . I learn from Sophy that my mistress and Mr . Leslie frequently meet in their walks now ; and I observe that she is cheered by these interviews . The days she has met him she comes home in better spirits , and is more chatty with her husband . Mr . Leslie expresses great resentment against Mr . Glossop , Sophy says , not for wounding him , but for maligning my mistress . November 6 th . Yesterday was my mistress ' s birthday , and Mr . Joddreli made her a present of a very handsome pair of earrings . She is two-andtwenty , I find . I do not know whether it was the earrings , or something she perceived more genial in her husband ' s manner , that moved her to mention to him that she had met Mr . Leslie once or twice lately ; and that he had spoken to her . My master did not say anything , but he did not look pleased by any means ; and I suspect she regretted her communicativeness . 7 th . My master has been writing to Mr . Leslie , requesting he would not speak to his wife . He says that he has no suspicion of anything improper j but that where people were so willing to make mischief , precaution must be used to keep it out of their power . 8 th . My mistress returned from her walk to-day very much disturbed , and I learn from Sophy that Mr . Leslie passed them without speaking . I do not think Mrs . Joddreli knows anything of her husband ' s letter . This circumstance has annoyed her a good deal , I see . 10 th . They met Mr . Leslie again , and the same thing happened . After she came home my mistress wrote to him , requesting an explanation . 12 th . Yesterday my mistress took her letter out with her , and I saw her post it at the office in this street , and this morning , after master was gone out , Mr . Leslie knocked at the door and left his answer . My mistress seems very much hurt at Mr . Joddrell ' s conduct . Mr . Leslie says it rests with her to speak to him or not ; and she has written that she dare not , as it might lead to some fatal quarrel . 14 th . Sophy says that Mr . Leslie stopt her mistress to-day , and they talked for a long time—what they said she could not hear ; but whatever it was , I see it has agitated Mrs . Joddreli a good deal . 18 th . Mr , Leslie knocked at the door again to-day , and left a letter . My

      mistress has not been out these three days . —N . B . Just as Mr . Leslie was giving in his letter I observed Page pass along at the other side of the street . 19 th . To-day , whilst my mistress wa 3 out witji Sophy , I was surprised to see my master coming hastily up the street . H * knocked and rang , and Sarah ran to the door , thinking it was Mrs . Joddreli . When she saw who it was she quite started . He passed her without saying anything , and proceeding upstairs , began rummaging my mistress ' s workbox , desk , and drawers . What can he be looking for ? Whatever it was he did not seem to find what he sought , but went away again as he came . When my mistress returned Sarah told her what had happened , for she had followed him

      quietly upstairs and watched his proceedings . She , I mean my mistress , stoo d like a statue when she heard it , turning first red and then pale . Then she went to her chamber , and throwing off her bonnet and shawl , she sat down on the chair by the bedside , and seemed to be thinking . After some time she hastily rose , wrote a few lines to Mr . Leslie , and bade Sarah run with them to the post , which she did . At five o ' clock my master came home , washed his hands as usual in his study , but did not go upstairs to the drawing-room . On Sophy ' s summons my mistress descended to dinner , endeavouring to look unconcerned ; but she is a bad actress . My master spoke only of what regarded the dinner , and as soon as it was over he took up his hat and went out . I think to Mr . Page ' s . At nine he returned , and sat up writing till a late hour .

      20 th . This morning my master rose very early , and went out . My mistress has not been out all day . 21 st . My master came home about nine , and after writing for some time went to bed . My mistress was either asleep or appeared to be so . He again rose very early , and after taking a cup of coffee , which he ordered to be prepared last night , he went out . I saw him knock at Page ' s door , who joined him , and they walked away together .

      As soon as my mistress had finished her breakfast—which , indeed , consisted only of a cup of tea ; she has eaten nothing these three days—she wrote a letter to Mr . Leslie , and then , calling up Sarah , she desired her to carry it to him and bring her an answer . She told Sarah that it was impossible to live this sort of life , and she was determined to know what had happened . Sarah is gone with the letter . She is just come back , looking very much frightened . She says there has been a duel betwixt my master and Mr . Leslie . My master fired first and missed , and then Mr . Leslie fired in the air . She waited some time , but got no answer to the letter , for Mr . Leslie had not come in . She heard of the duel from his boy , Tom . My poor mistress has been crying all day .

      Five o ' Clock . My master has just called to wash his hands , and say he should not dine at home . I think my mistress seems greatly relieved by this . # > Quarter-past Five . My mistress has gone out , taking Sarah with her * Where can she be going this dark night . I never knew her do such a thing before . Seven o'Clock . She is just returned ; I was really in a fright lest ray master should have come home and found her absent . She is in great agitation . My master came home , as usual , after my mistress was in bed . 22 nd . After he rose this morning she rang the bell , and desired Sophy to say she was poorly , and should not come down to breakfast . Sophy took her up a cup of tea .

      Ten o ' Clock . My master is gone out * and my mistress has risen . Poor soul ! She has taken out the baby ' s clothes , and is kissing them and weeping over them—and now she is kneeling beside its little crib , and resting her poor head on the pillow where used to rest that little head she loved so dearly . Oh , how she sobs 1 How she sobs ! a 3 if her poor heart would burst with sobbing . This is sad work ! sad work ! Twelve o ' Clock . My mistress is gone out alone , taking with her the little bedgown and cap the baby died in . Five o'Clock . There is my master knocking at the door , and my mistress not come home ! I fear he will be very angry .

      Nine o'Clock . We are all in commotion ! My mistress has not returned ; my master is in great agitation , and poor Sarah is crying ready to break her heart . She says she is sure mistress has made away with herself , and tells my master that it is just what he might have expected from the way he went on with her , poor young creature ! He is in a dreadful fright , I see , and is beginning to think he has not been quite so faultless as he fancied . He is gone to Mrs . Page ' s , desiring to be fetched if Mrs . Joddreli returns . 23 rd . My master came home at twelve o ' clock , but he has not been in bed all night . Page has just come in to enquire if there are any tidings . My master has requested him to call on the Gordons and others , and try to learn if anything has been heard of her . He is in a terrible state of agitation .

      Page has just returned , saying that he can learn nothing of Mrs : Joddreli , but that Mr ; Leslie left home yesterday at twelve o ' clock , Raying he was going into the country . He has given up his lodgings and discharged his boy . My master seems thunderstruck at this intelligence ; both he and Page think my mistress is gone with him I fear so too ; and even Sarah is coming round to that opinion . Pcor thing ! Poor thing ! " Thus bad begins and worse remains behind 1 " Sarah says , ' May the Lord help her ! for she'll need his mercy 1 " TIIFi END .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 24, 1850, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24081850/page/21/