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ANNALS OF NEEDLEWOMEN. 337
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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» Chapter Iv.
promised to be her friend and not lose sight of her till some permanent helhad been given . All the time I spoke the elder girl kept
interrupting p me , at last she said , " I can wait no longer here , you must decide at once—yes or no ? " " She shall decide for herself , " I
said ; but I must make one more condition with my offer , if Anne remain with us she must promise me to hold no communication with
you except in my presence . " The younger sister looked from one to the otherevidently wavering . I was myself _wroxight up to quite a
pitch of excitement , ; at last she burst into tears , and came sobbing ; across the room to where I was seated , begging me to keep her ; whilst
the other , telling her she _woiild repent her decision , flounced out of the roombanging the door after her . She was gone indeedbut what
a sad , revelation she had left behind ! In her whole manner , there had not appeared one opening for repentant sorrow or shame to
enter , she had been absolutely defiant in her hard pride ; it wasfirst experience of such a caseand I was deeply moved at the
scene _roy . "When she was gone I had _, some serious conversation with Anne ; I repeated my desire that she should not meet her sister , to
which she agreed ; she then returned to her work , and for some weeks dailtook her seat among the needlewomenearning * little , it is true _,,
for like y most girls educated as she had been , , she could do nothing thoroughlbut she lived with a very little extra help on what she
earned , slep y ; t in the dormitory with the other women , and cheerfully accommodated herself to the rules of the establishment . Her earnest
wish seemed to be to emigrate ; I turned my attention to the carrying out of this object , thinking that under the circumstances it was far
the best course to pursue . My first step was towards raising- the fundsand I _ajDplied to a gentleman who had long been a
resident necessary in Australia , for advice as to the measures I ought to take to secure a free passage , & c . Strange to say , when I told him the
sad history , in which he was much interested , Mr . S told me he knew something of the relatives she had named , and at once took
up _* the case . Mr . S wrote to several of these _j 3 arties ; he also introduced a lady to Anne , who offered at once to do what she could to
prepare her for the voyage . Another friend , a clergyman , _tmdertook to see the German , whose address he had discovered , and endeavor to
make him supply part of the money for the outfit ; thinking that , as he had been the cause of all her troublehe would possibly be glad
, to make any compromise to prevent our giving publicity to his conductotherwise his situation as teacher in a school might be
forfeited . , This gentleman accordingly obtained an interview with the manwho accredited every word Anne had told us ; adding , however ,
as an , excuse for his conductthat the elder sister having forfeited his respect , he could not marry , the other ; he owned it would have
been better had he not interfered , but it could not now be helped , and if a subscrition was being madehe would not mind giving c &
pound or two to p help them off . The clergyman , was so annoyed with Ms mannerhis utter indifferencenay , worse , insolent cowardice ,
, , VOL . IX . 33 33
Annals Of Needlewomen. 337
ANNALS OF NEEDLEWOMEN . 337
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), July 1, 1862, page 337, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01071862/page/49/
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