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NO.381, Jtn«m,18W ¦ CH3 LEADER. 669
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NOTICES TO CO-RESPONDENTS. _ "BUB^Sagss^...
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No notice call be taken of anpnymous ^ c...
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SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1857.
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w There is nothing so revolutionary, bec...
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THE STORY OF MADELINE SXIITH. Emile L'An...
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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Transcript
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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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
No.381, Jtn«M,18w ¦ Ch3 Leader. 669
NO . 381 , Jtn « m , 18 W ¦ CH 3 LEADER . 669
Notices To Co-Respondents. _ "Bub^Sagss^...
NOTICES TO CO-RESPONDENTS . _ " BUB ^ Sagss ^ jrsaBaJSsfsa -SK ^^ v &' o ^ s ^ i . " amount received from Lord GranviUe .
No Notice Call Be Taken Of Anpnymous ^ C...
No notice call be taken of anpnymous ^ correspondeno " yas ^ s ss ^ w ^ -gS ^ wEassHaaffisMffiMSggaiyij ,, Communications should always , bo l « B > Wy ™ £ ™ % he dim " one side of the paper only . If longi it increases cue aim culty of finding space for them .
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Saturday, July 11, 1857.
SATURDAY , JULY 11 , 1857 .
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public Mara-
W There Is Nothing So Revolutionary, Bec...
w There is nothing so revolutionary , because thereis nothing so unnatural and convulsive , as the strain to keepthings fixed when all the world isby thevery law of its creation in eternal , progress . —DK . AENOI . D .
The Story Of Madeline Sxiith. Emile L'An...
THE STORY OF MADELINE SXIITH . Emile L'Antgelteb and Madeline Smith met for the first time in the streets of Glasgow early in 1855 ; they were introduced by a mutual acquaintance , a young lad of eighteen . There was a rapid progress in intimacy , and in Aprii of that year Madeline writes to ' Dear Emile' for the first time . He soon proposed for her hand , but her father rejected him . ( L'An gelieb . was at this time a clerk in a merchant ' s office , while the father of Madeliio : Smith was an architect in good practice . ) The acquaintance was then broken off , and was suspended for some months . When renewed , the young couple are on the most affectionate terms . We have no letters of liis written at this , period , but her letters are ardent and unrestrained , and indicate the whole correspondence . A correspondence of some months goes on , until in a letter without date , but which appears to have been written in May , 1856 , slie refers unmistakably to the fact that she has admitted him
to the privilege of a husband . " Beloved , if we did wrong last night , it was in the excitement of our love , I suppose we should have waited until we got married . " The tone of this letter shows that she was feverishly glad in her guilty love—that she had no hesitation or remorse , and that she was anxious to excuse to her lover their mutual sin . It is also indirectly indicative of the character of the young ' maiden , ' that as far as is known the first criminal intercourse took place out of doors . After this , LVAngelieii evidently intended and urged marriage ; she
seemed willing , but pointed out difficulties . I / AiraEHEB , pointed out her faults , warned her against flirtation , and requested her not to be seen so often on the streets . He was evidently a jealous and exacting lover—not very strong-minded ; and , if we may judge by her replies , rather ready to indulge in unmanly whining over the postponement of their marriage and the nature of their intimacy . Her lettors are full of the soothing consolations of a woman addressing a peevish , self-accusing lover . One letter we quote entire , as it indicates the character of both parties : —
" My swoot , beloved , and dearest Emilo , — I shall begin and answer your dofir long lettor . In the first place , how are you ? Better , I trust . You know I feel disappointed at our marriage not taking place in September . But , ns it oowld not , why , then , I Juot made up my mind to bo content , and trust that it may bo ore long . "Wo shall flx about that at our next meeting , which I hope won't bo long . ... Do not weep , darling , fond husband , it makes mo sad to think you weop . Do not tip it , darling ; a fond ombraoo and dear
kiss to you , sweet and much-beloved Emile . Our intimacy has not been criminal , as I am your wife before God so it has been no sin our loving each other . No , darling , fond Emile , I am your wife . I shall cease to be childish and thoughtless ; I shall do all I can to please you , and retain you truly , dear , fond love . You know I hare wished as much as you do to give you my likeness , but I have not had an opportunity . I promise to you you shall have it . some day , so that promise-won ' t be broken . If I did not sign my name it was for no reason ; unless it is to a stranger I never do put Smith , only Madeline . You shall , dear love , have all your letters back . Emile , love , you are wrong . If I did feel cool towards you in winter I never gave thought of love to any other . No other image has ever filled my heart since I knew you . "
One can Bee by this letter that all the firmness and the confidence come from Madexiotd , and that her handsome little lover — Gascon in talk and weak in resolution— is a ' sweet little pet ' taken up for the time . His general character was that of a little flighty Frenchman ; vain of his pretty face and pretty feet ; talkative , and given to tears ; boasting once or twice that he knew something of arsenic , and had even taken it ; demonstrative as to his courage for suicide—which he never attempted , though he once stood at a lrigh window before a witness and talked of it , and on another occasion nourished a knife , but
not so rapidly as to effect even a scratch before he was secured . All these , however , seem but the very natural signs of a diseased vanity , coupled with the uncertain fortune ( in earlie ' years , and before he met Madeline ) of a poor devil driven about from one miserable situation to another , falling into love with ladies of higher station , and naturally enough getting jilted more than once . indication of
In August , 1856 , there is an a change in the tone of the letters from Madeline . She alludes to doubts and quarrels ; he is jealous of a Mr . UMinnoch , and she tries to dissipate his doubts of her constancy . They still meet occasionally at the house in Helensburgh—sometimes merely to-exchange looks and letters at the window—at other times to have prolonged interviews . The family return to Glasgow , and , though
the correspondence is continued , there are evident difficulties in the way of an interview ; but the interviews are accomplished , for there are still allusions to them throughout the letters . On the 28 th of January Madeline received an offer of marriage from Mr . Min-NOOH , a merchant , an ' old friend' of her father ' s . Almost immediately she intimates to L'Angelier that she no longer loves him , and she writes in a tone of candour as if she
felt bound to tell frankly the change in her feelings . She assures him—falsely—that she is not engaged to another , and she expresses a hope that lie has ' the honour of a gentleman' and will not reveal what has passed between them . In reply , L' Anoelier seems to have threatened exposure , for she writes a letter full of wild appeal , imploring him ' for the love of Christ' and ' for the sake of his once-loved Mimi' not to ' bring her to open shame . ' As far as wo can trace by the correspondence this quarrel is at length made up , but on what terms is unknown . Sho resiunes her loving correspondence , and somo interviews take place . Sho is still engaged to Mr . Mjcnnoch , and the marriage with that gentleman is announced in tho family as a settled thing .
At this point ot our narrative wo may glance at the character of Madeline Smith . Her lotters are written in hot words of love , rare oveu iu the records of the most passionate attachments . A sensuous firo breathes through them , and sho evidently dominates the weaker spirit of the little Frenchman . She has admitted him to tier embraces , and she often refers to their ' guilty gladness , ' sometimes iu words that even London editors —not Tory nice on all occasions—think it
only decent to omit . She contrives with skill to admit him to interviews in her father's house , and she shamelessly asks her father's servant for the use of her rooin for the accommodation of herself and her lover . One of these interviews is described by the confidante , Chbistina Haggab / d . ( She does not fix the date , but according to her
indications it must have taken place in the latter half of the month of February . ) She left the hack door open , and remained in the kitchen herself . She heard footsteps coming in , a nd she has ' no doubt' that Miss Smith and her visitor went into her ( tho cook ' s ) bedroom and remained there half an hour or so .
"We now come to the first fact which has any immediate connexion with the cause of L'Ang-elier ' s death . We must bear in mind that Madeline Saiitb : had been plunged into a paroxysm of t error at the idea of an exposure of her letters , that she tried every form of entreaty to induce I / Anoelieb to restore them , and that he declined to
restore them . To realise the situation , we must bear in mind that this miserable little I / An gelieb . was a warehouse clerk at 1001 . a year—not moving in good society—not known to Miss Smith ' s friends—while she was a pretty girl , generally admired , of strong passions , strong will , strong nerves , unscrupulous courage , and great craft . She had in her hot lust received the Frenchman as her
lover , but she always hesitated at marriage . She got tired of the lover when he preached to her of her faults , and when their stolen embraces were prevented ( this is her own confession ); her love for him was merelysensual . And now she finds that this mean wretch has her in his power—that the unmanly little Guppt can blast her happiness for life . What was the next step ? Did she break off with her new suitor , Mr . MlNNocH , and resume relations with L'Angelier ? S " o ; she adopted a course which accumulated embarrassments around her . She continued
her engagement with Mr . Mxnnoch—the day for the wedding was fixed ; she was resolved to marry him ; and as she was a young lady of strong will and steady nerves , and not hindered by the timidity which a virtuous young maiden might possess , doubtless she considered herself capable of attaining the object of her desires . But we have seen that she had another object in view—to get back her letters or ensure the silence of her former lover . He refused to give back her letters ; he refused to pledge himself to silence . Does she , in fear , give up
Minnoch ? JSTo . How will she get out of the difficulty ? She resumes a loving correspondence and lovers ' intercourse with LVAngelier . She sends for half an ounce of prussic acid . ( Tho date is not given , but two witnesses fix it at about six weeks before the 31 st of March , that is , about the middle of February , the date of her reconciliation to L'Angelier . ) Sho sends for it openly ' for her hands , ' and it is refused . Prussic acid is never used as a cosmetic , and she offers no explanation of her desiro for it . The lovers seem to have met on Wednesday , Pebruary the lltli , and on Thursday , February tho 10 th . On the night of tho 19 th L'Angelieu wns ill , with all the symptoms of having taken arsenic . He recovered . On February tho 21 st sho goes openly to the shop of a druggist , and buys an ounce of arsenic 'to poison rats . ' ( 81 io now says it was to use it as a cosmetic ) Thero are indications in the correspondence that an interview took place on tho 22 nd—not positive indications , but sugh as arise from a comparison of all lotters dated with those undated , and of known facts of certain date with tUo undated letters . On tho morning ot tho < sura
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 11, 1857, page 11, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_11071857/page/11/
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