An Autobiography; Being Passages from a Life Now Progressing in the City of Boston, an Interest in Which Is Not Excited Simply Because Founded on Fact, But That the Incidents Therein Related Are Themselves the Facts (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VIII. A PRESENTIMENT. " The idol of thy heart is, as thou, a probationary sojourner on earth." It now became evident that one of the partners must give up ? and taking, I think, the respect and good wishes of our customers, I bade adieu to public, and entered upon private life. Behold me! in a pleasant home, a few miles from the city, invested with the new dignity of housekeeper; the happy mother of a growing family. My husband, also, made a change. In a larger building; extending his operations; with tact and shrewdness, slowly but surely, he laid the foundation of a more than competence. Everything prospered. His unyielding principle had got him an excellent name. Old firms were pleased to acknowledge the successful, self-made young merchant. In both business and social relations he was favored. As I have said, he was religious. Up to this time -he had worshipped with his Congregational brethren. But now, true to the faith of his fathers, he formed an embryo society ? the increasing membership of which ? still hold him in grateful memory. We had lived in M about ten years; in as perfect a state of happiness as can, well fall to the lot of mortals. We owned our house. Its appointments were comfortable, even elegant. My tastes were all gratified. My wants all met ? and supposing this state of thing would always continue ? I lived on. At the close of this last year, however; indeed, all during the month of Decemher, I was a prey to the most distressing, but persistent fancies. A great Shadow had fallen upon me! I became conscious some terrible misfortune was impending. So entirely did this belief take possession of my mind, that I passed the greater part of each day in tears; oftea apologizing to friends for the unaccountabl...