Memoirs of Miss Sidney Biddulph: Extracted from her own Journal, and now first publishedSheridan, Frances Chamberlaine
General
Memoirs of Miss Sidney Biddulph: Extracted from her own Journal, and now first published
Sheridan, Frances Chamberlaine
English fiction -- 18th century
Amen! Amen!--Sure my dear unhappy lady is enough to break one's heart to
see her. I was not able to go on, good madam, and begged of my brother
to set down what happened, and he has put it in better words than I
could. My lady shut herself up for the remainder of the night, and would
not suffer any one to come near her; it is easy to guess how she spent
her time: rest, to be sure, she took none; she could not, if she had
been inclined; for there was no bed in the chamber where she locked
herself up. In the morning, a lady, who is our neighbour, a worthy good
woman, came in her own coach, and took away my lady and the two
children. She neither consented nor refused; but seemed to let us do
what we would with her; for she said nothing, but suffered the lady and
me to lead her down stairs, and put her into the coach. But the sight of
the two children, threw her into such an agony, that I thought I should
have died on the spot only with seeing her.
I have writ again to lady Bidulph: if she is able, to be sure she will
come down; but I had rather she would send for my lady, for this is a
sorrowful place for her to stay in.
_May 20_
My lady has received a message from her mother, desiring her to come to
town directly with the children. She says she is not able to come down
for her, as her health is but bad; and my lady V---- has been so good as
to send down her own coach to carry the little family to town.
My brother has taken the care of my master's funeral upon himself. He is
to be carried to the family burying place at Arnold-Abbey. As soon as
that is over, we must try to get my lady to town; she has no business to
go into her own lonely house again; it would be enough to kill her.
_May 30_
Thank God we have got back safe to London. My lady keeps up wonderfully,
under the load of grief that she has at her heart. She does not complain
nor lament herself, as I have seen some do, who have not been in half
her trouble. She hardly spoke a word during her whole journey, and
strove as much as possible not to cry; but I could observe that she
never turned her eyes on the two little babes, one of whom sat on my
lap, and the other beside me, but the tears ran down her cheeks.
It was a doleful sight, the meeting between her and my lady Bidulph. The
poor old lady grieves sadly, and looks mighty ill: I am afraid she will
not hold out long; she has had great trials, for a lady so far in
years. Sir George came to see my lady; he looked troubled: I hope he
will be good to her.
_June 1_
My lady asked me this morning if I had thought of keeping any journal
for this fortnight past. I told her I had, and she desired to see it.
She shed so many tears while she read it, that the paper was quite wet
when she gave it to me again. She ordered me to make up the packet, and
send it off, as she was not in a condition to add any thing to it
herself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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