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happiness of a wife depends upon the death of that man who should be the chief, if not the only, source of her felicity! However, such is the fact in India: the wives are looking out with gratitude for the next mortality that may carry off their husbands, in order that they may return to England to live upon their jointures: they live a married life of absolute misery, that they may enjoy a widowhood of afflu

no exaggeration, I assure you.

* * * *“ With respect to your request, that I should tell you plainly what I think of these matrimonial schemes (for such they are, let people disguise them as they will), I never can impress up-ence and independence. This is on you too strongly the folly and impropriety of your making such an attempt. Certainly, the very project itself is one of the utmost indelicacy: for what is it but running counter to all the dictates of that diffidence and native modesty, for which Englishwomen have been so long held up as the perfect models? Let me conjure you to lay aside all thoughts of the kind, and rather live single in your own country upon the poorest pittance you can obtain by your art or industry, than do as I have done-an action which I shall repent to the last hour of my life.

"True it is I am married; I have obtained that for which I came out to India―a husband; but I have lost what I left behind me in my native country-happiness. Yet my husband is rich, as rich, or richer, than I could desire; but his health is ruined, as well as his temper, and he has taken me rather as a convenience than as a companion; and he plays the tyrant over me with as much severity as if I were one of the slaves that carry his palanquin. I will just give you a hasty sketch of the manner in which I came by him. What a state of things is that, where the Vol. III. No. XLIII.

"You know that, independent of others, there were thirty of us. females on board the H, who sailed upon the same speculation: we were of all ages, complexions, and sizes, with little or nothing in common, but that we were single, and wished to get married. Some were absolutely old maids of the most shrivelled and dry description, most of them above the age of fifty; while others were mere girls, just freed from the tyranny of the dancing, music, and drawing masters at boarding-school, ignorant of almost every thing that was useful, and educated merely to cover the surface of their mental deformity. I promise you, to me it was no slight penance to be exposed during the whole voyage to the half-sneering, satirical looks of the mates and Guinea-pigs*; and it would have been intolerable, but for the good conduct and politeness of Captain S. He was a man of most gentlemanly deportment; but the involuntary compassion I fancied I sometimes discovered in him, was extremely irksome. However, we will suppose.

* So the midshipmen on board Indiamen are called.

C

our voyage ended, for nothing at | complished. These old, decrepit.

all material happened, and that we are now safely landed at Calcutta. "This place has many houses of entertainment of all descriptions, and the gaiety that prevails after the arrival of a fleet from England is astonishing. The town is filled with military and civil officers of all classes; and the first thing done after we have recovered our looks, is for the captains to give an entertainment, to which they issue general invitations; and every body, with the look and attendance of a gentleman, is at liberty to make his appearance. The speculative ladies who have come out in the different ships, dress themselves with all the splendour they can assume, exhausting upon finery all the little stock of money they have brought out with them from Europe. This, in truth, is their last, or nearly their last stake, and they are all determined to look and dance as divinely as possible.

gentlemen address themselves to the youngest and prettiest; and the youngest and prettiest, if properly instructed in their parts, betray no sort of coyness or reluc tance. In fact, this is the mode in which matches are generally made; and if now and then one happy couple come together, thousands are married with no hope of comfort, and with a prospect merely of splendid misery. Generally speaking, iu India the officers make the best husbands; for they are frequently young, and uninjured by the climate, and are the best disposed to attend to the wishes of their wives.

"This is called the captains' ball,' and most frequently the greater part of the expectant ladies are disposed of there: it is really curious, but most melancholy, to see them ranged round the room, waiting with the utmost anxiety for offers, and looking with envy upon all who are more fortunate than themselves.

"If, however, as is sometimes the case, a considerable number remain on hand, after the lapse of about three months, they unite in giving an entertainment at their own expense, to which all gentlemen are at liberty to go; and if they fail in this dernier ressort—this forlorn hope, they must give up the

"Such are the majority of the ladies; while the gentlemen are principally composed of those who have for some time resided in the country, and having realized fortunes, are determined to obtain wives with as little delay as possible. They are, as I have said, of all ranks, but generally of pale and squalid complexions, and suffering under the grievous infliction of liver complaints. A pretty pro-attempt, and return to England.” spect this for matrimonial happiness! Not a few are old and infirm, leaning upon sticks and crutches, and even supported about the apartment by their gorgeously dressed servants; for a display of all kinds of splendour on their part is no less attempted, and ac

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Probably, Mr. Editor, the maiden aunt of your correspondent was in this last predicament: she baited her hook twice, but failed to catch any fish. Be this as it may, I think that the above quotation supplies some amusing, though at the same

time rather painful, particulars re- || facts come to my knowledge from garding the system that used to be the same source, I will not fail to pursued in India by adventurous send them to you for insertion. females: it is, therefore, quite at the Yours most obediently, service of your correspondent A Bachelor; and should any other

LONDON, June 2, 1819.

N.S.B.

ON TIMBER, AND THE MEANS OF PRESERVING IT. FOR THE REPOSITORY.

Mr. EDITOR,

which it is applicable, Mr. Lingard thus speaks:

vestigation into the causes of the As you devote your Miscel-dry-rot, and a proposal for effeclany not merely to amusing topics tually preserving timber against it, of conversation, but to the discus- and from internal decay. To a great sion of scientific subjects, I am in- number of your readers, employed duced to propose for insertion a perhaps in improving the buildfew observations on a discovery ings on their estates, this discovery, which I hold to be of considerable if such it be, may be of much imimportance: it is the more adapted portance; and I will therefore subto your work, because I am happy join an explanatory extract or two to observe, that some of its pages from the pamphlet. It seems that are monthly devoted to architec- the object of preservation, and of tural points, and various improve- giving additional strength to the ments in ornamental and useful timber, is accomplished by means erections. Of the inventor of this of a composition; and in adverting discovery I can assure you I know to the nature of the proposed renothing, and I am merely influen-medy, and the several objects to ced in my wish to call your attention, and that of your readers, to it, by a conviction of its high value. The annual diminution of our supplies of timber, more especially of oak, in consequence of its hitherto rapid consumption, has led to many experiments to increase its growth, and to promote its durability when applied to any of the purposes of art. I am not myself at all scientific upon the subject, but being acquainted with several gentlemen engaged in building concerns, a pamphlet by a person of the name of John Lingard was put into my hands, which professes to be an inquiry into the nature and constitution of timber, an in-dry-rot; because the internal juices

"The power and effect of this composition are so great, that it cannot be evaporated, forced out, or extracted, either by damp or the heat of the sun, nor by any exposure or confinement.

"Nor will the timber be liable to contract or expand, the pores being made completely impervious to moisture.

"The additional strength given to timber is, by uniting and consolidating the component parts of which it consists; even by making the sap of oak equal to the heart. "It will effectually prevent the

cannot be set in motion, as heat and the cargo will be securely proand moisture, the parents of fer-tected from damp and mildew. mentation, cannot find admission.

"And as, after the application, the timber becomes impervious to wet and moisture, it is evident that no fungus can be generated, nor the high state of fermentation be created, to destroy it in the form of gas.

"In the red and yellow pine, the increase of strength has, on experiment, been found equivalent; to one sixth; so that scantling one sixth less would be equally strong, and might be used with safety: and it is certain the yellow pine, prepared with this composition, is equal to red, or at least to red not so prepared; or, to express it perhaps more intelligibly, to the present strength of that species, so as to make inferior yellow equal to the finest red."

"The increase in the strength of timber, after the application of the composition, has been found by experiment to be so great, that a beam of fourteen inches square will be rendered equal in strength to one of sixteen, and one of ten and a Now, this invention may be good half inches to another of twelve, &c. for nothing: how far the veracity "The reduction of scantling, of Mr. Lingard is to be relied upwhich it is obvious may be made in on, I know not; nor how far, with consequence of the above fact, and every disposition to relate facts, he which may equally take place in may have been swayed by a prejuall cases, without exception, in dice in favour of his own discovery. which timber is used, would in it-The subject, however, I think is self be, in a very short time, an well worth attention, and I shall be immense saving of expense in tim- happy to be the means of throwing ber, with the additional circum- any new light upon it, by inducing stance, of an increased durability; some of your more scientific corand the advantages, to state them respondents to favour your readers only in one instance, would be, that with further information. a ship might be constructed many tons lighter with equal strength,

ind

LONDON, May 25, 1819.

THE JEALOUS HUSBAND.

F. F.

AMONG the fiue gentlemen who mony. He was not, however, in a shone some years ago in the bril- hurry to choose a wife; in fact, 'it liant circles of Paris, none was more was not easy to find one who would distinguished than Monsieur Dor- suit him, for he expected a degree val. His fine person and brilliant of submission and obedience, which qualities rendered him an univer- in these enlightened days no hussal favourite with the ladies; and band thinks of requiring. At last, as he added a good fortune to his when he was turned of thirty, he other agrémens, the mammas of Pa- cast his eyes upon Mademoiselle ris, whose cleverness in the art of St. Hilaire, an orphan of noble famatch-making is well known,spared mily. She was very young, exno pains to draw him into matri-tremely beautiful, and appeared to

be of a most gentle and yielding || which he soon began to feel towards temper: this last quality Dorval his young wife, was increased by prized above all others, but as he his finding that there was no prowas excessively captivated with her spect of his having an heir. person, and knew his own susceptibility, he determined to carry matters with a high hand at first, that madame might see, even from the commencement of their nuptials, what he expected of her.

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However, though he did not affect to feel any great tenderness for Madame Dorval, yet he was too humane to use her ill; and as it was evident that she had no intention to dispute his authority, he dropped by degrees the tone of a master: happy would it have been for his poor Adelaide if he had never ta

ken it up.

When people assume a character which is not natural to them, they are apt to overact it; and this was the case with Monsieur Dorval. He was naturally extremely amiable, Nearly eighteen months had and by no means of a despotic tem- elapsed since their marriage, and per; but he was so intent upon be- Madame Dorval, whose person was ing master, that, from his wish to now completely formed, was coninspire his wife with a due respect sidered one of the loveliest women for his authority, he forgot the risk in Paris. It will be readily believ he ran of frightening away love. ed, that she was surrounded by To be beloved was, however, ne- admirers, who spared no pains to cessary to his happiness, and he console her for the neglect of her fully intended to win the heart of husband, but she betrayed no prehis wife as soon as he had established ference for any one. Dorval kept his authority upon a firm basis; but for some time a strict eye upon her he soon found he had begun at the conduct, but finding it wholly unwrong end: it was evident that his exceptionable, he relaxed in his gentle Adelaide was too complete-vigilance by degrees, and giving ly under the dominion of terror, to himself wholly up to his own pleabe at all susceptible of a softer sures, left her to pass her time as passion. At last he condescended she liked. completely to divest himself of his Things were thus situated, when severity, but her coldness and re- an incident occurred which, by straint still continued; she obeyed flattering the vanity of Dorval, him indeed with scrupulous exact-tended to revive his tenderness for ness, but her obedience seemed his wife. He was one day thrown that of an automaton; and Dorval, from his horse in the sight of Mawho was himself of an ardent cha-dame Dorval, who was in a carriage racter, began to believe that she was totally void of sensibility. This circumstance vexed him excessive1y, but Frenchmen are easily consoled for misfortunes, particularly for those which spring from la belle passion. Dorval sought for pleasure abroad; and the indifference

near him, and she betrayed an excess of alarm which Dorval bad not supposed her capable of feeling. Never did he hear so piercing a shriek as the one she gave when she saw him fall: he hastened to remove her alarm by an assurance that he was not hurt; she heard

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