Night coming on, the missionary lighted a gourd lamp, and, after a
light collation of bread-fruit, Madame Hirtel began her story.
* * * * *
CHAPTER LIV.
"My life," she began, "passed without any remarkable events, till the
misfortune occurred which brought me to this island. I was married, when
very young, to Mr. Hirtel, a merchant at Hamburg, an excellent man,
whose loss I have deeply felt. I was very happy in this union, arranged
by my parents, and sanctioned by reason. We had three children, a son
and two daughters, in the first three years of our marriage; and M.
Hirtel, seeing his family increase so rapidly, wished to increase his
income. An advantageous establishment was offered him in the Canary
Islands; he accepted it, and prevailed on me to settle there, with my
family, for some years. My parents were dead, I had no tie to detain me
in Europe. I was going to see new regions, those fortunate isles I had
heard so much of, and I set out joyfully with my husband and children,
little foreseeing the misfortunes before me.
"Our voyage was favourable; the children, like myself, were delighted
with the novelties of it. I was then twenty-three years old; Sophia,
seven; Matilda, six; and Alfred, our pretty, gentle boy, not yet five.
Pages:
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431