fection. But you may believe me, Miss Simmonds, when I inform you that
he has been a dissipated, unprincipled man from his youth. His seemingly
correct habits had merely been put on, for the purpose of gaining him an
entrance into respectable society. When he began to treat me with
indifference and neglect, for a long time I bore it in silence; but I
was at length forced to acquaint my parents of the matter. My father
soon took measures to ascertain what manner of life he had led while
pursuing his studies in New York; and the information he gained was very
discreditable to Mr. Almont. But my parents advised me, as we were
married, to try if, by kindness, I could not reclaim him from his evil
ways. I willingly followed their advice, for I still loved him; but, I
suppose the restraint which for a time he had imposed upon himself made
him all the more reckless when he returned to his evil courses. He soon
seemed to lose all respect for me as well as for himself; and his
conduct became so vicious that my father recalled me to his home, and
forbade Mr. Almont from ever again entering his dwelling. I could, I
presume, have obtained a divorce from him with little difficulty, but I
shrank from the publicity attached to such a course. I still reside with
my father and mother. Mr. Almont left Boston soon after I returned to my
parents. We heard nothing of him for some time; but we lately heard from
a reliable source that he was residing in Littleton, in New Hampshire,
and also of his approaching marriage. Nothing but a sense of duty would
have induced me to make this communication to you. I would save another
young life from being shadowed by the same cloud which has darkened
mine. Should you doubt the truth of what I have written, you can easily
satisfy yourself, by either visiting this city in person, or causing any
of your relatives so to do. Enclosed you will find the street and number
of my residence. I sincerely hope you will receive this communication in
the spirit in which it is written, and that is, one of kindness, and a
desire to save you from the sorrows which I have experienced.

"Yours truly,

"Malvina Almont."

Miss Simmonds continued,--

"You may be able to imagine, but I cannot describe the effect produced
upon my mind by the perusal of this letter. I felt stupefied and
bewildered. How I reached my home I could never tell. I entered the
house just as my father and mother were sitting down to their noon-day
m