Letter 28. From the History of Lady Barton. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen, Vancouver, BC. The History of Lady Barton by Elizabeth Griffiths. Letter 28. From Lady Barton to Miss Cleveland. The moment I had read Mrs. Walter's letter, I sent Benson to wait her coming at the appointed place, as some of the family were not yet gone to bed. I had near half an hour's leisure to reflect on the uncommon villainy of Colonel Walter. If this lady was his wife, which I could have no doubt of, from her taking his name, how did he dare to propose marriage to Mrs. Layton? But this circumstance appeared trifling when compared to the inhumanity of his behavior to the unfortunate Olivia and her lovely child. At length, Benson tapped softly at my door, and I rose to receive a being that seemed no longer an inhabitant of this world. From the child's account of our mother's illness, I was prepared to see a person pale and emaciated, but anything so near our idea of a beautiful specter never yet, I believe, struck mortal sight. I must describe her to you. Her stature is somewhat above the middle size, but the extreme thinness of our figure made her appear still taller. Her eyes are large, and of the darkest blue.  Her skin fairer than alabaster, and so clear that one might fancy they saw the circulation of the blood, which supplied a faint bushing in her cheeks, resembling the inner tints of a white rose. Her hair of a light shining brown flowed in loose tresses upon her shoulders. Her gown was a white silk pony's. She had on a gauze hood tied loosely under her chin, and a slight covering of the same sort upon her neck. She appeared all form without substance, spirit without matter, and had she prophesied my faith would have listened as to an angel. As she entered my room she made an effort, which I was not lucky enough to prevent, to throw herself at my foot. When I attempted to raise her from the ground, I had not strength sufficient, for she had fainted there, with Benson's assistance and mine. She recovered in about ten minutes, then gushed into such a flood of tears, as took away all power of speech, and almost suffocated her. She often tried to speak and implore my pardon for the distress and trouble she had occasioned me, and you may suppose that I said everything in my power to calm her mind. As soon as she became a little collected, she said it was joy, not sorrow, that had overpowered her weak frame, the latter she had been too familiar with, but the former was indeed such a long absent guest, that it must be welcomed with some degree of transport. If the delicacy of her sentiments had needed any addition, they would have received the highest from the sweetness of her voice, and the uncommon beauty of her mouth, while she uttered them. In order to restrain her acknowledgements for my interesting myself about her and her child, I pressed her to relate her story, and to account for the extraordinary appearances arising from her situation. She bowed and proceeded with so much grace and elegance of expression that I could have hung with mute attention on her speech for a whole winter's night, or a long summer's day, and never wished her tale to have an end. The Story of Mrs. Walter I had the misfortune to lose my father, who had the honour of being a general officer in the King of Sardinia's service. When I was but eleven years old, his name was De Almburg. As he had many great and lucrative employments, and my mother and he were both young, they indulged themselves in a thoughtless extravagance together at Turin during his life, but at his decease, my mother, no longer able to support the rank she had held at that court, returned to Reinkon to live upon the small patrimony which remained for her and me. Young as I was, the loss of a fond father made a very deep impression on my mind, and the perpetual affliction to which I saw my mother had devoted himself and which terminated her life in two years brought me full early acquaintant with sorrow. After this irreparable loss I remained at Reinkon under the care of an old maiden aunt of my father's, who had lived too much sequestered from the world, and who, ignorant of the nature of youth or how to guide it, supplied the place of instruction with austerity, never suffered me to be a moment out of her sight, and was for ever extolling her own goodness and charity in being troubled with the care of my education and maintenance. In short, her manners were perfectly disagreeable and so extremely different from that delicacy and tenderness to which I had been too much accustomed that though I strove to respect her as my aunt, I found it impossible either to love or esteem her. The affections of a young and amiable mind cannot center in themselves, and if they are not properly attached by the ties of affinity or kindness, they will most probably bestow themselves on improper objects. This was, un-luckily, my case. The only person I was suffered to converse with except my aunt, and that only at home, was a girl about three years elder than myself, whose mother had been formally a servant to mine, but at that time kept an inn at Breinkon. This girl then, as was natural, I became extremely fond of, and as my aunt grew every day more infirm and was often confined to her bed, I found frequent opportunities of visiting my dear Nanette, unknown to my severe guardian at her mother's house. In one of these, till then, innocent excursions, my ill fate contrived that Colonel Walter should arrive at Breinkon and stop at the house where I was. It was summer, the evening fine, and as he had no company, he sauntered into the garden, where Nanette and I were sitting at work, in an arbor. He accosted us with great politeness, and I could perceive that my companion was highly pleased with his address, but the timidity natural to a person who had been brought up, in so retired a manner as I had been, made me wish to withdraw, and notwithstanding his and Nanette's solicitations, to the contrary, I quickly returned home, possessed with the first idea I had ever felt of having done wrong. I saw, by the Colonel's appearance, that he was an officer, the recollection of my father struck forcibly into my mind, and I plushed with indignation to think that General de Holmberg's daughter had been seen in so improper a situation. My pride was, however, consoled by thinking that I should never see him again, and I determined to be more guarded in my future visits to my friend. The next morning, very early, Nanette was at my bedside, and expressed some degree a resentment at my having quitted her so abruptly the preceding night. My delicacy would not suffer me to hurt her pride by telling her my real motive for retiring. I therefore said it was owing to my apprehensions of being missed by my aunt, but that I got off undiscovered, and should not be so cowardly. Another time she seemed satisfied with this declaration, and pressed me to come to her that evening. She had an entire ascendant over me, and notwithstanding the resolution I had made a few hours before, I readily promised to attend her. I had no doubt but that the Colonel would by that time have quitted Briancon, and I would not venture to ask a question relative to him, lest it might lead her to suspect my thoughts. She, however, talked of him incessantly, said he was the handsomest and most agreeable gentleman she had ever seen, told me he had invited her mother and her to supper, and behaved to them as if they were princesses, and added she was glad he did not live in that country, as she feared another interview might engage too much of her affections. She rattled away in this manner, till I was summoned to attend my aunt, and then made me repeat my promise of going to her the moment the old lady should retire to rest. My aunt was, if possible, more peevish than usual that whole day, or at least her ill temper had a more than common affect upon my spirits. I longed for the evening to be released from her tyranny, and to be indulged with the liberty of pouring forth my little sorrows in the bosom of my faithful Nanette. The moment that my aunt had dismissed me from her chamber, I flew to my appointment, without waiting to alter my dress, which was a perfect disable, and found Nanette in the arbor, adorned with every little adornment that she was possessed of. My thoughts were too much affected with the disagreeableness of my own situation to make reflections on the gaiety of her appearance. I seated myself by her, leaned my head upon her bosom, and, with a profusion of tears, told her I was no longer able to bear the misery I suffered from my aunt's severity. She smiled, and, as I thought, with an air of triumph, told me that I might put an end to my misfortunes, as soon as I pleased, for that the Colonel had assured her he had visited all the courts in Europe, and had never seen anything half so beautiful as either she or I. That for her part she was resolved to try her fortune in the world, forthwith, and not stay moping at Briancon till she grew old and ugly, and that if I would accompany her, she did not at all doubt of our success. That I might hope to marry some reigning prince, and then she might at least expect to be mistress of a dukedom. I was both shocked and surprised at hearing my friend talk in this extravagant and unusual style, but before I could express my sentiments, Colonel Walter came into the arbor, dressed as if he had been going to court on a gala day. I confess I was struck, nadazzled, with his appearance. From the time of my leaving turn, I had never seen any man finally or elegantly dressed before. I now quickly perceived the advantages that Nanette received from being decked out and blushed at the inferiority of my own appearance. Every human creature has, I believe, some sparks of vanity in their nature, and this was the fatal moment when mine were first kindled. A desire of outshining Nanette, who had a good deal disgusted me, took immediate possession of my thoughts, and my counterance was, upon the instant, lighted up with smiles. I have not a doubt but Colonel Walter saw through the thin veil that covered the sentiments of a creature so young and artless as I was then. He at least indulged my weakness, even beyond my wishes, by entirely devoting his whole attention to me and totally neglecting my companion. Olivia here broke off her narrative to apologize for entering into such minute circumstances, which she said was meant to convince me of her sincerity, as she was very certain that her weakness and innocence were the groundworks of her ruin. But alas, exclaimed she, is there not indulgence and compassion due to uneducated, uninformed 15? I told her that entering into these little traits of character, those fine, those delicate touches marked the master's hand and were a convincing proof of the goodness both of her head and heart. She complimented me on my candor and returned to her story. There had been the most elegant repass provided that Brian Kahn could afford. Nanette and her mother, the Colonel and I, were all the party, but I was the idol to whom all the incense was offered. The good women of the house took the tawn from her guest, extolled my beauty and my accomplishments as extravagantly, though not so agreeably, as he. Nanette alone was silent. In short, I became intoxicated with flattery, and when the time of our parting drew near, I secretly mented at the same idea which had given me so much satisfaction, the preceding night, that I should see Colonel Walter no more. The Colonel insisted on attending me home, and had ordered his shades to convey me to my aunts. But though my vanity was flattered with the mark of attention, I dared not indulge it with such an eclat. However, I said I would permit him to walk home with me, provided Nanette would accompany us. She sullenly refused. I had then no choice, and the Colonel and I set out together. When we were about to separate, I wished him a good night, and a pleasant journey. He threw himself at my feet, caught hold of my hand, swore I was the sovereign arbitrest of his fate, and that he would never leave Briancon till he had obtained my hand and heart. But that if I cruelly refused to accept his love, he would put himself to death that instant before me. Child as I was, his transports terrified me. I was also alarmed lest any of my aunts' servants should see him, so I promised if he would then retire to meet him the next evening at the inn. He made a merit of assenting to so long an absence, and after a thousand protestations of the most ardent passion, and as many more tender addues, he left me plunged in such a fatal, yet pleasing delirium as youth and experience only can feel. What an infidel should I have thought the person who had at the moment warned me to discredit the sincerity of his profession. The night passed away without sleep, yet I thought it short, and arose next morning, even with unusual vivacity. My aunts' ill temper was no longer disagreeable to me. My spirits were perfectly harmonized. All was peace within, and cheerfulness without. Toward evening I began to think that time lagged heavily in its course, and wished for the setting of the sun, as much as a benighted traveler for its rising. At length the welcome night arrived, and set me free from my restraint. I ran to my toilet to endeavor to adorn the few graces that nature had lent me. In vain confusion interrupted my efforts, and haste prevented my dispatch, so that, in a kind of despair, I threw aside my few ornaments, snatched up a little straw hat, and set out on my adventures. In the same careless decibel I had appeared the night before. The moment I had got out of the view of my aunts' house, I was met by the colonel, who received me with an ecstasy that I believe was then sincere. We pursued our way to the arbor, where he had first seen me, on my not finding the net there. I endeavored to quit him, and go in pursuit of her. But he held my hand, and entreated me to stay, till he had revealed a secret to me, which was of the utmost consequence to us both. He then assured me that the net was not my friend, and requested that I would not entrust her with the discovery he had made of his passion for me. For that he feared she would betray the secret to my aunt, and by that means deprive him of more than life, the happiness of seeing me. But that if I would be a little upon my guard, she might suppose his attachment to be nothing more than common gallantry, which might possibly quiet the jealousy she seemed already to have conceived about it. I was shocked at the idea of deceiving or suspecting my friend, yet the gloom and dissatisfaction that appeared in her behavior the night before made me too readily fall into the stare. Nay, I joined in the deep seat against myself by entreating that he would be more attentive to her, and less particular to me on the present interview. My motive for this request, I solemnly declare, was rather to prevent her being mortified, as I saw she had been before. Then to remove any suspicion she might have entertained of me. For I had perfectly acquisist in the colonel's honor and integrity, as well as my own innocence. I had not the least apprehension of any ill consequence in such a compliance. Thus did this artful man disjoin me from the only person who was likely to see through his designs, and could have an interest in preventing my ruin. After this discourse and abundance of protestations of the tenderest affection, we joined Nanette, and the colonel left us for some time together, to try, as I presume, the strength of his power over me. Nanette was all gayety, and shrewd me abundance of presence that she had received from the colonel. My heart reproached me for concealing the sentiments from her, but my promise to my lover had tied my tongue, and the weakness and vanity of her conduct left me less reason to regret the mortification she must feel, when she should know that he was seriously attached to me. The evening passed away less pleasantly than the former. Nanette assumed a superiority over me in sense and judgment, but attempted to soften her self-sufficiency by hinting at the difference of our years and experience, and through this salvo did not render her behaviour less disgusting. It deprived me of the power of resenting it, and I retired home convinced that there were two passions awakened in my mind that I had never felt before, love and hatred. Nanette and the colonel accompanied me home, at parting he put a little billet into my hand, which I could not refuse to accept, without letting her know that it had been offered. I was even then become the slave, the abject slave of love, and feared to offend my future tyrant. The billet contained nothing more than a repetition of passionate and tender expressions, with the warmest acknowledgments for the attention. I had shrewn to his request, by the prudence and propriety of my conduct, and the most earnest entreaties to favour him with my company the next evening. I retired to bed, and I hoped to rest, but sleep was vanished, and with it the charming delirium that had kept me waking the foregoing night. Short was the road that I had travelled in, the flowery path of pleasure, yet I already found it strewed with thorns. I trembled at the danger of treading it alone, and lamented more piecely than, than ever, the loss of my dear mother, to whom I might have confided, both by hopes and fears, upon this hazardous adventure. The usual hour of my rising arrived, and found my eyes unclosed, and my thoughts unsettled. I had neither slept nor determined on any scheme, for my future conduct, and when my maid came into my chamber, I slept, I stepped out of bed, burst into a passion of tears, and said softly to myself, I will not see the colonel at least this day. I considered this determination as an amazing effort of resolution, and fancied I had gained a complete victory over my infant passion. The anxiety of my mind, with loss of rest, had brought on a slight degree of fever, and the moment I quitted my aunt's chamber, I retired to my own, threw myself on the bed, and desired my maid to leave me. The poor girl, who loved me tenderly, was alarmed at my situation, and ran directly to Nanette, to tell her I was ill, and to beg she would come to me. She told her she was, at that time, so particularly engaged, that it was impossible for her to stir abroad, but that she would certainly see me sometime in the evening. I know nothing of this transaction, and after having passed some hours in a disagreeable state of restlessness, the agitation of my mind subsided, and I fell asleep. Sometime after, I was awakened by a light at my bedside, and on opening my eyes I perceived Nanette, and Colonel Walter, disguised in women's clothes, standing by me, the confusion which I felt, both from my situation and his, is not to be expressed. He gazed upon me with such a look of ardent tenderness, as covered me with bushes. I turned my eyes away, begged they would withdraw into another room, and promised them that, as soon as I had rendered my appearance decent, I would wait on them. Nanette burst into a loud laugh at what she called my affected delicacy, said she supposed everybody was sometimes undressed, and she did not see any occasion for making a difficulty about such trifles. The boldness of her manner, while she spoke, increased my distress, and completed the dislike I had begun to have conceived for her. The Colonel appeared indefinitely more modest in his deportment, and on his making a sigh to her to leave the chamber they both withdrew. The hurry of spirits, which this unexpected visit had occasioned, was increased by my apprehensions that some of the servants might detect the Colonel under his disguise, and though I knew they all loved and pitied me, yet I had been taught in my infancy to dread the putting myself in the power of a servant, and never to let them know a circumstance which I wished should be kept secret. The moment I entered the room where my guests were, I entreated them to leave me, and mention my reasons for wishing them gone. Nanette again made a jest of my scruples, but the Colonel treated them more seriously, and asked my pardon for having brought me into any difficulty or distress by his indiscretion, but pleaded both his and Nanette's anxiety for my health, and insisted on my returning with them to the inn, since he was certain from my appearance that I had not any complaint to prevent me. But not to detain you, madame, longer with such tedious circumstances, I half reluctantly complied with his entreaties, and for about three weeks longer we spent every evening together, almost in the same manner as the first. I had by this time lost all affection and esteem for Nanette, and had now no confidant or friend on earth to whom I could disclose the secrets of my heart, but the single person in the world from whom I should most carefully have concealed them. When he had become quite certain of his empire over my affections, he proposed my quitting brain con with him. He said my aunt was too old and perverse to be consulted on such an occasion that he never wanted or desired any treasure, but myself, for that all other considerations were below his attention. He added that his passion for me had detained him so long at Brie Kahn that he was in danger of forfeiting his commission and his honor that if I loved him I ought not to hesitate about putting myself under his protection, that our interests were now becoming one, and that he would defend me from every misfortune in the last moment of his life. I believed, obeyed, and repented. Here she paused, for this little reflection was followed by such a passion of tears that I was obliged to restrain my curiosity, as you must yours for some time. I administered drops and water to my fair biographer, and to you I recommend patience till the next post, for my fingers are so tired that it is impossible for me to proceed as it is to think or write upon any other subject till I have finished this. Therefore not one word shall I say of myself, but that I am well, that I long to hear from you, and that I am most affectionately yours, El Barton. End of Letter 28, Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen, Vancouver, B.C. Letters 29-30 of the History of Lady Barton. This is a Libravox recording. All Libravox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org. Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen, Vancouver, B.C. The History of Lady Barton by Elizabeth Griffiths. Letters 29-30 from Lady Barton to Ms. Cleveland. Letter 29, Lady Barton to Ms. Cleveland. Take notice, my dear Fanny, that I am not used to narrative writing. You must therefore make allowances for me, and excuse my being sometimes too circumstantial, and to others to diffuse. I can only say that my translation is, what all others pretend to be, a faithful one. Perhaps it is so much the worse, for that reason, for while I am endeavouring to convey the minutest circumstances to you, the elegance of expression which gave them consequence in the original is lost. But no matter for the manner of recital, if the story interests and affects you as much in the reading as it does me in the writing, I shall be satisfied with my own performance. As soon as the fair Olivia had regained her composure, she proceeded thus, weak, young, and infatuated with passion, as I was, the Colonel's proposal of flying with him, without marriage, alarmed me, and awakened all the sentiments of delicacy, which are inherent to an innocent and virtuous mind. Yet that very delicacy prevented my having resolution to express my thoughts upon that occasion. I feared to injure his honour by seeming to doubt it. I therefore remained, for some time, silent upon this most interesting subject. He repeated his entreaties, and pressed me to determine. I replied that I would consult my confessor. He had seen the various workings of my mind, and was prepared to evade all my scruples. He objected instantly to my proposal, by urging that a priest would oppose my marrying and heretic, and endeavour to prevent it, by acquainting my aunt. But told me he had a particular friend, a clergyman, an embrune, who would make no difficulty of uniting us together. Thus did this artful man lull all my doubts to rest and soothe my unwary mind into a perfect dependence upon his honour, fidelity, and love. The night following was fixed for our departure, and in an evil and inauspicious hour I ventured on a world unknown, with the most inhuman and ungenerous of his sex. For my conductor I had perhaps as little to regret on leaving Brayin Khan as any young creature who ever took, so rash and unadvised a step. I wounded not the heart of a fond parent, nor drew a pitting tear from any friendly eye. I had no sister on whom my disgrace might be reflected, nor a brother whose tenderness might lament, or honour have resented my misconduct. I stood as it were alone in the universe, was dear to no one, but the loved object under whose protection I now had placed myself, and in whom all the affections of my heart were centred. Yet notwithstanding this very peculiar situation, my heart trembled, and my eyes overflowed when I got into the shades, and every leg that we've travelled, the dejection of my spirits increased. For some time the Colonel endeavoured to dissipate my melancholy by the utmost tenderness, and I affected to appear more cheerful in compliment to his attention. But he soon browsed my langor into resentment by taking some unwarrantable liberties, which, when he found I would not suffer, he attempted to excuse by saying that he had already considered me as his wife. The moment we arrived at Emberne he left me in the inn to go, as he said, in pursuit of his friend the clergyman. He returned in about an hour with a person to perform the ceremony, and we were married directly, but without any other witness, for I had thrown myself out of a situation to prescribe terms, and must therefore have compounded for having any own scruples satisfied, by a consciousness of my being his wife, leaving the option of the world to its own charity about me. We remained two days at Emberne, and then set out for Marseille. During our long journey my husband told me that he had some reasons for wishing to change his name, and that in compliment to my Christian one he would be called Olivette. I readily acquiesanced in whatever he thought proper, without attempting to inquire into the motives of his conduct. We took a house at Marseille and lived for four months in the utmost retirement, and the most perfect happiness together. I never stirred out, but to church, or to take the air with my husband. Every wish of my fond heart was accomplished, and I secretly rejoiced that he no longer talked of joining his regiment, or returning to his native country. About that time his temper and manners began to alter. He was frequently sullen and gloomy, and if I attempted to inquire into the cause of this change he would answer, though art, and command me to leave him. I obeyed, and used to retire to my chamber, and pass whole days and nights in tears. But whatever he condescended to speak to me with cheerfulness, I instantly forgot his past unkindness, and vainly flattered myself that it would return no more. At length, with some appearance of tenderness in his manner, he told me that he was under an absolute necessity of leaving me, for a few months, as my situation would not emit of my traveling with him, from my being far advanced in my pregnancy of Olivia, but that he would certainly come back to me by the time I should be recovered from my lying in, and take me with him to Ireland where his estate lay. All that I ever suffered in my life seemed slight to the misery of parting with him. I knelt, I wept, and implored him not to abandon me under such circumstances. He was unmoved by my tears and entreaties, and in a few days afterwards quitted Marci, without even bidding me a due. The grief I felt from this separation would, I hoped, have terminated my life, and I fear I should have been tempted to have shortened the date of my wretched existence. Had not the tenderness which I felt, even for my unborn babe, restrained my hand from the two frequent effects of despair. My situation was certainly deplorable, and I then thought that my misery could not emit of addition. I have been since, but too strongly convinced, that there are numerous gradations in wretchedness, and that I was then but entering on my novelty. I was so totally absorbed in sorrow at being forsaken by a husband whom, notwithstanding his unkindness, I both respected and loved, that the common concerns of life never occurred to me till my maid came to ask me for money, to support my family, which consisted of two maids and a man-servant. I started, as from a dream, and in an agony of grief, ran to the Colonel's desk, where I found twenty Louis D'Orre's, sealed up in a small box, labeled thus, to Olivia de Almburg. This sum, if used with care, will bring you through your lying in, but you must immediately discharge two of your servants, J. Walter. Here again the fair mourner's tears interrupted her recital, and must also put a stop to my translation, for the present. I wish extremely that I had finished the task I have undertaken, for the sympathy between us is so strong, that I feel my health wasting, as her tale proceeds. There is a story that some unhappy woman had blasted a great oak tree, once, by constantly mourning her grease beneath its shade. This fable does not appear unnatural to me, under my present sensations, and yet so sweet the poison is, that I would rather have listened to her, doful diddy, than to all the carols of the most festive mirth. What can be the reason of so unnatural a preference? How oddly compounded is the human heart, but most admirably framed, surely, for what appears to the vulgar to be his contradictions are in the language of philosophy, but its contrasts only. Its perfection consists in thus, as much as the harmony of nature depends on an opposition of elements, the heat of fire, the coldness of water, the heaviness of earth, and the lightness of air. You may observe that I take the advantage of every opportunity for reflection, in order to guard my mind as much as possible, from the danger of thinking. I shall leave you to explain this paradox to yourself, and am, my dearest friend, your truly affectionate, but unhappy sister, El Barton. Letter 30. Lady Barton to Miss Cleveland My dear Fanny, I am now sitting down to conclude, I hope, the sufferings of my fair narrator, which I shall endeavor to do without any further interruption, for though the listening to her story had a great deal of what I deem the luxury of woe in it, I fear that this delicate sensation may have evaporated from the frequent breaks in the recital, as much as the original spirit has in my translation, but at all hazards I will now proceed. On pursuing the shocking and surprising transcript, continued Mrs. Walter, my head turned round, and I had just presence of mine sufficient to convey it into my pocket, before I dropped upon the floor. The servants heard me fall, and came to my assistance. Happy would it have been for me, if they had spared their cruel officiousness, and suffered me to have expired at that moment. My distress and despondency upon this occasion may appear unaccountable, perhaps to others, and husbands leaving his wife, sometimes upon several occasions of business, was not so uncommon a case as to have alarmed me. But there is a sort of proestimate in the mind, which often forbodes approaching ills. Philosophy must here be at a stand. The circumstance cannot be accounted for from nature, as the present situation may have no sensible connection with the future events. Nor can such an effect be imputed to providence, neither, without the impurity of supposing it capable of rendering us wretched before our time, by giving us a hint of misfortunes to come, without supplying us with the means of avoiding them. Besides, did not the address of his billet, the styling me by my own surname, of the Almberg instead of Walter, or even that of all of it, which he had artfully profailed on me to assume, during a residence together at Marseille, sufficiently evinced that he no longer meant to consider me as his wife for the future. This circumstance too supplied me with a strong reason, also, to suspect that in reality I had no legal title to that claim, as the unknown person who had so clandestinely performed the ceremony might not probably have been properly qualified by the orders of any church to have officiated in the marriage rights. It was perhaps no small aggravation to my misfortunes to reflect that had not my own indiscretion aided his dishonor. I should not now have been so totally abandoned, unjustified, unfriended, and unsustained, to the sport of fortune, to the mercy of malignant, censorous, and umpitying world.  I leaped out of bed, and flew down the stairs, crying out, he is returned, my life, my love, my husband. But judge of my astonishment, madame, when I saw Nanette enter the door. Her face was thin and pale, but she appeared farther advanced in her pregnancy than I, and seemed, from the expression of her counterance, to be at that instant in the pangs of labor.  Amidst the variety of passions, which in those moments preyed upon my wretched heart, compassion was the strongest. I had her immediately conveyed to my chamber, and placed in my own bed, I sent for the bed assistance that could be had, and in a few hours she was delivered of a son, who lived but three days. The agitations of her mind brought on a violent fever, but given her ravings she continued to accuse me, as the sole cause of all her sufferings, and uttered the most feminine imprecations against me. From the moment Nannette's arrival, I could perceive that my servants treated me with blessed respect, than usual. They doubtless believed her story, and thought that my receiving her into my house was at once a proof of both of my guilt and fear. The physician and apothecary who attended her divulged the tale abroad, and I was looked upon by the whole city of Marseille, as one of the most abandoned wretches. I knew nothing that creates such an irksome sensation in the mind, as imputed guilt, but the very delicacy that makes us feel it most serves to restrain us from entering into a vindication. As this would be to admit, if possible, at least, it might be true. Under such a difficulty, I then labored, and this nicety, supported by the natural courage of innocence, inclined me rather to acquiesce in the censure, than engage in so public a justification of myself, as this unhappy woman's charge against me seemed to require. And she was not herself, at that time, in a fit condition, either of mind or body, to have listened to my defense. Nanette's delirium continued about fifteen days, during which time the miserable pittance that Colonel Walter had left me was exhausted, and I was seized with the pains of labor, without being mistress of a single leave or credit in the place. Death was, at that time, the supreme object of my wishes, yet in regard to my dear babe, that now approached the light I sent for my confessor, related to him every circumstance that I have repeated to you, implored his protection for the unborn innocent, and put a chagrin case which contained the portraits of both my parents, with some jewels in his hands, which had been bequeathed me by my dear mother on her deathbed, and which I had ever since preserved as a relic with the most pure devotion. Truth generally affords conviction to an ingenious mind. The good father heard my story, believed it, pitted my distress, and gave me every consolation that my wretched state could omit of, by administering the rites of the church, and assuring me, in the most solemn banner, that he would take the utmost care of my child, in case it should survive its unhappy mother. I likewise recommended Nanette to his humanity. He promised that while she remained ill, all her wants should be supplied, and if she recovered, he would furnish her with the means of returning home again to her mother. Peace once more took possession of my breast, and a thorough resignation to the will of heaven, triumphed for a while over that distracting inquietude, which had well nigh destroyed both my mind and body. But the arrow of incurable affliction was still lodged in my heart, and the temporary calm that I then enjoyed was occasioned rather by my weakness than my strength. It pleased heaven that I was soon and safely delivered of my beloved Olivia, and from the moment of her birth all selfish apprehensions vanished. I no longer felt a pain but for her, and never ceased lamenting her being involved in the miseries of her mother. Though doting on her as I did, I a thousand times wished she had been born of any other parent, and yet I am certain I would not have parted with her to a queen. In about ten days after I was brought to bed, by the good father, who had supplied me with every necessary, and visited me constantly, came into my chamber with an unusual vivacity in his looks. Be of good cheer, madame, said he. Providence never forsakes the virtuous and patient sufferer. Heaven has been pleased, though my weak endeavors to raise you up, a friend who is at once inclined and capable of relieving you from your distress. And establishing a certain supply for your future competence, madame Defriberg will be here in a few minutes, and is coming to take you under her roof and protection. But before it is possible for you to remove there, I will inform you how this instance of good fortune has been brought about, and furnish you with some instructions that may conduce towards rendering you agreeable to your patroness. But while he was yet speaking, the marchiness Defriberg entered and interrupted him. I have already told you that I had lodged the net in my own chamber, and was, of course, obliged to lie in, in my maid's room. The first words of marchiness uttered were, Heavens, what a place for the child of my friend. My dear madame, de Almberg, she stepped forward and embraced me, then raised her glass to her eye, and served me with the most critical and distressing attention. I was so extremely confused, both by the suddenness and manner of her entering, and address, that I could neither speak nor move. From the death of that dear mother she mentioned, I never seen a woman that was capable of inspiring me with respect, or, ah, before, her appearance commanded both. A sudden gush of tears relieved me for a moment, and seemed to soften the ferocious demeanor of my future benefactress. She quickly made an apology for having mentioned my mother, seated herself by me. Theyed aside her glass, and took my hand with infinite grace, but no softness. The matroness was about fifty years old. She was uncommonly tall, had been remarkably handsome, her eyes large, black, and piercing, but the whole contour of her counterance was rather hard than pleasing. There was an air of fear-ty expressed throughout her whole appearance that inclined you, at first sight, rather to fear than love her. She told me that my confessor, who was also hers, had informed her of my distress, but that chance had brought her acquainted with my being the daughter of her friend, that as such I might depend on her good offices, and regard and added that she hoped I would be ready to set out with her, in a few days, for Paris, where she was then going, and that she would order her woman to provide a proper nurse to leave my child with. The idea of parting with my daughter shocked me extremely.  She gazed at me with a mixture of surprise and contempt, and said that if Pear Glam had informed her I was such a pretty simpleton, she would have saved me and herself the trouble of a visit, but that she believed there was something contagious in folly, since she found herself inclined to comply with my absurd request, though she detested children, but that her hotel at Paris, being large enough to prevent her hearing its squall, I might bring the brat with me, provided I did not insist on her being plagued with it during our journey. I was transported with, even, this uncouth enforced permission. I kissed her hand and bathed it with my tears, told her she had rendered me extremely happy, and that I would endeavor to deserve her indulgence by every mark of gratitude and attention in my power. She seemed pleased and somewhat affected, and, acquitting me, she gave me a purse of fifty Louis de Orre's, bid me prepare for my journey, by that day said night, and she would not desire me to come to her house at Merci, because she meant to surprise her husband by finding me in her suite, without his knowledge, and desired that I might still retain the name of de Olivier. This was the most sudden transition I had ever experienced, from sorrow to joy, and though I could not possibly know what sort of state I was going to enter into, yet I thought any change must be for the better. It was also the first time I had ever had anything like business to transact in my life, and the having it in my power to discharge my debts and servants, composed my mind into a state of the most pleasing tranquility imaginable. Nanette, however, remained still a weight upon my spirits, in addition to that misfortune that then did and ever will impress them. In a short time after the marchiness had left me, the good father Guilam returned. He brought with him the chagrin case, which I had entrusted him with, the contents untouched, except a diamond ring, which he had been obliged to dispose of, to answer the expenses of my family, and delivered me twelve Louis de Ores. The remainder of thirty he had sold it for. The sight of my dear parents' pictures affected me extremely. I kissed and bathed them with my tears, and most peously thanked my good patroness in my heart for this article of her bounty, more than all the rest, that she had saved me from the misery of parting with those dear remains. Father Guilam told me that he had related my story to Madame de Freeburg, without mentioning who I was, and shrewd her, the jewels, in hopes that she would purchase them, which she refused, but the moment she beheld the portraits, she snatched up one of them, exclaiming with surprise and joy. This, this is, was my near relation, and my dearest friend, Olivia de Umburg, upon which he acquainted her with my name and family, and she promised on the instant to take care of me, but insisted on his not informing me that she had acknowledged any manner of affinity between us. He then gave me the marchinesses, character, and history, in a few words, pride, vanity, and insatiable desire of admiration, and a fondness for play, he said, were her great foibles, but that she was friendly, generous, and humane, when these virtues did not interfere with her passions. He said she had been married young to the Marquis de Freeburg, that he had been dead about ten years, and had left her immensely rich, that she had since married Monsieur de Louvain, a young soldier of fortune, who treated her very cavalierly, and of whom she was extravagantly fond and jealous. He told me that he had furnished me with this little chart du pat, in hope I should be able to steer my course by it to safety and happiness. He then informed me that he had written to a friend of his in Ireland to inquire after Colonel Walter, but that, as I had not been able to ascertain even the name of the province where his fortune lay, it was possible, nay probable, from the disoluteness of his character, that I might never see or hear of him again. He entreated me, therefore, to strive wholly to forget him, and devote my whole attention to the cultivation of the Marchinesse's friendship and the education of my child. He promised to remember me in his prayers, and to favor me with his advice by letter, then took a most affectionate leave of me, as he was obliged to quit Marcaille for a few days, to perform some business by command of his superior. I had not seen Annette from the time of my being ill, but as I knew she was recovering, though slowly I fancied I was, then able to bear an interview with her, and equate her with my design of quitting Marcaille. I meant to offer her every assistance in my power, and take leave of her I hoped for life. I accordingly proceeded to her chamber, but no words can express the surprise and horror that affected me at seeing her. Her whole frame was convulsed, and every feature distorted and enlarged. The moment she beheld me, she seemed to acquire new strength, and endeavored to revile me with as much bitterness as when she arrived first at Marcaille. She had, however, no longer the power of raising any passion in me but pity. I said everything that was possible to calm her mind, assured her I had never knowingly injured her, and that I had certainly been as much, if not more, imposed on, and deceived by Colonel Walter than herself. I then proceeded to relate with the utmost exactness the Colonel's whole behavior from his first meeting to his quitting me, during the recital of which she wept often. Her counterance became more placid and composed, and when I had finished my story, she asked my pardon a thousand times, for the injury she had done me, and confessed I was much more to be pitied than herself, on account of my youth and inexperience. She confessed, too, that the formalities of marriage had never passed between them, but shrewd me a paper he had given her by which he had engaged to acknowledge her as his wife at some future era, and with regard to the marked attention which he had shrewd to me, he assured her he meant nothing more by it than merely to deceive her mother, and in order to carry on the plot, said he was obliged to spend a few weeks at Embrun upon a particular business, and desired her to hold herself in readiness to come off to him there at a minute's warning on a summons which he promised to send her from thence. Matters being thus settled between them, her mind, she said, was quite at ease on his departure, till she heard of my elopement with him, the morning after it happened, which threw her into a state of distraction for several months, but not hearing from him all that time, and beginning at last to apprehend that her situation would quickly discover her misconduct, and cover her with infamy, she determined to follow him to Embrun, and as she could not suppose that he had ventured to have entered into firmer engagements with me, then he had already done with her. She considered herself as having a prior right to the title of his wife, and resolved to assert her claim. She then took a small sum of money from her mother, to whom at length she had revealed the secret, and came off post to Embrun, as it had been known that we had taken that route, but upon missing us there, she had, with almost incredible difficulty, and after numberless delays, attended by illness and fatigue on the way, traced us to Marseille, where she acknowledged that she owed her life to my unmerited humanity. She then poured forth many severe extracrations against Colonel Walter, said she would not return to Bricon, but, if she could recover, would pursue him all over the world till she had received satisfaction, at least in revenge for her perjured faith in villainy. She told me that my aunt had not expressed either rage or surprise at my going off, but seemed rather to be sufficiently consoled for my loss, by being freed from the expense of my future maintenance. There is a material difference between the belief and certainty of a fact, and though I had hitherto supposed that her insensibility might have prevented her from grieving at the impropriety of my conduct, or the misfortunes which might probably attend it, I could not bear to be convinced of my own insignificance by her inhumanity. I felt humbled and mortified at this account, as if I had received some fresh injury. Before I knew anything of Madame de Freeburg, I had many times thought of returning to Briancon, of throwing myself at my only surviving parent's feet, and of endeavouring to obtain her pardon for my offending self and her protection for my unoffending child. But now the idea vanished like a dream, and I thought of no other resource, but the marchiness's kindness. After having discharged all my little debts, I had about thirteen Louis d'Orre's left, and the day before I quitted Marseille, I took leave of the net, and presented her with ten of them. I begged to hear from her, and left a line recommending her to the care of the good Father Golem, and we parted from each other, with all the tokens and feelings of revived friendship. When the marchiness's equipage stopped at my door, I was ready to step into it, and my little girl was consigned to the care of her woman, who travelled in a chase behind us. Madame de Freeburg accosted me with great good humour, and praised my exactness in not keeping her waiting. The instant I opened my lips to reply to her politeness, Monsieur de Louvain lifted up his eyelids, which had been closed before, and seemed to awake from a profound slumber. He gazed at me with an expression of surprise in his look, and threw me into as much confusion as his lady had done on our first interview. From that moment he became lively, and so perfectly polite, and attentive to the marchiness, that not only she, but I was charmed with his behaviour, and her long journey was rendered perfectly agreeable by the pleasing concord that appeared between, as I then thought, this happy pair. On our arrival at Paris, the marchiness allotted me an apartment in her hotel, and ordered two of her women to attend, particularly on me and my child. She requested that I would get the better of my air-trist, and appointed a music master and a dancing master to instruct and fashion me. End of Letters 29-30, Recording by Linda Rie Nielsen, Vancouver, B.C.


Everybody forced here up in 2023 pristine baseball hobby four bucks number 11 There's your random team results right there. Let's go ahead and get started. Good luck everybody Those can be found any time of late in sports cards.com Thank you. Thank you. Jake hanner 5 of 10 33 hours. He's really Doing nothing out there. Come on hanner Rookie refractor Gunnar Henderson Orioles and Bubba Thompson Rangers. Oh, hop a rookie Josh Zhang a rod Libertor rookie refractor for the Cardinals Gold refractor of Padres Juan Soto number 31 of 50 Adley rushman rookie fresh faces Orioles Kunya refractor Atlanta popular demand Jersey auto pita Lonzo going to the Mets Nice hit for the Mets there Pool holes going going on Ricky refractor Ezekiel Tovar Rockies purple refractor Nolan Aronato Cardinals out of 99 What did Chris Dow tree do with forest? Oh, man. Call me Chris Dow tree now. Oh, no Brutal god. Oh snap Michael Harris a second Alejandro Kirk refractor Andre Dawson Fresh faces Michael Harris a second for Atlanta It's an outman rookie refractor for the Dodgers blue refractor Moncada 75 white socks Usually it's right after week four preseason, which would be later this week. Yeah Senga baby, right in case rookie auto Cal Mitchell pirates Fractor Rafael Devers blue refractor Joe Musgrove Padres number to 75 rookie auto Michael Harris a second Braves Very nice for the Braves judge refractor and a gold Aussie albies for the Braves as well the 50 2450 albies Magical path in this year. I think they might make the play in they could we do have jingles We need to go to every single home game Yeah They're gonna get a put in the employee Yeah, we got to be close so we got to be like I'd be max like fourth row up Fourth row. I don't want to be court side cuz I'll get I'll just I'll get carried away and like you know Need a good like 25 feet Rick you're a factor as Cabrera Yankees Davis Martin Yeah, Franz Wagner is awesome. It'd just be really good for a while a long time Yeah, and he'll go to like the Lakers. Yeah They always go to the Lakers Purple 299 Max Scherzer Mets like you work for this Obama's gonna go wintering now I don't even know if he's with them anymore Gunner Henderson rookie Brett Beatty fresh faces Mets rookie got more L Batra like Otto Jesse Winker for the Brewers What's that? Alvarez going going going on Mets. I don't even know man Blue refractor to 75 Derek Jeter Yankees 63 is 75. I'm honestly not sure. Oh Jonathan Isaac. Yeah, come on. Oh, it's not Nolan Aronato Injuries man keep him down Kraya rookie refractor Killian for the Cubs Senga fresh faces Mets I need to check my stuff out Was Nesquie refractor purple Ted Williams to 99 Red Sox 99 of 99 see trash got swings of summer Francisco Alvarez It isn't a bad idea Gold Randy Arosa Raina going going gone auto That's fire nice Randy 30 of 50 Tampa got Peewee Reese refractor orange rookie Cody Clemens for the Phillies 25 Blue refractor auto must grow of Padres out of 75 Drew water's rookie refractor and Nesta Cortez blue refractor for the Yankees Out of 75 halfway through We'll see if rich knows somebody See if rich knows somebody You're gonna save it to debut it on Sunday, yep the following Sunday like Okay, I gotta find something I need to go online and buy something. Yeah something new for the season I don't think I'll wear it every Sunday, but Marino rookie refractor diamond backs to they it's gonna be like a beer helmet, isn't it? Drinking red bulls out of there going crazy swings of summer Bryce Harper Phillies short prints It's got a red bull looking cans, but he's falling over Well, Red Bull normally wakes you up. This guy's like falling asleep Rafael Devers gold rookie a story where we is for the A's nice looking card 36 and 50 Each your overfractor back relic auto again. That's Brewers Jesse winker Yeah, I believe so James Paraza he is progressing along he's in one single he's in like double a now I think Johnson purple Tiasca Hernandez mariners to 99.  Oh snap. He's got to I guess he's doing sorting or something Police act blue refractors on Carlos Stanton to 75 Yankees Sam was asking me if I wanted to hang out on Thursday. Do you want to do something that night? Yeah, he was like it's like oh, I was gonna see if you wanted to like I'll tell you what he said at some point Look what he said Rookie auto palacios tigers Fractal Louise arise for the twins gold rookie Corbin Carroll Diamondbacks 21 up 50. I think we should Congrats diamondbacks Rookie out of Nolan Jones for the Iraqis numbered to 99. It's been pretty good this year J rod and a you on one card at a 75 for the white socks last one Thanks for filming stuff everybody Everyone's all sleepy. I guess They're too busy watching this riveting Saints Texan's preseason game Hurricane watch Hurricanes though We're getting the hurricane. All right last box box for cracker burns rookie orange Louis Ortiz for the pirates 21 to 25 Josh young fresh faces Rangers Graham Ash cracker can refractor reds. You got Jersey auto Spencer Torkelson tigers. I said tigers All right, Rutschman base rookie for the Orioles got Robin Younts refractor Jeff McNeil posey Got Gita refractor with a purple Cody Bellinger Cubs numbered to 99 57 and 99 I think what do you know? What are you guys most excited for this week? There's like eight releases. It seems like water Shohei Otanio snap Refractor Pedro Martinez Anders Jimenez Alvarez Mets fresh faces Reese blue refractor Yastremsky Giants Not a 75 yeah, it's like a red refractor. Yeah, it is Red refractor is gonna be going going on of Hank Aaron So cool four or five for the Braves That is awesome, let's get that in a bag for your Braves Caste auto jazz Cheslem jr. For the Marlins fresh faces Fractor Ozzie Smith Cardinals we were fractured a 75 Miguel Cabrera tigers Gold rookie Bly madras Astros the 50 Diamond back Shrookie auto buddy Kennedy and in out to be refractor Okay, time to do a recap another four bucks up next again everything sold out tonight guys So get your spray get your spots for tomorrow your release day Wednesday spots. Yes stadium club chrome soccer on Tuesday as well A lot of goodies a lot of goodies. All right, so we had the Josh Cheslem auto buddy Kennedy rookie auto Jermaine Palacios Nolan Jones to 99 for the Rockies Cal Mitchell Michael Harris the second Whoa Michael Harris their blue refractor to 75 must grow of Padres gold going going gone Randy Rose arena With a raise a gold Corbin Carroll for the Diamondbacks That is sick 21 of 50 and we had a red going going gone Hank Aaron Grats of the Braves Four or five. Thanks again everybody moving on now to four bucks number 12


The teaching idea we'll use for the present continuous use for future arrangements is nearly identical to the activity used for the future continuous. Again we'll give our students diaries, we'll pair them up and between the two of them they have to ask each other questions and find the day upon which both of them can meet. The big difference here will be that we'll ask our students to form their questions and their answers in the present continuous tense. So this student may hear a question such as what are you doing on the 14th? This student would respond with I'm attending a conference. This will occur until the students find the day upon which they can meet. As you may have noticed there are quite a few activities which utilize a planner. These planners or diaries are particularly useful for practicing the future tense and the past tense. Of course for the past tense we would use planners or diaries from the week previous and for the future tenses we'll use planners and diaries for next week or next month.


Personal Finance PowerPoint Presentation. Life Insurance Overview Part Number Two. Prepare to get financially fit by practicing personal finance. Insurance is part of our long-term risk mitigation strategy where we follow the adage of major twice cut ones put in a formal process in place. Look in something like set the goal, develop a plan to reach the goal, put the plan in action, review the results, and repeat the process periodically. Most of this information can be found at Investopedia, Life Insurance Guide to Policies and Companies which you can find online. Take a look at the references, resources, continue your research from there. This is by Amy Fontenille, updated May 25th, 2022. We're continuing on from a prior presentation and we are continuing on from a prior discussion about insurance in general. Moving on here to the life insurance, noting that life insurance kind of falls into the category of our classical kinds of insurance like liability insurance and like property insurance where we're safeguarding against some event that may be not likely to happen in the future. Hopefully doesn't happen in the future but if did, would be financially devastating. Therefore, we're insuring against it such as the home burning down, someone suing us for millions of dollars or in this case, us dying, which is going to happen. So what are you going to insure against dying? You're going to die, I know, but dying prematurely would be a problem to people that are dependent upon us in a classical condition such as someone whose income is dependent upon by their family. We're continuing on now here. So we're on step number three from the prior presentation, compare policy quotes. When you've assembled all your necessary information you can gather multiple life insurance quotes from different providers based on your research. So obviously we would want to be doing some comparing and some contrasting at that point. Prices can differ markedly from company to company so it's important to take the effort to find the best combination of policy, company rating and premium cost. So clearly I think that would be easier to do oftentimes if you're looking at the more simplified just straight life insurance which might be the term life insurance if you're looking at more complex types of life insurance obviously that will add to the complexity as you're looking at the offers from different companies as well because the variance can change rapidly. So because life insurance is something that you will likely pay monthly for decades it can save an enormous amount of money to find the best policy to fit your needs. Benefits of life insurance. There are many benefits to having life insurance below are some of the most important features and protections offered by life insurance policies. Most people use life insurance to provide money to beneficiaries who would suffer a financial hardship upon the insured's death. So that's the classical case for life insurance. You have a family member, the wage earner of the family possibly, other people taking care of other needs in the family possibly. If the wage earner died that could be a problem for the other folks and therefore because they're dependent on the income you might want to have the life insurance to be helping out in that event hoping it doesn't happen but be insured against it if it does. However, for wealthy individuals the tax advantages of life insurance including the tax deferred growth of cash value tax-free dividends and tax-free death benefits can provide additional strategic opportunities. So taxes always provide more complication when you start to consider these types of tools. So again, are you buying the life insurance in order to actually buy life insurance to do the purpose of what life insurance does in general or are you buying it for some other kind of more complex tax structure even if you're buying it for some more complex tax structure I'd still go by the policy that if I don't understand it then maybe it's not worth the benefits that I'm getting from it. I'd like to invest in something that I understand going forward as a general rule that you might want to you know kind of keep in mind. So avoiding taxes, the death benefit of a life insurance policy is usually tax-free. Wealthy individuals sometimes buy permanent life insurance within a trust to help pay the estate taxes that will be due upon their death.   It's a death tax. So then of course you're going to have these strategies that come into place for people to avoid the death taxes. Obviously the first thing you would think of is like well if I'm on my deathbed then I'll just give all my money on my deathbed to my son or my wife or something or you know some family member at that point in time. The government has figured that out and then they try to stop that from happening at the deathbed and so on and so forth and the game plays out. So that whole that whole genre of taxation and planning has a whole lot of issues with it given of course taxes complicating things greatly. So this strategy helps to preserve the value of the estate for their heirs. Tax avoidance is a law abiding strategy for minimizing one's tax liability and should not be confused with tax evasion which is illegal. So if you start doing these kind of things you're saying well you're setting up these instruments and so on in order to avoid taxes. Well avoiding taxes if it's illegal to do then you're legally to do it because you're able to pay the least amount of taxes that you're legally required to do. Whereas if it's evasion that means you're doing something that basically is illegal. You might be doing something kind of fraudulent you're taking illegal steps to stop paying the taxes. What's the line between the two? Sometimes it can be a little bit cloudy on the line between the two because certain tax strategies might not have worked their way through the law. So they might not be explicitly laid out in the law and they're being worked out in the courts or something like that. So when you get to more complex strategies it could be a little confusing in terms of what's the black and white, what's the line in terms of what's doable or not doable and those are more complex questions that usually come into play for more wealthy individuals. So who needs life insurance? Who needs it then? Life insurance provides financial support to surviving dependents or other beneficiaries after the death of an insured policy holder. Here are some examples of people who may need life insurance. You got parents with minor children classic kind of case here. If a parent dies the loss of their income or caregiving skills could create a financial hardship. So they're dependent on you, their children. The children dependent. So life insurance can make sure the kids will have a financial resource they need until they can support themselves. Parents with special needs adult children. So for children who require life long care and will never be self-sufficient, life insurance can make sure their needs will be met after their parents pass away. So hopefully of course the children would grow up and be self-supporting at some point in time. Certain people aren't going to be self-supporting in that way and you might need life insurance or people or strategy to help them in the event that hopefully they're still going to live longer than you but you won't have the same kind of support for your whole life for them. The death benefit can be used to fund a special needs trust that a fiduciary will manage for the adult child's benefit. Adults who own property together married or not if the death of one adult would mean that the other could no longer afford loan payments, upkeep might be a good idea. For example, one example would be an engaged couple who take out a joint mortgage to buy their first house. So now you've got two people purchasing the home which might be more dependent on say one person's kind of salary and so on. So seniors who want to leave money to adult children who provide their care. Many adult children sacrifice time at work to care for an elderly parent who needs help. This help may also include direct financial support. Life insurance can help reimburse the adult child's costs when the parent passes away. So young adults whose parents incurred private student loan debt or consigned a loan for them. Young adults without dependents rarely need life insurance but if a parent will be on the hook for a child's debt after their death, the child may want to carry enough life insurance to pay off that debt. Children or young adults who want to lock in low rates. This is probably the more common kind of scenario. The younger and healthier you are the lower your insurance premiums and that just kind of makes sense of course.  You might be able to pay lower premiums because you're going to be paying it in for a longer period of time. So that would be a good benefit, a good deal to the insurance company. So a 20-something adult might buy a policy even without having dependents if there is an expectation to have them in the future. So in other words if you're saying I can buy insurance now I'm young, I'm healthy, I'm not married and so on but I think I might get married in the future. Who knows? I might want to mitigate against my risk of getting married or something like that you know. So you buy the insurance now where it could be cheaper at that point in time and then you might be lined up even if you don't have anybody dependent upon you at that time. So stay-at-home spouses, stay-at-home spouses should have life insurance as they have significant economic value based on the work they do in the home. According to salary.com the economic value of stay-at-home parent would have been equivalent to an annual salary of 162 $2581 in 2018 that's quite specific amount of home care costs. That's a lot more than I make. In any case, wealthy families who expect to owe estate taxes. Life insurance can provide funds to cover the taxes and keep the full value of the estate intact. So you got estate planning. Families who can't afford burial and funeral expenses. So a small life insurance policy can provide funds to honor a loved one's passing, which can be nice because of course, you know, you don't want to if you die and you're like, okay, now that now the people that are taking care of this don't have the funds obviously to pay for the funeral costs, which can be quite expensive and you get and you get to kind of like that seeing that you had in the big Lebowski or whatever where he's like, I would like your most modestly priced receptacle and he ends up putting the ashes in a coffee can and stuff like, you don't want that kind of stuff to happen. So you could have the life insurance in that case. So then we got the business with key employees. Now you got the business side of things. If the death of a key employees, such as the CEO would create a severe financial hardship for a firm, that firm may have an insurable interest that will allow it to purchase a life insurance policy on that employee. So now you got a CEO possibly they're like the face of the company or something like that. If they die could be a problem to the company. You might then have an insurable interest there. It's buried pensioners instead of choosing between a pension payout that offers a spousal benefit and one that doesn't pensioners can choose to accept their full pension and use some of the money to buy life insurance to benefit their spouse. This strategy is called pension maximization. Those with pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, diabetes or smoking. Smoking is a pre-existing condition now. I thought it was just anyways I'm not up to date on that. So in any case, note however that some insurers may deny coverage for such individuals or else change are charged very high rates. Research policy options and company reviews because life insurance policies are a major expense and commitment it's critical to do proper due diligence to make sure the company you choose has a solid track record and financial strength given that your errors may not receive any death benefits for many decades into the future. Investopedia has evaluated scores of companies that offer all different types of insurance rated the best in numerous categories. So it might look a little bit about the insurance companies kind of in the future just so you can get a launching point and start your research from there. Life insurance can be a prudent financial tool to hedge your bets and provide protection for your loved ones in case of death should you die while the policy is enforced. However, there are situations in which it makes less sense such as buying too much or insuring those whose income doesn't need to be replaced. So it's important to consider the following what expenses couldn't be met if you died. So if you died who's kind of dependent on you what kind of needs need to be met at that point that's possibly being taken care of by your income and do you have other assets that might be able to kind of hedge that. So if your spouse has a high income and you don't have any children maybe it's not warranted. It is still essential to consider the impact of your potential death on a spouse and consider how much financial support they would need to grieve about worrying about returning to work before they're ready. So even in that situation if you don't have any dependence or something like that it might be nice to have enough life insurance to take care of the funeral costs and whatever needs to happen for the grieving process and whatever. However, if both spouses income is necessary to maintain a desired lifestyle or meet financial commitments then both spouses may need separate life insurance coverage. Oftentimes these days you got two working people that are dependent on their current income to meet their current lifestyle and in which case if one of them died prematurely could hamper the other person's lifestyle obviously. So if you're buying a policy on another family member's life it's important to ask what are you trying to ensure children and seniors really don't have any meaningful income to replace but burial expenses may need to be covered in the event of their death. When you talk to like insurance people that sell life insurance and stuff like that they might try to sell you life insurance for everybody that everybody needs a life insurance but obviously if you're talking about children or seniors that don't have any income, no one's really dependent upon them then you got to think about well why do they need the life insurance? Do I need the life insurance just in the event that they died so they can cover expensive funeral costs? Possibly can I self-insure against something like that for children? Are we ensuring really early so that we can get a really cheap policy for a long time that they can then carry when they do have people that are dependent upon them? Is that the strategy? You know what's the rationale there? So beyond burial expenses a parent may also want to protect their child's future insurability by purchasing a moderate sized policy when they are young. So that's the strategy for younger people you're saying okay maybe they don't have anybody dependent upon them at this time but if they get the policy now it's going to be really cheap maybe you can lock in a really cheap rate at that point because you're going to be paying into it for a longer time so doing so allows that parent to ensure that their child can financially protect their future family so then if you lock in that lower rate then maybe they're allowed to go start smoking and stuff because you already locked it in so now they won't get penalized I don't know that's not a good reason to start smoking just because you're locked into your insurance but that might be a strategy parents are only allowed to purchase life insurance for their children up to 25% of the enforced policy on their own lives could investing the money that would be paid in premiums for permanent insurance throughout a policy earn a better return over time so in other words if you have permanent policies and you've got this kind of investment component to it would it be worth more to basically invest it somewhere else would you earn more on it so as a hedge against uncertainty consistent saving and investing for example self-insuring might make more sense in some cases if a significant income doesn't need to be replaced or if policy investment returns on cash value are overly conservative how life insurance work a life insurance policy has two main components a death benefit and a premium fairly straightforward when you get down to the basics of it you got the premium you got the death benefit term life insurance has these two components but permanent or whole life insurance policies also have a cash value component so clearly again the term life insurance is just classical insurance pretty basic to understand why are you buying it because I'm trying to insure against my dying and the impact it might have on someone who could or may in the future be dependent upon me at this point in time the term gets a little bit more confusing so one we've got the death benefit the death benefit or face value is the amount of money the insurance company guarantees the beneficiaries identified in the policy when the insured dies the insured might be a parent and the beneficiaries might be their children for example the insured will choose the desired death benefit based on the beneficiaries estimated future needs the insurance company will determine whether there is an insurable interest and if the proposed insured qualifies for the coverage based on the company's underwriting requirements related to age health and any hazardous activities in which the proposed insured participates to the premium premiums are the money the policy holder pays for the insurance the insurer must pay the death benefit when the insured dies if the policy holder pays the premium as required and premiums are determined in part by how likely it is that the insurer will have to pay the policy's death benefit based on the insured's life expectancy so obviously you're going to have to pay the premium when you pay the premium that will require the insurance company possibly to pay out to the beneficiary event that you die within the term for example the calculation of the premium will be dependent in part on their actuarial calculation as they put your numbers into the whole group of numbers and it could be dependent in part on your particular risk factors including the smoking thing factors that influence life expectancy including the insured's age gender medical history occupational hazard and high risk hobbies part of the premium also goes towards the insurance company's operating expenses premiums are higher on policies with larger death benefits clearly individuals who are at high risk clearly and permanent policies that accumulate cash value clearly right because all those things one the premiums are going to be higher if you have larger death benefits meaning if I die I want you to be paying out millions to these people well that's going to cost more in the premium side of things individuals who have high risk smoking on railroad tracks as you sleep with the lighter still open because you like to light your cigarettes with a bonfire on the railroad track that kind of thing well then that's going to increase your risk you would think and the permanent policies that accumulate cash value because that's kind of like an investment as well so you're kind of combining two things together so you would think the premiums would be higher for them number three cash value so this is for the non-term so the cash value or permanent life insurance serves two purposes it is a savings account that the policy holder can use during the life of the insured the cash accumulates on a tax deferred basis so there we got that tax component which is just going to confuse the whole thing so some policies may have restrictions on withdrawals depending on how the money is to be used for example the policy holder might take out a loan against the policy's cash value and have to pay interest on the loan principle so you can kind of use it as a safeguard in a few different ways if you have this cash value in there then you might say well if I can't take the money out maybe I can take a loan and I can use the cash value as basically collateral on the loan which could be another way to have available money possibly in the event that you really needed it the policy holder can also use the cash value to pay premiums or purchase additional insurance so you can use it to buy more insurance the insurance company gives that option to you the cash value is a living benefit that remains with the insurance company when the insured dies any outstanding loans against the cash value will reduce the policy's death benefit life insurance writers and policy changes many insurance companies offer holders the options to customize their policies to accommodate their needs writers are the most common way policy holders may modify or change their plans there are many writers but availability depends on the provider the policy holder will typically pay an individual premium for each writer or a fee to exercise the writer though some policies include certain writers in their base premium so the additional death benefit writer provides additional life insurance coverage in the event the insured's death is accidental so if you accidental death the waiver of premium writer relieves the policy holder for making premium payments if the insured becomes disabled and unable to work the disability income writer pays a monthly income in the event the policy holder becomes unable to work for several months or longer due to a serious illness or injury upon diagnosis of terminal illness the accelerated death benefit writer allows the insured to collect a portion or all of the death benefit the long term care writer is a type of accelerated death benefit that can be used to pay for nursing home assisted living or in-home care when the insured requires help with activities of daily living such as bathing eating and using the toilet the guaranteed insurability writer lets the policy holder buy additional insurance at a later date without a medical review


Thank you very much. So I am a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Croningen. This paper is part of a larger project on structural change and productivity growth funded by DIFFIT. And basically, this would be the outline of the presentation. I would run very quickly through the motivation to do this paper, then some theoretical predictions. Although I'm not going to test these predictions. These are just two frames, some of the results. I'm going to describe the data and methods I use, then show you some results, and then finally get to the discussion and conclusions. So the motivation I had for this paper was that I've seen a lot of increasing interest in special economic zones or export processing zones, industrial clusters in sub-Saharan African countries. Especially promoted by the World Bank through their country reports. However, when I went back to the literature in search for papers analyzing the actual distribution of employment over space in Africa, I couldn't find much. That is basically so maybe then spread around country reports, but nothing really systematic that tells us how employment is actually distributed within countries in sub-Saharan Africa. So the aim of this paper is very simple, but maybe can contribute to filling this gap is to analyze the special distribution of wage and non-wage employment in a set of sub-Saharan African countries before and after the reforms. Why non-wage and wage employment? This is because non-wage employment has become increasingly more important, and I have reasons, theoretical reasons to believe that the patterns of distribution of wage and non-wage employment are different. So I want to also contribute by analyzing these two types of employment separately. And then I'm going to try to contrast some of these stylized facts with the predictions that I have from particularly in new economic geography models to then inform policy about the feasibility of this industrial cluster idea for sub-Saharan African countries. So now for the theoretical predictions, I am going to be talking mostly about new economic geography models because this is the framework that is used in papers analyzing the possibility of industrial clusters, particularly in 2009 war development report reshaping economic geographies is heavily based on new economic geography predictions. So as you may know in a nutshell, new economic geography predicts that large firms producing on their increasing returns to scale will agglomerate to locate near consumers and from these larger agglomerations, they will source smaller markets at some transportation cost T. That's a very basic outline of the theory, but it's enough for the purpose of the argument that I'm making here. And if you look at sub-Saharan African countries, you have very high transportation costs within countries and a very small scale of production as evidenced by a very large share of non-wage employment or family business or small scale units, particularly informal units. So when you take these two things together, you say, okay, what is the relevance then of new economic geography theories for sub-Saharan Africa if these are our initial conditions. So what I try to do is to trace back some models that may apply better for the case of sub-Saharan African countries. So first, just to be clear for new economic geography for the conditions you have in countries that I just described with high transportation costs and small scale of production, the prediction is just that firms with disperse over space. So you won't have any agglomeration steaming from increasing returns to scale. In particular for resources countries, then the prediction is that all the distribution of employment over space is predicted by the uneven distribution of endowments. So be it labor if it's immobile or natural resources. So that is the source of the disparities in the distribution and employment and not agglomeration economies. So for particularly for the case of resource rich African countries, Golding and Company have developed a model where they explain why Africa has urbanized without structural change. And this is related to the previous point. So they say that these resource rich countries have agglomerations that are based on consume consumption of non-tradable. So you basically have the rents from resource activities and people spend those rents in urban areas. This generates a type of city that they call consumer city that is very different from the city that will be generated by the normal channels of new economic geography. Those are productive cities. So you can think of Chinese cities along the coast as productive cities that are brought about by agglomeration economies from the production side and you can think contrast those with African cities where you have large agglomeration, but basically based on the consumption of non-tradable. So the predictions on the benefits of agglomeration are very different from for these two types. So in particular, you would have less benefits for benefits of agglomeration from consumer cities. With a colleague of mine, I also developed a new economic geography model where we try to integrate an informal sector. So the idea is to try to understand what happens when you have a context like the one in sub-Saharan African countries where 80% or more of employment is on small-scale activities. And basically in our model, we say that people can substitute formal and formal manufacturing varieties. And if this substitution is high, the government might improve connectivity, build roads, but that even then they won't be a development of a formal manufacturing sector. Why? Because people still prefer to consume informal goods locally. So that's just to point out how the predictions of energy might change when you introduce some of the particulars for countries like sub-Saharan African countries. And finally, Berens and Polovala developed this model also based in a new economic geography model. When you have a set of skilled workers that can either be productive working in a normal factory or they can become part of an unproductive urban elite that benefits from rent seeking. So then you have urban agglomerations as well with wage workers, but these wage workers are more unproductive than workers that work at factories. In that case also you would have lower benefits from agglomeration. So we have basically also the prediction of agglomerations, but we don't certain benefits steaming from them. Not so clear, as is the case of the standard case of energy. So now with that on the back of your head, I'm going to try to describe the data and methods I use for the paper that are very simple, but this is more a comparative exercise, so I'm not trying to add anything to the existing methodology just to use the available data and some standard methods to inform some of these questions. So I use the population census samples that are provided by PUMS for these countries, so Tanzania, 1988, 2002, Guinea, 1993, 1996, Senegal, 88, 2002, Malawi, 87 and 98, and Mali, 87 and 98. Why this sample? Because these of all the countries that are listed in IPUMS are the ones that have at least two year data points for the census and have some of the variables that I need for the analysis. So I basically chose all of the ones that were available. I had to do some adjustments to this data to make it comparable. So I use the unit of analysis is basically the second level of disaggregation, be it the province department of region. I'm not claiming that this absolutely these areas are comparable because you can think of regions in Malawi that are ten times larger than some regions in Tanzania. But they are relatively comparable. So within the country the division is fairly the same across. And for changing boundaries, I basically use the oldest boundary. So I match, whenever there is a changing boundary, I match the the latest data points to the previous one. So I have a uniform set. Then I classified workers using this variable class of workers that is available from IPMUS and it's supposed to be comparable across time and across countries. And I classified them as wage. If this variable takes the value of work at someone else, works for someone else as wage salary worker and non-wage worker if they are self-employed with or without employees or if they are unpaid workers such as family workers or apprentices. The underlying assumption for this is that basically non-wage employment corresponds to small scale activities that fall mostly into the production of non-tradable goods and services. So this would be the opposite case of what new economic geography considers to be increasing returns to scale. Wage employment corresponds then is a mix of employment between public and private institutions, but I assume that these are fairly larger in scale regardless. So that's as much as I can do with the available data. I also break down employment by these four industries. They are initially available for 12 industries, but I break it down into agriculture and mining, secondary sector, market services and non-market services. Unfortunately, this industry variable is not available for these countries in years. So sometimes I cannot make the over time comparison, but I still use all the information I can. These are some general characteristics of the studied countries. So basically I have a mix here of coastal, non-coastal, resource rich, resource poor, but not large enough to draw any conclusions for these larger categories. So just as a reference, by far the largest is obviously Tanzania. So and then you have the others are fairly similar in size and while you can see there some of the other characteristics, so that's just for your reference. So basically to measure the concentration of employment, I use two types of measures, the A spatial measures of concentration and spatial measures of concentration.  So first the coefficient of variation is a very simple measure. It's just the standard deviation over the mean. So for the two types of employment, if this measure is zero, that means that there is a uniform distribution. If it increases over time, it means that employment is becoming more concentrated. Why is this indicator a spatial? Because it doesn't take into account the proximity or of the units. So basically every unit is taken independently and not the fact that they might be approximate. But I still take it because this is comparable over time in across countries. So that is one of the aims I have. And then I measure the degree of concentration using fairly two standard measures, two fairly standard measures of inequality, the tail index, and they have the square coefficient of variation derived from the general entropy measures. And here I won't go through the results, but a larger value indicates more concentration. For the spatial part of the measurement, I have a very standard index that is the global moran index. This index expresses the overall degree of similarity between spatially close regions. So what is called spatial autocorrelation? With respect to an numerical variable that in my case it can be wage or non-wage employment. So the spatial interaction is measured through an inverse instant matrix. And then I measure the distance in a very standard way, which is the bilateral distance measured as the crowd flies. And this global moran can take basically a positive value, in which case it is indicating that approximate regions exhibit similar values. So that's that would be indicating clustering. If it's negative, it indicates that approximate regions exhibit dissimilar values of employment. And if it is statistically significant, it means that the distribution of employment does not follow any particular pattern or space. So the distribution can be taken as to be as random. And an extension of this global moran is the local indicator of spatial association, which is basically going to tell us where this clustering happens. So it identifies where clusters happen, the center of the cluster. A cluster would be then a region that has high employment and is surrounded by regions that also have high employment. You can also have also something called cold spot, which is a region with low employment surrounded by regions of low employment. So now for the interesting part of the presentation, the results. First I'm going to go through the coefficient of variation. Up there you can see the coefficient of variation on the same scale for the five countries here. So you can compare the absolute values across. And on this axis I have the share of wage employment in total employment. So the first thing you notice is that for most of these countries the share of wage employment decreased sharply. But this is a slice fact that is already well known in the literature. Except for Senegal, when you see it staying at a level of around 15 percent. So very sharp decreasing countries like Guinea. Mali never really had much of wage employment anyway. But you see that even though this share is decreasing, employment is becoming more concentrated. So you see it here, the change over time. Wage employment becoming less representative and more concentrated. This is the finding that I have. Then non-wage employment, as you can compare here, the red with the blue. Non-wage employment is far less concentrated than wage employment. So that's one of the main results here, that the two types of employment have very different patterns of concentration. And you see it clearly there. For the case of Guinea it's very extreme, the difference in concentration levels of these two types of employment. And you see that there is not really much of a change over time. So we're talking about 10 years difference at least. But it seems like nothing really happened with the concentration of wage employment as this is expected. Because non-wage employment, if you remember, is related to small scale activities that disperse in space. So there is no reason why this type of employment would become concentrated. So this makes a lot of sense in that sense. So you have different cases like in Tanzania, it actually became more dispersed over time. You have some other countries where it remained fairly stable. And in Senegal and Guinea in Greece, but it was initially at very low levels. So for the industries, I'm not going to show the table with the results, but I'm going to just run through the main results. So these indexes of LG E1 and G2 are very close to the lower bound. Meaning that absolutely, industries in Africa are very low levels of concentration to start with. The highest level of concentration comparatively between the four sectors that I have is on market services, as this is expected. So for instance, retail services, retail trade, sorry. And they are lowest in agricultural and mining. This is also to be expected because of the nature of agricultural activities. And this remained true before and after structural reform. So another finding is that basically not much happened between before and after reforms with the special distribution of employment in the countries that I analyzed. No wage employment is absolutely less concentrated than wage employment in these three sectors, so in all sectors except non-market. And for the two countries where I can analyze patterns over time, I find that basically there is not much of a change because of two reasons. Why? Because there is no movement of employment towards sectors that display larger concentrations. So not much change, for instance, from agriculture to market services in that time period. And there is an increasing share of dispersed non-wage employment. So those are the sources of the lack of change. Now for the special part, here the ones that are shaded are not significant at the 95% level, and here then I wouldn't take them into account because already I have a very small number of observations. So it's fair to say that these values are not to be interpreted. But for the ones that I can interpret, then I see that there is no special autocorrelation in wage employment for all countries except for Senegal, which is also, you can see here, this is wage. Levels of special autocorrelation are positive, meaning that there is some global pattern of autocorrelation, but it's not very strong. And it's only significant for the country that if you remember, I had some significant share of wage employment in both periods. So it's not surprising that I don't find anything for wage for the other countries because it represents such a small share of employment anyway. And then you observe here that the patterns for non-wage employment are also relatively small. Now, where these closers are located? You have here for wage employment, I do not find any significant local indicator of special association. For the case of non-wage, I find some here in the area around Lake Victoria. But if you can see here, comparing over time, there is a high inertia in this. So the distribution remains fairly the same across. And then for the only case where I find a clear wage employment cluster is for Senegal, around the Dakar area. So this is the only country of the five that I analyzed, where you can see some evidence of clustering for wage employment. And the interesting part is that there is also clustering of non-wage employment but happening not in the same areas as the other one. So for the conclusions very quickly, so I'll just go through all of them. So basically there is not much happening in wage employment, but it is the type of employment that as you saw has different special patterns and is the one that is relevant for industrial clusters. So all these ideas of creating clusters since at odd with this evidence. It seems that most of the distribution in space in sub-Saharan African countries is explained by the distribution of resources. Like it was very clear in the case of Tanzania. And new urban settlements are dispersed in the interior area. So the migration is within the same region. So there is not much of movement to the coast or anything like that. Like we are observing in China. And then basically the relationship between structural change in space and structural change in industries, you can see clearly the connection because there has not been change. By industries you don't also observe any change in space. So as long as you don't change the distribution in wage and non-wage employment and the distribution across industries, this clustering in coastal areas is not going to happen. So my prediction would be that at least for the case of Tanzania, this idea of export processing zones and clusters in the area of Dar es Salaam does not make much sense. Thank you and sorry.