48 Tenant Of Wildfell Hall - Stephanie Poppins

Contrary to early 19th-century norms, Helen Huntington escapes her abusive marriage, changes her name, and earns an income by selling her pictures. Her strict seclusion soon leads to gossip in the neighbouring village, and she becomes a social outcast. Refusing to believe anything scandalous about her, Gilbert befriends her and discovers her past.

In this episode, we hear the fate of Eliza Millward.

Transcript

Hello. Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph, A romantic bedtime podcast guaranteed to help you drift off into a calm, Relaxing sleep. Come with me as we travel back to a time long ago where Helen Huntingdon is sacrificing everything she knows in order to protect her son. But before we begin let us take a moment to focus on where we are now. Take a deep breath in through your nose then let it out on a long sigh. It is time to relax and really let go. Feel your shoulders melt away from your ears as you sink into the support beneath you. Feel the pressure seep away from your cheeks as your breath drops into a natural rhythm. There is nothing you need to be doing right now and nowhere you need to go. We are together and it is time for sleep. The Tenant of Wildfelm Hall by Read and abridged by Stephanie Poppins Chapter 48 Five or six days after this, Mr. Lawrence paid us the honour of a call and when he and I were alone together, Which I contrived as soon as possible by bringing him out to look at my cornstacks, He showed me another letter from his sister. This one he was quite willing to submit to my longing gaze. He thought I suppose it would do me good. The only answer it gave to my message was this. Mr. Markham is at liberty to make such revelations concerning me as he judges necessary. He will know that I should wish but little to be said on the subject. I hope he is well but tell him he must not think of me. I can give you a few extracts from the rest of the letter for I was permitted to keep this also, Perhaps as an antidote to all pernicious hopes and fancies. Arthur is decidedly better but very low from the depressing efforts of his severe illness and the strict regime he is obliged to observe. It is deplorable to see how completely his past life has degenerated his once noble constitution but the doctor says he may now be considered out of danger. Some stimulating cordials he must have but they should be judiciously diluted and sparingly used. I find it very difficult to keep him to this. At first his extreme dread of death rendered the task an easy one but in proportion as he feels his acute suffering abating and seeing the danger receding the more intractable he becomes. Now his appetite for food is beginning to return and here too his long habits of self-indulgence are greatly against him. I watch and restrain him as well as I can and I often get bitterly abused for my rigid severity. Sometimes he contrives to elude my vigilance and sometimes acts in open opposition to my will but he is now so completely reconciled to my attendance in general he's never satisfied when I'm not by his side. I'm obliged to be a little stiff with him sometimes or he'd make a complete slave of me and I know it would be an unpardonable weakness to give in all other interests for him. I have the servants to overlook and my little Arthur to attend to and my own health too all of which would be entirely neglected were I to satisfy his exorbitant demands. I do not generally sit up at nights. I think the nurse who has made it her business is better qualified for such undertakings than I am but still an unbroken night's rest is what I but seldom enjoy and never can I venture to reckon upon for my patient makes no scruple of calling me up at any hour when his wants or his fancies require my presence. He's manifestly afraid of my displeasure if at any one time he tries my patience by his unreasonable exactions and fretful complaints but all this I can readily pardon for I know it is chiefly the result of his enfeebled frame and disordered nerves. What annoys me the most is his occasional attempts at affectionate fondness that I can neither credit nor return. Not that I hate him his sufferings and my own laborious care have given him some claim to my regard to my affection even if he would only be quiet and sincere and content to let things remain as they are but the more he tries to conciliate me the more I shrink from him and from the future. Helen what do you mean to do when I get well? He asked this morning. Will you run away again? It entirely depends upon your own conduct. No I'll be very good but if I find it necessary to leave you Arthur I shall not run away. You know I have your own promise I may go wherever I please and take my son with me. No but you shall have no cause and then followed a variety of professions by Arthur which I rather coldly checked. Will you not forgive me then said he. Yes I have forgiven you but you know I cannot love you as I once did so let us drop the subject and never recur to it again. Arthur's sole reply to this was a slight grimace and a scarcely perceptible shrug. Alas unhappy man. Words with him are so much cheaper than deeds. It was if I had said pounds not pence must buy the article you want and then he sighed a querulous self-commiserating sigh as if in pure regret that he the loved and courted of so many worshippers should now be abandoned to the mercy of a harsh exacting cold-hearted woman such as me. It's a pity isn't it said I and whether I rightfully divined his musings or not the observation chimed in with his thoughts for he answered it can't be helped with a rueful smile at my penetration. Since being here I have seen Esther Hargrave twice. She is a charming creature but her blithe spirit is almost broken and her sweet temper almost spoiled by the still unremitting persecutions of her mother in behalf of her rejected suitor. Not violent but wearisome and unremitting like a continual dropping. The unnatural parent seems determined to make her daughter's life a burden if she will not yield to her desires. Mama does all she can said she to make me feel myself a burden an encumbrance to the family and the most ungrateful selfish and undutiful daughter that ever was born. Walter too is as stern and cold and haughty as if he hated me outright. I believe I should have yielded at once if I'd have known from the beginning how much resistance would have cost me but now for very obstinacy's sake I will stand out. A bad motive for a good resolve I answered but however I know you have better motives really for your perseverance and I counsel you to keep them still in view. Trust me I will said she. I threaten my mom sometimes that I'll run away and disgrace the family by earning my own livelihood if she torments me anymore. That frightens her a little but I will do it in good earnest if they don't mind. Be quiet and patient a while said I and better times will come. Poor girl I wish somebody that was worthy to possess her would come and take her away. Don't you think Frederick? If the perusal of this letter filled me with dismay for Helen's future life and mine there was one great source of consolation. It was now in my power to clear her name from every foul aspersion. The Millwoods and the Wilson should see with their own eyes the bright sun bursting from the cloud and they should be scorched and dazzled by its beams and my own friends too should see it. They whose suspicions have been such a gall and whirl were to my soul. To effect this I had only to drop the seed into the ground and it would soon become a stately branching herb. A few words to my mother and sister I knew would suffice to spread the news throughout the whole neighborhood without any further exertion on my part. Rose was delighted and as soon as I had told her all I thought proper she flew with alacrity to put on her bonnet and shawl and hastened to carry the glad tidings to the Millwoods and Wilsons. Glad tidings I suspect to none but herself and Mary Millwood that steady sensible girl who Stirlingworth had been so quickly perceived by Mrs. Graham in spite of her plane outside. As I may never have occasion to mention her again I may as well tell you here she was at this time privately engaged to Richard Wilson a secret I believe to everyone but their two selves. That worthy student was now at Cambridge where his most exemplary conduct and his diligent perseverance in the pursuit of learning carried him safely through. In due time he became Mr. Millwood's first and only curate for that gentleman's declining years forced him at last to acknowledge the duties of his extensive parish were a little too much for those energies which he was wont to boast over his younger and less active brethren of the cloth. They lived at the Vicarage the lady dividing her time between her father her husband and their poor parishioners subsequently her rising family. If you are interested in the after fate of that lady's sister Eliza I can tell you some 12 or 13 years ago she relieved a happy couple of her presence by marrying a wealthy tradesman. I don't envy him his bargain. I fear she leads him rather an uncomfortable life though happily he's too dull to perceive the extent of his misfortune. And as for Richard Wilson's sister she having been wholly unable to recapture Mr. Lawrence or obtain any partner rich and elegant enough to suit her ideas of what the husband of Jane Wilson ought to be is yet in single blessedness. Shortly after the death of her mother she withdrew the light of her presence from Rycote Farm finding it impossible any longer to endure the rough manners and unsophisticated habits of her honest brother Robert and his worthy wife.

Reviews

Ugh… I hate that she is back taking care of him, but at least he’s still bed ridden! Thank you dear 🙏🏼❤️