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Modern Persecution, or Married Woman's Liabilities

From: Modern Persecution
Creator: Elizabeth P. W. Packard (author)
Date: 1873
Source: Available at selected libraries
Figures From This Artifact: Figure 1  Figure 2  Figure 3  Figure 4  Figure 5  Figure 6  Figure 7  Figure 8  Figure 9  Figure 10  Figure 11  Figure 12  Figure 13  Figure 14  Figure 15  Figure 16

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683  

And Mr. Packard is affording me every facility for so doing, by his continuing strenuously to insist upon it, that I am now just as insane as when he incarcerated me in Jacksonville Insane Asylum. And he still insists upon it, that an Asylum Prison is the only suitable place for me in which to spend the residue of my earth-life.

684  

But, fortunately for me, my friends judge differently upon seeing me for themselves. Especially fortunate is it for me, that my own dear father feels confident that his house is a more suitable home for me, notwithstanding the assertion of Mrs. Dickinson, the widow with whom Mr. Packard boards, that:

685  

"It is such a pity that Mrs. Packard should come to Sunderland, where Mr. Packard preaches!"

686  

Mr. Johnson replied, in answer to this remark, that:

687  

"I think Mrs. Packard has a right to come to her father's house for protection, and also that her father has an equal right to extend protection to his only daughter, when thrown adrift and penniless upon the cold world without a place to shelter her defenseless head."

688  

Mr. Packard has withdrawn all intercourse with us all since he was called upon by my father to return my wardrobe to me. "Would that Mr. Packard's eyes might be opened to see what he is doing, and repent, so that I might be allowed to extend to him The forgiveness my heart longs to bestow, upon this gospel condition.

689  

Thankful for all the kindness and sympathy you have bestowed upon my father and mother, as well as myself, I subscribe myself your true friend,

690  

E. P. W. PACKARD.

691  

I remained six months a member of my father's family, and found this period one of the brightest oases of my existence. For during this period my dear father manifested a tenderness of feeling transcending anything he had ever before exhibited towards me.

692  

His fatherly conduct, thus manifested, said to me, more forcibly than any words could have done:

693  

"I am sorry I have been so deluded by Mr. Packard as to leave you to suffer so long, so intensely, so unjustly, without appearing in your defense, and rescuing you from your tormentors. But as it is, the only atonement I can possibly make shall be made! I shall shield you from all future harm, so far as a father's love and care can extend."

694  

In speaking of my children, he once said:

695  

"My Daughter, you ought to have the care of your child for you have been the best mother to them I ever knew, and were it in my power you should now have them all, and never be separated from them again. But, my Daughter, I am helpless as you are in this matter. The strong arm of law shields Mr. Packard in his course, and I cannot remove this obstacle in the way of your taking them under your custody. You must submit to the inevitable, and try to take all the comfort you can without them."

696  

Another act of fatherly confidence in my sanity was that he changed his will for my benefit, and by this change, he not only gave me a much larger portion of his property, but also gave it to me directly, instead of giving it "in trust" to my brother, as he had by the will he had before made when under the delusion of Mr. Packard, that I was insane -- for, said he to this brother:

697  

"Elizabeth is just as capable of taking care of property as you are or any other person, therefore I shall leave her portion to her independent of all supervision."

698  

He also gave to the public a certificate of my sanity, for the purpose of counteracting the influence of those he had before given in defense of Mr. Packard, at his request, thus making restitution for this wrong he had innocently done his daughter as far as lay in his power thus to do. Although this certificate is given to my readers in the first volume, yet, I will here insert it again, not only as an evidence of his confidence in my sanity, but as proof of his repentance in having ever been induced to call it in question.

699  

"This is to certify, that the certificates which have appeared in public in relation to my daughter's sanity, were given upon the conviction that Mr. Packard's representations respecting her condition were true, and were given wholly upon the authority of Mr. Packard's own statements. I do, therefore, hereby certify that it is now my opinion that Mr. Packard has had no cause for treating my daughter Elizabeth, as an insane person.

700  

SAMUEL WARE.

701  

South Deerfield, Aug. 2, 1866.
OLIVE WARE.
AUSTIN WARE.

702  

When this was done he felt that he could die in peace. But not before.

703  

At the expiration of this six months' sojourn with my father in Massachusetts -- he died. And as I looked upon his peaceful corpse, as he lay in his coffin dressed for the tomb, I could not but exclaim:

704  

Peace to thy memory! Dear Father! Your work is done! Now well done! for you have not only repented of the wrongs you have so innocently done your daughter, but have also made restitution, so far as lay in your power so to do in this life. Blessed be thy memory! My Honored Father!

705  

My own dear Mother had at this time been in her grave about twenty years. Had this most affectionate and devoted mother been alive during these days of my persecution, a mother's love would have surmounted and overcome every obstacle which human ingenuity could devise to effect my deliverance from the power of this cruel conspiracy.

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