Page:Heroines of freethought (IA cu31924031228699).pdf/272

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264
ERNESTINE L. ROSE

mother, and home became distasteful and unpleasant to her. She longed also for a wider field of action, She had youth, good health, and abundance of energetic. daring. She determined to seek her fortune in the great world. So at seventeen we find her established in the city of Berlin, Prussia, living economically on the little capital she had brought with her, and adding to it by the sale of a perfumed paper, of which she was the inventor. She remained in Berlin for nearly two years.

In June, 1829, she embarked for England, being desirous of seeing as much of the world as possible. But this venture came near being her last, as the ship in which she set sail was wrecked, and she arrived in England nearly destitute of everything save her strength, health, energy, and education. All these stood her in good stead in this emergency. She immediately sought employment as a teacher of languages in London, adding to her income from this labor by the sale of her perfumed