The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-06 00:00:00

nothing in which Ido not see you. Nay, I might
almost say anything that to me is beautiful from you
derives, either from association or imagination, that
which makes it beautiful." •
That was written by a gentleman at the ripe age of
25 or 26 to a girl approaching the age of woman-
hood. The jury would, perhaps, say there was a
good deal of nonsense of expression in that, but they
would say also what was the effect likely to be pro-
duced on the mind and feelings and imagination of
a young girl by writing of tat description. An-
, other letter, dated Jan. 13, 1857, is addressed to Miss
Dc Winton, one of the Christian names of Miss
Trowsdale. In this he (Sergeant O'Hag-an) said he
(the defendant) once more lifted his pen to convey,
as some poet had said, " The throb of passion through
a drop of ink." (Laughter.)
" And oh ! my dearest Julia, though I feel our
hearts beat in unison, and though not a single pulse
of my bosom that does not throb for you, nor one
thought of innermost feeling which in my devotion
I would conceal from you—l love you more than
aught else on earth, and would willingly make any
sacrifice for you consistently with honour. I love
and honour you with a devotion nearly akin to that
which is due to celestial objects; yet, my own best
beloved Julia, pardon me if, in the ecstasy of the
moment, in the delirium of love—(laughter)—l
should have become so far wrapped up in the pre-
sent, insensible alike to past and future, so far for-
getful of myself, as to offend you. Believe me,
dearest Julia, I would not willingly for worlds
offend you, or in any way hurt your feelings.
Though I have my own errors and imperfections,
yet no one could ever impute to me a mean or dis-
honourable action ; yet, dearest Julia, your happi-
ness and aught else in my hands are dearer to me
than life itself. And now, my ever dear Julia,
write me a long, long letter, and pray tell me that
you pardon me for my thoughtlessness, for oh !
Julia, I now love you the more for your pure and
confiding love and artless innocence. . . And
now, dear, dear Julia, good bye for the present,
hoping to hear from you soon, and in the meantime
believe me your most sincerely attached and loving
" HUGH."
It appeared by one of the letters that he made her
a present of a locket. She in return gave him a
ring, and he, on the 30th of April, 1857, wrote :
" Many, many thanks, dearest Julia, for the
ring of your hair you gave me. I shall ever priza
it as a sacred gift ; and when I look upon it it can-
not fail to drive from my mind any selfish or un-
charitable feeling that might otherwise lurk there.
Oh ! how would it be
,possible, at the same time,
to think of you, my own gentle, loving Julia, and
cherish an impure feeling ?"
At one period the plaintiff's family had got into
some difficulties. The father of Miss Trowsdale
had become security for the debt of another, and it
resulted in the issuing of an execution and a sale.
The family had transferred themselves from Bally-
hackamore House to Seville Lodge, and then the
sale took place, and they had to submit to annoy-
ance and embarrassment. It was to that the de-
fendant referred, and for that he expressed his
deep regret. The substance and effect of her letter
was stating that there had been embarrassment and
annoyance in connexion with her family, and if on
that account he thought proper to do so, she was
willing to allow him to withdraw himself from his
engagement. That was true or.was false, and if at
the end of the case it was proved true, the jury
would say what effect it would have on their ver-
dict. It was written about the Ist or 2d of October,
in reply to the sympathising letter of the defendant ;
and he replied to that letter in a letter dated the
4th of October, to which he (counsel) would direct
their attention in contrast with the final letter, in
which he justified his abominable and flagitious
wrong. That gentle innocent, confiding girl—the
words were not his -(Sergeant O'Hagan's), but Mr.
Stewart's—offered him a release from his engage-
ment, if he had the heart, if he was base enough to
take it. The letter was as follows :
"My very very dear Julia—l yesterday morn-
ing received your very long looked for letter, and
now, love, with much pleasure sit down to answer
it. I must say, dearest Julia, that you very
much misjudge me when you infer that my love
for you would wane on account-of your misfortune.
No, dearest Julia, that is far, far from -the case. I
did not love you for any supposed or imaginary
wealth you might possess. In other words, I did
not woo your money, but yourself. lam sorry, love,
that you could ever have imputed tc me such sordid
motives. I thought you knew me better, and would
have considered my character superior to such
meanness. That, dearest Julia, I have not seen you
often of late is not my fault, but my misfortune.
Yes, dearest Julia,- I am sure that even you yourself
will acknowledge that were I master of my own
movements I would be oftener found by your side.
With regard to the insinuations you have made
about my forsaking you for another—oh, could that
ever bo possible, dearest Julia, to forget you, my
own beloved ? Surely not. That is entirely falso,
nor do I know how that report could at all have
arisen—as I believe myself innocent of having over
given cause for such a report."
The post-mark of that letter was the 4th October ;
it was in answer to the letter of the day before.
The girl said to him she was ready to sacrifice her-
self, her hopes, and her happiness, if he chose to
take his freedom. His answer was :
"No ; I am too good, too noble-hearted, too
chivalrous a man, to do any such thing. I wooed
yourself, and not your fortune. I loved yourself,
and not your wealth."
On the 20th January, 1858, he wrote another
letter :

" llolywood, Tuesday Night.
"My own dearest received your letter
this morning, and now, near midnight, sit down to
reply to it. indeed, my love, you very much mis-
judge me when you thus accuse me of indifference
and carelessness to you ; but as you well know,
unfortunately I am constrained from acting as my
feelings would dictate. I am sure, love, you will
not judge me too harshly, knowing, from what you
have seen of me, that you alone possess my heart,
to the exclusion of aught else on earth. I am, I
am sure, Julia, you must allow, most painfully
situated. I am, as it were, between two fires ; and
even then, Julia, worst of all, you accuse me of
insincerity and fickleness. Believe me when I
assure you that I never yet expressed a senti-
ment to you that I did not feel—of course, making
allowance for any poetical expressions—and yet
even you, Julia. turn round and accuse me ! As I
before said, had I my wish this moment, it were to
be by your side, to clasp you in my arms, and press
upon your check the pure kiss of confiding love.
But stern Fate says otherwise, and a cruel destiny
for the while imposes an insurmountable barrier to
my fond desire. In this situation lam more to be
pitied than you."
What did the man mean who wrote that letter—
the man who said that the thought of her banished
from his mind every thought of impurity ? If he
were not speaking to her as her affianced husband,
would he have dared to use the words contained in
that letter ? _Let the jury ask themselves, when
his accomplished friend came to ask them on their
oaths to say that there was no contract of marriage
in that case—let them ask themselves what was the
meaning of that letter. That was in January. After
that lie (Sergeant O'Hagan) understood that Miss
Trowsdalc went to London. It was desired by her
family that her education should he finished, and
she resided there with members of her own ftmily.
She received there a letter from the defendant on
the 28th June,lBsB. That letter was in these terms:

"My very dearest Julia,—l this morning received
your kind and affectionate letter. I was very glad,
indeed, love, to find that you are in good health and
enjoying yourself as you formerly used. You have
also had your own share of annoyance and vexa-
tion ; but, as I have always said, these cannot last
for ever. Is there not " a silver lining to every
cloud ?" It seems a long time since I last saw or
heard of you, and when I think of the many happy
hours we have spent together, and our pleasant
walks, it makes me sad to think of those happy
times and contrastthenrwith the miserable present.
Oh ! Julia, I am sometimes 'almost inclined to de-
spond, and balieve in such a thing as fate. But no,
it cannot be possible. Brighter, at least as happy,
dnys are in store for us ; for though at times the
Almighty does often see fit to visit U 9 on earth with
trials and difficulties, yet out of these the pure and
trusting heart will rise the purer and stronger be-
cause of its trials, for even is it not a true saying,
though common, that pleasure is allied to pain ?"
That was the last letter which he (counsel) had,
until a short and pert letter, announcing the death
of the defendant's grandfather, of whom he was the
heir, and from whom he was to receive an ample
fortune. In that letter he wrote—

"Of course you heard of the death of my poor
grandfather. He hid certainly been ill for a con-
siderable time, but, withal, it was a greet shock to
us all. Poor old man ! he was very patient and
resigned, very different, indeed, to what- we could
have expected."
He concluded by saying—
" You will please excu.3e,.dearest Julia, this me-
lancholy letter, bnt I cannot help it, and with kind
remembrance to you all, believe me, my deafest
Julia, ever your fond and attached

" Humt."
It would seem that, whether from Mr. Stewart's
becoming a more eligible parti in consequence of
the death of his grandfather, or from whatever
other cause, rumour stated that he did not intend to
marry Mies Trowsdale, but some person else—per-
haps a wealthier person.. With reference to these
rumours he wrote thus on the ith of February,
1859 :

"My very dearest Julia,—l have but just re-
ceived your very kind and affectionate letter, and
at once respond to it; lam very sorry, love, that