American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-04-18

with great reluctance from his still more endeared
friend and companion B.. he departed with HE
we ior the station where his new duties required his
residence Hitherto their matrimonial path had
been strewed with flowers, and not a cloud had for
moment obscured the sun of their happiness.
l hr brightest mornings, however, sometimes lead
on the darkest days and it is but too true that
"Lfe's farest views are but an airy dream
Fra as the transient cloud bubble on the stream"
An endemial fever, often so fatal to strangers in
that climate, arrested his progress at Natchez,
which baff1ed the skill Of his physicians He re-
ceived every attention from the strane ers among
whom he was cast and all the endearng attentions
OF his Wife-but 10 vain 1t was drcreed that the
cup OF bliss, which had but Just been tasted, was to
be dashed suddenly from her lips and SO rapid was
the progress Of disease, that in Ave short days
from the commencement Of his illness. she found
herself widow in strange Observation-Disclosures.
But the measure OF her affection be- ing not yet full.
she in turn was seized by The dire cotagion and il
was not until after the lapse of several months that
she was able to return with the messenger sent to
conduct her back her friends, and the scenes OF
her recent enIoyments
| Many of her husbands affairs were left in an
unsettled states and after the pognancy OF her grief
had somewhat subsidized, it became necessary for her
to look after them. Fortunately B was pro-
iesslonal man, and to whom could she better apply
iot assistance In her fotiorn situation, than her
husbands most intimate and confidential friend.
She did SO; and he attended to her requests with
all he readiness and kindness that she could have
expected. year rolled away. and the affairs,
though not yet settled in train Of adjustment.
Meantime another year passed away with those
beyond the food, during which his visits had grad
ualy become more and more frequent and his at
Itenons to her more marked and particular. He was
her husbands dearest friend and she therefore the
more readily confided in him. During this inter-
course with her, his conduct was uniformly marked
Ihv he uH,,yot nd eli
And when with honorable frankness, he formally
avowed himself as sutton for her heart and hand,
he was accepted. An engagement for marriage
soon succeeded and the time fixed for the wedding
was not remote. The engagement was known and
approved Ky her friends but the time for the
celebration of the nuptias arrived il postponed
again, again, and again--by various plausible
prctexts SO ar,uily devised to leave nothing to
lexcite any welgrounded suspicious to his faith,
and the rectitude of his intentions He was grave
and an honorable man, likely to be tickle in his
mind, or flexible in his purposes
In this situation affairs stood until few months
since, when, it supposed, irrevocabe deter.
mnaiion made that the wedding should take
place during the present spring and the lady went
upon winters visit to her friends in the country
TO the dear delg hifu spot of her infancy-where
she first dreamed Of love--and where those bright
visions of happiness had FIRST danced in her youthful
imagination the reality of which had it were but
u
the storm Of adversely which followed still more
gloomy and afllictIve-but which now bid fair
turn again soon, il not with their primitive bright
ness at least with mellow light which promised
to cheer her through the remainder OF hei life. A
constant correspondence was keptup between her.
self and B, and he continued his visits to The
family of her sister, with whom she had resided
while in this city. And here our tale must begin
10 unfold itself. few weeks since the bell rang
eebly at the door Of this lady's residence. the initial
OF whose husbands name We omit and the servant
ushered in lady whose fragile form, pallid cheeks
and sunken lustreess eyes. bore ample testimony
to decaying health !; and there deep settled
melancholy upon her countenance, yet so handsome
as to proclaim that her features had once been
beautiful which told but too plainly that her heart.
strings had been with anguish and that there
was canker in her bosom i" eating into her SOUL"
and wasting away her thin light form, which had APP
psrently been formed in the finest mould. She
lhcsitatingy and ,midly inquired for Mrs M.
but on learning that she was IN the country, and
that the lady OF the house her sister, she pulled
| from her bosom the miniature OF the deceased Ma
jor Nj, avowing herself TO have been his sister.
She said at the time, that 1t was a treasure
which she had highly priced, though on his last vi
sit to the city, of which she was unapprzed until by
accident she had received the sad tidings of his
death he had treated her with a degree of neglect
which had grieved her to the soul, but Tor which
abe could never account. And as she believed now
that she could not long survive, she thought her
brothers. widow had the best claim TO the picture,
and she had inquired her out and brought it. Mrs.
-, having never before heard that her deceased
brother in law had sister living in the city, was
lrcrcduous to the story of her relationship, but
took the picture and promised to write 10 her sister.
The stranger then departed reafirming with ear
nestness, and CLEAN Of womans pride, her near
consanguinity with the deceased, and promising
shortly TO return.
The lady wrote to her sister the particulars Of