The ladies' garland. [volume] (Harpers-Ferry, Va. [W. Va.]) 1824-1828, 1826-04-22

decaylng health and there was dceD settled
melancholy upon her countenance. vet so hand
some as to proclaim that her features had once
been beautiful, which told but too plainly tina,
her heart Strings lad been torn with anguish.
amt that there was canker in her bosom ..eat-
ing INTO her SOUL and wasting away her thin
hight form, Whlc! had apparently been formed
IN the finest mould. She hesiatingly and timid
y inquired for Mrs Nj. but on learning that
She was in the country, and that the lady of the
h"u," was her sister, She pulled from her bosom
the miniature of the deceased Major NJ,
avo"n. herself to have been his sister She
SAID at the same time that it was a treasure
which she had highly priced, though on his last
visit to the city, OF which she was unapprized
until by accident she had received the sad It'd
.,s OF his death, he had treated her with a De
gree Of neglect. which had grie,ed her to the
soul, but for which She 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 in
Turtd her out and brought it. Mrs -, har
n5 never before heard that her deceased bro
Their in law had sister living in the city was
increduous to the story of the relationship, but
took the picture and promised to write to her
sister The stranger then departed, reaitirmng
with earnestnes>, and a CLEAN of woman's pride,
her near consanguinity with the deceased and
promising shortly to return
The lady wrote to her sister the particulars
of this interview, with her belief that the stran
ger was an inposter. The return of the mail
brought reply, in which Mrs Nj for the
hr>t time impaired to her sister the melancholy
tale respecting her deceased husbands sister.
which we have given above and which he had
communicated to her only after thcy had left
Philadelphla for the west Shortly after the re
ceipt Of this letter, the strange lady called again
apparently, as before, oppressed by the bitter
ness Of grief and pining away under the pangs
of her burthtned bosom. But the lady now
shrunk from her from the touch of pollution
The stranger perceived this alteration in her De
ncanor, and truly unprecedented the cause
The colour which had long been stranger to
hcrcheek, again partially returned and her dark
blue eyes were the moment lighted up, as She
exclaimed with sudden and unwuntcd energy
Yes! | am his sister, and your suspicious,
which well understand, are grounI!ess am
an unfortunate. an injured, but an innocent wo
man: am the lawful wife of''-but chez king
herself. she proceeded in subducd tone, A" alas
| cannot speak further' For a time
"Elcr lips moved not, but quveringly,
Nor would they aught betray
Yet more there spoke, her flashing eye
Than words could ever say
Yes, there was meaning in her glance
Having IN measure composed her troubled
feelings. some further conversation ensued in
which the hlghtcd fair one renewed her pro
te>tatlons OF innocence, and ntimated that
while she had been deserted by her former
friends, though lawfully married. and the mo
Their of several children, Vet She had hecn cn,u