The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-10-15
NIscDLLAM y.
ROMANCE N RfAIIIrI


ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.
TIE followins mournlul narrative is
extracted from Letters from the I.e-
want No. 2, IN the August number ol
the New Monthly Mlea1ine. The
whole lettor is interesting but we have
space only for this portion of it. 1t is
dated Smyrna---
+" On onG return TO the hotel, we found
the landlord in fiery despute with two
English gentlemen, who had just landed
from d French BRIG in the bay. One
was a fine looking young man Of about
flour or five and twenty, hui apparently
in the last stage of omacialon and dis
case aud his companion, rather more
robust, was endeavoring To persuade
the Italian host 10 give him quarters in
the lpcar5os This, however, he obSDl-
natoIy refused, ON the plea Of the young
gcnileman'S illness, who was reclining
as we entered, on a sofa, in state oi
enlcebled exhaustion. with sunken check
and lustrclcSS eye. Whilst the debate
was proceeding, the landlord with cx-
preSslvc sIIrugs unlcelinely pointed to
his miserable appearance, and urged that
rs few days must terminate his exist
ence, he should mol only have the am
noyance Of his death and inlerment, but
his establishment would lose IFS cha
racter, IN the suspicious climate of Smyr-
IA, by an inmate having expired in it,.
II was with difficulty thai the eldcrgcntlc-
man procurSd permission for him to ro-
main on the sofa whilst he went 10 seer
more hospitable quarters for him he
succeeded, however, and in the evening
the invalid WAS removed 10 a house near
ii. Catharine's G1rdons where he
stretched himsclion the bed from which
he was never TO rise, rs he expired on
the following day. The particulars OF
his story, MS they were related to us by
his companion combined with the cir
rumstances of his death, contained some
tldng peculiarly melancholy and roman
! tic.
Ills name was W, and his father,
a gentleman in opulenl circumstances
is sill resident IN Dublin, where he was
originally destined for the profession OF
medicine, in The preparatory studies for
which he had made considerable adj
yancemcnt 1t happened that in the
hospital in which he was in the habit OF
attending clinical lectures, and where a
considerable portion of his time was
spent, adlolned a private establishment
/ for the clrc of insane patients, and the
! garden OF the one was separated from
! he grounds Of the other by Il wall Of ln-
considerable height. One day, whilst
lingering in the walks IN the rear Of the
hospital, a voice IN the adjacent garden
which sang the melancholy llish air Of
Savourneeu Declish ; curiosity prompt
ed him TO see who the minstrel was, and
clamberng to an aperture IN the dNi-
sion wall, he Saw Immediately below
him beautiful girl, WHO sat IN moarn-
fol abstraction beneath tree, plu,klnl
the leaves from rosebud as she sanl
her plaintive air. As she raised hcl
head and observed the stranger before
her, she smiled aud bpokoned him (,
come to her after moments hesitation
and reflection, on the consequences, II,
/ threw himself over the wall and seated
himself beside her. Her mind seemcc
in a state of perfect simplicity ]; her dis
disorder appeared 10 have given her all
the playful gcntleness Of childhood, and
rs she fixed her dark expressive eyes on
his, she would smile and caress BIN, ano
slng over and over the song she was
triIliug when he had first heard her
Struck with the novelty of such a silua-
ton, and the beauty Of the innocent and
hel ple>s being before him, W, slald
+ long enough To avoid detection, and
then returned by the same means he dad
entered the garden, but moi till she bad
induced hun to promise 10 come again
and see her.
The following day he returned and
/ ipuud her al the same spot, where she
SAID she had been singing Tor long time
| before, IN hopes to attract his ear again
/ lie now endeayored 10 find out her sto-
/ y, or the cause oil her derangemeut. but
+ his efforts were undvalliug, OF her words
20 lacohcrent as 10 convey no conncc-
/ ted meaning. She WIS. however, more
slaid aud melancholy whIo he remained
with her, and smiled and sighed, and
Wept and sang, by turns, till il was time
Ior him to again bid her adeu. With
| the exception ofthose chiljIikc wander
lug5 she betrayed no other marks Of IN
SANITY her alterations were merely
play tuI and innocent she vas often sad
anducianchoIy, but ofenor lively and
| light spirited.
W felt an excitement in her pre-
sence which he had never known be-