South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-10-31
sATURDA v, OCTOBER 81. 1886.

| loved the orphan maid with love as
devoted as my own. Yet, fer my sake,
he cuenched the impassioned flame,
and strove amid the hustle OF the chase,
the excitement of q ball room, the
crowded halls Of fashion and pride, to
forget, the object OF his secret devotion.
! And not, till news of my death had
{ reached him-nol until the mos! vigi-
| lent inquiries had confirmed the report
| then, and not till then, did he
| address the betroshed Of his brother in
the language Of passion. Ella return.
ed the deep idolatry OF his heart, and
soon their vows were consummaled at
the altar Of Hymen. True, she mourn
ed my early death, and shed tears OF
sincere sorrow at the untimely fate Of
| him she had sent forth to exchange
the flowers Of love for Iaurels from the
cold hand of death. Tears we're shed,
but anothel's love soon dried them, q
afforded balm for every wound.
Father, il was fearful thing to wor-
ship at mortal's shrine as devotedly
as worsbipped-but l could not bear
to behold her smile upon another-to
hear the voice which was melody in
my ear, and which once greeted me in
its fondest tone, now whisper words Of
tenderness to another. 1t was that
which made me mad-the 6end tri-
| umphed over me, and | became the
creature Of his will. We met-the de-
s.royer end the victims-and mine was
the only cheek which blanched not,
the only one whose nerves were IRON
bound. Dsluded pair They read
not the dark purpose of my soul in my
calm, placid saile and passionless eye.
The hour Of revenge came, and my
victim perished! She died; how, !
dare not tell thee, lestthe avowal should
instantaneously sever the thread of life.
Many whispered she had loved her alb
sent lover best, and loathing the chains
which bound her to another, had
sought sure release by the unhallow-
ed death of suicide. But there was
one who guessed the fearful truth,
though his lips never breathed word
of reproach. The most excruciating
iortares which human ingenuity could
have invented, would have been. less
agonizing to my conscience stricken
| spirit than was the heart-rending coun.
tenaace, yet accomplishing voice Of
my deeply injured, my noble.hearted
brother. Had he denounced me to the
world in my true garb, and branded
me with the infamy ] msri,ed, then |
might have triumphed in lie wreck l
had made, in the desolation my hand
had strewn around his fowry path.
Butte be loved when | expected to be
hated--to be commiserated instead Of
being upbraided--to hear the pale,
quivering lips of him whose happiness
had irreparably destroyed, petioning
blessings and mercy for him who had
wresled the dearest object OF his heart
from the light Of existence, and con-.
signed her prematurely to the cold
ear,h.worm-it aggravated my guilt
and added keener darts to pierce my
| lacerated heart. A little while, and
| the lordly halls Of my father no longer
| greeted its heir for an inhabitant. file
too was gone, and his estates and
princely titles lay vacant for my occu.
4 patton. Butthey were the need of
guilt, and l turned in horror from the
once happy home Of my ancestors,
now by my unnatural hand made des-
olate-& my soul recoiied from dwell
ing amid scenes which perpetualIy re-.
called to mind the bright days of boy
hood, ere my heart was contaminated
by my paternaI mansion; the idol of its
guilt, and blended them with the dark
troubled years Of manhood. became
an alien from my country-and, des-
perate, plunged amid the haunts Of
men. lmpetuous as the mountain tor
rent l plunged from one scene to a.
nother, and strove, in the lowest grades
Of dissipation, to erase from my men,
Dry the image Of my murdered Ella.
| ! have wandered far s. wide across
the boisterous ocean, listened to Ita.
lia's fairy band and gazed upon her
dark eyed maidens travelled through
the romantic vallies Of Switzerland l
became gay with the disspated, disso.
Lutte with the abandoned in Gallia's
frolick land but 10 vain. Sill like
an 'ignis fatus,' has that one remem-
brance haunted me. The image OF
my murdered Ella, the idol of my boy /.
hood, the star of my manhood and
the unupbraiding commissioning coun-
i lEnance of NV hEnther Wearisd al