Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-06-27

dress, with q wreath OF IVY leaves encir.
cling her large. straw bonnet, and a lace
veil completely conccaling her counte-
nance. Burr whispered a few words, APP
paren,ly encouraging her to advance. and
then gracefully raising her veil, disclosed
10 Us q face Of proud, surprising beauty.
| recollect az well as il it happened yes
terday, how simultaneously the murmur
OF admiration burs: from the lips OF all
present. Turning to the plaintiff. Burr
asked in a cold, quiet tone
"Do you know this lady y
Answer. " do"
Burr. "Will you swear to thatf
Ans. al will; TO the best Of my
knowledge and belief she Is my daush-
ter"
Burr. "Can you swear to her identi-
typ
Ans. III cam"
Burr. "Wnat is her ngef"
Ans. "She was 80 years Of age on
the Goth day OF April"
Burr. "When did you last see herr"
Ans. "At her own house about q
fortnight SINCE"
Burr. "When did you last see her
previous to that meeting"
The plaintiff hesita!ed-a long pause
ensued-the question was repeated, and
the answer at length was
"On the 14th day Of May IL
"When she was just three weeks old
added Burr. "Gentlemen," continued he,
turning 20 US, 81 have brought this lady
here as an important witness, and such !
think, she is. The plaintiffs counsel
has pleaded eloquently in behalf Of the
bereaved husband, who escaped the perils
OF the sea and returned only to find his
home desolate. But who will picture to
you the lonely wife bending over her dai-
ly toll, devoting her best years to the
drudgery Of sordid poverty, supported on.
ly BY the hope Of her husbands return !
Who will paint the slow progress Of heart
sickenlng, the wasting anguish Of hope
deferred, and finally, the overwhelming
agony which came upon her when her
last hope was extingulshed, and she was
compelled to believe herself indeed a wild.
owl Who can depict oil this without
awakening in your hearts the warmest
sympathy for the deserted wife, and the
interest scorn for the mean, pitilul wretch,
who could thus trample or the heart OF
her whom he had sworn to love and cher
ish We need not inquire into his mo-
tive for acting so base a part. Whether
il was love OF gain ; or RIGHTEOUSNESS, or
selfish indifference, il matters not he ~
too vile a thing to be judged by such laws
as govern men. Let us ask the witness ;
| she who now stands before US with the
| frank, fearless brow Of q true hearted
woman let US ask her which Of these
two has been to her a father"
Turning to the lady, in a tone whose
sweetness was in strange contrast with
the s~cornful accent that had just charac-
terized his words, he besought her to re-
late briefly the r~ecollections Of her early
life. A slight flush passed over her
proud and beautiful face as she replied:
"My first r~ecollections are Of a small
i'll. furnished apartment. which my sister
and myself shared with my mother
| She used to carry out every Saturday
evening the work which had occupied her
during the week, and bring back employ.
ment for the following one. Saving that
wearisome visit to her employers, and
her regular attendance ut church, she
never left the house. She often spoke OF
my father, and Of his anticipated return,
but at length she ceased to mention HIM,
though | observed she used to weep more
| frequently than ever. | then thought
she wept because we were so poor, Tor It
sometimes happened that our only sup
port was q bit Of dry bread and she was
accustomed TO see by the light OF the chips
! which she kindled 10 warm her iamlshing
children, because she could not purchase
a candle without depriving US OF our
morning meal. Such was our poverty
when my mother contracted a second
marriage, and the change to us was like
a sudden entrance into Paradise. We
found a home and u father" She pau
sed.
"Would you excite my W child
agains: me ~ cried the plaintiff, as he i'm.
patiently waved his hand for her to be
silent.
The eyes Of the witness flashed fire os
he spoke. "You are not my father"
exclaimed she vehemently. "The law
may deem you such but | disclaim you
utterly. What, call you my father =
you, who baseIy left your wife to toll and
your children to beggary? Never ne.
yer Behold there my father" pointing
10 the agitated defendant. "there is the
man who watched over my infancy F;
who was the sharef ofmy childish sports,
and the guardian OF my inexperienced
youth. There is he who claims my al
lection and shares my home +; there is my
father. For yonder selfish wretch,
know him not. The best years Of his
life have been spent in lawless freedom