The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1841-08-14
From the Philadelphia Saturday Courier
THE ORDEAL;
Or, The Triumph Of Natural, .i0'c'ion
EY LADY OF MARYLAND.

lust cccvcd from her only son.
sol c curse not, my dear FRIEND" sad
her companion, ia young lady ol dcnlurc
aspect, and of that agc which Byron has
pronounced to be olall ages, most uEccr-
iuin) ~ due regard to your "w1 charac-
ter for cons storey, and your duty TO so
cictv, alike demand that YOU should not
suffer 80 ilag'ant an instance Of dlsobcdl-
cncc To pass unYunishcd." ,.,,
! ".,na a'yc!!. fcDccca, nc Is my only c"',.
and it is LAID to receive never to see him
again.
ut may be hard, but it is, nevertheless,
your duty; and am S,lc YOU Will not
shrink from p rlorming t. Filial sobc-
dicncc is crime of the darkest dye, and
one which should be lrowncd upon by
all respectable pcopIr.'
but in IIcnry's case, there are SO many
cytcnmlng circumstances; YOU know
this match was planned by his poor d. ar
father, aud that although, had never
seen the young lady, did not oppose it
till | became acqu tinted with YOU, my
ovc-and felt how much il would add to
my happiness, to have you become my
dau"htcr.'
"And TO increase your happiness, !
would have overcome my rcpugnancc to
ma ringc, though Ii avcm knows the sd
crilicc would have b ca most painful
ouc.o
II apprcc ate your affection, my dear
4 bccca; and il makes my sons corducl.
in refusing to rive ~ Il childish engage
mcnt for my sake, np. car the more mex
cusablc. No, am Gcirrm ned ] will
never s. c,hc' him or the { olish girl he
has made his wife, and Mrs. WaISing-
ham, without another glance, consigned
90 the flames the letter VIII ch had given
rise to the above conversation.
Henry Wa singham WAS the onl " sou
OF gentleman Of high responsibility.
and + considerable talent Mr.. WaIsing-
ham had been bred to the bar, but having
married IL wca thy Southern hcircss, he
had Abandoned his profession, and retired
ir IL ir,.,utilut estate ne possessed IN The
ncrhhorhood of RichMoHd 1t was.
however, the first wish of his heart that
h,s only son should become distinguish
ed LAWYER. and accordingly, allcrcomrlct-
ing his colcg ale studies, Henry had been
placed witha probes ,iomal gcnllcmall-an
carly friend of his father NJ. Longiord
was widowcr, with an only daughter,
whose beauty and amiahliiy soon att ac-
ted the ragard Of her fathers pupil. An
uninterrupted intercourse of scvrra! years.
produced strong mu;urul attachment
which was encouraged bv both fathers
and day was already appointed for the
marriage Of the Young couple, when thclI
happiness was interrupted by the sudden
death OF Mr. WalsjnglErm.
Henry arrived at home only in time tc
receive his fathers last blessing; and hi,
marriage being of course postponed, hc
accompanied his mother on visit TO hrl
rcla " in Charleston. Here re lclthcr
and returned TO his professional pursuits
and to the society Of his alliancrd bride.
" hen Mrs. Walsingllam. after an alb
scncc OF several mon lis returned To hCl
home, she was accompanied by a young
lady, distant relative, who had contrivct
To render herself 50 useful and agreeable
that the lone widow found it impossible,
to part with her. Weak and vain, Mrs
Walsingham was an easy dupC to any one
who would be at the rains TO ilattcr her
and Rcbccca Thornton soon acquired al
unlimited influence over her mind. Thl:
influence she cndeavorcd TO turn 10 the
most profitable account; and not satisfied
with securing to herself comfortable
home with her rc'ativc, she aspircd to be
the wife of her son.-zWith this view, she
rcdoublcd her attentions, and while she
seemed to desire only the happiness OF
her friend, she led her by impcrccptiblo
degrees, to the very p int she wished.
1t became the earnest desire OF Mrs
Walsingham to break off the projected
marriage other son, and TO promote his
union with her protcgce. This, how
ever, she found il impossible TO accom-
pllsh. The idea of marrying a woman
fully ten years his senior, seemed to Hen
ry SO absurd that at first, he could not be-
liCve his mother was serious in propos-
ing it. When at last, convinced that she
was in earnest, he firmly, but respectfully
refused to comply with her wishes with
regard to Miss Thornton, or even to
break his arrangement with Rose Long
ford.
Aware of the weakness of his mothers
character, and atlribuling her present con-
duct to what he trusted would be the
short lived influence of her companion,
Henry did not apprisc either Mr.. Long
ford or Rose of Mrs. Walsingham's wish
es, and his marriage with the latter took
place within a year after the death of his
father. Soon after this event he wrote to
his mother Offering her visit, and beg
gcd that she would not attribute his con
duct to any want of rcspec! or affection
for herself. This letter would have soft
'ncd hla parents heart, had ii not been