Litchfield enquirer., 1842-04-07

Nc Donald Clarke, to whose hrlinS he APP
piled the term "ZIG Tag" ClArke'S feelings
were really wounded by the a'IAck. and he
came to beg permission to reply We tried
to dissuade him fromhis purposG-averse as
we were to controversy, and experimenting
that we could not afford the space that the
poet would require. He was so urgent, how
ever, and his manner so imploring, that we
yielded, upon condition that he would write
but four lines. Delighted with this, he sat
down at our own desk, and produced the fol-
lowing imprOmptu:
i can tell Johnny Lang, in the way Of laugh,
Since he's dragged my name INTO bis psn'And'nk
Tha. most people',hnk it is better by half
To have brains that are " zla-zAG"-tha" no brains
Gtau!
The hit was capital; and we believe Mr.
Lang never again assailed the "mad poet"
But we must bring our account of this
hayward genius to close. We trust tina.
he will be we'll taken care of-kindly treated
in his new abode, and that his mental NAL.
ady, however deeply seated. may yet be re.
moved.
[Clarke died soon after being placed in
the Asylum.-In the New York Arena we
find the following additional particulars of
his married life
beautiful young actress, of seventeen, by the
name of Brundage. His poverty, and OBJ
vious incapacity.to obtain livelihood, made
the match Objectionable in the mind of her
mother.; and they eloped. On. the very
night she was to play Ophelia, on the way
to the Park Theatre, she absconded with her
lover and was married. OF course the play
could not go on-the audience were disap-
pointed and the manager angry. The
mother of the young lady, strong, mascu-
line woman, was so full of wrath. that she
pulled her daughter out of bed at midnight
and dragged her home! The bridegroom
tried TO pacify the manager by the most po-
lite explanations but received nothing but
kicks in return, with orders never to show
his face within the building again. The
young couple were strongly attached to each
other, and of course were not long kept sep
arated. But Mcdonald, who was OF a
wealthy family, was too proud to have his
wife appear on the stage again and the
remarkable powers of his own mind were
rendered useless by the jar that run through
them all i; of course, poverty came upon
them like an armed man. They suffered
greatly, bu: still chung to each other with
the most fervids affection. Sometimes they
slept in the deserted market house; and
when the weather would permit, under the
shadow OF the trees.
One dreadful stormy night, they were ut
terly without shelter, and in the extremity
of their need, sought the residence of her
mother; they knocked in vain; at last the
suffering young wife proposed climbing
shed, in order to enter the window Of cham
Der she used to occupy. For his purpose,
Mcdonald placed boards across rain water
hogshead, at the corner of the shed. He
mounted first, and drew her up after him !;
when suddenly the boards broke, and both
fell into the water. Their screams brought
out the strong handed and unforgiving moth
er. She sliced her offending daughter by
the hair, and plunged her up and down in
the water several times, before she would
help her out. She finally took her into the
house, and left Mcdonald to escape as he
could. They were not allowed to live to.
gether again, and the wife seemed compel
led to return to the stage, as means of OBJ
tanning bread. She was young and pretty,
her affections were blighted, she was poor,
and her profession abounded with tempta-
tons. 1t was situation much to be pitied;
for it hardly admitted Of other result than
that which followed. They who had loved
80 fondly, were divorced, TO meet no more
Whenever Mcdonald alluded to this part Of
his strange history, as he often did to very
intimate friend, he always added, IL never
blamed her; though it almost broke my
heart. She was driven to it; and always
pitied her."
This lady is row an actress of considera-
BILE reputation in England; by name OF Bur.
rows, think.