Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1843-11-11
A MANIAC BRIDEGROOM.


A MANIAC BRIDEGROOM.
4 drilling told Lore Story of Venice.
Perfectly overcome by the hent oil an
Italian evening at venice, ! Quilted the
busting gayety OF S.. hark's Place Tor.
the quiet of gondola, and directing the
ran to shape hlsc urse for the Island Of
Lido, "a narrow strip Of land dividing the
'lagunes, ." or shadows beyond the city,
from the open sea- seated myself Oh
the PROV Of the vessel, with a determine
ion to make the most Of the HlmSy watts
Of air that every nov and then ruilled the
surface of the still, dark waters.
Nothing inteEcepting my view Of The
distant city, whose mighty building
glo@ed beneath the long red rays OF the
setting sun, save, occasionally, when "a
market boat, on ITS RETURN, haated lazlly
by Us, or the hull Of some tall merchant.
man shut out for an instant the dome Of "a
magnificent church, or the deep red brck'
work OF the glimmeTlng OIL The tar-oll light,
IN the houses, az one alter another, they
seemed to start out Of the bosom Of he
deep; and at that qliet hour the repose-
the peculiar reposs of Venice seemed
melIowed into perfect harmony with the
Iangour Of the atmosphere. The souna
| OF laughter. or snalches Of rude SONGS thar
now and then come over the waves, IA
stead OF interrupr!ng, Invested with fresh
charms the luxurious s,tenC" Of the mn-
meai. We touched the narro" strip Of
sand lhat forms the beach Of tn little =
/ land, and stepping ashore, | enI we'd lhr
I only partlceuI green sward ~ all Venice
| walked backwards anil lufshrtS Co.
same time, thinking Of l. ,gIaud ANA Eng
/ Ish friends TOR al su"h hgIrs tn mind
waniers to djslaa, 5;eaes AID old CHS
rom,l without interruption, uDu a hLhr
rnstlng among lhs bushes OF the island
reminded me II was not The tenant Of the
garden Of the Lido, ard booking through
the fast gathering darkness, | discovered
an aged female pacing the sm1olh waia
near, apparently lost in contemplation.
Ny curiosity WAS rather eGcled by the
presence of an old woman in such an un-
Itrrqrenred place; but the haze Of the eve
ming prevented my observing her wlih any
degree Of accuracy, and A. feared t.
disturb her by advancing toa Gear, could
only guess at her features. 1, lat tn,
dwarf trees on the land "5egou 70 gIiler
on the climbing moou," ami saw tina.
she WIS weeping bitterly. llrr lhlrk,
gray tresses were brai led uvtr face thar
had evidently once been b"auruI. and
there was dignity aud propriety IN her
demeanor, and a native nobleuess Of ex
preston in her countenanee, which told
me that looked on no common person
She continued her solitary walk for some
time, occasionally pausiug to look up 70
the stars that now gemmed the clear glow
ing armament, or to pluck few dead
leaves from little rosebash that grew 10
an obscure corner OF he garden, uuil a
thought seemed suddenly to strike her,
and Fastening TO the shore, she stepped
into a small gondola that was in waiting,
and rapidly disappeared.
On my return TO Venice, mentioned
the circumstances to my "clcerone," or
guide, remarkably intelligent fellow, Il
aud much to my establishment, he solved
the mystery OF the lonely lady 20 roe i'm
medIalely. As her history is one of great
devotion and misfortune 1t may perhaps
merit repetition.
1t appears then from the statement Of
the "cicerone," that the elderly lady was
an English woman, vino had once been
the "beauty' o(tne gray circles Of Venice.
She had there met a student ia astronomy ;
aud whether it was his lonely mystic life,
The charms Of his conversation and person,
or his scientific atIanments, that won her,
know not, but he gained her affections,
d it is still remembered by those acquaut.
ed with her at the time, that her attach
ment5 to him was so intensely passive 10
rs devotions az to seem almost unearlhIy /;
and that very Lido, now the scene of her
Affections, was once the lavorite spot for
their early love greetings,
lie was strange, wild creature, that
student; his family were natives of dis
tant land, and he had travelled to ltayI to
devote himself body and mind to his "a.
vorile persult. From the after testimony