Democratic banner., 1845-10-11
TIL E PALE DY.
A short story, but a true one.

About ten years ago, a funeral
train swept through the wide venue
of one of the most beautiful man.
sions in the southern part Of Mary
land. The tall poplars on either side,
stirred by a light breeze, bowed their
heads as though for the last time they
were paying a mournful obeisance to
the hearse that bore the mistress of
the villa to the grave. AT the win
dow the curtains of which were
drawn aside, the pale face Of a beau
tiful girl was seen, 1t was Maria, &
she watched with fearful eye the
mournful band that bore her mother
TO the tomb. A few hours after this,
at night, ayoung mar and maiden
were kneeIing hand in hand, beside a
morrow hillock of fresh earth. They
were Marie Dunbar and Henry Bar
bour-the orphan girl and her lover
and there, upon the dust lightly
piled upon the dead mothers breast,
they prayed that Heaven would heal
their wounded hearts. That parent,
then cold and lifeless, on her death
bed had placed her daughters hand
in Henry's and blessing them babe
him 10 be her guardian. Upon her
grave her diving words were recalled,
and Henry vowed that while life was
his, he would never desert his beau
tiful Marie. Silently they rose from
that narrow mound, and though their
hearts were ciiaste2ed with affection,
and the fresh memories of the virtue
and affection of the lost one, they
trusted with all the buGyanc.y OF
youth 10 the future for joy and hap
piness.
Marie Dunbar was wealthy, and
she placed the whole Of her fortune
in the hands Of her lover, who re-
solved to invest it in property at the
South. In the section of the ccun-
try in which they resided, Marie had
no relatives, and it was finally deter
mined that Henry should visit the
South, and after he had established
himself they would be welded
With the promise for the hundredth
time that he would write to her twice
a week, Henry tore himself away
from his beautiful love, and after a
short voyage he arrived in New Or
leans. For a time every thing went
on smoothly, his prospects were bril-
liant, and in the thought Of enjoying
the luxuries of life in company with
Marie, a beautiful rainbow spanned
his vision Of the future.
One evening he was induced by a
friend to visit one of the gaming ia
bles, licensed in the city, and with
very little difficulty he was persuad-
ed 10 play a small amount. He threw
the dice and won, and being pleased
with the ieverish excitement, which
gradually grew upon him, he tried
his chance and won again. Wine
was ordered, and to the gamester
wine is like pouring oil upon fire.
A large bet. was offered, & scarce
ly knowing what he did, he took it
up. He lost-and then, and not till
then, he recollected that it was Ma
rie's money that he was gambling a.
way. This thought almost madden
ed'hlm, and as a desperate resource
he resolved to throw again in the at
tempt to retrieve his fortune. He
did SO, and lost, and SO he went on,
until he at last rushed out from the
shell" a beggared and dishonest man.
That night passed in misery. He re.
collected that he had wronged the
confidence of the orphan girl; that
they had knelt together on her moth
er's grave; and every word then sPo-
ken rose up and tainted him with the
thought Of what he was then, and
! what he was now. Goaded to des-
rsration, he resolved to break the
last tie that bound him to honor, and