American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-02-06
From the Columbian Magazine
LIEXY-A THRILLING STORY.
RY l.. MARIA CHILD.


BY L. MARIA CHILD.
tCoscLuDLD.l
She was no longer invited TO visit with the
young people OF the neighborhood; and the en-
w excited by her uncommon beauty showed
itself in triumph over her blghted reputation,
iiar father thought it duty to reproVe her for
sin, and her stepmother said some cutting words
about the disgrace her conduct had brought up
on the family But no kind Christian heart re-
minded her that weakness is not always crime,
or strengthened her with the assurance that one
false step in life might be retrieved. Thus was
the lilly broken in its budding beauty, and its
delicate petals blighted by harsh winds.
Poor Lizzy felt this depressing atmosphere of
neglect and scorn; but fortunately with less
keenness than she would have done, before her
brain was stutilicd and heart congealed by
shame and sorrow. She no longer showed much
feeling about anything, except the little blue
bench marked W. and E. Every moment that
she could steal from household labors, she
would retire to her little room, and, seated on
this bench, would read over Williams letters,
and those other letters which had crushed her
loving heart. She would not allow any per-
son to remove the bench from her bedside, or
to place foot upon it. To such inanimate
objects does the poor human heart cling in its
desolatlon.
Years passed away monotonously with Eliza
beth; years of loneliness and labor. Some young
men, attracted by her beauty, and emboldened
by knowledge of her weakness, approached her
with familiarity which they intended for fiat
terry. But their profgacy was too thinly dis
guised to be dangerous to a nature like hers
She turned coldly from them all, with feelings
Of disgust and WEAKNESS.
When she was about twenty-three years old
she went to Philadelphia, to do household work
for family that wished to hire her. Impor-
tant events followed this change, but veil of
obscurity rests over the causes that produced
them. After some months residence in the
city, her health failed more and more, and she
returned to the country. She was still compe-
tent TO discharge the lighter duties of house
hold labor, but she seemed to perform them all
mechanically, and with dull stupor. After a
time it became obvious that she would again be
mother. When questioned, her answers were
incoherent and contradictory. At last she gave
birth to twins She wept when she saw them;
but they seemed to have no power to withdraw
her mind from its disconsolate wanderings.-
When they were a few months old she express
ed wish to return to Philadelphia; and lad
belonging to the family where she had remain
ed during her illness, agreed to convey her part
of the way in a wagon. When they came INTO
the public road she told him she could walk
the rest of the way, and begged him to return.
He left her seated on rock, near thick
grove, nursing her babes. She was calm and
gentle, but sad and distracted as usual. That
was in the morning. Where or how she spent
the day was never known. Towards night she
arrived in Philadelp hia, at the house where she
had formerly lived She seemed very haggard
and miserable; what few words she said were
abrupt and unmeaning; and her attitudes and
motions had the sluggish apathy of an insane
person.
The next day there was rumor afioat that
two strangled infants had been found in grove
on the road from Chester. Of course, this cir
cumstance soon became connected with her
name. When she was arrested, she gave
herself up with the same gloomy ndtfer-
once that marked all her actions. She denied
having committed the murder; but when asked
who she supposed had done it, she sometimes
shuddered and said nothing, sometimes said she
did not know, and sometimes answered that
the children were still living. When conveyed
TO prison she asked for pen and ink, and in a
short letter, rudely penned, she begged William
to come to her, and to bring from her bed
room the little blue bench they used to sit up
on in the happy days of childhood. He came
at once, and long did the affectionato couple
stand locked in each others arms, sobbing,
without the power to speak. 1t was not until
the second interview that her brother could
summon courage to ask whether she really
committed the crime ofwhich she was accused.
"Oh! no, William, she replied, -'you could
not suppose did"
"You mis-. indeed, have been dreadfully
changed, d.. !iazy," said he; "for you used
to have b, ;aa, could not hurt kitten"
~ ain 4 .nliy changed" she answered,
"but new, led 10 harm anything"
He took '.and. played sadly with the en-
aciated fing g.. I'D, after strong effort to con-
troll his emo oIs, he said, in a subdued voice
"Lizzy, ,5I, can you tell me who did do
it?''
She stare q Linn with wild, intense gaze,
that made III. ehudder. Then, looking fear
fully towar The door, she said in a strange,
muffied wi sa---
"Did ,pha.!'
Poor William bowed his head over the hand
that he held in his own, and wept like child.
During various successive interviews, he
could obtain no satisfactarv answer to the I'M
portant question. s'or,l ines she merely gaz-
ed at him with vacant, insane expression;
sometimes she family answered that she did not
know; and sometimes she believed the babes
were still alive. She gradually became more
quiet and rational under her brothers. soothing
influence; and one day, when he had repeated
ly assured her that she could safely trust her Sc
n crets to his faithful heart, she said with sup.
pressed whisper, as if she feared the sound Of
her own voice
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