New-York daily tribune., 1845-01-31
From the Columbian magazine sor February
ELIZABETH WILSON.
by l.. ysRIA CHILD
TCoucluded.l

she wcnt 10 Philadelphia To do household Work
for u family tnat wished 20 hire her. Important
events followed this change, but vel Of obscu-
rity rests over the causes that produced thetn.
After some months residence IN the city her
health failed more aud more, and she returned Ia
the country. Shs was s;ii competen. 10 dis
charge the Lighter daiies Of household lab1r, but
she seemed to perfJrm them al mechanically, ond
with dull stupor. After time it became OBJ
vieus that she would agnin be a mother. When
que uoatd, hgr answer were !ncoherent and con-
trajectory. At last she gave birth 10 twins. she
wept when she saw them; but they seemed to
have no power 70 withdraw her mind from its
dlsronaoIate epanderngs. When they were
few months old she expressed q wish 10 return to
Ph iatelphia and lad belonging 20 the family
where she had remained during her illness agreed
10 convey her pait OF The way III wagon When
they came INTO the public road she told him she
could walk The rest of lie way, and begged him
to fstura. He left her seated on a rock, near
mick grove, nnrang her babes. She was calm
AMI gentle, but sad and distracted as usual.
That was in the morning. Where Or how she
spent the day Was never known. Toward night
sta arrived in ehliadelpi at the house where
she had formerly lived. She seemed very hag
gard and IN safaole; what fsw words she sad
were xbrupt and unmeaning; and her attitudes
and motions had the sluggish apathy OF an in.
sane person.
Tac next day thee vas rum0r afioat that
Two str4nglcd infants had been found in grove
on the Ioad rom Ches'er. OF course this cir
cums!ance soon became connected with her
name When she was arrested, she gave herself
up with the same gloomy indifference that
marked ali her actions She denied having com.
mi!tsd the murder; but when asked vino she
supposed had done it, she sometimes shuddered
and sad notl,ing, sometimes said she did not
k ow, and sometimes answered that the children
were still iiviag. When conveyed to prison she
asked iur pen and ink, and in sh0rt letter,
ruteiy penn5d, she begged William 10 como to
her. and 10 bring from her bea.roou, tho little
blue bench they used to sit upon III The happy
days OF ch.idhood. He came ct oGce. end long
did the affsctonate couple stand lgckad in each
o;iicf's arms, sobbng, and without power TO
SPEAK. L. was NOS ugtil tbs second interview
t:.at her brotief could summon courage TO ask
wAethet she really committed the crime Of which
she was accused.
"oh TO, William" she replied, "you could
MT suppose did
You mast indeed have been dreadtully
charged. Gear Li2zy,n said he: for yon used to
have 4 hear, that could not hutt 81 kitten"
u um dresdluliy chnngod,' size answered,
"bu. never vented 10 harm anythinr :;
H.. toos her hand, played sadly with the ema.
ciu.cd fingers and after strong effort 10 control
his eGlo ions. he sad, in subdued voice. "Lzzy
d ar. can Ycu tell Tie who did do 1t Z"
Sac stared at him with wild, intense gaze
that maie him shuddcr. Then looking fearinliy
toward the door, she said, in a strange muf1ed
whisper, "Diu ,rhat?" Poor William boH ed
his head over the hend that he held in his oen
end wept like cfld.
During various successive interviews, be could
obtain no satisfactory answer TO the important
question. Sometimes she merely gazed at nm
with q vacant, insane expression; sometimes she
family answered that she did not know sno
sometimes she said she believed the babes were
still alive. She gradually became more quiet and
rat onal under her brothers soothing influence !;
al ID one day. when he had repeatedly assured her
that she could safely trust her secrets to his iaith
ful heart, sic said with suppressed whisper, as
il she feared The sound Of her own voice, He
did il T"
Who is he 2" asked the brother, gently.
g The father" she rep'ed.
Did you knew he meant to Go II :?
"No. lie told me he would meet me and
give me some money. But when | asked blm
lor something 10 support the children, ne was
a7crv, and crooked them | was frightened, and
fell fam, I don't know wnat aid awoke
up and found myself on the ground alone, and
the babes living among the bushes.
What is his name. and where does ne llVe 9,
inquirc; tie brother. She gave him WIG LOOK
cf Distress and said
s.Oh, doa't ask me. | ought rot TO have done
So I am poof sinuer-a poor sinaer. But
every body deserted me ; the world was very
cold; | had 10 body to love; and ne "as oeiy
k,nd 10 me-"
"But tell ma his nnme," urged the brother
She burs. into a strange, mad langh, picked nef-
vuus v ut the handkerchsf sic held IN her eanc,
and repeated, idiotc&'ly. Meme name L
ruess he babes are alive nov. do@'t know
don't know but guess they are"
To the lawyer she would say nothing except 10
deny th,t she committed the murder. AL their
eve tions could W ing from iler nothing more dis
tinct than nc story she had briefly told hir bro.
ther. During har ;;ial, ihe expression OF her
cuuutenanco was stupid and vacant. At tunes
She would drum on the railing before her, and
stare round on tn crowd with oeTildered look,
as If unconscious where she was. Inc detanged
stare Of her mind Tas strongly urged By ser law
yer; hut his opponent replied that all tins might
be assumed To the story she had tol1 IN PRISON.
i, was answered that her not eling Of the Rlur-
der at the time made her an accomplice After
tha usual dispsy of legal ingenuity on Goth sides
the irry brought her il guiltY of murder, and the
peer ioflorn creature was sentenced to be hung
al Chester.
The wretchtd brother was 50 stunned by the
blow. that at first he could no; collect his thoughts
But it soon occurred to him lhat The terrible doom
nigh, still bs averted, ii The case could be
brought suitably hefJ5e the Governor. a pet
ton was accordingly drawn mp setting forth the
alienation Of mind to whica she had been sub
iec,ed, in consequence OF fits, ard the extreme
doubt ulnfss whether she committed the murder.
Her you.s, as beauty, the severe sorrows OF her
lie. and tle obviousl, impaired state of her rea-
son, ;opched r,any hearts, and the petition was
I pid:y signed. When william went TO her cell
TO bid her ad;cu, he tried 10 cheer her with the
hop4 o. perdon. sns listened with l.tess aPe-
thu. 5u. when he pressed her hand, and with a
mouruful smile saiJ, {" t;ood bye, dsar Li2zF,
I'LL cor,o hack suon; and hope with, gc5d