The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-04-28
Affecting Story of a young Eng.
liShman who died at SMYRNA.

His name was W, and his father,
a gentleman, in opulent circumstances
is still resident i'll Dublin, where he was
originally destined for the profession Of me-
dicine, in the preparatory studies for which
he had made Considerable advancement.
II happened that the hospital in which he
had been in the habit of attending clinical
lectures, and where a considerable portion
OF ms time was spent, adjOineG private Sc
adjustment for the care of insane patients,
and the garden of one was separated from
the grounds Of the other by a wall Of con-
siderable height. One day, while lingering
in the walks in the rear Of the hospital. his
ear was struck with the plantive notes o! a
voice in the adjacent garden, which sang,
with a peculiar sweetness, a melancholy
Irish air. Curiosity prompted him TO see
who tie minstrel was, and. clambcrng TO
an aperture in the dividing wall, he saw
Immediately below him beautiful girl,
who sat in moGrnful abstraction beneath a
tree pucking the leaves from "A rosebud as
she sang her plaiutive ditty. As she raised
her head and observed the stranger before
her, she smiled and bcckoned him to come
10 her: after moments hesitation, and re-
Election OF the consequence, he threw him
sell over the wall, and seated himself beside
her. Her mind seemed in state Of per-
feet simplicity, her disorder appeared To
have given her all the playful gentlencSS OF
childhood, and, as She fixed her dark, eX.
preSsive eyes on his, she would smile and
careSS him, and sing over and over the song
she was trilling when he had first heard her.
Struck with the novelty of such a situation
aud the beauty Of ofthe innocent and help
less being before him. W STAYED long e.
nOngh toavoid detection, and then return
ed by the same means he had entered the
garden, but not till she had induced him TO
come again and see her.
The following day he returned and found
her at the same spot where she said she
! had been singing for long time before. in
hopes to attract his attention again. lie
now cndeavOurcd to find ont her story OF
the cause Of her arrangement: bnt his eff
! forts were unavailinG or her words so in.
coherent rs to convey no connected mean.
ing. She was, however. more staid and
melancholy while he remained with her. aud
smiled and sighed, and wept and sang, b,
turns, till il was time for him TO bid hcl
adieu. With the exception Of these child
like wandcrinCS, she BETRAYED no othe,
|
merely playful and innocent: she was offer
sad and melancholy, but ofcncr lively AM
| light-Spiritcd.
W fe'' an excitement in her pre-
Sence which he had never known before
she appeard to him pure child of Nature
in the extreme Of Natures loveineSS. Sh,
seemed not as one whom reason had de
serted, but as a being who had never min
-
g'ed with the world, and dwclt in the midS
OF IFS vice and dcformi;y. in primcval beau
ty and uhcontaminated innocence and al
lection.
His visits were now anyiouslv repcatC,
and as eagerly anticipated by his Interest,
ing companion. to whom he found himself
almost involuntarily, deeply attached III,
more so, perhaps from the romantic circum
stances Of the case, and the secresv whicl
: it was absolutely necessary to maintain O
the whole affair, so that no ear was priv
to his visit, and no eye had marked thei
meetings. At length. however, the matte
began to affect similar change in the min
OF the lady. which became every day NOR
and more composed. though Still subject I
wanderngS and distractions but the ney
passion, which was daily taking possession
other mind, seemed 70 be cradica,inC III
= cause, or, at least, conntcrac,ng the cilcc,
Of her malady.
The alteration was soon visible 10 the in
: mates ofthe house, and the progress OF he
, recovery was SO rapid rs to induce them I
? seek for some latent cause. and to waite
her frequent and prolonged visits to the gar
" den: the consequence wasthat nj their ne,
! meeting, an eye was onthcm which report
cd the circumstance Of VS. visit TO III
! superior of the establishment and then q
immediate stop was put 10 his return, an
the lady's walks were confined to anoiht
portion Of the grounds. The consequence,
were soon obvious her regret and anxict