Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1848-04-27
TffBPANlSH WIDOW.
.lBy DE- BALzAc

stEY De BALZAc
Tire lived the province II Galici8. a
Hl1os so perfect heautiIui. That She was cal
.et at at, irad ler~, aul indeed by all who
1'nt,t 1-r, ihf"Flower OF Spain" With
! tne- eAce'ientchlrms, she possessed all the
/ virtue, which rarely are 10 be found unt-
/ i'd ~ such e2 tns personal lovrliness Sle
h' q. mere orehany woocrs, especially acer-
/ ''ii OH hhiEutl Cas'lle. d. Cuirse IA mind,
aS hr was unsinly In person. Being very
wealthy, e bly, expected this beautiful
creature wonlq gladly become his wife the
I m'ir pdriculdy as she was OF poor, though
Wei porn paihlage. But she preferred to
a''.N nef aheQons To rest on young gen
.tiHth OF snA estate. but amiab,e chardc-
isr. aud heinghnarried TO BIN, they retired
90 the prOviHaS. aud speu. three years OF as
perfect happitss as Is permitted irail mortsls
to cuIpy.-AFhe end OF this period, he was
Obliged 10 20 9 Madrid, on The business of
70" suit. and las unfortunately murdered on
iIe way.leaUE his unhappy widow with one
LITTLE boy. aufin rather Strengthened crcum-
stances. Shorty after The Old knight again
Pr11ered his aud. which she decidedly relec.
tel; be neiG,r respected the sacreiaess Of
her Erlet, nor her forlorn state bat moles,ed
her - contiHqliy. with letters and presents.
that but for llr iather!css child. she would
have been content to die. AT length She deter.
mined 10 witiprdw TO some remote village. TO
ifee herself lr4n this odious persecution. A
lew days helut the Time she had fixed 10 re-
move 10 Der country lodging, her servant,
Marta, hdppe ed 10 open the door of closet
10 her mis,rsf bed room, when out fell the
bOdy Of a dea, man; and the police being
Al IA la 1t.
az i, 10 tat Of die old kuiehtol Castile.
lh'usn is coun'tnance was 50 bIackened and
distorted Us u appear scarcely human. II was
evident that ne had persisted b, poison: aad
a. The unhappy lai il could give no account ol
the mattel iutplie OF her hitherto air aud
unpiemished rtpuatlOn She was thrown into
prison as o,notIer5s. The persecution she had
suffered iron ite deceased knight was gene
faiiy knownf bat was now attributed to dis
honorable Cdgs, and the murdered her hus-
oand having never beet cleared up. she was
onsldefed ogmauy persons as guilty OF both
crimes, and lie whole province was shocked
nat So beIutlul creature should have thus
Drought dIs9tce upon her sex, and upon hu-
ntn halure 4 her tria,, the court was crow
led ioexe5 s. and the lady had nothing to
'lief but the assertion OF her innocence; the
servant, Mari, having suddenly disappeared,
Tue public iagocate proceeded to pass sen
'ence OF dealt. Ii was the custom in those
Idjs, l"r Vpman who had committed muir
de-, TO be hfi strangled aud then burnt In the
"tfhet paceibut before this sentence could
lie aronouncil, witness was novel b. re-
mo ,e to co4e forward in her behalf. This
wa ihe serytit Maria, who had hitherto been
dis used ia he body of the court She stood
4
on ne 81 thebenches, and earnestly entreated
10 ,e heard.I She then confessed that she
la been pr3ailed on by the brides ani prom
ISIS 81 the fd knight OF CASTLE, who de-
clared he int.nd,d to marry her mistress TO
secret hIm | the closet oil her lady 5 chamber,
but solemnli declared she knew no other
cause OF his Meath, except, that Oh one OF
,heives she had placed some sweet cakes
mixed with as ac TO poison the rats. and that
he hnlght, lein5 rather gluttonous, might
have eaten 4 them in the dark, and 50 died.
1t this prOhble explanation the court was
instantly mFed 70 declare the lddY's inno-
Gel nee with Jhe voice. She reviyiug liltle at
The noise, Ind being told oil his providential
discovery, oulr clasped her bonds, and theu
IN lew words, commencing her son 10 the
5uardiaujlp OF good men, eXclaimed''l
an never survive the shame OF this unworthy
trProach,p and, with deep sigh, expired OF
The spot.