Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1849-08-09

Eutil>IltQ Ele kSCtl9u WHICH lHiAl uFc1QeU IN
matter in our minds, when Burr re-enteret
with. d tail and elegant ffsnale leaning On hi
arm She was attired in assiniple whit,
dress with d wreath Of by leaves Iencirclinl
her large straw bonnet, and face yelled com
EIpletely3 conaealing her d0untenaIce! Bur
whispered a few words, apparently encoura
/ ging her 10 advance, and then gracefully rails
ing her veil disclosed to Us face Of proud
SURPRISING beauty. reeollset as well as il
il happened yesterday, hpw Simultaneously
/ .ths. 1aurtnut Of admiration sarsg from I'll,
| lips Of all present. Turning To tie plaintifI
Burr asked in cold, quiet Tone S
"Do you know this lady?"
AHS 81 ldo-n
Burr VIII you swear to that ~ = III
AaS. Twill to the bestof my knowl
edge and belief she is my daughter z
sBarrl-aGan You swear to her identity h
A1ss--sfI CAM
Ia. yBHrr---s1 What is her. age ~ aa
Ans --4she was thirty years old on the
goth day Of April
-,'lyhen did you Ihstsee her?n
Aas-aA Ut her own house about fort
night since. p
Barr--aIVhen did you last see her prcvi
oas to that meeting n I.
The plaiHtiG hesitated- long pause ensu-
4 ed-the question was repeat ed, and the an
swer at length was .s
son the l4th day of May, l7--7'
4 aWhen she was just three weeks old,''
added Burr. AGentlemen,f continued he,
turning 10 Us, II have brought this lad here
as an important witness, and such, Z think,
she is. Khe plaintiffs counsel has pleaded
aeloquently ILL behalf Of the befeayea husband,
who escaped the perils of tie sea- and Who
returned only to find his home desolate. But
who will picture to you the lonely wife bend
ing oyer h$r daily toll, deEotingt her best
years 70 thd drudgery Of sordEd poverty, sup
ported only by the hope of her lus band ! re-
turn I w 10 win paint the slow progress of
heartsickndss, the wasting anguish Of hope
deferred and finally, the overwhelming agony
which came upon her when the last hope
was extinghished. and she was compelled To
believe herself widow2N Who can depict
all this without aWakeningtn your hearts
the warmest sympathy for the deserted wife,
and the bitterest scorn for the mean, pitifhl
wretch, who would thus tramp le on the heart
.of her whom he had sworn to logesand cher
Iish We need not inquire into his motives
for acting gso base part Whether it was
love Of gain, or licentiousnesss or selfish iini-
difference, it matters not; he is too vile
thing to be judged by such laws as govern
men Let us ask the witness she who now
stands before US with the frank fearless brow
Iof true hearted woman-lSt US ask which
Iof these two has been to her d father AZ N
i Turning to the lady IN a tone whose sweet
ness was inI strange contrast with the seornful
he besought her to relate briefly the rHcUnec-
tons of her early life, AsHght flush passed
over her proud and beautiful face as She re-
piled NJ
my first reeollections ard Of small illfur-
Inished apartment, which my sister and myself
shared with my mother. $heused tb carry
out every Saturday evening the work which
had occupied her during the week, and bring
Back Enjoyment for the following one Sa-
wing that wearisome visit to her employer;
and her regular attendance at church, She
never left the house She often spoke Of nv
father, and of his anticipated return, but at
length she ceased to mention him, though i
observed she used to weep more frequently
than ever Ithen thought she wept Because
I'VE we're Pbor, for it some times happened that
#ourIenlly support was bit Of dry bread and
she was accustomed tel sew by the light Of
the chips switch she kindled to warm her fam
ishiug children, because she could not par
chase d eandle without depriYing us Of bur
morning meal Such was our poverty when
my mother contracted her second marriage,
and the change To US was like sudden en-
trance into paradise We found 4 home and
a father Shcpaused
sNWoula you excite my own child against
ms2l' cried the plaintiff as he impatientlyi
waved his hand for her to be silent = i ltdf /
The eyes Of the witness flashed FIRE a he
spoke.
III on are pot my father" exclaimed she
,vchemently, What, call you my father l--
you who lbasely left. your wife to toll, and
your children beggars III Never neyerl--s
Behold there r19 father pointing 70 the agi41
tated defendant. s'there II the nam who watch
ed over my infancy who was the sharer Of
my childish sports and The guardian Of rny
inexperienced you'll. There Is hewhoclaims
my Affection and shares my home; there is
my father For yDnder selfish Wretch, I know
him not The best Years of his life have
been spent in lawless freedom from social
ties; let him seek elsewhere for the eornpant
ion Of his deerepitude, Inor dare insult the
ashes Of ihy mother BIZ claiming the duties 81
kindred from her deserted children Y
) She drew her veil hastily around her as
she spoke, aud inozed - &c "a withdraw
Gentlemen, said Bnrr, 4 hare no more
to say The words Of the law are expressed
ii the book before you /; the words Of truth
you have just heard from wofnanls pure bps 4;
=