Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-05-11

anu luu Il lOllOl NlluN ny ~ iN
would be speedily cured. The coun-
thought her sons request rather odd;
but being 10th 10 refuse anything that
would give him even a visionary salts
faction, she Instantly set about her inqui-
ry after the happiest lady in Naples, with
the view of requesting her kind Offices in
the manner described. Her inquiry was
tedious and difficult; everybody she
could think Of, or who was pointed VI TO
her, was found, on searching nearer, TO
have her own share of troubles. For
some time she almost despaired, but hay-
ing nevertheless ~persevered, she was at
length introduced TO one-a middle-uged
married lady-who not only appeared to
have all the imaginable materials of
worldly bliss, but bore every external
mark of being cheerful and contented in
her situation. To this fortunate dame
the Countess preferred her request, ma
king the circumstances Of the case her
only excuse for so strange an application.
NV dear countess said the lady, 'spare
all apology; for, if ! had really been
qualified for the task, | would most glad.
ly have undertaken it. But if you will
Just follow me TO another room, | will
prove to you that | am the most misera.
bic woman in Naples SO saying she
led the mother TO n remote chamber,
where there was nothing but a curtain
which hung from the ceiling 10 the floor.
This being drawn aside, she disclosed, 10
the horror of her v~isiter, u skeleton hang
- -. lan., GhI 1.-.1r, -
claimed the Countess; 'what means this!'
The lady looked mournfully at her, and,
after a minutes silence, gave the follow
ing explanation. This she said, was
ayouth who loved me before my marriage
and whom | was obliged 10 part with
when my relations compelled me to mar.
ry my present husband. We afterwards
renewed our acquaintance, though with
no evil intent, and my husband was so
much infuriated at finding him one day
in my presence, as 10 draw his sword AMI
run him through the heart. Not salisi-
ed with This, he caused him to be hung
up here, and every night and morning
since then has compelled me to come
and survey his remains. To the world |
may bear a cheerful aspect, and seem to
be possessed Of all the comforts Of life,
but you may Judge if | can be really en-
titled TO the reputation which you have
attributed TO me, or be qualified to exc
cute your sons commission
The Countess Corsini readily ac.
knowledged that her situation was most
miserable, and retired TO her own house,
in despair of Obtaining what she was in
quest of. seeing that if an apparently hap
py woman had such a secret sorrow as
this, what were those likely to haveANho
bore no such appearance. ALAS she
said to herself, mo one is exempt from
the disasters and sorrows oflile-there is
a skeleton in erery house,
When she reached home, she found a
letter conveying intelligence Of her sons
death, which in other circumstance
would have overturned her reason, or
broken her heart, but prepared as she
was by the foresight of her son. produced
only u rational degree Of grief. When
the first acute sensations were past, she
said %resignodly to herself, that great as
The calamity was, it was probably no grea-
ter than what her fellow-creolures were
enduring every day, and she would there
fore submit with tranquility.
The application of this tale, tinged as
it is with the peculiar hue of continental
manners and ideas, must be easy to eve
ny one Of our readers. They must sec
how great a fallacy it is TO suppose that
others are, more generally Than our
selves, spared any of the common mis-
haps of life, or that ace, in particular, are
under the doom of Il severe fate. They
may be assured that beneath many of The
gorgeous shows of this world there Turk
terrible sores, which are not the less ter.
rible that they are unseen. The very
happiest looking men and women the
most prosperous mercantile concerns
have all their secret cankers and draw
backs. The pride of the noble-the lux
ury of the opulent-even the dignity ant
worship of the crown-all have a sOme
thing 10 render them, if il were known
!, less enviable than they appear. We
never, for our part, enter upon any gilt
!, tering aud magnificent scene, or hear O
, any person who is reputed TO be singular
t ly prosperous or happy, but we immedi
f ately think of The probability which ex
/ lists that our own humble home and con
/ dition, disposed as we sometimes may b
= 10 rcpine about them, compose lust al
: much of what is to be desired by Il ration
Y al man as the other. Even in those grea
capitals, where aifluence and luxury ar,
so wonderfully concentrated, and all tn
4 higher orders appear SO singularly wei
lodged and fed, and attended TO, we can
not help looking 10 the other side, an
imagining Tor every one his own parlicu
lar misery. The houses appear like pa
aces, but the idlest spectator may be as
sured oft, as one Of the incontrovertibl
. DEGREES of Providence, that there is
skeleton in eUerU one of them.