The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-06-27
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY JUNE IT, 1850

| was dying to make jellies and cakes. Gertrude,
though she hates everything Of the kind, indulges
me in everything; so dear Gertrude came over
here with me, to keep me in countenancen
The evening passed in gay conversation. Ger
trude and Zoe had million Of questions to ask,
and million of items Of neighborhood news to
relate Nevertheless, as the ladies were some
what fatigued, they retired early. Then Gene
raj Stuart-G ordon and Louis sent for the mail.
bag, which was emptied on the table between
them. There were number Of business letters
of various dates within the week past, but these
were soon thrust aside, when one, directed in the
hand of Mrs. Armstrong to Louis Stuart-Gor-
don, and bearing a black seal, caught their eyes
Louis seized and tore this letter open with trem-
bling h@s1, & ~,,~~ :s-e-, etra ARMSTRONG, and
read as follows:
RICHMOND September IS, IS
Mr.. LOUIS S1UART-GoRDoN: IL becomes my
painful duty to break the long silence maintained
heretofore between us, by announcing 10 you the
demise of your infant daughter, Margaret, who
died of scarlet fever after an illness Of six days
and upon the 18th instant.
presume any offers Of coincidence on my part
would be work Of supererogation. You will
not probably be inconsolable for the loss Of a
child, after whose welfare you have never once
inquired
Stusrt-G Gordon Indignantly. "Why, was ever such
a consummate piece ofhypocrisy as that1 when she
knows she has received letters monthly, weekly,
sometimes daily, from you But see! she is
cautious not to commit herself Go on, Louis"
Louis passed his hand once twice over his brow,
and resumed the perusal of the letter.
The last tie that binds you to my unhappy
child is thus cut in twain You can now have no
excuse for retaining claim upon the hand Of one
whose peace depends upon your freeing her. You
surely cannot value the possession Of one whom
you have never written To-
"She actually wishes to make us believe that
she has received none of ear iettersW again In
z syr.5s.-ss shs General .aRc-9s@r Iopis"
Louis finished the letter, the remainder being q
consummate piece Of eloquence, by which, with
out descending from her pride, she artfully ap-
pealed, now TO his disinterested love, now 10 his
cbivalric devotion, and all to one end-what she
called the emancipation Of her heart-broken
child.
/" Now, them what do you intend to do, Louis ~
any daughter is gomez Louis buried hi:
face in his hands for a few moments, and then
rising. said" Yes, will write to this poor sor
rowing young motherl will write to her, and
ascertain if | can by any means promote hei
happinessp-and, excusing himself, he retired
to his own apartment, where he spent the nigh
in writing long, passionate, and eloquent letter
to his wife, expressing his earnest sympathy, hi
deep affection, his infinite patience, his willing
ness still to wait, and hope for their future re
union-his resolution to renounce that hope. |
her peace Of mind demanded the sacrifice. III
closed by beseeching her to reflect deliberately
prayerfully, before she decided This letter wa
mailed the next morning.
The news Of the death of the little girl was an
nounced the next morning after breakfast
threw gloom over the heretofore merry fami
party. Britannia clasped her own child wit
tremulous affection close to her bosom, rs sh
wept in pity of Louise. Susan Somerville wishe
to return home, but General Stuart Gordon woul
upon no account hear Of it, 9You must not leav
Louis now my dear young lady You alone, Q
all the world, understand and know how to con
sole Louis He loves you as bis twin sister d
not leave him just uow!n he said, "and you shall
neper leave him if | can prevent it,n he resolved
Mics Somerville was thus constrained to remain
Zoe also remained to make up the mourning; bu
Gertrude, who had mortal repugnanos to grav'
faces and bombasin dresses, fed from spo
where she felt unhappy, without being able t
alleviate the unhappiness Of others
Leuis had sosrcsfy expectAd an eBsx or to b
letter for a week or two. He was surprised b
receive reply by return mail. 1t was from Mrs
Armstrong stating that she wrote at the reqnes
of her daughter, who was too i'll to write herself
The letter assured Mr. rt-Gordon that tn.
happiness, nay, the very life Of Louise, depended
upon her deliverance from her matrimonial ties
A single line at the bottom of the letter was In
the hand of Louise, though the letters were nearly
illegible, looking as though they were written
with tremulous hand. This was the line;
ayes, Louis, my happiness, my repose, depend:
upon your complying with the request contained
in this letter LOUISE STUART-GoRDosn
ut is DONE" exclaimed Louis, growing deadly
pale.
The Legislature met In December. Among the
first petitions presented was that Of Louis Stuart
Gordon His case was 30 well known--had ex-
cited so much general sympathy, that the divorce
that had been Indignantly refused to the petition
of Louise, was at once granted to the application
of Louis The bill passed without dissenting
voice.
IL was Christmas at the Isle Of Rays, and sll
the neighborhood was assembled there to spend
the holydays. II was the day after Christmas
at night, that large party were gathered to-
gether in the drawing-room, when Mr.. Turner
the solicitor of Lonis, was announced Louis i'm
medistely retired with him to the library, where
the solicitor laid before him copy Of the act dis
solving his marriage. Prepared as he had bean
for this--the announcement the printed bill
before hm-li the sight Of the tabled Gorgon,
seemed turning him TO stone. He gazed, without
reading for the letters swan before him AL
had seemed unreal till now. He had seemed TO
have lived in dream till now Now the terrible,
the strange reality that Louise his beloved wife
Louise, his own from infancy up, still loving,
was nothing to him - swan in upon his brain
With force Of conviction that again overpowered
his delicate organization, and, with heart.burst-
ing groan, Louis fell forward upon his face.
long and severe spell of illness followed the events
OF this evening. Miss Somerville remained and
nursed him. She alone, of all the family, posses
sed the power of soothing him. Even in his Wild
est delirium, his frenzy was best controlled by
the gentle voice and soft hand Of Susan. lie
could not bear to miss that gentle sedative tone
and touch He would lie for hours quiet, With
the hand Of Susan on his brow but IL she left
him for an hour, to take needful rest or food
Louis would, with the thoughtlessness or sel6sh-
ness Of Illness grow restive and fret himself into
a fever.
In truth, the gentle and considerable Louis Stu
art Gordon WAS thoughtlessly cruel but to one
being on earth-to the one who loved him most
ss.oasly, purely, aud disintsrestsdly, Of all the
world. How many spoiled chiidgsa; old gssd
young. resemble Louis in that particular With
every effort Miss Somerville would make TO re-
turn TO the Crags, Louis would suffer relapse
Poor Susan! She was not his happiness - only
his comforter; not his bealth--only his nurse
not his pleasure--only the anodyne Of his pain
Yet not now, as formerly, did the life she gave
Louis depart from her own soul Susan was calm,
strong, and mistress Of herself now Her love
was now 30 high and pure that she could have
resigned him without pang To any other more
beloved woman
fro BIZ CONTINUED
WHALR-SHooTISo.- Captain Robert Brown, OF
the ship North Star Of New London, Is about
sailing on a whaling voyage and intends to use
his whaling guns In the business. Harpoons,
with lines attached, are fired from these guns,
and, 20 far as they have been tested, they have
proved entirely successful In voyage Of the
ship Electra, Captain Brown took eleven right
whales, nine of which were taken with the guns
In taking polar whales, the guns were not re-