Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1850-01-03
MISCELLANY.
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FTom t4c P.iiiadeipiia Eagnirer. III
THE BETRAYED: /
OF, THE PERILs OF WEALTH. l
'LoYe'slight like a meteor la faded
The hope aud The dream III Nv vontt
Are lustin he gn;it of-ano,ber

N me hope and the dream iii nv youth !.
/ Are iostin NE gliit OF another.
| lhe gaii thai trusted for truth p-AsoS.
One pf the great desires Of the human
family, Or Az least !. large portion III man
KIND IN ciyilized life, is to become indepen-
gent, aftiuent-to attain a position beyond
the reach of peculiarly want. If We look
through society, this object win be found
leading enewithlthe multitude. Riches arc
coveted by all Or nearly an; and nlmesteye.
ry sacrifice is made with the obiectof n.
tanning 4 condition of world!v indepenaence
And yet it il conceded that wealth III nd
means brings happiness; that in many cases
It induces habits of incidence. throws omen
new avenues of temptation and thus impairs
health'and shortens life Nevertheless there
are hundreds and thousands, Who, alreadv
richs and whose span of existence. is rapidly
drawing to close, who, notwithstanding
toll on as steadily as ever. ANXIOUS 81 w6nd
see, to Accumulate still more for their eliI.
dren, and thus willing to subject tbose chil.
dren to new temptations WE NAV men,;on
a case inlpoint A few wears since Il mer.
chant Of this city died suddenlv and III
fortune Of Sl5o1Oo0, which was Divided III.
tween bis widow, son and3a danoIts. II
| ~
ness, had become interested in commercial
pursuits, and thus continued on in the good
old track He is, perhaps, worth somewhat
more at the present day than at the decease
Of has patent. But he is living generously
and happily, he attends his counting room
daily, overlooks his clerks, and thus usefuIIy
employs large portion of his time But
the widow and daughter Both were repu.
ted worth far more than they really we're.
and they immediately became objects of
temptation to mercenary adventures The
former disgraeed herself bymarryinra. man
much her Junior. who has already centriyed
to make way with large portion Of Her for
tune. is BY no means contented. for
nov that the deception practised upon her
has become ylslble-now that she sees that
her money was the object, she indeed feels
disappontef and wretched The few charms
she possessed in earlier lifeare gone, and
she observes with IA shudder, that her Young
husband regards her in any but an affection
ate spirit, and that even bis acts Of courtesy
ana attention are forced and constrained
She was Iforewarned of all this. and those
who loved and respected her most interce-
ded for hours before she took the fatal step
ButIthe arts OF plausible and captivating
man were Irresistible with aBweas and s,s.
ceptible woman, and the result is as We have
stated. 1#+I
The daughter, too--alas! her case i still
worse She, was one of the loYelest Of her
sex, amlable, generous and cpnfding. She
could not believe in the possibility ofI-a
mefcehary marriage She regarded with
horror the idea of deliberate scheme Of de-
ception, She was gentle, susceptible and
afectionates and would have cheerfullk made
any sacrifice for the object Of her choice! ~
To her, reciprocity Of feeling, mutual regard
were dearer, sweeter than life Money
weighed al nothing in the scale with afIec-
ton, Under such circumstances. she Was
singled out with deliberate meditation byI
heaftless fortune hunter was Won and cheer.
fully con64ed her happiness and her proper
ty to his keeping. Before the MARRIAGE
some other friends yentured to speak Of /
distinct prpTision for herself, of the settle
ment OF . portion df her fortune in suchga
way as to place it beyond the reach Of tie
ylcissitudes OF trade and speculation. But
she heard tllc suggestion with indignation.
Sne had uIibounded confidence in her intend
ed husband, and would do nothing calcSi.
lated in the slightest degree ID imply doubt
Alas the fatal error They were married
They lived IA apparent peace together for a
short time But twelve munths had not
elapsed, before the scale Of delution fell from
her eyes. She saw, and womans quickness
in such matters is wonderful, that size was
not, and meyer had been sincerely loved
Death would have been preferable to such
aeonvlctieps and fora long time she strove
- shut it cut from her mind ana heart =
But each week and month served but to
render itstronger and more CALLING: Her
fortune, tob,was rapidly wasting away. Her
husband bad become. proaigate in more
senses than one He could not bear pros.
perity, Hehad been poer until his mar
riAge, and thus bis tastes, sppetites and pro
pensities, had been kept ID cheek BIZ the
fdrce Of necessity
Bat now, with ample means al his com
nisnds and conscious Of having played base
part towards hisNife, be gradually became
more neglected., more reckless. more vicious
The sensitive nature Of the heircss shfunk.
and she was appaIled At tie prospect before
ard around her She saw that her life VAS
,to b one Of misery, and broken ID spirit and
ln pride, shescareely struggled against her
fate Years rn1Ied On ard a~ rs. .I.rf.