The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-09

Il
,oiled 10 loathing from us. The Episcopal min
ster who united us was ungowned and degraded
from his pulpit. Our marriage was subsequently
declared illegal, and my mother to oblige me to
break what she called the connection made
will Just before her death, by which che left me
Constance and her children-(n'y children)-upon
condition only of my never freeing them. Upon
my attempting to break this condition, they were
TO become the property Of a distant relative. My
Constance brought me three children-WOlf-
gang, my eldest, unhappy boy, and then my
twins, Constant and Constantia. But they were
my slaves, nor could possibly free them. They
could not be my heirs, because a slave cannot
legally hold property. AT my death they them
selves would inevitably become the property of
others And the more legal light brought to bear
upon my mothers will, the more decided was this
fact. My other property-the land negroes,
bank stock, hall, and Mills inherited from my
father, without restriction. | was unutterably
wretched My poor Constance, seeing the misery
Of which she had been the innocent cause, fell
into deep melancholy, from which neither the
affection of her children nor my own love and
unremitting endeavors could rouse her. Her
health failed, and she died when Constant and
Constantia were but twelve months old Again
consulted the ablest lawyers in the State, only
to be more than ever convinced that there was
no possibility of setting aside my mothers will.
There was not in all Virginia father so unhap-
py as myself A thousand times prayed for the
death of my children. IL one of them fell i'll,
watched the progress of his or her illness with
extreme anxiety, not fearing they might die, but
fearing they might live. Conscience, and not
wish that they should survive, induced me to
provide necessary nursing and medical attend
snce at such times. AT last it suddenly oc-
CURED 70 me tnstS m,gnl Easily r5uss spc viii.
II was strange that this expedent never struck
me until fifteen years Of misery had passed but
80 it was in my case, and so | have often seen ii
in the cases of others. The remedies for what
we conceive to be incurable ills often lie very
near us, unseen or neglected II all of sudden
struck me that nothing hindered my sending my
children, while they mere mine, to foreign coun-
try, and transferring my whole property thither.
| resolved to do so. My sons were then at COL
lege, and my daughter at boarding-school in the
North. | was in robust health and of q race
fore felt that there was no occasion for hurry,
and was not in haste TO sell, and leave forever
my native SOIL while my children were receiving
their education. determined however, TO do so
upon the very first indication of declining health.
Well, month slipped after month, and grew into
years. Constant returned from Princeton, where
he was educated, and commenced the study of
divinity as private pupil of Mr. Davenport He
formed an unhappy attachment, but Constant
possessed a strong mind and righteous heart
He struggled with and conquered his passion,
coming out as pure gold from the furnace Of his
trial Constant is a great soul, and will be found
So After this experience determined to guard
my unhappy children from forming indiscreet at
tachments When Wolfgang returned from
Harvard, accompanied by yourself saw your
sudden admiration of my daughter withdrew
her from your presence. | warned wolfgang
against the society Of young ladies. ! knew
nothing of your sister, or ! never should have
consented to his visiting you at your own home.
The first knowledge had of Miss Fairfield was
from the letter of Wofgang, that announced his
engagement Without literally telling me so, it
was couched in such terms as, with other circum-
stances, to misead me into the belief that she
kaep ALL This was not unnatural knew that
to some his infnitesimal proportion Of African
blood could be no objectionable his many dis
tinguished pardon me 1t was, perhaps, a
fathers dotage. Wolfgang told me in his letter
that his bride had consented to depart with him
to France Immediately after the marriage cere-
mony. This afforded me the opportunity j
wanted to secure fortune to my son, by settling
il upon Miss Fairfeld-to which there could be
no legal obstruction A few weeks before the
marriage, received long letter from Wofgang,
telling me that his Regina, wilful as charming,
insisted on coming to Hickory Hall, and being
introduced TO her fatber-in law before her depar-
ture for France. In this turn Of affairs, he re-
ouesed me to send Constant and Constanta TO
him, and, above all things, to drive away, i'm
prison, or strangle old Nell, whose very sight
would appal his delicate Regina, as well as fill
her with an incurable loathing that might be re-
fiected upon himself, and whose extreme boldness
and malgni,y would assuredly i0stgate her to
present her disgusting self before the bride"
"But what, then, is the ground of such ma
Lightly, and how could one 10 degraded below
the very claim to be classed as human, be in any
manner related to one 30 pure and beautiful, 80
angelic, as was Constance, judging by your de-
scrption of her, as well as by portrait saw
and missed the same night from the walls of my
and which now suspect to have been
hersp
aYes-it was hers-old Nell stole 1t that night
She had long wanted the small personal effects Of
Constance, and had watched her opportunity OF
getting into the closed chamber. You left your
door unlocked, and she entered the room rifled
the bureau, and carried off the portrait that sat
upon it, instead ora glass, and had returned, it is
likely, to rob you, when slight sound Of her
steps attracted the attention Of Wolfgsng, who
happened not TO have retired, but was in the next
room lie followed her into your chamber the
last time, and arrested her at your bedside You
asked me the cause Of Nelps malignity, and eI-
pressed establishment at the idea Of her relation
ship to Constance She is, really, no blood-rela-
ton to Constance or my children. She was the
step daughter of Constance's father, and hence
the claim to relationship, hence her presumption
to a high degree Of notice and favor, even while
her extreme defornity and ignorance, her dig
gushing habits and losthsome vices made her very
presence In the meanest capacity insufierable and
hence her envy, hatred, and demoniac malignify.
She openly said and swore among her fellows that
she would "kiss her pretty niece" Upon the
night. therefore, that the bridal party was c1-
pected, we locked her up in her remote cabin,
charging old John with her custody. She es-
capped and concealed herself, evidently with the
object Of seeking and insulting the bride. This
only gave me uneasiness for supposed Regina at
least knew our position; but it filled Wol'gsng
Tho k,,u and bis brother and sister, who had
lately diseoueyed the illusion under which your
unhappy sister had given her hand In marriage,
with CONSERVATION. While we were seeking the
hag elsewhere, she had effected her entrance TO
the house, and found her way to Mrs. Wallrsven's
presence You we're there! You know better
than myself what followed. IL is necessary 10 re-
peat however, that there, for the first time, DIS
covered the concealment that had been USED To-
wavds the ll-fated Indy ! have nothing more 10