New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-05-18

90, as past pleasant meadow : Z
Through the valley of the ehafow .gs Nsa
Take her softly holy apge Ne
Past the ranks Of God s evaIi1eE
Past the saints and martyrs holy
To the Earthborn. meek and lowlv.
We would have ourprecious blosstm
Softly laid In Jesus bosom (Sartain's Mag.
TALE OF uRCUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE
FROM tie pfarn Of a Lam gIsrk.
Drysdae both nvaded masters of the Royal Navy cast
anchor for the remainder Of their lives at about twelve
miles distance from Exeter the London ron Brad
shaw named his domicile old fashioned struggling
building. Rodney Place. In honor OF the Admiral ii
whose great victory he had fought Drysdales smaller
and snugger dwelling, about half mile away from Rod
uey Place. called Poplar Cottage and about mid
way between them stood the Hunter Innss roadside
public house, kept by one Thomas Byfnham. stont-
rubcund fgure-head considerably damaged ~ The
loss Of eye Of which, however, It is right to say the
extngushed light appeared to have been transferred il
undminhed intensity to its fiery piercing fellow The
retired Masters, who had long known each other were
intimate as brothers notwithstanding that Bradshaw was
much the richest Of the two having contryed pick up
considerable amount Of prize money. in addition to
rather large sum inherited from his father Neither did
the difference of circumstances oppose in Bradshaw
opinion the slightest obstacle to the union Of his niece and
heiress, Rachel Ehord with Edward Drysdaie his fellow
Veterans only surviving osprng The precedent con
nent rank in the Royal Navy. and with this view mid
shpnans warrant obtained in 99 for the young man
then in his eighteenth year, and he dispatched tose
The naval profession proved to be- tunatey one
for which Edward Drysdale altogether untitled by
temperament aud bent of mind, and sad consequences
followed. He bad been ut sea about eighteen months
when reached England of desperate but success
full cutting out affair by the bouts Of the frgate to which
he belonged His ne was not mentioned in the official
report--but that coula hardly have been hoped for
neither it in tn. list of killed and wounded A map
Of the coast whore the fight took place procured the
and they still nulgng in those pleasures of the i'm
aginatnn in the parlor of the Hunters Inn when the
landlord entered with Plymouth paper his hand upon
paragraph in which his single orb Of vision gared
with fiery Indignation 1t was extract from letter
written BY Of the rgates officers plainly intmating
that mdshipman Drysdaie had shown the white feather
in the late brush with the enemy and would be sent
home by the first opportunity The stroke Of dagger
could have been nothing compared with the sharp agony
which such an announcement inflicted the young
mans father. and Bradshaw was for o few moments
equally thunder But he quickly rallied VII
out Of nature-impossble; and very hearty were hi.
maledictions savagely echoed by Burnham with whom
young Dysdale was great favorte of the lying lubb
that wrote the letter and the newspaper rascas that
printed it.. 9tig-i5 r. ~ ,ts L.
Alas. it but true On the third evening after
the appearance Of the alarming paragraph the mari
sitting in the porch Of Poplar Cottage separated
only by flower garden from the main road conversng
upon the sad and constantly recurring topic, when the
coach from London came in sight youthful figure in
naval uniform the box-seat instantly rivetad their
tention did that of Rachel Eford who was standing
by the shrubs and flowers The coach rapidly drew near
stopped, and Edward Drysdae aghted fromit The two
seamn instead of waiting for his approach hastily
from their seats and went into the cottage much
haps to avoid the humliating though compassionate
gances of the outside passengers from any other
tive. The young man was deadly pale, and seemed to
have hardly sufficient strength to move back the light
wicketgate which admitted him to the garden. He held
by it till the coach had passed and then turned with
besecching half reproaching look towards Rachel She
poor grill much agitated himself and appeared
to be eagerly scanning his countenance if hopeful o
reading there contradiction Of the dshonoring rumcr
that had got abroad In answer to his mute appeal she
stepped quickly towards him. claspe his profered hand
in both hers and with faint and trembling voice, ejac
lated" Dear. dear Edward 1t is not true-Iam 1t
is not that you-that YOU
"That I, Rachel, have been dismissed the naval SER
vice unfit to serve his majesty is quite trne rjoined
Edward Drysdale slowly, and with partially recovered
calm--,'quite true. p
The young woman shrank Indignantly from him--fre
glanced in her suused eyes, and her light elegant figure
appeared to grow and date with inexpressble
this ayowal fell upon her ear.
"A coward' she vehemently exclaimed; you thatbut
she he ne of hsr
lover. " 1t cannot be there must be some errorsome
mistake. 1t is impossible"
There is and mistake, Rachel but the world will
never fear. admit SO much But come let US in you
will 60 with me? ?n
We will not follow them till the first outburst of angry
excitement is past till the fathers passionate
ken reproaches have subsidized to patient subdued
family hopeful sorrow and Raches wavering faith In the
manhood Of her betrothed has regained something of Its
old frmness Entering then shall find TINT only Mr.
Bradshaw has remained obstinately and contemptuousy
deaf to what the young has faterngy urged in vim
dcaon of his behavior in the unhappy affair t.
his dismissal from the service He had 1t appeared sud
denly tainted at the sight the hdeous carnage in which
for the first time in his e he found himself involved
You have letter, you say from Captain Otway' sait
Mr. Drysdae partially raising his head from his hands
which it had been buried whilst his was speaking
6 Where is it? Give it to Rachel--I cannot tn
words.' NJ
The note was directed to MIR. Drysdale whom Captain
0tway personally knew and was doubt kindly intende
soften the blow the return Of his under such cr
cumstances must nfict Although deciding that Edwar
Drysdae was unfit for the naval profession he did no
think that the failure of the young mans physical nerys
in of the most murderous encounters that had oc
Cured during the war, attributable to deficiency
true courage and proof that it was not Captain os
way mentioned that the young man had jumped over
board during half gale Of wind, and when night wa
falling and saved, at much peril to himself seaman
life This was the substance of the note. As soon q
Rachel ceased reading Mr. Drysdae looked deprecating
in his friends face, and murmnred You hear!
.Yes, William Drysdale do. never doubted tina
your son was a good swimmer, no more than do tina
coward coward and that all the letters in the al
phabet cannot spell it to mean anything else Come
rachel added the GRIM nnreasonng y F. So oe
sibe, comfort you old friend Good bye No. thankyt
young sir y, he continued with renewed ferceness
Edward Drysdale snatched at his hand That hand wa
once erasps, by Rodney in some such another husnes
as the letter speaks of when its owner did not faint
| must not be touched by youH -
He had been ailipg for time but no question ina
modification his sons failure in the to wnic
he had with much pride devoted Linn helped TO weake
the springs Of life and accelerate his end which too
place about six months after Edwards return hofn'
The father and had become entirely reeoneied Wit
each othcr and almost the last accents which fateye
from the lips Of the dying sesna were prayer to rs'
shaw TO forget aud forgive what had past and renew
sanction to the marriage Of Edward and his niece II
stern man was nexorabe and his ptiess reply was th
he would thousand times rather follow Rachel to H.
grave. ~
The constancy of the young people was. not howeye
to be subdued and something than year after
Drysdales death. they married their present resource
the reutsabout hundred and twenty pounds per a
num--of a number of small tenements at Exeter. Th'
removed to within three mils Of that city, and dive
there in suiceney and peace for about FIVE years. WHIT
the exigences uf fast-increasing family induced them
dispose, not very adyautsgeousy Of their cottage pr
p.rty and embark tho proceeds in showy specuiato
promising of course immense results and really endn
in the brief space Of six months in their utter ruin
ward Drysde found himself in lieu Of hisgolden mop,
worth about two hundred pounds less than nothing n
usual equences followed An undefendsd suit e ia
speedily reached the stage at which execution might
4 issusd and unless considerable sum OF money coud
Instantly raised his furniture would be seized under
ia. and sacrificed to no purpose.
I One only possible expedient remained-that Of on
more eadsasorng to soften the abauracy Of Mr. Bra
shaw This II was finally determined TO attempt aud
and Mrs. prysdAls Mt o1 BY Aonuon mosn'ns oos'