The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-18


Rouse TO some high and holy work Of life,
And Thou angels happiness shall know
Shalt bless the earth while ia the world above;
The work begun by thee, shall onward go
In many a branching stream and wider now.
Carlos Wiiooz.
week after this Mark Sutherland ence
more left home for a visit to Mississippi, on
business. He went to make final settlement
with Clement Sutherland The miserable old
man had fallen almost into a state of idiocy.
He rave up all the title deeds and various doc
uments relating to Rosalie's estate, but could
Give little or no information concerning them.
The plantatiou was sold under the mortgage,
and when all was done, and the final accounts
east up. Mark Sutherland found that of all his
wife's splendid fortune but paltry two thous-
and dollars was left With this, Mark Suth-
eraud prepared to leave the neighborhood of
Cashmere. But the day that he had fixed for
his departure was signalized by a catastrophe
that DELAYED his journey for weeks. 1t was
the dreadful death of St. Gerald Ashley, who
daring a fit of mania potu, threw himself
from a second story window, and, striking his
head upon the iron trellice below was instant
" killed India was distracted - Clement
Sutherland, helpless. And Mark remained at
Cashmere to take the direction of the funeral
Three days from the death, when all was
over, Mark Sutherland sought the presence of
the widow. He went to her with no tender
condolements, but with the words of bitter
truth and stern rebuke upon his lips. He found
her in her faded and dngy boudoir. She arose
at his entrance, and held out her hand to wei
come him, but before his own had touched it
she sank down in her chair, burst into tears
and covered her face with her hands He cool
ly took a seat and spoke
Eo m Ma ob1a xvsfb no
false words of sympathy, which would seem as
untrue to your sense as they would be upon my
lips | come merely to set before you the stern
realities of your position, and if possible, to
awaken you to its duties and responsibilities
He paused moment and she lifted up her
head and fearful face, saying:
Speak, Mark you will not find me haugh-
ty now!o
His lips curled, and then he compressed them
"Your husband is dead You know too well
whose fatal power brought down that high
proud nature to dishOnor and to death -
"Speak-ay speak-and spare not! de-
serve itl Most Of all, from you!" she exclaim-
ed in voice of anguish.
Gould believe, India, that one atom Of
tenderness, Of sensibility, of penitence, lived in
your boSou, should nos speak "a hdue spo
ken-as shall speak. But believe that sell
fish sorrow ID all you can feel When | re-
member St. Gerald Ashley, born to be an or
nament to his station and his country, and a
benetactor to his race, and know whose baleful
hand plucked him down from his pride of place
and hurled him to the dust, have No mercy
tor you, India AT your feet he laid the first
fresh, green laurels of his young renown; and
for the honor that he gave you--for, proud
woman, it was an honOr--you repaid him die
grace and death You accepted his hand in
marriage yet, for his esteem gave him scorn
for his admiration, disgust; for his love, loath-
ing; for his true and faithful heart you gave
him false and perjured one; and for the lus-
tire and dignity his name and talents reflected
upon you, you covered him with shame and
and ruin Oh! baleful woman, look what
your guilty heart has done!n
"four words are poignant! Oh they are
sharp and bitter! Yet speak speak, and
spare nOtl'
Yet India, for the kindred blood in our
mutual veins-for the regard once bore you
and the anxiety | still feel for you-l would
point out way of recovery
Tell me, Marx tell me! Oh! ! know that
u have been guilty but not wantonly guilty, as
you think God knoweth that | have not !!
One mad, inpatient act-one frantic act--lead
to all the rest-ruined all my life and his!D
ted by any but an intensely selfish nature, In
da | spoke not to indulge in pain reproach-
es, but to recall you to sense Of what you
have already caused others to suffer, and to
consciousness of what you owe to others You
cannot now recall the past, but you are very
young and the long future is all yours. Your
husband s dead, your father imbecile and
there Is no one to take the direction Of Affairs
cn Vhis plantation. You must rouse yourself
ron VAN regret and indolept self-indulgence.
aOu were not created to sit still and be waited
uPT1 iou must engage in the active duties
=, me iou must redeem the past by the fu-
'u'e; lou cannot now bring back St Gerald
hnsnley from his dishonored grave, and restore
r'h 10 ihe brilliant and distinguished position
nom which you drew him-but you can do
1mewhat to save his memory from reproach.
ne died heavily in debt. You have property
:" your own. This seat of Cashmere was re
cured to you ON your marriage, leaving your
,a'ner only life interest in it, ] do not there
iOfe mean his. But you have other property
your own right--devote it to the liquidation
Ashley's debts. And more when you drove
~. I'm from your bosom, be sought sympathy and
ssu'clon from poor girl who lives in the pine
" ,~eIt ! need not tell you the story; doubtless,
ou Know it. If you do not, the theme is, un.
;.nPpiiy SO common that you can easily imagine
sn what ! mean to say is this: this poor
aisn girl guilty as she is, is scarcely more so
SIC cue sight OF Heaven, in my sight, than your
Al me hrst originating cause Of her fall
nv wnat have to tell you IL his--tbat that
M gu Is unprovided for, desolate, and heart
il tba, and what | have to epjon upon you
oxn ~ Vu seek out that poor victim Of your
Tcb Asnness and ST. Gcrsld's sin, and make
save h. ProtSon for herself and child as will
az rom despair and deeper vicep
have au l DO ali this--if spend all that !
dr. 10 clearing ST. Gersld's memory from
10 ~ ana u take this poor girl and her child
NY nome ana hearth--will you think of me
m mo'e en'ently than you doi viii YOU restore
NC Your esteemlD
90 not know. My thoughts, NV erteem
uOud be no motive with you. never ssk ed
w 70 DO this for my sake! / would not al
~ 70 DO 1t for Heavens sake but simply en-.
s o." you to do it because it is right, whether I
olenember your existence again or not -
ls,,on Marx, | will do it, But you have not
sIo Oh Him, that Divine compassionate One
oasn would not break tho bruised reed or
'D SuC the smoking fiax!n
biz isea raised her eyes tearfally doubtingly, to
mere anything else MarkiD she asked
aOns Of =. Ia Yourself Of all ill-gotten posses
W. ~ All unjust gainso
whs, 1Ss 20 you means have nothing but
an.n you have inherited i'll gotten wealth
fs not to you by whom 6rsk iil-gotteu.
bu 10" yours; Tut you have no more risbt
byOo!0 's" VINO" !" descend.