Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-08-10

corning all that related to the birth of her
supposed child became a subject of ridicule
with the female members of the family
Sooner or later betrayal seemed inevitable.
Nor was this all : the worst was to come.
No sooner had the imposture been carried
out successfully than the young wife found
herself about to become mother. Here
was new involvement. She had, then,
given up the birthnght of her own child in
favor of stranger 1t was true that the
fact of the imposition of the adopted child
could be proved, but what humiliation must
accompany such confesson-what q
heartwearing tissue of law-proceedings
might not be entailed by the admission !
To the married pair years of torturing anX.
iety and strange discord followed. Heart,
burnings of many kinds unavoidably arose
out of state of things so unnatural. The
real son became secondary consideration
IN the household, the very servants seeking
favour with the presumed heir, and looking
down on the "younger brother"
All this time the mystery was still main
tanned. Whence the adopted had come, land
to whom he belonged of right, was through.
out kept guardian secret from the wife
her husbands solitary admission to her be.
ing to the effect, that the boys mother was
lady OF noble birth: of the father he ne.
yer spoke. Meanwhile, Mr.. A.
made frequent and sudden journeys from
home, no one knew whittier or for what
purpose, always returning as unexpected as
he had departed. After these absences he
was observed 10 be gloomy nay, almost
fierce in his temper, his irritation showing
itself especially towards the child of his a
doption, between whom and himself NOR.
tai antipathy appeared to exist, and to in.
crease with the boys years. What might
have been the issue in after-years it is
needless to surmise. The Gordian-knot OIL
all this evil was suddenly and unaccounta.
bly, cut by that unseen Hand, which has
undone many another coil of mischief in
the world. One day the adopted child was
found drowned in the Tyne, which rolled
its waters through Mr.. A-g's estate
There was hurried and unsatisfactory in
quest held on the body, and all was done
Through one breast-that of the wife,
secret shudder ran. A sickness as of death
fell upon the heart of her who alone knew
what hidden temptation might have lain in
wait like the weird sisters of Macbeth, urg.
ing on the man with whom her fate was
bound up to the commission of "a deed
without name" From that hour blight
fell over the fated house. The very rocks
$50 my informant told me) disappeared
from their customary haunts. Mysterious
sights and sounds visited at eyrie-hours the
old border mansion. Nay report even went
so far as TO say, that the phantom of 6
CHASTITY child rose up, from time to time
before the eyes of Mr.. A--N-g's descen
dants, as If the soul OF the departed refuset
to rest until the secret of its birth, or per.
haps of its death, was revealed. But to
this day all is enveloped in mystery. 1t i.
true that the bare fact of the imposition o.
such child in place of real heirin course
of time, and after the death of Mr.. A-g
got rumored abroad but the actual paren
tage of the ill .fated victim OF the imposture
remained, and will now doubtless forever
remain, among the catalogue Of those guard
ed secrets which the grave refuses to rem
der up.