Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1853-09-15

| of his mother, had induced his father,
| who doated Oh him with love almost
approa ching 20 idoIatry, to send him TO
London, in the hope that change of scene,
and the bracing air Of northern climate
might restore him. This was all we
knew OF him. and as he brought letters
from a well known mercantile house in
Jamaica. and appeared to have almost un-
! limited command of money. we had no
reason TO doubt the truth Of the statement.
Ernest Leclerc was not more than TWEEN
ty years of age; small, slender, AID pale
with nothing 10 attract attention in his
personal appearance except pair of DARK
luminous eyes, which seemed TO gleam
with almost sup-.r aturdl brightness from
beneath his over hanging brows. His
character seemed as feeble as his physical
nature. Possessed OF u highly poetical
tempera and a morbid sensibility,
which le,. him to pour forth his exagerd
ted feelings in verse, he WIS yet utterly
deficient in the higher attributes of gem
ius which alone could give him rank "a
mong the gifted sons of song. But bred
up in strict retirement beneath the eve
of fond mother. his lilies directed by
one of the most unworlily scholars that
ever wore priests scowl. aud his self
esteem exaggerated by the love Of his faith
er, he had learned to consider himself a
poet of no mean order. His sensibitity
to his own personal defects. and his be-
lief in his own unappreciateds superiority.
gave degree Of awkwardness TO his de
meanor whi often exposed him to the
ridicuIe of his associates.
But nprepos-essing as were his man
Eers and appearance, he was not too in
significau; for Isabels rapacious desire of
conquest. Her superior knowledge of
The world gave her decided advantage
over the unprdcsiced boy, and she did
fail TO avail herself Of it. We were in
the ha bit, at that time, OF passing a part
of every summer at Brighton; and when
We left, Ernest Lscterc was so far infdtu-
ated with his beautiful mistress as to
follow Us and take lodgings In our imme-
diste neighborhood. H-re Isabel had
full leisure to r!vet her chains upon her
romantic admirer. His guilelessness of
character rendered her task an easy one,
and shA found but little difficulty in adap-
ting herself to his tastes ani habits. She
became an earnest admlrer of poetry,
passionate lover of pursuits. cf literature.
lie plored her wasted time. and lamented
her want Of talent; and all this with an
inimitable grace which could not fail to
Cdptiyate the senses Of the say boy
Ernest soon Seca me the devoted slave OF
bel. and she spared no opportunity of
exacting this homage. She loved to ex-
press the most outrc ami extravagant de-
sires only that she might observe the
readiness with which his wealth was
squandered at her slightest wish. Isabel
used moreove. to take his deiicately writ
ten verses with extreme graciousness
read them with apparent feeling and
place them in her bosom until the de-
lighted boy had departed. when she would
withdraw them from their concealment.
and make the m the subject Of many mer-
ry Jest. as she threw the paper into her
kens and letters.
When Isabel returned to the city she
carried Ernest as if chained 30 her char
lot wheels; and it seemed to afford her
infinite qualification TO expose him TO
the railery of her less sensitive lovers
But Ernest had wooed her in the language
of song. and he now demanded in PLAN
prose an answer to his suit-scarcely
doubling that it would insure his future
happiness. What was his surprise. there
fore. when he met with prompt and de-
cided refusal. Half maddened by such
an unex pected downfall of his hopes. the
passionate boy poured forth the most
earnest entreaties which were cold!y aud
almost insultingly checked. A torrent
of re proaches. such as could only issue
from a bitterly outraged heart. now burst
from his lips, aud the response series
Of those keen and cutting sarcasms which
sometimes have the power TO sever the
very heart strings. He went out from
her presence in a state of mind almos.
approaching insan:.;;:y. Too weak mind
ed to struggle manfully against the
pangs which assailed him, unsup ported
by that moral courage which can teach
brave man to endure life even in the
midst of Notwithstanding the ridcule
and modification to which sh had threat
ened to expose him by means of his pas
sionate verses. and conscious how entire
ly he had put it in her power to make
him mark for the fnger of scorn among
the volatile fopling of the day, he madly
threw away his life. The morning after
he parted with Isabel Athelstan. he was
found dead in his room. An empty vial
on his table. and the sicklv odor i,npart-
ed by the deadly drug. alone told the
manner of his death Nothing was found
which could give clue to the cause of
this rash act. 1t was proved on the in
quest. that late in the evening he had
called up a servant. and given him let
ter 10 take to the post Office. The let.
ter was for his "a ther and the servant