The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-08-03
From the Baltimore Sur, July 25


Some four weeks ago there arrived at this
city, and engaged apartments at Barnum's
Hotel, young and unprotected female, who
called herself Elizabeth Bushnell, arrayed
in the peculiar costume Of the Shaker com.
munity ut New Lebanon, N. Y. Whatever
her personal attractions may have been we
must leave to conjecture; if she was not
'"passing iair," she was believed to be SO,
though, of course, the most exquisite person.
al charms are somewhat marred ty the &C..
centricities Of Shaker "habits" of whatever
sort. 1t was enough, however, to engage the
sympathy of the excellent host, Dir. Nc.
Loughfn, that an unprotected female was in
his house, and appealing to him for direction
in trying emergency.
She had recently escaped from the commu-
nifty above named; had evadeJ designs upon
large property TO which in short time,
at her ma]ority, she was to come in posses
sion. She had an uncle in the community,
who would spare no eff rts 10 discove r her
whereabouts; but she had also lover in
Shakerdom, who would himself, in a short
time. elude the vigilance of his brother cell.
bates, escape the bondage OF his tribe, and
HE upon the wings of love to her and ma
atrimonial delights. Till then the hopeful
4
and il is quite probable that our cit zens may
have seen the quick footed Elizabeth upon
our streets, or in one Of McClintock & Es.
toms very best coaches, paying her visits
upon the little preliminary business anticipa-
tive of the nuptiaI hour. Upon her arrival,
she confided to the host a package Of money,
which she desired to be safely kept until her
departure. In the mea ntme, she has pro-
ii .,,h ha- r. a
the choicest material and style; she has been
quite favorte with the ladies of the house,
and in the enjoyment of their confidence,
freely given To one so peculiarly situated,
has had familiar access 10 their apartme nts.
In the name Of one lady she purchased a
gold chain, and presented it to the house
keeper un appendage to a gold watch
which The housekeeper already possessed
As an aid TO the management Of her affairs
legal advice was called in, and Mr.. ). Tag
CERT had the honor Of waiting upon the lady
as her solicitor, her choice no doubt being
partially Influenced in this case by her good
taste. Suffice it, that for four weeks the
Shaker lady has been the most interesting
feature at Barnum's; has distributed her ia.
vors quite freely in the community; has pat.
ronized the best establishments, aud OF
course indicated her gentility by invariably
taking the air in McClintock g. Eaton's
handsomest coaches.
The most interesting feature Of the whole
affair, however, as reserved for last Satur.
day, on which day the fugitive swain from
New Lebanon was TO arrive, the queer tog.
gerry of Shakerdom was to be put off forev.
er, the bridal robes were to be put on, ant
the happy pair, the noptial benediction said
were to bel inaugurated into the fullness o
those Joys so cruelty interdicted by the an
choretical society from which they had es
capped.
The eve Of the important day had come
the weather was intensely hot. and the lad!
quietly lett the house for stroll. She nev
er came back. The denouement is with TIT
reader. Perhaps it may aid conjecture t
say, that the Shaker swain has not arrived
and the bridal feast to which all the guest
OF the house were invited. has proved tn
vanity OF all sublunary hopes. The packag
OF money securely deposited in the priva.
safe, has been opened, and that also has sc
riously impaired the faith OF the excellen
host in external evidences ofthings not seen
Sundry garments, after the fashion OF thi
world, have come to the house since the de
departure of Elizabeth, but they have bee
returned to the hands OF those who sha ne
them "to order" One of the unkindest cut
consists in the fact that before she left sh
borrowe ed the housekeeper watch, and this
gold chain she had presented to her, in III
name and at the expense Of lady in tn
house, and forgot to return either the waite
or the chain ia the preciPitancy of her re
treat. 1t is hardly necessary to say that III
police in various quarters are put on the q,
rire respecting the lady's whereabouts; an
it is to be hoped, for the relief Of that gene
al sympathy with so adroit an adventure
that success may attend their efforts.