New Orleans daily crescent., 1854-12-25
" miserable woman perhaps did not at that


prepare measures for an immediate separation.
Eyerard turned pale when heread this letter,
10 naughty and uncompromising in its tone--as
he thought, so unwifelike He had been all
that night preparing for huniliating confess
sion, but one which would have restored him
Martha's unbounded love and confidence. Now,
the demon pride stepped in and whispered g To
act thus, will not wound myown feelings to
save hers" He, therefore, returned an answer,
avowing it impossible to explainat present, the
matter involving another persoi's honor. He
also requested his wits to summsn her parents
and provide her own man of busiiess. Martha,
heart-stricken, and firmly convinced of his
guilt, did as he desired, and the result Of
these proceedings was, that sh. returned to
her own family in o state of health which
afforded the most serious groundsfor apprehen-
sions of the worst kind.
Thus did twelve months pass way, mourn
fully enough to Martha. Her arlearanoe was
SO altered that, save for elegance,f demeanor,
few would have recognized tie beautiful
Quakeress. Her own fortune hid been re-
turned, and all allowance for Everird declined
She never heard of him, for all communica-
tion between the families was interdicted
Quakers are silently vindictiye, md Friend
Clifton, loving their daughter fondy, resented
strongly her wrongs. One day she received
note written in small female hand requesting
Mrs. Wilson to visit q house n q street
named in the neighbohood of Bloomsbury where
there was 8 dying woman who had injured her
Such an invitation Martha would scarcely have
refused at any time, but perhaps foreboding
Of who this enemy might be induced her still
more urgently on this eceasionlt Ito 60. She de-
sired Christiana Marcourt to aMendher thither,
and Christiana, who possessed her confidence
and was respected by her, eonenting, they de-
parted together to the locality in the
note, and arrived at the door d mean looking
house. A woman servant usered them to
room on the frat floor; there stretched on
couch, arranged as bed, lay girl evidently in
the last stage of rapid decline The invalid
beckoned her visitors to take dlairs close to the
couch, for cough distressing wen to hear, in
terrupted the poor girl every minute. Martha,
who had recognized her opra rival, turned
pale, and the tears came into ler fine dark eyes;
she evidently anticipated sartrending CON
fession of wrongs and injuries done to herself
Judge then, how great was he surprise, when,
after paroxysm of coughing vas over, and the
sick girl able to speak, she addressed Mistress
Wilson, by saying, 81 sent d tell you--for /
eouM not die till had done s--that your hus-
band is innocent Of oil guilt q regards myself,
for I am-his sister,
An exclamation burst iron the lips of Mar
tina. She continued: Heas what I have to
say while breath is yet given ne. 1t was shame
first sealed Everards lips, aH pride seals them
now, and the fear that false same and wounded
pride together will seal then when am gone,
has induced me to send fo' you to-day" A
pause ensued the unhappy young creature
was breathless and nearly fanting; when lit
| tie recovered, she related sush circumstances as
shall narrate precisely as heard them
At sixteen years of age Edith Wilson, not
Withstanding the strictness her education and
tN4xv L Al.
sessed an incorrigible levitypf heart and mind
Gifted with great beauty. Rr gayety was not
the pardonable etfervescene of youth, but the
| frivolity and natural iciou1tendency of an idle
disposition Joined to string passions. She
1 formed, secretly, acquainances out of the
| society; and many q night when her parents
deemed her retired to rest, had she Quilted her
paternal roof, and been a partaker of all the
| secret, and not over reputaae diversions which,
even in the strict and Purihnical city Of Phil
adelphia, found votaries among the young and
yiciously- inclined. Some ndures are 60 warped,
/ so gnarled and knotted by ecret wee, that rot
| all the pious training in tle world could bend
| them straight.
| One bad female acquaintance, many vile
books, had SO perverted Edith Wilson, that at
sixteen she secretly LAUGHED at all moral or re-
l ligious notions. j do not fish, however, to di-
late on the errors ofthis guilty young creature
suffice it, that when she Ras by her parents
formally betrothed to kaid and somewhat
elderly merchant Of the Quaker persuasion, she
| eloped from her father'ss house, robbed his
bureau of q large sum ii money, and sailed
from New York undiscovered, though her dis
| tracted brother and fatheIilost no time in pur-
suit. She made her voyage alone and unpro-
tected. On arriving in hgland, though to
continue so formed no pat of her plan, gifted
with the rarest beauty AMI immense Vivaoity,
destruction, seeking for itas she did, was inc
yitable, When her brotfar Everard, (whose
chiefobj bject in coming to Ensla was to discover
and reclaim her if possibly some short time
after his marriage, did recognize her to his un-
feigned horror and subsequent torment, she
was dressed in splendor, loling in the carriage
of q well l-knoWn prohigate 1Dbleman. Everard
though burning with shane and confusion
stopped the carriage, andaddressing his sister
| by name, insisted on her alghting and entering
q private hotel close at hand The shameless
girl defed him, till, he threatening to pursue
her for robbery, she foun herself obliged te
succumb, and dismissing Ter gaudy equipage
accompanied her brother p silent rage to the
house he pointed out.
| A long and most unsatisfactory conversation
ensued. Edith persisting j her right to pursue
any course of life she plased her brother
| equally determined to fore her into decorun
duu auDIliSSiOu, aSSerteu nb TeS0lub1On never u
leave her unmatched or lngarded. At frs
the wretched girl LAUGHED the idea to scorn
but COON found Eyerard WIS perfectly in earn
est He dispatched q messenger with note tt
an old servant of his, now .etired from service
and to whom he resolved D entrOst the charge
| of his sister when he was breed to be absent
/ When the old man arrived .pbedient to his mas
/ ter's summons, he desiredShim to call hack
ney coach, and to look for pdgings in q certain
| part OF the town he named and leading the in
dignant Edith to the coach placed her in it, ant
drove slowly thither She had then recourse t
tears and entreaties, but tIey had as little efee
as her passion.
j s'Lost as she was,'' 10 told her, ss ire
trieyably for earth, he wsuld try to save he
for heaven She asked With scorn and baf
fed rage flashing from herbeautiful eyes, if
intended to take her to bis house. He indig
nantly asked if she though such thing posi-
Bile. What pollute his pure and beautiful
Martha's eyes with the sight Of such sister!
Thus they reached the bartments which An
drew, who was waiting Il street previousl
agreed on, had hired ; and here, in these plainl
furnished rooms, was Edith Wilson told sh
must consider her home pr the present. Sh
rayed, stormed, and threaened, but to no pur
pose. She was never left unguarded by he
brother or his servant; and being withou
money. she had no meanslto break her chair
This life continued some time, till one da
reading the Gazette she dilooyered that ric
and childless relative, ignoiant Of course of he
misconduct, had left her large sum of money
| Not being able to claim il without Eyerard
assistance, she formed a neY plan; she affecte
Iextreme penitence and humility, and so pei
4 IA