Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-11-08
Duval, notwithstanding his personal a,

fractions and high character as gentle
man" belonged to class of men which
has existed, more or less. in all ages tc
disgrace humanity. He professed to be
philosopher, but he was in reality lib
ertine lie lived for his own qualification
1t monopolized all his thoughts. and di
rected all his actions He belonged to
the school of Noltaire, and recognized no
/, feeling Of the heart as pure. no tie of duty
or affection as sacred No consideration
OF suffering, of heartrendng grief on the
I part of his victim were sufficient to intim
/ ldate his purpose, or check his career OF
lnfamy Schooled in hypocrisy, dissmu
iation was his business and he regarded
the whole world as the sphere of his OPP
/ eratlons-the whole human family as lie
F. gltimate subjects for his vlllainous de-
! pravity.
/ That such characters-so base. so des-
picable, so lost to all feelings of true hon
or-can force their way into rcspecta BILE
society, and poison the minds of the un-
suliled and vlrtuous, may we'll be q matter
of astonlshment to those unacquainted
with the desperate artfulness of human
hearts But these monsters appear not
IN their true character; they assume the
garb and department of gentlemen of
Philosophers, of men Of education and re-
hnement, and by their mplshments,
the suavlty of their manners, their spright-
hness of conversation. bewilder before
they poison, and fascinate before they de
stroy.
If there be. in the long catalogue of
guile, one character more hatefully despi-
cable than another, 1t is the libertine =
Time corrects the tongue of SANDER and
tue generosity of friends make atonement
for the depredations of the midnight rob
Der. Suffcrings and calamities may be
assuaged or mtigated by tie sympathies
OF Kindred hearts. the tear of affection is
sufficient to wash out the remembrance of
many of the sorrows to which flesh is heir
But for the venom of tie libertine. there
is 10 remedy-of its fatal consequences.
there Is no mitigation. HIS victims blast
ed IN reputation. are for ever excluded
from the pale of vlrtuous society No
sacrifice can atone for their degradation
for the unreler.tng aud inexora bic finger
of scorn obstructs their progress at every
step. The visitation Of Death appalling
as is his approach to the unprepared, were
q me- Soh pdiSd "itu tue tAtCit diu
permanency of this evil
Davals insiduous arts were not unob
served by his Intended victim She no.
ticed the gradual development of his per
uicious prluci pies and shrunk with horror
from their concentrating influence She
dld not hesitate to communicate her ob
servatlon to her hus band but he, blinded
by prejudice III favor of his friend laughed
at her scruples Without a word of eau
tion, therefore, his intercourse was contiu-
ued-and such was the weight of his as
cendant power-such the perfection of his
deeplaid scheme. and such bis facility in
CLOSING over what be termed pardonabie,
but which, III reality, were grossly licen-
t.ous indiscretions cf language and con
duct-that even the lady herself was in
duced to believe, iu time. that she had
treated him unjustly. The gradual pro
gress of licentiousness is almost imper-
ceptlble and before she was aware of her
error, she had drunk deeply of the intoxi-
eating draught. and had well nigh become
a convert to Duvafs system of philoso-
ply Few who approach this fearful pre-
cipice are able to retrace their steps. -
The senses are bewildered loses
itS sway J"dhA d VIII ~ " VI iHduuculbe, z,
emotions takes possession of the heart,
and hurries the infatuated victim to ire
trievable death Before her suspicious
were awakened. the purity of her family
circle was destroyed Duval enrolled on
his list of eonquests new name-tae aclte
! of hiS bosom fraend
An immediate divorce was the conse-
quence. The misguided woman, who but
late had been the ornament of society,
and the pride of her family, was east ont
upon the world unprotected, and without
the smallest resource. The heart of the
husband was broken by the calamity which
rendered this step necessary, and ne re
tired with his children to the obscurity of
| humble life
At late hour on one Of those bitter
cold evenings experienced in the early
part of January, two females, mother
and daughter, both wretchedly clad,