Butte record., 1855-12-08

raging brain fever ensued, and, when
slowl Y she returned to life, it was but
too evident that her reason was alien
ated. The medical men gave some
hopes of her ultimately recovering her
intellects; but said that all would de-
pend upon the most watchful care and
tenderness. Her mind was probably
never very strong; and the sudden
change and excitement experienced by
her, as a country girl, on coming to
London, may have heightened the ma
tural tendency. Be that as it may,
her case was undoubted. Lady Ham
ilton was now but a shattered wreck of
the gifted, dazzling vision, who, as
Effie Leigh, first won the stern heart
of her lord.
And now | come to a part of this
true tale, so dark, so fearful, that
would fam pass it quickly by. Will
it be believed that the man who had
sworn to love and cherish could now
neglect this helpless being, whose in
trinity should but have formed an ad-
ditional claim upon his tenderness! 1t
was so. Actuated by feelings | do not
attempt to delineate, Sir John Ham
ilton removed his children to the care
Of sister of his own, and went abroad
himself, leaving the unfortunate Effie
at his seat i'll -shire, with very
scanty menial attendance, and none to
guide and control her wandering intel
lects. Sne had no companionship and
no amusement but, as her bodily
strength increased, She seemed to take
pleasure in walking alone about the
grounds and neighborhood, gathering
flowcrs-of which she was passionately
fond-and continually singing as she
went along. The pitying cottagers
often heard her crying for her children,
and her greatest delight was when she
could persuade some humble mother to
intrust her baby to her arms. She
would then sit happy for hours, rocking
and singing to the infant, though often
checked by the tears which fell upon
It's little unconscious face.
So two years passed away. Her
husband had never once during that
time come personally to see her ; her
reason evidently was becoming more
and more enfeebled and thus her
neglected life wore on. She had no
relations to inquire about her, or take
her part her parents, happily for
them, being dead and the kinsmen
of Sir John Hamilton were not people
to interfere on behalf of the low-born
wife, even had he had been a man to
brook such interference.
| must tell the dark sequel in few
words.
Unused to all affection, that poor
heart warmed to the seeming kindness
Of a stranger. A human fiend betray-
ed the reasonless being whom God had
afflicted and when, after a lapse
of three years, Sir John Hamilton sud
denly appeared in his proud home, it
was to find Effie his wife, the mother
of his children, how terribly avenged
lin his outraged honor and her
own unwitting shame. She happened
to be gazing from her window as he
approached +; and, recognizing him in
a moment, she ran from the house to
meet him ; her simple face lighted up
with strange JOY at seeing him, and all
unconscious of the fearful guilt mot
hers but his) of which her altered fig
ure told.
He held her from him for an instant
for she would have clung around his
neck, uttered one low, deep curse, and
then flung her from his hold. She
fell, fainting, to the earth, and that
night in one of the neighboring Gotta
ges-for her husband would not allow
her to be carried into his house again
her miserable offspring saw the
light.
How Lady Hamilton came to live in
our quiet little village, never knew.
She lodged-with her child-in the
house of some poorer neighbors of ours,
and, as these latter were great friends
of mine, as a child-from the circum-
stance of old Mrs Morrison making
the best cakes in the whole neighbor-
hood used to hear and see a good
deaz of their unfortunate lodger. Her
mind was then entirely gone, but she
was perfectly harmless and gentle, and
grateful for any little kindness that
was shown to her. | think | see her
now, dressed in a somewhat fantastic
manner-often in white-and some
times with few natural flowers in her
bonnet. Her face was remarkably
pale, her features fine and chiseled,
and her expression sweet though va
cant. She looked very old to me, but
| suppose could not have been much
more than thirty when she first came
into our neighborhood. The unfortu-
nate little child was a lovely boy, with
long fair curls and blue eyes, and she