Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-09
EVENING STAR.
LAsTINTERvIEwo OF A HUSBAND WITH
A WIFE

is an account of tho last interview of a hus.
band with his wife, whom he had driven from
him by a career of unmitigated cruelty:
The liz hts in the chandelier were burning
dimly when she entered the room. The strang-
er stood beneath them, so that she could not
see bis face. She advanced towards him and
said in dignifed tone:
8 What Is your pleasure, sir ?'
Robert Blackburn turned, and exclaiming
"Nelly dear, dear Nellyr' would have
caught her in his arms, but she recoiled from
him, and with one hand pressed against her
forehead, while with the other she waved him
from her, she gazed with a wild, fiery look into
his face
He kneIt before her.
See, am at your feet, Nelly. Oh, will
you not let ne love you AGAIN.
. Arise, she said, mournfully, but firmly
~ had hoped, oh, SO devoutly, that might
never see you again. But since you have
come, must say to you what L feel, SO that
this interview may be the last
He rose and stood before her
" left my peaceful home, she eortinu ed
when but child, and went with YOU to
yours. gave heart full of dc votion e. you
and your family, and life whose every act
was one OF service and self-sacriice, ld re-
| celVod IN return coldness and contempt, and
cOntumely from them, and severity and ne
gleet rom you. But even after they had cast
me oil, clUng 10 you, and was willing 10 do
and bear anything fer the occasional kind
words you gave me.
9 You remember the rest. You know how
L went 20 you from all L knew and loved, and
was denied and spurned; and when crept to
your feet and clasping your knees, begged
you to let me stay, if only your servant for
| the sake of the child L had borne YOU. you
taunted me with having no pride, and worst of
| all, told me you never loved me. citing as
proof the indifference With which yeu had
permitted your family to insult and villify
| me-
But, Nelly, that was done through hard
and impenitent spirit. Oh can you not for
| give and receive me again 2''
| " Forgive" she said, and her voice trcm-
| bled; but she struggled and forced back the
tears that gusEed up 10 her eyes. -. forgave
| you even while you thrGs me from you; but
| when you aycrrCd to Colonel Pontalba and
| all around you, that you did not know me-
and called God to witness the truth of what
| you sald-and then, when they left your room
| and you threatened that if L did not 20 from
Natchez, you would take ny boy from me, and
| have me imprisoned as insane, every veStige
of love died out Of my heart, and fed from
| the presence Of one whom L had trusted as il
the arch fend himself had been on nv track"
| ; Where did you 60, Nelly 1'' he asked, for
| he had become so Interested in her narrative
| he seemed to have forgotten he had caused the
| misery cf which she spoke.
1 mere ull 20 Sle sand. - Ii matters
| not to you. L have lived honoraby, if OBJ
scurelJ. But until year ago, have never
| lost sight of you and if you had ever striven
| by oEe act to redeem the past might receive
| you Ssry differently now. After casting me
| off, hessyer, you went to your old home, and
with Esc8k sorrow, told them of the death Of
| yorc ziSc and child, and your own incurabie
| gris.."
| Bat my boy-my boy, Nelly-where is
| her
| "Do not" she said wildly, " do not speak
of my child. 1t is enough that he is dead,
and beyond the reach of human misery.
| Dead - and the tears raircd over her face
Oh, my child ~ she sobbed. ''my beautiful.
| starved, patient lamb If l might be only
one Of the dead leaves that fall on thy lonely
1 grave, and mOulder away into its holy dust
/ do not tell me, Robert Black burn that you
| loved my child. If you had ever loved him
| you could not have cast him off nor have been
- cruel to the mother who bore him. whose
| highest pride was to teach him to lisp your
| name and pray for You at her knee, while you
| were disrcgarding every VOW in the pursuit Of
| something you yourself could not define But
! cannot say regret your perfidy. You won
me before / knew the necessities of my own
nature. When L became woman, L was q
1 wife already; and when the deep, strong
voices of my spirit sent forth their inquiries
and hopes, they found no echo, but died away
| into darkness and silence, leaving the cham
| bers of heart 50 desOate, L shuddered at the
| void within me- though L did not know its
| cause. But yOa have taken the scales from
| my eyes, and thank you for it. Ii you could
| be presented TO me tonight, stranger. You
| arc not the person 10 whom | could give the
| deep love L am capable Of feeling, for there is
| nothing harmonious between US. Less than
| ever then can 1 love you now for have mem
| ory gOading me. If you had never wronged
| me, my life would have passed in tranquility
1 aaI 1icsht m hav no -n= a
! intensity of my nature There is that within
/ me which had never been viyiied when you
| took me TO your bosom and though l may be
overwhelmed at times with misery at the
knowledge of il, l do not regret that have
| learned to know myself Henceforth oh God
| OF Love and Truth by thine unerring will L
| walk stesdily in my own SOULS peaceful path
| way, nor strive to keep the dusty high road
misdirected Destiny, wherein l so long painted
! beneath the hot sun of false and most wretch
| ed life 80
She stood for III oment silcnt, while Robert
! Blackburn Watched heE features with be-
| wiIdered look
Oh, Nelly" he sobbsd, and again kneit
| at hor feet ''You told me in Natcnez that
| Te,noIse would come. Ihavc wandered hitker
and thfther for the whole past year, seeking
| y,1u every where, with the fullest purpose to
redeem, if L could, the wrongs have done.
Ant now that L have found yOu-oh, [ cannot
| give you up, and it seems you grow dearer to
me the more am convinced you do not love
me-
"Yes," she replied, mournfully, al ro-.
member you told me In Natchez that you
priced every thing more in the pursuit than
| in the possession, and that you would soon tire
OF heaven itself''
You are so inplaeable, Nely-can you
not forgive %
81 have told you you were forgiven, even
while inflicting the csc death wounds. But how
| dare l fOrget-how dare L return to cOndi-
| tiOn wherein to all human reason would be
| subjected to the same trials again, You ask
more than L en- grant. Let me say further,
L believe you deceive yourself as regards pour
own feelings towards me. If you had ever
! loved me, you could not have forsaken the
pure light of my affection for the wicked
smiles OF n wanton, nor have suffered any ia
| fatuation however powerful 10 drive into be-
ho L..