Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-31
NUMBER ll6.
The True story OF L. e. L.

UOn, LIT. mauueH gives inc IolOWlnB letter,
containing a full account, by Lady Blessington,
of l.. Il. LIS position, as she had il from tho
only person to whom the unhappy Mrs. Mac
lean confded the misery endured in her Afri-
can bondage"
"GoRE HOUSE, January 20, 1882
"MY DEAR MADAM: Indisposition must plead
my excuse for not having sooner given you the sal
particulars promised you in my last when that
cause for my silence had subsidized, the dangerous
illness OF Lord Canterbury threw me into sucl,
alarm and anxiety, that it is only to-day, when
letters from Paris assure me that he is recovering,
that feel equal to the task of writing.
" Poor dear l.. Il. L. lost her father--who was a Y
captain in the army-when she was yet child
He had married the widow Of an aImy-agent---a
woman not Of refined habits and totally unsuited
to him. On his death, his brother the late Dean
of Exeter, interested himself for his nephew and
niece-the sole children left by Captain Landon;
and, decming 1t necessary to remove them frou,
their mother, placed the girl (poor L. Il. LIZ Mt
school, and the boy at another. At an unusually
early age, she manifested the genius for which she
afterwards became so deservedly popular On
leaving school, her uncle placed her under the pro-
lection of her grandmother, whose exigence rem
dered the life Of her gifted grandchild anything
but happy one. Her first poetical illusions were
published many years ago, and the whole of the
sum they produced was appropriated to her grand
mother.
Soon after, l.. Il. L. became acquainted with Mr..
, who, charmed with her talents, encouraged
their exertion by inserting her poems in literary
journal, with all the encomiums they merited This
notice drew the attention of publishers on her. and
alas drew also the calumny and hatred of the en-
yous which ceased not to persecute her through
her troubled life, but absolutely drove her from
her native land. There was no slander too vile,
and no assertion too wicked, to heap on the fame
of this injured creature.
Mr. rnar riad u,an md O.. -
large family, many ofwhom were older than L. Z. IT,,
was said to have been her lover; and it was pub
cly stated that she had become too intimately con-
nected with him. Those who disbelieved the cal
umny refrained not from repeating it. until it be-
came general topic of conversation Her own
sex, fearful of censure had not courage to defend
herr and this hghlygifted and sensitive creature,
without having committed a single error, found
herself O victim to SANDER
More than one advantageous proposal of mar
| riage was made to her; but no sooner was this
known, than anonymous letters we're sent to tho
persons who wished to wed her, filed with charges
against her honor Some of her suitors, wholly
disregarding these calumnies, but thinking it due
to her to refute them instigated inquiries to trace
them to the original source whence they came.
Not single proof could be had of even the SEM
blance of guilt, though thousand were furnished
of perfect innocence. Wounded and humiliated,
poor L. L. L. refused to wed those who could,
however worthy the motive, seem to doubt her
honor, or instgate inquiry into her conduct, and,
from year to year, dragged on life of mortihca-
ton and sorrow. Pride led her to conceal what
she suffered; but those who best knew her were
aware that, for many months, sleep could only be
obtained by the aid of narcotics, and that violent
spasms and frequent attacks of the left her
seldom free from acute suffering
The effort to force a gaiety she was far from
feeling, increased her sufferings even TO the last
| The first use she made Of the money produced by
her writings, was to buy annuity for her grand
mother; that grandmother whose acerbity Of tenn
per, and wearing erigence, had embittered her
home, She then went TO reside in Hans-place,
with some elderly ladies, who kept school and
here again, calumny assaied her. DR.. M, a mar
ried man, and father of grown daughters, was now
named as her paramour; and, though his habits,
age, appearance, and attachment 10 his wife, ought
to have precluded the possibility Of attaching Gre
dence TO so absurd piece of scandal, poor L. 4.
l.. was again attacked, in manner that nearly
sent her to the grave. This last falsehood was in
vented little more than four years ago, when
some Of those who disbeeved the other scandal,
affected TO give credit TO this and stung the sensi.
tive mind Of poor L. r. L. almost to madness by
their hypocritical conduct. About this time Mr.
Msclean became acquainted with her, and after
some months proposed for her hand. Wrung to
the quick by the ISLANDERS heaped upon her, abe
accepted his offer; but he deemed It necessary TO
nuptials could be solemnized. He returned at the
expiration Of that term, renewed his offer, and She
poor, dear soul, informed all her friends, and mo
among the number, Of her acceptance Of t. and Of
her intention of soon leaving England with him.
Soon after this, Mr. Macleanwent to Scotland, and
remained there many months without writing a
single line to his betrothcd. Her feelings, under
this treatment, you can well imagine. Beset by
inquiries from all her friends 10 where Mr.. Mac
lean was, when she was to be married &c, &c,
all indicating strong suspicion that he had heard
the reports, and would appear no more, seri.
GUS illness assailed her, and reduced her to tho
brink Of the grave; when her wrote and
demanded an explanation from Mr.. Maclean.
lie answered that, fearing the climate OF Africa
might prove fatal to her. he had abandoned the in
tention Of marrying and felt embarrassed at writing
TO say 80.
She, poor soull mistook his hesitation and 81.
lence for generosity, and wrote TO him letter
fraught with affection; the ill-starred union was
again proposed, but on condition that Il should Be
kept a secret even from the friends she was resil-
ing with. From the moment Of his return from
Scotland to their departure, he was moody mystic.
rious and ll-humored-contnually sneering at lit
erary ladies-speakng slightingly OF her works
| and, in short, showing every symptom Of n desire
to disgust her Sir - demonstrated with her
on his extraordinary mode Of proceeding; so did
all her friends but the die was cast Her pride
that another marriage was broken Off and she
determined not to break with him. Mystery on
mystery followed; no friend or relative Of his
though an uncle and aunt were in London-sanc-
toned the marriage; nay, more, IL Is now known
that, two days previous TO IT, he, on being ques.
toned by his uncle, denied positively the fact Of
his intention 10 be married.
The marriage secret one and not avowcd
until very few days previous to their sailing for
Africa; he refused to permit her own maid, who
bad long served her, TO accompany her, and Il was
only at the eleventh hour that he could be induced
| to permit a strange servant to be her attendant
His conduct on board ship was cold and moody;
for her broken hearted -, whom have seen,
told me that the captain Of the ship said that Mr..
Maclcan betrayed the utmost Indifference toward
her. The indifference continued at Cape Castle
and what was worse, discomfort, in humor, and
reproaches at her ignorance Of housekeeping met
her every day. until az she writes to her -. her