New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-29
THE TRUE STORY OF L. E. L.

account by Lady BlessiDgton, of l. f. sposltion,
as she had it from the only person to whom toe
unhappy Mrs. Maclean con6ded the misery endured
gin her African bondage"
GoRE HOUSE, January 90, 1889.
My DEAR MADAM: Indisposition must plead my
excuse for not having sooner given you the sad par
ticulars promised III my last; when thst cause for
my silence had subsidized, the dangerous Illness of
Lord Canterbury threw me into such alarm and snx'
iety that it 10 only day, when letters from Pars
me that he is recovering, thst feel equal to
to the tssk Of writing.
Poor dear l.. E. l. lost her father-wbo vas cap
tain in the army-whie she was yet child He hal
married the widow Of an army agents. woman not
Of refined habits, and totally unsulted to him Ol
bis DEATH his brother the late Dean OF Exeter inter-
teresteo himself for bis nephew and niece-toe sole
children left by Captain Lsndoni and, deenins i
necessary ~ remove them from Their mother, placed
the girl poor L. Z l. at school; aad the COY At
another. At an unusually early age, she manifested
the genius for which she alters became 50 de-
serveoIy popular. On leaving school, her uocle
paoed her under the protection of her graodm )ther
whose e1geDce rendered the life Of her gifted grand.
child anything but a happy one. Her first postcal
illusions were published many years ago, add the
whole Of the sum they produced was appropriated to
her gran dmOtber.
Sem after l. Z. L. became acquainted with Mr..
-, who, charmed with her taieots, encouraged
their exerion BY inserting her poems in literary
journal, with ali the eIcOniums toey merited This
Lotce the attention OF publishers on her, and
alas crew ALTO the c4unny and hatred OF tho en-
vous which ceased not TO psisecute her through her
troubled life but absolutely drove her from her na
tive land There was ID Islander too vile, and no as
sertion too wicked to heap on the fame Of this in.
jured creature. Mr.. -, married man, and the
father Of q large family, many of whom we're older
than L. Z. L., was said TO have been her liver; aad
il was publicly stated that she had become too init
na,ely connected with him. Those who disbelievei
the csumny reiraned not from repeating II, until It
became general topic of conversation. Her own
faa I'm 0f ceue
her; and this highly gifted and sensitive creature
without having committed single error, found her
self victim 70 Islander. More than one advanti-
Reous proposal of marriage was made to herr out no
sooper was this known than anonymous letters were
cent TO the persons who wished 70 wed her filled With
charges sgx1Ast her honor Some Of her suitors,
wholly db cfedtng these calumnies, but thinking 1t
due to her to refue them nstssted inquiries to trace
them 10 the original source whence they came; not
single proof could be hsd of even the Fem olance OF
guilt, though thousand were furnished OF perfect
innocence. Wounded and Inundated, poor L.. T.. l..
refused to wed those who could however worthy the
motive seem 10 doubt her honor, or ns,igate inquiry
into her conduct; and from year to year, dragged
OIL life of modification and sorrow. Pride led her
TO al what she sufessd; but those who best
knew her were aware that for many months sleep
could only be obtained by the aid Of narcotics aad
that violent spssms and frequent auscks OF the
| nerves left her seldom free from acute rng'
The effort to force gaiety sbe far from feeling,
incrt ased her suGerings even to the last Inc rst
nee she made Of the money produced by her writings
l
grandmother whose scerbity Of temper, and wearing
| er,gesce had embittered her home. She then went
to reside 10 Hans place, with some elderly ladies' .ho
kept school; and here, again, oslunny asssiled
| her. DIR. NJ. married man, and father Of grown
daughters, was nov named as her psrsmour; and,
though his habits, age appearance, and atieehmen
TO his wife ought to have precuded the possibility OF
attaching crederce to 90 absurd Q piece of scandal
poor L. E. l.. was again attacked, in msnner that
peary her to the grave. This last falsehood
invented little more than four years ago, when
some of those who oisbeleved the other scaudsl,
affected to give credit 10 this and stung the sensitive
mind Of poor l.. K. l.. almost to madness by their
hypocrtcal conduct. About this time Dir. n sclesn
became acquainted with her, and after some months
| proposed for her hand Wrung TO the quick by ths
ISLANDERS heaped upon her. she accepted his offer bat
he deemed ecessary 10 return to Cape Coast Cas-
tie for year before the nuptials could be solemn
lied. He returned at the expiration Of that term,
renewed his offer, and .he-poor, dear sou, in
formed all her friends and me among the Number OF
her acceptance of it, and Of her intention ofsoon esv
ing England with him. Soon after this Mr. Maclean
went TO Scotland, and remained there msby months
without writing single hne to his beirotbed Her
feelings under this treatment you can well imagise.
Beet by inquiries from all her friends to whsrs
Mr. Macean was, when che was TO be married &c,
&c, all indicating strong suspicion that he had
heard the reports, and would appear 10 more Sc
nous Illness &sailed her, and reduced her TO tue
brink Of the grave; when her - wrote and de-
manded explsnst ion from Mr.. Msclesn.
He answered that, fearing the climsts OF Africa
might prove fatA 70 her. ne bed abandoned the IN
tension Of marrying, and felt embarrassed at writing
81 cay so.
She, poor sou, mistook his hesitation and silence
for generosity and wrote him iettsr frauht with
Affection the ill-starred union a. ain proposed,
but condition that il should be kept secret eyen
ffom the friends she was residing sitb. From the
moment Of bis return from Scotland to that of their
departure be was moody, mysterious ana III hunor.
td-contnually sneering at literary ladios-spssk-
ipg eghtiDgly Of her works-ard, 10 short sho wing
every symptom Ct desire TO disgust Der. Sir -
demonstrated with her on his extraordinary mode Of
proceeding; 50 did ell her friends but the die WAS
cast Her pride shruDk from the ne,ion Of again
havirg it said that another marriage was broken of;
and che determined not to break with him. Mystery
on mystery folosed; no friend relative Of his
though an uncle and sun. In London-sspctioned
The marriage; nsy more, it Is now known that, tive
days previous TO It, he. on being Questioned by his
upcle ctled positively the fact of his ntention to be
married.
The marriage ras secret one, and not wed until
very lev days previous TO their sailing for Arics
ne refused TO permit her own msid who had long
ssiveo ner 70 accompany her, and il only at the
e!evtntn hour that be could be induced to permit s
sHN &c servant to be her attendant His conduct on
poaio snip was cold and moody; for her broken
hearted =, whom have seep told me that the
csPesin OF .ne seiP said that Mr.. Maclesn betrayed
the utmcet indinnerce toward her, This pdIfference
continued at Cspe Castle, and what VA. vor.a dis.
content, III bumor and rtprosches at her ignorance
Of housekeeping met her every day, uutiI' as ana
writes 10 her -, her nerves becaae a, soita,sd
that the sound Of bis voice msde her trenble' So
was required to do the work of mental; her fem ala
servant discharged, and was 10 sail on the eay
II the bapless l. 4. L. died. She has come 10 az
lard. l.. +. L. thus writes Der -
"Ts>ere eleven or twelve chambers here emf ty,
~, AZ Me- Lao bar~a