True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-02-20


"Years passed by. and the dark girl
grew to budding womanhood, as joyous and
lovely being as ever northern sun shed
its beams upon. There came toher adopt. |
ed home one from her birthplace, to whom
her beauty and her virtue were alike ire
sistible. He loved her deeply and well,
and would gladly have made her his wife;
but she listened not to his prayer. He
knew full well, ere be sought the truth from
her lips, that her heart was another's, ard
that knowledge reused all the demon in his
bosom. He resolved that, if she would not
be his, never should another bask in her
smiles; for he knew the secret of her birth
and into her ear would he whisper the fatal
truth.
"NIiss Linwood, does the tale interest
you! Ay! we'll may. Linwood was the
name of the rich southerncr; and you, Sc
lone Linwood, you are his daughter-tho
quadroon child of his mothers slave.
"Now bestow your love on Willis Cutler
if you dare. My lips shall be sealed; nev-
er breath of the dark secret shall escape
me, to disturb your happiness. I have my
revenge, and you shall hear from me no
more"
Without deigning to notice further the
being whom bis fearful words had crushed,
the naughty Evans turned to his boat again.
But as he pushed out towards the channel,
there came to his ears, through the silence
of evening, one piercing shrek, followed
by peal of hollow laughter, SO fearful, SO
spectral, that they haunted him forever.
Weeks and months sped by ere Seome
recovered from that fearful illness; but the
joyous heart light that was wont to throw
its genial influence around her, the brilliant
intellect, the glow of reason, were all OBJ
: scured- and she Nas'e maniac. Eminent
physicians, ,one pflefanother were consulted
but the disorder completely baffled theil
skill. Since the sad night when Mary
found her lying, apparently lfeless or
the rivers bank, not clew had been dis
covered to the cause of the fearful calamity.
1t was grievous thing to see the pool
girl wandering about the house with her
sad, sorrowng look, pauSing now and then
to clasp her thin hands tightly over hel
broad forehead, as if striving to recall some
lost memory, then shaking her head mourn.
fully, when satisfied that it was beyond hel
power, There was nothing frghttul or fu.
rious in the vagaries Of the stricken one,
but a calm, childlike dependence on those
around her. Sometimes she would sit fol
hours, with her head leaning on the bosom
of her more than mother, singing snatches
of paintive old songs, that drew tears tt
4 the eyes of those who loved her. Again
she would Imagine herself once more Q
2 child, sporting with her young companions
g on the hillside, or watching the diamond
drops glittering on the rivers surface
though no effort could induce her to ap
G proach that fatal spot.
b But there was one to whose heart camt
d the knowledge Of this fearful misery, will
!, a wthering power that few on earth ar
n doomed to know. Willis Cutler had in
= deed loved his early play mate with a sin
n cere manly love; and although unacknowl
! edged to each other, his affection was re
: turned with all the ardor of youthful an
@ innocent nature. And now the young MAJ
t must leave his home and country to pursu
,f his studies in foreign land. But the wor
o thy ambition that only few weeks sine
= fred his mind with bright expectations 70
d the future was destroyed, as it were, in
moment. A weight of grief had descend
d ed upon him, making him old ere his time
i. and he sailed away over the ocean with n
}. hope of happiness this side the grave.
a The gorgeous hues and lnunting blossom
Is of autumn followed the modest verdure @
! summer, aud winter came.-a cold, Nev
10 England winter,-when the pure, whit
Of snow covers the earth when the chimin
sleigh bells jingle over hill and dale
: and the home freside becomes deart
d, than ever. go
'e Ella Carleton had faded gradually, bl
i surely, before the deceiver Consumption
"a till the last fond hopes of the doting p,
u rents ha died within them. Not mu
Oi mur escaped their lips, and no sound brol
m the stiffness save the deep sobs ofthe wee
IL ing Mary, who clung to her dying sister
: though her love could stay the stroke of Il
rs death angel.
And the maniac girl stood at the foot
~ ~ the couch, gazing with straining Eyes ar
= - rapidly beating pulse on the sinking for
q . before her. She spoke not, moved nc
- but there was that in her look and mi,
q that denoted fearful inward struggle; al
he when the last fu,tering breath came fro
W. Elias lips, she was The first TO break 4
re silence. Pressing her hand convulsive
sgains' her forehead, she exclaimed, o