The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-08-02
1nfOent If Graur!.
A FEARFUL NIGHT.

mat was all they Said-scvcn short words.
J read the telegraph paper again and again,
before could comprehend the full force of
the message it bore. My eyes wandered over
the regulations Of the company, their tariff
OF prices, the conditions under which they
undertook their functions, and at last revert
ing to the pcncillei lines, reused myself
from the stupOr into which their receipt had
thrown me, and understood their purport.-
Ellen luttrcll was dying. She was my consin,
my earliest playmate, my embodiment of all
that was lovely. pure, womanly. have no
sister, but had been so blessed, | could not
have loved her with deeper affection than
bestowed on Ellen. My regard for her was
utterly passionlcss, utterly indcscribablc.-
Love, in the common acceptation of the word,
had never been mentioned between us: we
conhded to each other all our irtaions, all
the capriccs, annoyanccs, and jcn!ousies
which are the lot of young people. When
was first engaged to Lucy, was not happy
until Ellen could share my joy, could sec the
object OF my chuce, and in sweet sisterly
tones could congratulate ne uponit. 1t was
my delight to see the affection springing up
between my cousin and her whom now call
my wifc-to hear their mutual praises of each
other, and to think that, until some favored
sutor should come to claim her for his own,
Ellen would share our new home. This was
not to be. just before my marriage, nv
cousin went to Burgundy, on IL visit to an
old school.fclow, whose husband, a scklv
and consunptive man, was compelled to
reside there for the benefit Of his health
Her stay in France. which was to have oc.
cupicd but a few weeks, extended over six
months | heard from her but twice during
the interval, but Un the occasion of my mar
Tiage she wrote II long and atltctionatc letter
to Lucy. telling her that she was perfectly
happy, and speaking in those mysterious
terms which girls love to use, ola certain
\iconpte dc Bode, who was paying her great
attention. Two months after, Ellen suddenly
returned to England, accompanied by her
brother, who had been dispatched to bring
her back. There was mystery connected
with her return which | could not farhom
her mother, indeed, wrote me plaintivc
letter lamenting the folly into which young
girls usually throw away the affections, and
limiting that even Elen's good sense was not
proof against wonanly weakness, and that
had She not been recalled when she was, she
would have been drawn into marriage
which for reasons hereafter to be verbally en-
planned to me, must have been an everlasting
source of misery to her. At the receipt of
this letter from my aunt, l was it is needless
to say, very much panied, but being forbid
den to answer it (tor Ellen was unaware that
had been written to, and the sight of a
letter in my well known handwriting would
doubtless arouse her suspicious was COM
PEELED to wait until further information was
afforded me. That information never came,
and until her brother tclcgraphed to ne in the
words with which | have commenced my
story, heard nothing of the Luttrel family.
Within ten minutes after had received the
Geographic message, | had thrown few
things into carpet-bag, had u card stitched
on to it with my name, and Bolton's, Tam
worth, for the address flor [ was old fashion,
ell enough always to direct my luggage in
case of loss,) aud was rafting in Hanson
to Euston Square. l arrived just in time to
catch the night mail train; the platform was
thronged, there were Oxford men going back
to the University, barristcrs starting on cir
cult, sporting men going down for the Lean
ington stecple.chasc, and invalids off to Nal
vern in search of health. Porters were push
ing. rushing against the stold old gentlemen,
crushing their feet with enormous heavily
laden barrows, and crying, "by yonr leave"
while the sufferers were casping their mangl,d
limbs in anguish. The post.oilicc van, with
its trim arrangement of sorting boxes, and
its traveiling.cappcd clerks, stood gaping to
receive the food Of bags pouring into it from
the shout lers Of the red coated guards; non.
passengers were bidding adeu to their friends
at the doors Of the carriages; the policemen
were busily unlocking the various labels
from neighboring Bietchlcy to distant Perth,
with which the vehicles were bed zcncd;
commercial gents, those knowing travellers,