Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1857-09-06
The LADY OF sUsrA.

inciSssiH ~ ! ftnarkable character took
Mace. The wife OF Mr. Clifford, usually de-
sienafed Lady Busta, was a wcmen or woo
rous mind, and Of a temperament
; proud and imperi0us, az the events 70 eore
! lated Sufficiently show. Lady bustA had borne
. "a her husband four sons and several daughters.
ne eldest on the sons, John Gdord, bad
reached the age Of twenty-five st the period TO
which our narrative refers. Some years before
mat nerios a new inmate had been added to
The house Of Busta in the person OF barbafa
Pitcairn. the daughter Of an Old dear friend OF
the GifordS, and who bad reeently been lett an
orphan. Barbara had sprung ~, 10 the course
Of twt or three years spent az busta, into .
lovely and blooming woman.
One day In the pleasant mouth OF May, Lady
Busta entered the sitting-room n TIE mansion
Of Busta, where Barbara Pitcairn was seated
alone. bending over Der work A storm was
on the iady's brow, as the orphan siri recog-
nized at ~Elaheei and EAsa she recognised IT.
sFeow vol. Barbara Pitcairn were Lady
Bussa's first words as she seated herself opPo-
site The object she sddressed-ak know you the
pleasant news I have heard 70 day
STknow not. inieed, madan,n said Barbara,
attempting TO smile, though she could not help
shrinking under the stern gazs which Lady
Busts fixed upon her.
~ have heard, fheh,n continued the lazy,
- LInN AIr AEL u IA ANAEN AAa
Clifford, has formed an attachment without my
consent, and enc unworthy Of himself and bis
%Csui IT Be, ray lads? 20 said Barbara tinid-
ly. hearing rather than seeing-for her eyes
acre fixed on her woEk-that a reply was ex-
pected from her.
"t eau be, aud is 90, I an tOld,n continued
Lady Basia. But mark me, Barbara Pit
Ncairn-aRd v0u, I know, converse of with John
B ErI.-H --F nan tall him fhta-narE me-
wnen / say, that before ! saw the heir OF our
house degrade himself BY 4 fheah Siiiance, ]
would prefsf 10 hsFe him stretched a corpse a.
ny feet These words made her auditor
shudder bat the lady went on, her voice rising
iHto accents Of Steiner passion as she spoke ;
" Az, girl, though these breasts gave hin food,
I would sooner see his comely body lifeless-
bioody-dishgured-5efoTe me, than see him
disgrace the name be bears! Mark my words,
Barbara PiteaimF" The young lady raised
her eyes to the speakers face as these last sen
tsnees were uttered, dropped hem again in
stanty, with an involuntary shudder at the
expression which LadY Basta's ccuntenance
wore. The latter then, az il her mission
wsssPed, rose and slowly left the room.
For some minutes after she was gone, Bar
bars sat motioRless as marble, and with its hue
upon hor features. When she nwoks from the
stnpor into which she adfallsn, it was only to
D NHH[A @NNA q 4NAHE u - 4kANE 9
Her work fell at her feet, and she wIuug her
hands bitterly. "Ths evil day, then, has
come at last was her thought. Heaven
help the destitute, and those who have no
homel' Fer a time barbara could do nothing
but repeat to herself such expressions as these,
while her tears fell fast. "Yet can it be pos
sible," thought she, as she became little more
composed, & that LADY Busta should have dis
covered all? Would she not have driven the
q nNrp~H ~rhn had oHauNrH hHr from her doors 2
Aud yet why should / deceive mysslf?7 con-
tinued she, FelspsiRg into her grief "howcan
n be concealed long, even IL vet unknown
How rtn Il! No; something must be done in-
stantly- must see Jcha Immediately, ere this
threatened storm breaks and involves us in
ruin" Barbara hastily rose as sne spoke,
dried the traces Of her tears from her eounte-
nance, and gathered her work in its place.
she then prepared Der attire for q walk abroad.
Our story requires that we should follow the
young lady whittier she went. Not far from
The house Of Busta was a roc, or arm OF the
sea, Of considerable extent, being above a mile
in breadth, and running into the land for ssve-
raj milss. To the shore Of this sheet Of water
Barbara took her way, and walked along itfoT
some distance, until she reached a spot out Of
sight Of the family mansion, where she sat
herself Town on the grass. The day was q
pleasant one OF early sumner, and at another
time the orphan girl might have found pleasure
In contemplating the smooth surface Of the sea
which really held a placid mood but now her
heart was too much occupied with other
thoughts to enjoy the beauties Of Nature. Her
eye and her mind were fixed on an angle o.
the bill, b the foot Of which she had taken
up her station. Nor had she waited long be-
fore the object for which she looked appeared.
A young man in a hunters dress, with dog
by his side and a gun on his arm, came around
the end OF the hill, and advanced towards her.
Ia a few moments the pair were folded in an
embrace, which proved that John Clifford and
Barbara Pitcairn were lovers-at least.
john heard from the young lady's lips the
language which his smother had used respecting
his formation Of an attachment below bis STA
tion, and he narrator's tears again flowed as
she repeated the worls. Though concerned to
hear VII had passed, the heir Of BBsta was
also initated by the u~nfeeling expressions Of
his mother.
"She has long governed all as she wished y
said he E" but affections are not to be ruled.
Nor have l placed mine on an unworthy OBJ
Ject, but on one who BY birth, and in every
hing else but wealth, is my equsl-one, in
deed, Of whom I am uuworthy.D
Such words as these were only soothing to
the ear Of Barbara, but her alarm was toe
great 70 be quickly or easily removed.
sac can only suspect an attachment be-
tween rs, dearest Barbara" said Clifford "bui
long ere her anger can go further, I will have
taken steps, with my kind fathers help, to
make it hsrmiess.7
There is more in it that suspicion, John,''
was BaTbara's reply; she has discovered OF
been informed Of something's
Suspicion, dearest, is all, believe me- said
the young man {" our confdants are all rusty,
and ] bear the written tokens Of our affection
even in my ~bosom-clOse to my heart. See
here, love,' said he, showing the corner of a
few papers IN the situation be spoke Of. The
converse Of the pair continued for some time
longer. At its close Barbara, with her heart
partially hghtened Of its load, took the path
~homewards, while John remained behind for q
space, in order that jealousy might not be fur
ther awakened BY their return together.
o. the day following these occurrences,
John Clifford sRd two Of his brothers, William
and Hay, with their cousin John Fiskin, a
young clergyman, lately made assistant to lis
fsIher, the minister of a neishboring parish,
left Busta House to cross the voc already men
toned, in order to spend the day with a gen
tlemsn on the opposite side. Barbara, from
her window, saw them take boat on the voc.
Her heart commuDed with her lover even ia
this separation. A motion made by hin with
his handkerchief wss answered by her in the
same way, and though uupereeived BY others,
the signal gave Joy 70 them. Johns yoHngesi
brother, James, dad not 90 with the rest by
boat, but chose to ride round the head Of the
voc, to Join the party at the same house.
Cherries was that day in the dwelling of
Busta % some OF its inmates. But the dusk
ieame at length and then the eight O'Clock bell
rang for supper, v eich was to be the signal
for the rsturn Of the party across the lake.
Bot al hour passed, and they came not
sDother hour, and still they did not appear.
However, he night was 90 calm that no dread
OF an accident was felt at Busta. 1t was con-
clgdsd BY all that the party bad been prevailed
upon 20 stay all night.
Early 10 the morning, nevertheless, \ horse
man was sent from Busta round the head Of
he voc 10 ascertain the safety Of the party.
The man returned-his horse covered with
foan-wiih tie alarming Intelligence, that, on
the previous evening. the party had taken boa;
from the oppos te side of the voc as soon as
they heard the supper-bell Tungi Who shall
describe the alarm and agony Of the father,
or Of the poor orphan whOse life wss bound up
in one Of the lost, though even her anguish
she was forced TO c~oneeall The cold, stern
heart Of Lady Bgsta was well shown BY her
manner Of receiving the Intelligence brought
By the servant. {" II the boat has sunk, my
sons cannot all be lost, for James went not
with the rest, bat rode BY landn James, how
ever, rdS with the rest. He had chosen to
take the boat en- bis T~sfsTn, With bis brothers
and cousin.
Il may be presumed that the fate Of the party
sas not all Al once absolutely despaired of
they might have put in somewhere along The
voc, either In froiic or By mistake. Upon this
slender hope, incessant search was made
along the shores Of the voc, and in the coun-
Try around fer the young Giif0rds and their
cousin. During the first day, neither hope Of
good or certainty Of evil was attained from the
search. But with the suspense despair began
to ,Feep over the b0soms Of those most inter-
ested IN The issuej Dor was the feeling ground
less. On the Afternoon of the second day the
body Of john G.ford was cast ashore on the
beach Of the voc, not far from the house Of
Busta.
One Of the two men BY whom the body was
found ran 20 the house 70 Communicate the ia
formation. Every inbabitaht was at the no
ment out OF doors, so ineessant had been the
search, excepting Lady Busta and Barbara
Pitcairn, the latter OF whom was in a condi-
! ton Of helpless anguish, while In the former
tie accident seemed but to have caused an adj
] nae--.H $500. A. 81 .h,~f..F r-~l~ -