The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-09-23
Try.
and the pretty Mary depart for B.
they intended to reside.


OF this time, received letter from Mr.. Oxford
In which be notified me of his daughters MAJ,
rage to young merchandise hersalf addirg
IN postscript these words: " Nv dear friend
shall one of these days be made scouainted
with my husband, who is the dearest man. and
he will meantime assure himself that Ma-y is
perfectly happy"
After this, year and more elapsed IN who;
| but seldom heard frouI Lhsnr, aud hsd n.
gun to think myself forgotten in tire plenitu ie
OF their new relations and new ceres. The tTu,,
state OF things, however, in their painful ten
dency, was eventually male known 20 mc IA
the following letter, which l received from
Mary:
Ny DEAR FRIEND: You must have beoup
to think that we. have forgotten YOU, sinee We
let you hear from rs so seldom, but have not
written because had nothing good to tel you.
and did not wish to trouble you with our evils.
Now, however, there is such necessity for it.
that can be silent no longer.
"When | married, father settled the praate-
part OF his property on us, reserving for his own
use about one-6fth part of it, and having h.,
home with US. Until my marriage, he mao
oeen IN excellent health and spirits, but after
that, speedily noticed change in him for the
worse, which could not account fer He grew
tnln In mesh, wasting much, was silent, moody.
ana oppressed by some misery which he would
not explain TO us. This continued until very
lately, troubling me very much, bat it was ro.
until about two weeks since that discovered
the cause. was mending his coat for him.
and CHANGING to put my hand into the pocket.
found package of lottery ticketsl Then I
knew the cause of his misery, and perceived
that he was still in the clutches of his fatal in
ts'uation. From this time my husband and
IN otah ,oID
out being suspected. We were persuaded that
his mind was unsettled, but, dreading the 81
fects OF any betrayal of our suspicious were
careful 10 let him see no change in our conduct
| towards him.
$50 it continued until yesterday, when he
appeared 80 broken in heath, and go disturbed
IN mind, that it was evident something would
have to be done for him. WIKI this object in
view, we sent for physician to consult sbont
some means for restoring him. During the
conference, father came in, and, / am now con
WINGED, got an idea of our intentions He did
not let US suspect it, however, but passed on 10
bis room without any change OF counteuauce.
Two hours afterwards, when | went to call him
TO tea, he was gene.
" He had put a few clothes in vslise, and
got cut by the window, his room being on the
ground floor. What was to be done2 We dill
not know where to search for him. A thorough
inquiry convinced US of only one thing-th.e
be had left Boston. Immediately coniectured
he had gone to your city, with some idea of his
diseased mind directing him. Very probabIy
he will see you.
"WiH you look for him ? You can do Il
better than we, since he does not imagine Won
know of this change in him, and consequently
will not avoid you My husband starts for your
city to morrow, and will call on you immedi-
at ly after his arrival. Please care for nv poo-
father, 30 helpless and so wretcaed AZ he il.
You cannot imagine our grief and anxiety. 1t
seems he has spent nearly all his money.
MARY
This letter was thunder clap to me. | had
imagined them go happy, and was unprepared
for any such consequence as THE. Here was
proof that this old man, tempest-tost through
life, was 10 90 down to his grave in the same
storm blast that had howled about him always
was to pass away in the same gloomy shadows
that had ever hung about him-was to pass
away unenlightened, uncheered, by one CLEAN
of hope. 1t was the revelation of doom as
irremediable and eternal "a that which hun-
over the house of the old Greek. Ii was fatpd
that men should know Henry Orfcrd as the
Z" Lottery Crszed"
Scarcely was l recovered from the sudden
shock of these tidings, when Henry Oxford
came into the Office. still had his daughter
letter in my hand. | saw him at the door, and
as be feebly shambled towards me, read the
depth to which be had fallen-or had been
hurled-iu the changes wrought in bis appear.
ance. Changed he was, Of a surety; his hair
long, white, unkempt his face f-a'fuy seam.
ed with care lines and his dry, shrunk, fadei
eye more than ever distraught with that terrible
anxiety of which had read tokens in its an
pearance when first saw him. In weak. peevish
tone', unimpressive save only of an cd mans
wrecbedDess, he spoke to me few listless, in
different words. was so COMPOUNDED by this
complication of events. tbet could only muir
muir in reply few meaningless expressions OF
my surprise at seei g him.
Yes, yes" he replied I" came of rathe-
unexpectedly-wsnted to see the Old city once
more"
Inquired after Mary.
"she's very well-told me to give her par.
ticular love 10 you
tic, as l now became convinced he vas. n,
sat down, and ! forced myself TO tax with hir1,
being able, however to e'ieit bBt little from
him, for his mind wandered. HIS memory wsa
much impaired, and be was childishly fretful
and vacillatins.
After while, a customer came in and 7
was busy with him for some minutes. behind
the desk. When looked around, the old man
was gone, and his daughters letter (which I =
had carelessly placed on the counter) was lying
on the floor by the chair in which he had sat.
He knew all, then, and would avoid me as he
had his family. In vain looked for him M
and down the street. | could not leave the Of.
fee, for | was acne there. As soon as NJ.
Morgiston came in, l explained the affair to
him, and bad his permission to search for Mr..
Oxford. My every fort and inquiry that even
ing were futile. The weather was horrible
cold, gray, sn wing-a bitter time for him who
was 80 feeble, SO wretched, so Graz ID.
The next morning, Mary's husband found
me, and, after few explanations, we conclu-
ded to continue the search together. The day
was even more bleSk than the preceding one.
1t did not snow, but the ground was thickly
covered, and, what with the piercing wind, the
drear gray of the sky, with dark lowering cloud
forms moving heavily across from the east, and
the general sombre aspect ofthinf it was as dis-
agreeable weather as ever experienced. Every
little thing connected with that day is indeibly
impressed upon my mind. l was disposed 10
consider this f)rbidding face of nature portent
of things fearful. felt sort of sickly unes.
siness, which could not account for, hanging
around me az / sailed forth with Mary's has.
band on our apparently useless search. As the
day waxed older, this unessiness grew upon
me, and feverishly we hurried on from place to
place. l imagined would most likely hear oe
the old man from the lottery dealers, aud plan
ned my inquiries accordingly.
On we hurried, asking In vain, seeking in
vain some token-on, from low, vile places. to
high, aristccratic regiou,-from suburb t.
wharf-from police station to gambling house.
Evening came in rapidly, and just at dusk We
entered a small lottery flee IN an outoflhe-
way place. Here, at last, We hal trace Of