St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-07-01


borhood discovered that the new
conner was named Wood, and that his
daughter, Adelaide, a child five years
old, was one of the lnvclicst little
chcrubS that had ever been seen. SO
rcsolutely did Mr.. Wood shun all in
tcrcourse with the people around, that
it was many years before anything
more definite was learned concerning
him. He was never known to respond
in the slightest degree to any friend
lily overture from the hOspitable people
around him; and he received many
for, in that thinly settled neighbor
hood, a gentleman, as Mr.. Wood cvl
IDENTIFY was, a man of education and
culture, was too important a person
age to be allowed to live unnoticcd
At last, his naughty and morosc ma
turc prevailed over their kindly ones
They learned that, let the winds blow
or the sun shine, the travellers cloak
would remain closely wrapped around
him, and he was left to himself
But, although sympathy and friend
illness had been successfully rcpulsed
curiosity, which Springs eternal II
the human breast" was still on tho
alert. 1t was observed that three OF
four times every year Mr.. Wood went
to New Orleans, leaving his little
daughter under the care Of his tive
servants, an old Englishman as surly
as his master, and household drudge
in the shape of a stout black woman,
who acted the part of nurse, cook, and
maid-ofall-w work in the family. John
the valet, as lie called himself, had ac'
companied his master from England
but Aunt Polly had been purchased
by Mr.. Wood after his settlement il
that region.
BUSINESS was his pretcXt for his
trims to New Orleans but rumol
brought word to I.oudon that he was
onlv to be found in the widest anc
lowest scenes of dissipation. And liz
would return to his secluded cottage
in such a state of surly and even bru
tai irritation, that sometimes it woult
he weeks before Adelaide or Anm
Polly could venture to address him
or seek his presence nnsummonrd
John alone did not fear to contron
: his master at those times, and evcl
/ seemed to delight TO provoke a qual
t rel. in which he was sure to come OF
= victor.
Mr.. Wood had been ten years an II
e habitant of the Lodge, when hc hal
il pcncd to he seen 10y gentleman fro
,. Quebec, who was visiting relate
> in Loudon. He recognized him, an
soon made his previous life known
all the ncighborhood and it wa
: quite satisfaction to them to lear
that the distrust and suspicion OF I'll
misanthropic intruder among then
g which had been slowly growing int
/, settled aversion, were not without
cause.
His real name was Chctwood, al
he belonged To one the best of o.
Enolish families. As he was Il ham
some. MISUNDERSTANDING man, al
possessed an ample fortune, his SOC
=, ETY. and alliance were eagerly courtc
That he was naughty, arrogant al
than otherwise for was it not a ties
monial of his own high estimate OF |
dcsecvings and what should be
better indigo Of a man than his oN
consciousness? That is the cstIma
the world puts upon such scli-ass'
tions, until some time of trial, viii
is sure to come, strips off all disguis'
and compcls the most wlitully blind
ewes 10 sec the character as 1t rca
is.
While still courtcd and followed,
; had married all orphan girl, oi
, good q family as his own. and OF M
than equal wealth. 1t was whlspc
- soon that this was an unhappy n
riagc, propitous as had been all
circumstances attending it. Mr.. Cl
- wood did not care for love. He
guircd in all who approached h
=, especially in his wife, admiration
I'll. fear amounting to awe. His vii
high-spiritcd woman, with an intel
fully equal to her husbands, had !
lou en- him her whole heart; but, IA
,ich revercncing him as Il mortal divin
the that was point to which she &C
inc not stoop. And the more fully
.om the intimacies Of welded life dlscic
ara to her the basencss and repulslvcl
the of a character over which SO spci
loo a cloak had been thrown by It's
like ward adornings and her youthful
and the more utterly she refused to do
,iIe that homage he demanded, and CO
nee ouently the more bitterly he HI
any her. She dragged on for ten yea
un- wretched life, trying IN vain to re
nrc- cilc her duties as wife with her
the inrs as q woman and died, at
rom broken-hearted, when only tive
enc. seven.
and Her aunt, Lady Elizabeth Vi,
evi. was with her during her last ill
oitv She had brought her up: and
Eve marriage of her niece with fasl
- a able Mr. Chctwood had been OF
ONE her own arranging. She had exc
been herself to bring them together, al
of a progresses her nicce's mind 50 tina
an of might be prepared to receive his
r re- dresses favorably. During the
Eng ceedng ten years, Lady Elizabeth
and had time to rue her success, the
ed to bitterly that Mrs. Chctwood nev'
N, as word or look reproached her.
le as aunt had done it all in love Tor
and and she blessed her for her love
have kept her sorrow, as far as she
,ithin to herself. But now, when Mrs.
,at he wood felt she had almost done
ID for earth, she allowed herself to
his more plainly than she had yet
!, and Dear aunt" she said, Il know
,west will take my child, and care TO
roken as you did so many years tor Inc
cared have no fears i'll trusting her te
leans only would ask one thing: IL
better laide should live to be woman
let her look in a husband for ra
mored wealth, or personal accomplish
,glish- or worldly position, but for trI
i. who tender heart, and for intesrlt