The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-12-23
The Rrldo or IlnIdoon,
rHE oRieiSAL or fHE BRIDE or LAMmER.

1863, Aug. ~. The marriage day of the
unfortunate Bnde of Balloon, The story o.
the lady had been related with all the Pracee
Of fiction 10 the tale of the Bride OF Lammer.
moor; but In Its actual circumstances It Is
sufficiently impressive. She was the honor
able Janet Dalrymple, daughter Of the 6rsl
Lord Stairso, distinguished as lawyer, and
the part be took in the politics Of the day.
When still In youngish years, the young
lady contracted a passionate attachment to |
Lord Rutherford, the distant relative and
heir ofthat noble champion, Andrew Ruther-
ford, Earl of Teviot. The young nobleman
returned this affection, and the pair plighted
their trOth 10 the usual manner, BY parting
coin between them, and imprecating dismal
evils upon whosoever should withdraw from
or violate the compact. ..... -....
But this alliance did not suit the views oil
the parcnts-whether from deficient fortune
In the young Lord, or from contrarious poll.
tics does not appear. They favored a new
suitor, who appeared In the person of David
Dunbar, younger of Balloon, in Wington.
shire. ...r.
On learning that Dunbar was advanced in
his suit, Lord Rutherford wrote to his mis-.
tress to remind her Of her engagement, but
received an answer from her mother to the
effect that she was now sensible of the eT-
ror she had committed, by entering into an
engagement unssnctioned by her parental
authority, and this engagement it was not
her intention to fulfill. The lover refused to
take an answer which did not come directly
from his mistress, and insisted OH ON inter-
view. 1t took place, but In the presence of
the mother, woman whom public report re-
presented as master OF her husband and the
whole family, and indebted for this infu.
ence to witchcraft, though for no reason tha,
can be discerned beyond her uncommon tai.
I ents and force OF character. 1t may be
I readily supposed that even the resources o.
' love would be Of poor avail against the skill
and resolution of such q person. When
Rutherford was introduced he found bel
/. ready to meet his arguments with what wal
. an unsnswerable defense, text of Scripture
{. (Num. XXX. 2. 8, 4, 81 clearly absolvinl
woman from bond entered into in youth
if her father disallow the, fulfllment of ii
and promising them in the case, the Lor'
il. shall forgive her. The poor girl hersel
/, sat'muts and overwhelmed, whilethe lovel
yainly pleaded against the application c
i. this test; and the scene ended with her sur
y. render Of her portion Of the broken colt
). and his flying distracted from the house, q
ii ter2telling her she would be a worlds wol
der from what she had done and was yet
>. do. s".
N The union with young Balloon went OF
/. but entirely under the management of th
= mother, fot 1t was inconceivable tina. tn
i young man could have pressed his suit if
m had known the extent to which the brio
- was under constraint. The wedding W,
10 celebrated as was customary in those day
in the presence of the relatives OF both pa
Cd ties, and with great festivity; but the brit
he remained like one lost in reverie, and wh
=. only moves and acts mechanically.
h. younger brother lived long enough to sta
to lady who communicated it to Sir W.
-, ter Scott, that he had the duty of carryil
20 her on horseback behind him to church, al
es he remembered that the hand which 81
10, clasped around his waist was 'cold and dan
"a as marble.' Full of his new dress, al
A q the part he acted in the procession, the G
ms cumstance, which he long after remember
"a with bitter sorrow and compunction, ma
Of no impression on him at the time
ii In the evening the newly welded pair !
a tired to their chamber, while the merry ma
10 ing still proceeded in the hall. The roc
IN bad been locked and the key taken posse
ice sion Of by the bridesman, to prevent any
~, the unseemly frolics (which, it would SCI
were sometimes played of on such oc,
Va sions. But suddenly there was heard
10. proceed from the bridal chamber pierci
The shrek. followed by dismal groans. On
81. being opened, the alarmed company fou
lac the bridegroom weltering in his blood on
for threshhold, and the bride covering in
Tho corner of chimney with no covering
or. her shift, and that dabbeG in gore. S
ere told them 'to take up their bonny bri
on, groom.' 1t was evident that she was insa
ii and ::the general belief was that she
he frantically stabbed her husband. From t
"a moment she made no other rational CONT
an. nications, but pined away and died iii
NJ. than three weeks. Young Balloon rec
cred, but would never enter into. an expl
,ga alton regarding the tragic occurrence. !
haps it was this mystery alone which
given rise to the favorite belief of the m
und descendants Of Lord Stair, that the VOL
,ort was not inflicted by their unhappy relati
as but by Lord Rutherford, who, they, say
as creted himself In the chamber beforeha
nan and escaped afterwards by window. ]
ling notion seems to US contrary to all probat
Der, nv, not merely because the conception
far such an act was far too gross for a ma
aily rank even of that, but because. had 1t
ma. acted upon something must have come Q
,ish either in the way Of private revenge OF
=