Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-01-08
From the London Family Herald
First and Third Marriage.

nus you see, my own IlurtcnSc, that
must leave you. shall provide an income of
hundred louis for your expenses. Look for
ward constantly to my return and when for
tune again smiles on me, ! shall come back,
never again TO be separated until death"
The weeping wife could not be comfurtcd.
1t was hard that so soon after her marriage,
when the world seemed so bright and gay.
/ and when wealth and lurtune smiled so serene-
ly upon her, all should be swept away, and
she left, like lone widow, TO protect herself
The husband was almost distracted with the
thought Of leaving her. His heart had been
bound up in his beautiful llortcnSc. She had
been his idol from boyhood- bright dream
Of his existence; and when he had attained
distinction as Ole Of the merchant princes Of
Montr' al, hc married her, and placed her in
tie very heart Of luxury.
kAlIsfOrtuncS came on swift wings to the
lmrpy pair One by one his possessions left
linn, and, worse than that, Others were involved
in his affairs, who were less able to lose than
trimsrit: fc curI mt i1ul< Upon rttitt Of
those around him fr hc had kind heart
aud would not wrong any one for the worlG
They that had lost 10y his illioitunr, admitted
that NJ. Valcntin was strictly honest man :,
and that is great praise from those who are i'll
.jurcd by man ; il.Inrk. Pcop'c are too apt
to call it dishonesty.
There was but a single bright spot before
VI. Nalcntin. Australia CLEANED up. warm
aul golden, and with Il desperation born Of
love to his wife and justice 10 his creditors, he
secretly embarked t7r the land of promiSc.-
There was a nine days wonder as to where
he was gone and to what purpose; and then
he died out oftlc thoughts nf the community,
as thoroughly us if he had been dead and bu-
ried.
The weeping lIortcnsc removed to another
locality; the faShiOnablcs who had strained
every nerve to get i;vitcd to the house Of the
rich merchant never paused to ask after his
wife; and lonely and miserable, without
friends or relatives, lIortcnSe droopcd and
pnod, until the beauty which her husband
had SO praised was changed into dimncsS.-
She never heard from NJ. NaicntIn. No sin
gle word had ever chcrrcd her solitude since
he lcftshcE. .ts month after month dragged
its low weight along, and 10 tidings reached
her, her heart utterly sank within her, and
she believed him dead. What indeed could
she think? twas better to think so than to
believe him unmirdiul Of her Day after day
she watcrcd his memory with tears of genuine
SorrO%, as one sorrows for the beloved dead.
She put on the deepest mourning, kept her
room for months, and when She finally went
out again, and that only to church, her sor-
row WAS written plainly in the face, which, if
it had lost some of its beauty, was yet most
deeply interesting. SO at least thought the
young EuScnc Stanbury, an Engii>hman Of
unblcHi>hcd choiartcr and prosperous buSi-
ness. lie saw her at church, and devised
some ingenious cXprdci.t TO be introduced,
and begged the privilege of waiting upon her.
The lady pleaded her inability 10 entertain
company, and the imtrorric;y Of her recciv-
ing gentlemen, and IL thousand rcasons why
he should not visit her.
lie ovcrr,lcl them all, bcSought her to
waive all ceremony with him, to coiiside him
as deeply attached friend, brother, any
thing, in short, ii lac might hcprrmittcd to STE
her sometimes; and IlnrtcliSr, weary Of her
m0noton1uS and drca'y liG., at last consented.
Once having renewed the deicioIsness ofa
protecting presence. she found it hard to give
II up for the mere punrtiiiouS fear Of what
the world would say of her. Indeed she had
long since shaken hands with the world and
parted from it. Sac owed itno favor. 1t had
no right to criici>r Ter conduct Thus she
reasoned while listening to Euscnc's impas-
stoned cntrcati,S that she would lay aside her
sorrow for the dead, and become his wife.
Still she hcsithtcd. She truly believed in
her husbands death; for would he not have
written had he been livingy Of the many
letters she had written to him, the many in
quires she had instituted, 10 answer could
bc obtained. No one knew anything Of NJ.
Nalentin.
In al. hour of more than usual loneliness
and trouble She whispered to herself that,
should Eugene press his suit anew, she would
consent to mary him. She liked him. She
was weary of her own life, Gagged and cribbed
as she was; she longcd for freedom from the
restraint that poverty and widOwhOod were
constantly imposing upon. her; and all these
combined operated wonderfully in Eugene'S
favor. The marriage was strictly private !;
and half Mr.. StanburyS friends had no suS-
picion that she ever had even married at all
until she became his wife.
lie took her to n pleasant home, MS COM
Portable. iinot quite as luxurious. as the one
| she had shared " ith NJ Nalrntin and all that
she could ask for was showcrcd upon her
with generous prollsion. Their dwelling.
two or three miles from Montreal, was sur
rounded with trees and towering shrubs OF
every description. Inside there was every
comfort that loving heart could suggest.
The heart of llorteuSe nwoke to life to love,
to happiness; and to see her thus rcjoccd
that Of her husband.
Two years Of almost unmingrd bliss went
by but the third year commenced with somc
alarm for the health Of Eugene. Twice had
llOrtense seen him draw handkerchief from
his lips which was stepped in blood; and Otter
his nights were spent in coughing, until nature
was exhausted, and the morning sleep found
him drcnchcd in the terrible swcats which sc
surely portcnds consumption. uortcnse strug
gled against this new and terrible sorrow. II
was the first time that she had watched ovcl
one dear to her. 1t was the first time that
she had seen the effects Of this insdious dis
ease; and hope and fear altcrnatcd in hcr
breast, until at length she hoped against al
hope, and the blow came down upon her al
the harder that she had not schoolcd hcrscl
to feel its approach.
1t was hard to see him parting with tho
mute evidences Of this brief happiness. Ev
cry window where he had sat with her, every
arbor where they had rested, every tree under
whose shades they had walked, or whose
trunk he had carved with her name, all re
ceivcd farewell look.
How can part with you, dearest?" HI
asked, after his painful journey round til,
rooms and the garden. e..
"Eugene! do not name it" she said; "yo,