New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-02-20

TIN & ss a,s ss sse ,ss and l
s otIaseis pricsihosi; sisroas z sshoid
see sesssr towering hin with forests clad,
Hoy bs,ghs 70 manle ef shonsaad ~. ayssl
Hui siient Winds around IFS base
| ii can hardly be known 1t the romantic beauty
Of the scene, which presented itself BY glinapses
through the foliage the bright, calm rIyeF ts
| wooded hits and slopes beyond, and the vliiage
Al much Admiration from those who gaEed, as i
has since from spirits atsunsd g slV,a sslsc 2.
bird from TIE bushes sfarsea tne morse VAC, aash-
Ing quickly to one side, be stood On me sheer edge
af fbs rrecivjce overlooking the water The next
njupcn rnQft have been fatal one but the bride
waa Instantly seized by the strong arm Of q man
i srbo ss,ragr from the c0ncealment of the trees.
i fshsakinr ia frightened animal. he assisted the
s5srna and her son to dismonnt, and then led the
| horse for them To less dangerous ground. In the
| friendly conversation that followed, the English
lie man was known already to her for one 81 the
most respectable of the settlers, though he had
never yet sought her society. His little service
was rewarded by cordial invitation, which was
soon followed by visit to her house.
To make q long story short, not many weeks had
passed before this neighbor was an almost daily
visitor and, to the surprise and concern Of the
whole village, his example was in time followed
BY many Others Of those who might have been
called the gentry Of Easton. 1t became evident
that the handsome stranger was o coquette of the
most Hnscrupulous sort: that she was passonateiy
fond of the admiration Of the other sex, and was
determined TO exact the tribute due her charms,
even from the sons of the wilderness She firted
desperately with one after another, contriving to
impress each with the idea that he was the happy
individual especially favored by her smiles. Her
manners and conversation showed less and less re-
gard for the opinion of Others the rules of pro-
priety. The effect Of such course Of conduct in
| d community SO simple and old fashioned in their
customs, utterly unused to any such broad def
! ance Of censnre, may be more easily imagined than
| described How the men were fiattered and intoxi-
Gated in their admiration for the beautiful siren,
and their lessons in art SO new to them as gal
lantry; how the women were amazed out of their
propriety can be conceived without the aid Of
| philosophy.
| Things were bad enough as they were but when
l the time came for Mr. Winton to depart and take
his place III the assembly, the change was for the
worse. His handsome wife WAS left, with her only
son. iii Easton for the winter. Her behavior was
now more scandalous than ever, and soon total
avoidance OF her by every female in the place at
tested their indignation. The c0quefte evidently
held them in great scorn, while she continued to
receive, III still more marked and offensive man
ner, the attentions Of the husbands, whom, she
| boosted, she had taught they had hearts under
their finsey coats. Long walks and rides
through the woods, attended always by some one
who had owned the power of her beauty, set pub
lie q opinion wholly 1t defiance and he company
At her Preside, evening after evening, was well
known to be not such as became wife and
mother.
,s,,ca = ,.sst m " N au XII tr;er who M
| been tempted to invite or welcome such homage,
let her pause and remember that the wrath Of the
| injured wives Of East0n was but such as nature
5 ss,J fj,at NJ oeies s dean 81 fRaf
y IA hare Rom the lie canse and
they still do 80 ut amy period Of civilization.
The winter months passed, and spring came to
nj oose ~ nj M n H. nstlr
;rrtafed DANES Of Easton had gathered strength
.. csrn ~ @ ,1, n ,ast ,sr,
ans # liz ne;chhorhood bnt hsd nartcnlar reason
= 5e y Their enemy for liz aenatad afse.
t;oas IL and ,nonnnoliged time " ber hnahand ii
faifhful to his duties before this fatal enehans-
ment. Complaints were made by one to smother.
mi strange stories toId which ~ ennrsa Ioat
nnth;nc IN their c;rcnlation frnm month to month
what syar5er yraa d tbat tfa mvstar;ona ;nfnanca
exercised ~ lie strange woman should be attrib.
mad IA witchcrafts What wonder that abe should
Re indeed I'd hold Intercourse With evii snrits ma
to rseeiye from them The mower by which she suh-
sined man II her awaya
T Tate Il, tla afternoon Of beautiful day in the
early mart Of June. two or three Of the mtrops of
IN VILLAGE stationed themselves near the wood nv
which stood Inc house of Mrs. Winton. Not far
from, tlis was a small nond where the hovs amused
themselves in fishing Or bathing during te heats IF
summer. This spot once ocoupied by this little
nod If water Il now The central norton M tina
town. and covered with neat buildings Of brick and
stone Sss5 s r.,
The women had come forth to watch !: nor WA
their vigilance long unrewarded. They saw Mrs.
Winton aec0mDaniad Nv one Of her gallants.
dressed with care that showed his anxiety 10 please
walking along the borders Of the wood THE ann
had set and the gray shadows Of the twilight were
creeping over the landscape. vet It was evidently
not her intention to return home. Az it grew
darker the two entered the wood, the female tax
ing tile arm OF her companion and presently both
disappeared.
q There he goes e exclaimed one of the women
who watched with fierce anger In her looks, for it
was her husband she had seen. ~ knew ii.
knew he spent every evening with herr,
4 Shall NE follow them VI asked the other
emo! let rs 90 home quick y was the answer.
Such d scene as that night witnessed was never
before enacted In that quiet village. Al late
hour there was meeting of many Of the matrons
id the house 81 one of their number The curtains
were closely drawn the light WINS 20 dim that the
| faces Of those who whjspered touether could
| scarcely Be dscerned There was something fear
/ full in the assaInbiape at snch an ,1nwonted time
Ok th0se orderly housewives. ~ unaccnstomed ever
to leave their homes after dnsk. The eircumsanees
/ OF their meeting alone betokened something an.
common ii agitation; still more did the silence,
4 hushcd and breathIess at interyals-the eager but
suppressed whispering, the rand gestures, the gen
/ erai air of discrimination mingled With caution. It
i struck midnight they made signs. one 10 another
and The light was extinquished
! II was perhaps an hour or more after. when the
same band or women left the house and took their
way lii profound silence, along lie road leading
i ont of fhe VILLAGE Nv n roundahout rourze skirt.