The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-06-20

| at the death of old General Guy Fairfax it
came, with the greater part of his estate, into
the possession Of his oldest son, Schuyler,
| Schuyler Fairfax hardly needed this addition
to his wealth, for he had, early in life, estab-
lished himself as merchant, and had already
accumulated large fortune. Hewas bache-
| lor, too, and it would have seemed a more
| equitable. division of the estate had larger
share been given to the married daughters,
both: of whom were richer in children than In
gold and silver. But, in those days, the will
of the head of the family was regarded as a
sacred thing, and whatever might have been
the private sentiments of the children, neither
of them made any complaint of injustice, and
no thought of disputing it ever crossed their
minds. .s.....
As may be supposed, Schuyler Fairfax, rich,
of good family and unblemished reputation,
was regarded as one of the best matches in the
circle in which he moved. Mothers and daugh-
tiers alike looked upon him with favor, but he
was equally insensible to the batteries and
maneuvers of the one, and the smiles and al
lurements of the other. -. -, ~
Gradually he withdrew from society, and
grew more and more absorbed in his business,
seeking relaxation and companionship only in
his library. Everybody had given him up as
confirmed old bachelor, when the whole town
was startled by the sudden announcement of
his marriage and the appearance of Mrs. Schuy-
Ter Fairfax, --...F.'sf. ,.....~,
Everybody made haste to call upon the
bride, to see what manner of woman she might
be, who had taken that hitherto impregnable
citadel, her husbands heart. But the secret
of her victory remained as great mystery as
ever to the ladies who made her acquaintance.
She was very pretty-but there were pret,
tier women than she in New York city; and
her soft blue eyes, regular features and dazzling
complexion, were her only charms. AS for
manner, all the ladies were agreed that she
had none; she. was silent, reserved, unconven-
tional, and painfully difident. "Hor family,
though respectable enough, were nobodies," it
was soon discovered, and she had no money,
either in her own right or in expectation.
What could have induced Schuyler Fairfax
to marry her2
Itwas question which might well puzzle
those who asked it, for he could hardly have
answered it himself.
He had met Amy Conrad in the country;
they had been thrown much in each others
society, and he soon saw that he had gained
her heart. She was an artless, childlike crea-
ture, incapable of Disgusting her feelings, and
he was first hattered, then interested by her
evident love for him. It was not long before
they were engaged; and almost Immediately
after, their marriage took place.
For short time, the newly-wedded pair
were very happy; but by degrees Schuyler
Fairfax awoke to the consciousness that his
pretty chiIdIike wife would forever remain q
child. She was young, plant and affectionate,
and he had fattered himself that he could
mould her into whatever shape he pleased; but
| whom he made the attempt, he experienced a
difficulty of which he had never dreamed. She
would gladly have done anything to please
him, if she could only have understood what
was required of her; but this she. could not do.
She gained merely vague idea from his hints,
that he was dissatisfied with her, and the only
result was, that she became very unhappy.
She had no taste for reading, and was Jealous
of the books which kept her husband so many
hours away from her; her conversation was the
dreariest of small talk, her mind undeveloped
and barren; and such as she was, she would
| forever remain.
The certainty of this was terrible blow tc
her husband. He had promised himself SC
much pleasure, from the gradual but steady
unfolding of the powers of mind which he fell
sure she possessed, though they now lay dor
mant, that he could hardly forgive her fo,
thus disappointing him. Innocent as she was
he felt almost as if she had wronged and de
ceived him. t-zs -
Her unvarying sweetness and loving caress
es wearied him, and poor Amy, felt withou
understanding, the change.
Schuyler Fairfax was hard, stern man; hi
love for his wife had been the one softenins
element in his character, and that died out, hi
olden nature again manifested itself. To her
i he seemed almost like some other being; t,
her, he had been SO invariably gentle and kind
/ that the change in his manner struck her a
something unnatural and terrible.
He was never harsh, but so cold and statel,
that it awed and chilled her.
I. She, poor child, was as much to be pitied a
| her husband, for she would have been abso
lutely wretched, had not the birth of child
afforded her a new source of happiness. How
much she hoped from this little beingl I
might be that, through her boy, she could re
gain the love which she felt that she had los
and for time it seemed as if her hopes wer
about to be realized. Little Guy was the lido
i of both his parents; and his fathers manner t,
both mother and child had something in it o
that olden gentleness and tenderness whicl
poor Amy remembered SO we'll.
i But as time passed, the fatal weakness o
Mrs. Fairfax's character manifested itself il
the training of her child.
Il Her husband, with all fathers love, felt
fathers responsibility for the proper manage
ment of his boy; but all his well-meant efforts
in this direction were thwarted and counteract
ed by the injudicious indulgence of the mo
Ether. -
Secretly she would disobey the positiv
commands of the father, and unconsciously sh
taught her SON the lesson of deceit.
u He feared his stern father, and tyrannize,
over his mother, from whom he never receive,
a check. -
Mrs. Fairfax,s conduct enraged and disgust
!. ed her husband, and they grew daily more an,
d more estranged. Amy's loving heart clun
|, only the more closely to her son. A fin
handsome youth he was, and possessed origi
nally of many most gen erous and noble quail
!. pressed. 49,. -. 80
II At the age of seventeen he entered Yal
: College, and left homo for the first time: Her
he met many as young and thoughtless as him
self, and without being naturally vicious, h
was drawn into all sorts Of designations by hi
associates The liberal allowance given hir
bv his father yass iilsu f4icient to sI1uulys hi