The constitutional union., 1860-12-07

| l Wao aDOuC 10 DC thrown brought me III tnt end more sorrow and anguish.
 i \ few days passed, and 1 received orders to report for duty at Fort Leavenworth ai early as possible. We were all alone. Tho l parting was very like all such, which have 1 been described a thousand times on paper ] and occurs once at least in the life of every one. 1 renewed my VOWS and protestations but she was submissiyoly tranquil The last farewell was spoken; final kiss imprinted on her fair brow; l had my hand on tie knot of the door, when she drew from her pocket letter. and gave it to me. She bowed swoetly and sorrowtul.y returned to my own room
 With cage Npectation 1 opened the letter and here is copy of it, word for word, as she penned 1t:
 "NIAGARA, September 1858
 My EXCELLENT FRIEND The time fol parting has come; the farce is ended Let us raise the curtain, and calmly review the events of the past two months.
 You returned to your home with the crown of victory upon your brow. You were corted and fattcred justly by all; was proud of your marked attentions, and I felt the first dawnings of love for you in my heart Even ing after evening you were with me. The i'm pulses of your nature prompted you to make many developments which taught me caution. You scoifed at true love as an ideality. and at constancy as existing only in story You re- lated to me what you were pleased to call your harmless firtatons, and the very recital of them proved the talIacy of your unbelef
 Does not your heart soften when the pie ture of that brokcn-hearted Spanish girl rises before you? Has the presence of death no power to subduc you? Does not the pale spectre of your dark-eycd Isabel haunt you in your dreams How can your sleep be quiet when you recall the beseeching look and ten der suppIication of your prairie bird, who even now mourns your absence, and awaits in vain your return.
 Yet l will not add to your mhappincss, but let conscience dc its work
 had no confidence in thesincerity of your professions until a week before leaving home. At no time have l believed in your constancy. yet l encouraged you, for the voice of those you had wronged seemed to call for vengeance. Whether they have been avenged l leave to your own feelings. Could they have witnessed the scene near the Falls, perhaps they would have been then satisfied. Fro my handker- chief am indebted for supprcssng a laugh which might have sounded strangely out of place.
 1 leave you to your own mcditatioas We meet no more at this place, bat should chance throw you in my way you will be cordially greeted by simply
 your friend HELEN s--."
 In the first ebuiition of passion I trampIcd the letter under foot. But pride filled me. and | suffered more than language can tell. but she never knew it. Her shafts sunk deep. and in time completed my reformation.
 left Niagara sadicr and wiser man. knew it Was useless topcad with her. ior hcr decision once made Was maltcrabIa In a few weeks 1 was again at my post and drowned I.g sorrow in the eXc;,emen, ol irouticr lie.
 Ny repentance Was thorough could not call back the dead to life Lut I moumcd her in deep and bitter coutrtion. On one oi my excursions into California. visited the grave of the lovely Spanish enI. and caused handsome tablet to be placed to her memory. it WIS the last testimonial that could he bestowed Was sheuot looking down upon me thea and did she not iutcrcede lorme to Him who scarcheth and knoweth ull heart, {
 For more than a year the Prairie Bird has been my wife. and darling little chc~ub i, ,scrcaming lu~tIy, while write. The babvs name is Helen