Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-07-27

They have come! cried many voices. and IN
next moment the belated bridegroom and Elle,
entered In reply to the hurried and confuse,
inquiries all round him Mr.. w muttered some
thing about unavoidable delay" and steppinl
70 the sideooard, tossed off glass after glass O
wine. The company stood silent with amaze
ment, Finally a rough farmer exclaimed
Better late than never, yonDg man--so lead
out the BRIDE" w lstrode hastily across the
room, placed himself by Ellen, and took heI
hand In his. Then, without daring TO meet the
eyeIof any one about him, he said: 81 wish "a
make an explanation. | am under the painful
necessity--thAt is, have the pleasure to an.
nounce that / Cm already married! The lady
whom hold by The hand ls my wifeg" Their
turning in an apologelicsl manner to Mr.. and
Mrs. Dutton, be added,"I found that never
loved until i knew your second daughterw
And Lucy heard all with strange calmness
theu walked steadily for ward and confronted
her betrayeis. Terrible as pale Nemesis her.
SELL she stood before them, and her look pierced
like cold blade in their false hearts AS il 60
assure herself OF the dread reality of the visiou,
she laid her hand on Een's shoulder aud let {
| glide down her arm. but she touched not Edwin.
AS those cold fingers met hers, the unhappy
wife first gazed iuli into her eister'- face, and,
as she marked the ghastly pallor OF her cheeks,
the dilated nosIrlls and quivering lips, she COW
cred her own lace with her hands and burst into
tears, while the young husband aWed by the
terrible silence of her he had wrouged, gasped
for breath and staggered back sgaips. the wall.
Then Lucy, clsepDg her hands upon her lore
head, first gave voice to her anguish and des-
pair in one fearful cry which could not but ring
forever Though the souls of the guilty pair I,
aud then fell in desth-like swocn at their
feet. t. ...r .I. -.
After the insensibe girl had been removed to
her Chamber, stormy scene ensued 10 the room
beGeath The parents and guests were alike
enrsged against w but the prayers and tears
OF his young wife-ihe petted beauty and
spoiled chld-at last so.tened somewhat the
anger of the parents, and opportunity for On ex.
plauation was accorded the offenders. A sorry
explanation 1t proved.
The gent,eman admitted that the frat eight
OF Ellen's lovely face had weakened the empire
OF her palmer sister over his affections. Ere.
quent interviews had completed the conquest
OF his loyalty; but he had been held In check by
honor, and never told his love till on his way TO
espuuse another; in an unguarded moment he
revealed II, aud the avoWel called forth an an
swering acknowledgment from Ellen. They
had thought lt best in order to "save pain from
Lucy" and prevent opposition from her-and
20 secure their own happlness-to be married
before they arrived at c.. ..
Lucy remained insensibe for some hours
Wnen che had revived and had apparently
gained her Consciousness, she still maintained
her strange silence This continued until weeks
had passed away and her friends saw With mex
presslble griet, that her reason had fed-she
was hopelessly insane. But her madness was
of a mild aud harmless nature. She was as
gentle and peaceabie as ever, but sighed fre-
quently, aud seemed burdened with some great
sorrow which ehe could not herself comprehend.
She had one popularity which all who knew her
IN after years must recollect; and this was a
careful avoidance. of men. She also seemed
possessed with spirit OF unrest. She would
not be coUfoed, but was continually escaping
from her friends, and going they knew not
whittier
While her parents lived, by their watchful
care and unwears log efforts, 10 some measure
controlled this sad propensity; but when they
died, this stricken child became wanderer,
hon eiess, frieudiess and forlorn. Throus b the
laugh spring aud rosy summer, the golden
autumn and temp estuous winter, IL was tramp
trAnp-no rest lor her OF the crushed heart OF
frozen brain. remember her as she was IN my
early childhood, tossrd the last OF her weary
pilgrimage. As my father and mother and eld'
brothers were frequently absent, and as my
mother never closed her heart or her door on
the unfortunate, Cray Lucy" often spent an
hour or two at our freslde. Her appearance
was very singular. Her gown was always
patched with many colors, and her shawl or
maniIe worn and torn until it was all open work
and fringe The remainder of the miserable
wardrobe she carried in bundle on her arm,
and sometimes she had a number Of old rags,
1riad harha q
In the season of flowers her tattered bonnet
was profusely decorated With those she had
gathered in the woods or by the wayside. Her
love for these and her sweet voice was all that
was left her of the bloom and mueic OF existence.
Yet no! her meek aud childlike piery sill lingCr-
ed. Her God had not foreaken her; down in
the deep chaos OF His spirit the smile of His
love cleaned forth in the west gRIden OF her
heart; she often heard his voice at entide,
and she was not afraid Her bible with her
every where--a torn and soiled volume, but as
holy still, and it may be as deeply cherished,
my readers, as the gorgeous copy now laying on
your table bound in purple and gold, and with
gliding unt4rnished upon its leaves.
remember TO have heard my mother relate
touching little incident connected with one
OF Lucy's brief visits to US. The poor creature
once laid her hands on the curly head of my
little brother and asked him his name. "Wh-
liam Edwin" he replied, 9th tmid upward
glance. She caught away her hand, and sigh,
ing heavily, said, al knew an Edwia once, and
he made me broken-harted This was the
only instance in which she was ever known to
revert to the sad event which had desolsted her
life.
Some thirty years from the date of this history,
on bleak autumnsl evening, q rough country
wagon drove inso the village of G. 1t stopped
ct an aims house,; an attenuated form was lifted
out and carried in, and away rumbled the wagon.
Thus was Lucy Dutton brought to her native
town to die She had been In decline for
several months, and her miraculous strength
which had so long sustained her weary wander
ings at last forsook her utterly Her sister
had died some time before, and the widowed
husband had soon after removed to the Tar west
80 Lucy had no friends, no home but the
alms-house But they were very kind to her
there. The matron, a true woman, whose soft
heart even the hourly contemplation of hsman
misery could not harden, gave herself with un.
Wearying devotion TO the quiet sufferer. With
the eyes of christian faith, she watched the
shattered bark Of that life, as borne down the
tide while s nesred the great deep of eternity
with anxious interest. aco
Oae day, about week from the time of her
arrival, Lucy appeared to suffer greatly, and
those about her looked for her release almost
impatiently, bus at night she was evidently bet
ter, and for the first time slept soundly until
morning. The matron, who was BY her bedside,
when she awoke, was startled by the clear and
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