Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-03-11
gaiIg Gi!mptre.
LoVe's Labor Lost.

upfrequently been enacted in real life as we'll
as upon The stage, aud one act was unwilling
ly participated III the other day by q respected
and venerable citizen OF Chicago, residing on
Wabash avenue The circumstances of the
case have afforded matter for some little ther.
rment amougst the gentleman good-natured
friends, who, while they affect to sympathze
with his trbulation, chuekle siyly over the
cause. The gentleman is one OF a benevolent
nature lie possesses too, an eye for the
beautiful, aud, though he has declined some;
what into the vale Of years, has still heart
| sufficiently Juvenile to be susceptible to the
tender passion. He could love almost ns de.
votedly as he might haveidone in that glorious
prime-in that rich exuberance of liie aud
thought when the soul is played on like an in.
srument by passion--a time which comes
generally once only, and'so is the bitterness Of
disappointment nov rendered all the more
poignant lIII ..HI a-.. .m
a beautiful young widow is to most men
more attractive object than any other Of Ewes
daughters An inIeresthtlaches to her which
does not pertain to any. of the unmarried
The eyeashes have soft aud pensive droop,
Just sufficient to vel, while they atthe same time
half reveal the rich, bright orbs beneath
lh0 cheeks have become Just sufficiently palGd
sorrow eradualiy being chastened hy the hand
oflime The lips have not lost their cherry
ripsness, and the dimpled chin has in it some
hing alilhe more tempting from its being part
Iy conceded by the weeds OF woG which marks
her out from the lhrOag Que feelsinstinetive-
y as il bis mission were to sympathze with
her and to comfort il possible, and such was
the feeling which animAted the breast of our
citizen, upon encountering such widow a few
months ago. glalll ..I '. ...I..I.t..
They met upon the cars on a southwark
Journey, during The time when the seige Of
Vicksburg was progressing. The old gentle.
man was proceeding thitherward upon some
purely patriotic and benevolent scheme intent
The lady was engaged upon a still more sacred
mission Her gallant hpsbaud had been killed,
and his remains were resting in AN unknown
place, ,undistneuished from the general throne,
unvlslted and uneared TOR. Like a branch
stripped by the wintry wind from the stem
whica it adorned, the young warrior had fallen.
la that neglected place there could be no Wis.
itor, save the night bird 10 his grave, and no
monody sung over him save that which might
be chanted by the wild wind The widow,
with pious care, was proceeding 20 have his
remains conveyed TO ground which, If not
more halowed, was ai any rate more familiar
The batlie-tieldis for the hero really conse.
Grated ground, for there
| Steep the brave who sink to rest
BY sil their countrys wishes blessed"
There friends and foeden will one time
meet to speak OF their deeds, aud all differ
ences of opinion will one day be buried be-
meath the turf which gaps the hero's clay
"By fairy hands their kneTl is rung,
| By 10 ms unseen their dirge Is sung
| .. There honor comes, pilgrim gray,
| To bless the turf that wraps their clay;
.. And freedom shall while repair DE-.
| 10 dwell weeping hermit there
| The beautiinl young widow animated BY
such sentiments could not bat prove Attrac-
tive TO the inlammable heart of the widower.
He devoted in the first place his attention to
| her He arranged all her business Finally
he made her an offsr Of his heart and hand,
which was unhesitalingiy accepted
| The happy day for be ceremony was fixed
The bride, 10 b., arrived in this city and spent
five happy weeks in the residences OF her be-
trothed. The old gentleman daughters we're
enchanted with their lovely stepmother-to-be
and the eldest, having also matrimonial ar.
Judgements IN progress, went even so far as
| 10 fix that her happiness should culminate on
the same evening was TO see the climax OF
papa's. Cards OF invitation we're accordingly
issued, aud preparations were made for the
wedding guests No ancient mariner with
his Rliuering eye made his appearances, in the
interim to balk ceremony, but the lady
bad, in the meantime, taken a thought Of the
mater, and, at a moment when it was least
expected the whole arrangements were
broken up.
The guests we're assembled. The cloud
bassOOn" was, with preparatory noise, an
nounelug the hour when the brides arrival
might be expected The old gentleman was
performing the usual mystical operation of
washing his hands with invisible soap and
imperceptible water, as he smilingy We :
coined the rapidly assembling company He
ought instead TO have been immersed in Mr.
sam JohnsOns poem, entitled The Vanity of
! Human Wishes Mr.. Akensids would have
| been the more acceptable author Mt the mo
ment, only that it would have been supsrfaous
10 have said aught then eoueerDing the
pleasures OF lmsginstion Tom Campbell
could have suggested something concerning
tthe enehAhimsns which distance lends 70 the
view, but in the fond imagination OF the vet
liovenscent bridegroom thsl sxquisite widow
was then within hHif an hour drive of her iu-
iture home. Mr. Weller, Senior, could have
! given him warning On this point but no
evil thought for q moment iDtrudsd itself all
the whole enjoyment was suddealy exploded
by the arriyal-not OF the expected bride
/ but Of letter. aas rsat
! At the last moment the lady had discover
ed that she was ordained 10 love one only and
to cling to him, She Glove 70 him 20 an eK,
tent which the gay widOWsr found 10 DO ex-
tremely disagreeable. She declared her readi.
ness yet 10 wed, bot al the same time intima.
ted that il was Impossible for her to love She