The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-01-07
The Course of True Love.

A popular correspondent treats us to
touching story of love and misfortune. The
hero ana heroine 60 not lack affection for
each other, but are the victims of an accu-
mutation of circumstances of the most sor-
rowfu and distressing character. The facts
of the case came by letter from q young
lady. She is personally unknown to the
writer, and simply signs herself "Aurclia
Maria,@ wii;ch may possibly be a fictitious
name. But no matter, the poor girl is
almost broken hearted by the msrorluncs
she has undergone, and so confused by the
conflicting counses of misguided friends
and insidious enemies, that she does not
know what course to pursue in order to ex
1rcate herself from the web of difficulties in
which she seems almost hopelcssly involved.
In this dilemma she turns to nae for help.
and duplicates for my guidance and instruc-
ton with a moving cloqucnce that would
touch the heart Of statue Hear her sad
story:
She says that when she was sixteen years
old she met and loved with all the devotion
of a passionate nature young man from
New Jersey, named William Breckinrilge
Caruthcrs, who was some six years her
senior. They were engaged, with the free
consent of their friends and relatives, and
tor time it seemed as if their career was
destined to be characterized by an immunity
from sorrow beyond the usual lot Of human
ity. But at last the tide of fortune turned;
young Caruthers became infected with small.
poX Of the most virulcnt type. and when he
recovered from his illness, his face was pit.
ted like waillc-mould and his comehness
gone forever. Aurclia thought to brcal, off
the engagement at FIRST, but pity for her
unfortunate lover caused her to postpone
the marriage day for a season. and give him
another trial. TIE very day before the
wedding was to take place Breckenridge,
while absorbed in watching the flight of a
balloon, walked into well and fractured
one of his legs and Il had to be taken off
above the knee, Again Aurea was moved
to break the engagement, but again love
trjumphed, and she set the day forward and
gave him another chance to reform. And
again misfortune overlook the unhappy
youth. He lost one arm by the premature
discharge of a Fourth of July cannon, and
within three months he got the other pulled
out by carding- machine. Aureia's heart
was almost crushed by these latter calami
ties. She could not bat be deeply gricycd
10 hnrl Low, frnp 1nr Inv,
meal, feeling. as she did, that he could not
last forever under this disastrous process of
reduction, yet knowing of no way to stop its
dreadful career, and in her fearful despair
she almost regretted, like brokers who hold
on and lose, that she had not taken him at
first, before he had suffered such an alarm.
ing depreciation. Still, her brave soul bore
up, and she resolved to bear with her friend
unnatural dispc'tion yet a little longer
Again the wedding day approached. and
again disappointment overshadOwed it
Caruthers fell i'll with the eryS,pelas, and
lost the use Of one of his eyes entirely The
friends and relatives of the bride, consider.
ing that she had already put up with more
than could reasonably be expected of her,
now came forward and insisted that the
match should be broken off; but, after wav-
erng awhile, Aurelis, with generous spirit
which did her credit, said she had reflected
calmly upon the matter and could not dis
cover that Breckenridge was to blame. SO
she extended the time once more, and he
broke his other leg. 1t was sad day for
the poor girl when she saw the surgeon
rcvcrcntly bearing away the sack whose
uses she had learned by previous experience,
and her heart told her the bitter truth that
some more of her lover was gone. She felt
that the field Of her affections was growing
more and more circumscribed every day. but
once more she lrowned down her relatives
and renewed her betrothal. Shortly before
the time set for the nuptials another disas,
ter occurred. There was but one man
scalped by the Owens River Indians last
year. That man was Williamson Breckn-
ridge Caruthers, of New jersey He was
hurrying home with happiness in his heart,
when he lost his hair forever, and in that
hour of bitterness he almost cursed the mis-
taken mercy that had spared his head.
At last Aurelia is in serious perplcxity as
to what she ought to do. She still loves her
Breckenridge, she writes, with true womahly
fecling-she still loves what is left of him
but her parents are bitterly opposed to the
match, because he has no property and is