The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-01-24

le lhtlOn OF al engagement TO winch he 10 Spt
D. cially committed by the most solem
IS pledge of military honor. We doubt nc
lie the American people will demand the dis
,fI charge Of ali individual whose safeguards !
o their plighted word. IN. T. News.
. Singular Love Adventure.
e The annals of Cupid record many roman
= tic incidents, but We doubt if they contai
= anything stranger than the story we ar
}. about to relate. Did not sober histor
J. bear us out, we should hardly hope to b.
n believed in telling how trio of knights
4 errant-one of whom was afterward to be
+ come grave prelate of the church. anoth
n er already world-renowned philosophe
s and sage of the ripe age ofsthree scor,
; years, and the third soon to be distinguish
: ed as an eminent iurist- -conspired to libe
. rate an imprisoned damsel and unite her tt
q lover three thousand miles off-that love-
: himself a rising artist, and destined to b.
: acknowledged, in few years, as one CT thu
greatest historical painters of moderr
3 times. Yet such are the facts, and they
; afford another illustration of the adage thai
{ "truth is stranger than fiction
j At meeting Of the Historical Society
,of Pennsylvania, held in Philadelphia ia
1859. the Corresponding Secretary read an
Iinteres1.:ng letter from the venerable 10
seph K. s2;ft. NJ. D., Of Easton, Penn.
The grauduncle o. Or. Swift was Stephen
shewell, wealthy merchant Of Philadel-
phia, more than a GENTRY ago; proud,
limperiouS man, Of strong passions, whose
wife was a defendant of the a,-.ist' cratlc
Buckley family. One Of his two sisters c'so
married Buckley and the other, Elizabel.s.
after the decease of her parents, resided
with her brother. This Miss Elizabeth
shewell became acquainted with Benjamin
West afterwards painter to his Majesty,
King George HI and they fellin love with
each other. West, at the time, although
descended from q good family. was poor
and little known. Stephen Shewell wished
his sister to marry another sutton, which
she refused to do, in consequence of herI
attachment to West. Her brother object
cd to West on account of his poverty andt
obscurity, and he was forbidden to come to
the house. Miss Shewell however, con-
trived to see him elsewhere, and they be-
came engaged to;be married West then
determined to go to Europe to prosecute
his studies and professions there, and Miss
Shewell promised him that when he mott
fed her of his ability to maintain her, and
of his wish for her to come to him, she
would proceed to join him in any part of
Europe and marry him. Her brother was
informed Of the lovers meeting and Of the
engagement between them, SO, to prevent
any further intereoursehe confined her to
her chamber, and kept her under lock and
key until after Vests departure for Eu-
rope.
West pursued his studies and profession
for some time in Italy and other places on
the continent, and finally settled at London,
where he soon established his reputation,
and met with sufficient patronage to Justify
him in calling on Miss Shcwell to fulfill her
promise. He then made arrangements for
her to come to him in the same vessel that
conveyed his request to her, and also that
his father should accompanying her on the
voyage. Upon the receipt Of his message,
Miss S. prepared for her departure, but her
brother was apprized OF her intention and
again confined her to her chamber.
The engagement between W est and Miss
s. was well known in Philadelphia, and
Mr.. Shewell's tyrannical treatment Of his
sister excited greatfindignation against him
and strong sympathy for the lady. II
In this state of things, the late Bishop !
White, (who was DR.. Smiths guest on his {
asst patriarchal visit to Easton, about the i
year 1859 told him that he, the Bishop, S
,hen about 10 years Of age, DR.. Franklin, !
n his .59th year, and Francis Hopkinson, t
20 years Of age, (afterward the celebrated '
Judge, and author Of Hail Columbia. etc., '
vent to the captain of the vessel when it q
vas ready to sail, with old Mr.. West, and q
engaged him to sail as soon as they had ii
brought a lady on board. They then pro- s
,ured rope-ladder, went at midnight to r
stephen Shewell's house, attached the lad g
Ter to window in Miss Shewell's chamber, t
nd got her safely out and to the ship, t
WHICH Sdlleu III u lcW iHifut6S dltef sue Ell
cred it. Mr.. West was in waiting for his i
etrothed when she arrived in England, b
nd they were soon married -September Q.
765. Neither Of them ever returned to-
his country. Stephen Shewell never for :
ave his sister, and although she made a
lany efforts to conciliate him, he refused :
d communication with her. n
Bishop White was about eighty-fve u
ears old when he related this youthful ad- @.
enture to Dr. Swift, and on the latter's OBJ q
CRYING that no one who knew him would =
oppose that he had ever been engaged in j.
UGH q romantic affair, the Bishop replied Il
that Miss Shewell's case was a hard one, III
nd all her friends were indignant at the J.,
'eatment she had received; that he had "a
one right !" and he added, with warmth, n
if it were to do over, be would do it again, til
# it was evident that God had intended q
icy should come together, and man had no r,
ght to keep them asunder."' rG =
~
Gsy~ A number Of Bostonians, have pre-
nted General Grant with a library valued on
$4,000 'a $S't'st3 4. st