The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-09-07
Unfortunate Young Man
ny MARK TWAIN.

in the beautiful city of San JOSE She is
perfectly unknown to me, and simply
signs herself "Aurelia Maria" which
may possibly be fictitious name. But
no matter, the poor girl is almost heart
broken by the misfortunes she has under
gone, and so confused by the conflicting
cousels of misguided friends and insldi-
Gus enemies, that she doesn't know what
course to pursue in order to extricate her.
self from the web of difficulties in which
she seems hopelessly involved. In this
dilemma she turns to me for help, and
supplicates for my guidance and iustruc-
ton with. a moving eloqueuee that would
touch the heart of statue. Hear her
sad story:
She says that when she was sixteen
years old she met aud loved with all the
devotion of passionate nature, a young
man from New Jersey, named Williamson
Breckenridge Caruthers, who was some
sixteen years her senior. They were Gu
gagged, with the free consent of their rela-
tives, and for a time it seemed as if their
career was destined TO be characterized
by an immunity from sorrow beyond the
the usual lot of humanity. But ut last
the tide of fortune turned. Young Ca
ruthers became infested with small pox
of the most virulent type, and when he
recovered from his illness his face was
pitted like a waffle mould, and his come
illness gone forever. The very day be-
fore the wedding was to have taken place,
-, fab
ing the flight of balloon, walked into a
we'll and fractured one of his legs, and il
had to be taken off above the knee
Again, Aurelia was moved to break the
engagement, but again love triumphed,
and she set the day forward, and gave him
another chance to reform.
And again misfortune overlook the
youth He lost Que arm by the prema.
ture discharge of Fourth of July can.
non, and within three months he got the
other pulled out by carding machine
Aurelia's heart was almost crushed by
these later calamities; she could not but
be deeply gricved to see her lover pass
ing from her by piece-meals, feeling a:
she did, that he could not last much long.
er under this disastrous process of reduc.
tion, yet knowing of no way of stopping
It's dreadful career, and in her fearful dis
pair she almost regretted, like brokers
who hold on and lose, that she had not
taken him at first, before he had suffered
such an alarming depreciation. Still hel
brave soul bore her up, and she resolved
to bear with her friends unnatural dispo
sition vet a little longer. Again the
wedding day approached, and again dis
appointment oveshadowed it Caruther
fell i'll with erysipelas, and lost the use o.
one of his eyes entirely. The friend!
and relatives of the bride, considering
that she had already put up with more
than could be reasonably expected of her
now came forward and insisted that the
match should be broken off; bat, aftei
wavering awhile, Aurelia, with gener
Gus spirit which did her credit, said sh,
had reflected calmly upon the matter, anc
could not discover that Breckenridge wa
to blame.
So she extended the time once more
and he broke his other leg.
It was sad day for the poor girl wheI
she saw the surgeons reyerently bearing
away the sack whose uses she had Learned
by previous experience, and her hear
told her the bitter truth, that some NOR
of her lover was gone. She felt that tn
field of her affections was growing NOR
eircumscribed every day, but once NOR
she frowned down her relatives, and re
neWed her betrothal.
Shortly before the time set for the nup
tials, another disaster occurred. Their
was but one man scalped by the Owen
river Indians last year. That man wa
Williamson. Breckenridge Caruthers, O
New Jersey. He was hurrying home
with happiness in his heart. when he los
his hair forever, and In the hour of BIZ
teruess he almost cursed the mistaken mel
sey that had spared his head
At last, Aurelia is IN serious perplex
ty as to what she ought to do. She sti
loves her Breckenridge, she writes wit
true womanly feeling-she still love
what is left of him-but her parents ar
opposed to the match, because he has n
property and is disabled from working
and she has not sufficient means to SUI
port both comfortably ''Now what wa
she to do?" she asks, with painful an
anxious solicitude.
It is delicate question; it is one whic
involves the lifelong happiness of VIZ
man and that of two. thirds of man, an
/ feel that it would be assuming too gres
responsibility to do more than make
mere suggestion in the case How woul
it do to build him up? IF Aurelia ca
afford the expense, let her furnish he
mutilated lover with wooden arms an
and wooden legs, and glass eye and
wig, and give him another show. Civ
him ninety days without grace, and if h
don't break his neck in the meantimt
marry him and take the chances. It doe
not seem TO me there is much risk, an
way, Aureha, because If he sticks to h
internal propensity for damaging himse
every time he sees a good opportunit,
his next experiment is bound to fnis
him, and then you are all right you know
married or single. IF married, the Wooc
en- legs and such other valuables as /
may possess, revert to the widow, and yo
see you sustain no actual loss, save ii
cherished fragmentsof noble but mo-
unfortunate husband, who honestly stroy
to do right, but whose extraordinary ii
stincts were against him. Try it Maria
I have thought the matter over careful
and we'll, and it is the only chance I 81
for you. It would have been hapI
conceit on the part of Caruthers if he ha
started with his neck and broke that frs
but since ne has seen fit to choose di