Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-04-11
DIES ARC, ARISANSAS APRII. Il, 1868.

even as 1 was, by that subtle devil and in my heart l hold her, as I helt her at first, - 9 "Fairest and loveiest of created things,
 By our great Author in the image formed
 Of His celestial glory, and designed
 To be mans solace."
 Yes, she was beautiful, more beauti ful than the Roman queen, for whom he lost a world! fairer than Psyche whom the god of Love himself adored- more witehing than Omphale, for tho love of whom the god of Strength be came an abject slave and twirled tht distaffl Her eyes were crystals cu from heavens azure, gleaming with tho light of radiant stars; her tresses were like threads of .ruddy, woven gold flowing around brow and throat O snow-drift whiteness! Her cheek, were peach blooms scattered on thai sclf-same snow drift, and her lips.
 The upper one was thin, h.a 4r
 Compared to that was next her chin,
 Some bee had stung it newly"
 Imagine such goddess, perfect ir every outline of a graceful form, in ev. cry lineament of a heavenly face, and wonder not at my entertainment; fol such, indeed, was the Dejanira destined by my destroyer to enfold me in the poisoned tunic of the Centaur Crime and well was she chosen for the fatal task. Thoroughly trained in every po- lite accomplishment her wonderful talents enhanced and developed by all 1 the resources of education, perfect in every art of seduction, and superHally powerful in the majesty of her glorious beauty. she dazGled and intoxicated me from the very first, and ere long held me. enchained in bonds l was impotent to rend rsunder.
 Nor did l desire to escape her thral- : dom. Having brought us together-in such way that l never dream ed he had aught to do with her beyond q common friendship-hc soon saw that l was at her mercy, and left her to com plete the evil work he had so patiently begun. Confident that she would not fail him--for he held her bound in stronger chains than she held me---he was content to resume his deyilish pa tience and look silently on while the work of death went forward
 was fully aware, from my first in- troduction to her, that she had parted with her brightest jewel, honor-though knew not that he was her seducer- but, as have said, virtue had already been made to appear mere name to me, and her unfortunate position in the world only hastened her triumph over me. It did not surprise me, therefore, to find that she was ieagued with game sters and knaves in her struggle with the world, and before long my bluuted eonseience uttered no warning when I beheld her join with them in acts of fraud. She did not let me see this till l was helpless in her tolls, am, then l did not shuddcr at the revelation
 When l became her acknowledged lover, De Chargny threw off the mask, and Knew, for the first time in our in- tercourse, how my friend really lived. He was an accomplished and most skill ful gamester, a robber of dupes, cheat, and an arrant knave. Strange to say, even this knowledge lessened not my friendship or my admiration for him. al nature had been so thorough, though so insidious, that was not shocked at his turpitude, but rather exalted in his cleverness. He had blinded me with fair-seeming sophistry till deemed sin merely a cant title for superior shrewdness, bugbcar by which hypo- critics endcavored to fri9hten fools from following in their footsteps. His fear. ful work had been well done, and now unknown to me, he began to reap the 1 harvest.
 Up to this time I had suffered ncith CT in purse or position through my in timacy with him. Before the world ht bore an immaculate character, and ht had taken special care not to allow whisper of his real lite to reach the cir cle in which I moved. He had never tempted me to neglect my business du ties, but rather encouraged me to per severe in them, and in my uncle's eye De Chargny was the very guide, of al the world, to be chosen for his adopte, son to follow. How doubly blind W, are as to the motives and real charac ters of our most intimate associates.
 But now the cloak was thrown aside to me at least, and the reward he haS so long toiled for within his grasp Even now, however he did not let m perceive that he had aught to do witt my ruin. Through all, until the yer. last, believed him my true friend, an, honored him more and more for tn advice by which he appeared to endea ] vor to arrest my downward course though in reality, by arousing in m, breast foolish spirit of opposition, i tended only to accelerate my fall. H' was patient tiend, as l have said, an' did naught without design.
 I cannot dwell on this period of m, life, nor is there need. Mere worldl, ruin is but an atom in the mountain O evil my awful story must yet disclose Let it be br.efiy said that. led on by ths triple fascination of my dearest friend I example, the enchanting lures of ths divinity worshiped more than augh in heaven or on earth, and the terribI,