Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-03-16

A few weeks ago, there was buried in the
City Cemetery u woman. whose name appears
upon the books of the Sexton as Rose Del
monde This of itself is moth ny strange. but
there is something behind the name, rcln'ed
to us by one who was present at the death
bed scene so mysterious, sad and srrruwtul.
that we publish il, as an incident not often
occurring anywhere, much les in such an
even tenored place as the crrital Of Alabama.
Rumor has it, and in this case rulnnr seems
to be true, that Just after the war. there came
to Montgomery a beautiful, sprghtIy aud nc
complished woman of some twenty years of
age She stopped at one of the principal no
tells. and being alone, attracted marked atten-
ton She had a tall. commanding. splendid
" developed figure, fine dark eyes ard jeuy,
waving hair-and ~ she swept into tlrc bril-
liantly lighted parlnrs and d ming saioUn, with
all the grace and seeming dignity of queen,
every one pnid to her. that which true man
hood always pays to beauty-thc homage of
sigh She remained in luxurious quarters
Tor some ten days. during which time never
ceasng gossip was busy wirh her name. At
length she suddtply disappeared. it is sup
posed with cotton agent the U. S. Trca-
sury Department well known in business cir
cIcs here aud was not heard al for II long time.
Bve and bye she returned. hut instca "f Oc
cupying sumptuOuS quarters as before, sic
became an inmate Of "a leading 6n9nio in the
citv Here her true character was revealed
She bc"am queen IT the 6enii ntp"Te, and
WIS cpu ted. fl irtcrcl and clressed as ia
Va e Ivy all whu visit th'se peculiar haunts.
Ii was not f en- that She appeared upon the
streets and promenade but when she did.
she was known. noted aud remarked upon,
l. "a, I,a, |, nd parS
uupeurauce Who she was ur what she was
other than Il woman uncommonly progresses
ing. an outcast a s:pnnr unfortunate" no ono
knew or seemed TO care She still went by
the name of Rose Dclmnnde and although to
the untutored eye she might haze appeared
MS other women did. still the seeds of vice had
been sown. and that fate which God has sure
" marked out for all who tranS9ress his NOR
al law. had cast its shadow before and could
not be avertcd. 1t was not long ere she
commenced hard irink-sunk inrO the midst
ofmidni.lt rcvelries and dissipation and thus.
step by step descended the vert x of >l,arae,
until the elastic step of youth had passed away
her beauty was gone forever. the bright
sparkle OF budding womanhn"d had melted
from her eye-and the tint of the rosebud had
faded from her cheek, and when our inform
ant called to see her, she was poor. wan.
emaciated woman. Stunned as a peStIlence
and inhumanIy deserted hy her summer friends
of her former infamous days.
Here our story properly begins
Some weeks since call was made upon a
professional gentleman Of this city to visit Il
woman. lie went and found the subject of
this notice, lying in a dingy little room in the
house OF an old negress. When lie entered
the room he soon saw that the patient was
not long for this world, as she was then in
tn last stages of consumption. brought on
doubtless by exposure and excessive dissiPa>
ton As he entered the door, the patient as
yet unknown, called him to her bedside and
asked, doctor can live =
She seemed to put this usual inferrogntory
with so much of tender telling. that our friend
possessing as he dose the benevolent sonl Of a
learned minister to bodily and mentally suf-
fering, evasively replied, Il hope So.
This reply was not satisfactory. however.
! rs she then said Sir. only tell me how long
! 7 can live Will have time to send for my
| u1,thrr?" With this she burst into ienTs.
and there in that hut of squalid poverty. the
poor dying ou'cast wept as If her heart would
| break. as CALLING memory reverted to the
| happy scenes nf her childh"nd. where in Il
| bright and joyful home she had listened to
| the soft and gentle lullaby of nlotlser's
song. The physician. seeing her condition
administered a soothing opiate and when she
slept he retired, promising her only attendant
the old negroes, to return on the morrow
! He kept his promise. and on returning found
her cool, self possessed and perfectly rational.
She again called him TO her bedside and re-
lated to him in substance the following intel
ligent but sad and mysterious story I know
that must die. : The world calls mt
Rose Delmonde Ny true name is Chariot,
My fatheris dead My mother ant
only brother live in Utica, New York, No
street. I am twenty-three years OF age