The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-09-15
Mrs. Siekles..
THE DYING MOMENTS OF AN INJURED
WOMAN.

TO the Editor of tie N. i. UOra:-
When q man has stepped himself to
the dregs in all that is vile in morals
and disreputablc iii manhood is I'M
worthy of truth in any shape; guilty of
fraud and murder-crimes which com
NIT a man of less slircwdness to the
penitentiary-as has been shown to be
the case in the portraiture given of d.
E. Sickies, it yet seems that we have
an administration to honor this man
and insult foreign power by making
him an ambassador thereto; and we
havea public party opinion to Justify
these acts.
Will not these facts be an extenua-
ton to the sins charged against the
unhappy woman who called him hus
band, and who now sleeps forgotten in
her dishonored grave? Will you not
allow simple word in behalf of one of
her sex by one who has had opportu-
nifty to know?
l, for ono do not believe Mrs. Sickles
guilty of the charge made against her.
| believe Sickles to have been as vile in
lis treatment of his wife as he was III
every other respect; perhaps more vile,
because he could wrong her with I'M
punity, and sweep from the earth, COW
cred with odium, a man whose sraces
created envy in his own mind, and
whose manly sense Of honor was re-
proach to his own vileness, and whose
intellect and culture were far Beyond
his own reach, and whose only sin was
in his sympathy for and kindness to a
neglected, ili-used wife.
| admit that it is dangerous ground
this sympathy for a married woman !;
far better be content to suffer, endure,
and die than touch the tempting cup.
Let this suffice on this head.
That Mr.. Sickles was lovely in per-
son, simple and child like in character,
all admit. Such characters are not
easily degraded. Were she the degra-
ted creature he has led the world to
believe, her sensibilities would not
have remained SO acute that she died
in less than two years of q broken
heart.
She was weak and cowardly I admit.
Alas! these defects would have made
her sacred in the eyes of manly man,
and he would have done his utmost to
shield her from evil.
Let me depict the last hours IN the
life of this injured woman,
Stung as 1t may be, by an irrespon-
sible feeling of remorse, lie pretends in
the eyes of the world, to have restored
her to favor. I will not discuss the
propriety of this kind of clap-trap sem
tinent. / speak of the fact.
She was placed in handsome house
with the ordinary appliances of wealth.
OF the secret history of the two at this
time nothing need be said. She was
ruined in character, broken in health,
utterly lost to the world as only wo-
men can be lost-left without hope,
without society, and without sympa-
thy, except from the few who were re-
lated to her, and who loved and petted
her. She had long intervals of ner-
vous prostration, when she would lie
for hours like a dying person. She sat
day after day with her head leaning
upon her wasted hand, and eyes listless
seeing and caring for little in world
whose sunshine to her had been so
darkly eclipsed. She sighed family,
but said little or nothing. She was
sad wreck. She knew she was dying,
and expressed no thought or interest
in anything but her absent daughter.
One day she turned suddenly to
young friend and asked: 'fDo you
think me a guilty woman?" and with-
out waiting for an answer she went
ON: II wish to speak now, while l can.
was so shocked and terrified at that
horrible time that did not know what
said. But am not guilty of any sin.
Mr.. Sickles was very violent-I was
afraid of lIiiri--fie brought mic paper
which he said | must sign-he said he
should be hung if l did not sign it. ]
never read one word of that paper !
did not know one word written in it. /
put my name where he told me, and
to save his life"
She was sinking rapidly, and was
carried to her bed from a long faint
ing turn. As she opened her eyes, re-
VIKING slowly, they fell upon the face
of Daniel E. Sickles. painted and
framed, hanging before her. Lifting
her pale hand, she said:
'''rake it away"
Those about her remonstrated; but
the second and third time she muir
INJURED: "Take it away"
The picture was removed, "Now
place my daughters face there" she
said, with sad smile. This was done,
and She gazed with a longing, wistful
look upon the young face, and sighed
heavily. The poor, weary eyes closed,
and she was gone to Him unto whom is
opened the secrets of the heart.
~ s ONE Who KNOWS.
TprEn Ta HoEvPpT II II IIrrrr ND