Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-01
WOMAN's LOVE.
4 Louisville SensaGIOn-The Freaks
Of "a IL Mad Lower

From the Louisville Express, April %.
In our Police Court was tried
yesterday one Of the most remark
able cases On record. We have new
er heard or read of anything like it.
1t is without parallel, at least, in
our criminal Jurisprudence. And it
is for philosophers to determine
whether love, revenge or monoma-
MIA is at the bottom Of the develop
ments brought to the attention of
the court.
A woman was arraigned before
the court upon a charge of disorders
ly conduct. Her size is a little
above the ordinary stature, yet not
too much for beauty. Her fl CURE is
faultless, and her features regular
and lighted by a large blue eye
which in earlier years must have
been what we would call beautiful.
She seemed a woman of 80 years,
and conducted herself in court with
marked grace and decorum.
The proof showed that for the last
fifteen long years, this woman has
been in constant pursuit of citizen.
When the old Calf House was in
full blast years ago, and this gen.
tleman boarded there, she would
day by day, take her stand upon
the opposite side of the steeet. and
llnger and watch for a glimpse Of
him. If he left the Gait House and
lodged elsewhere, she followed
him, and was as unerring in the
pursuit as was his own shadow.
Wherever he betook himself she
followed, whether it were to differ
ent places in this city, or even to
places as far removed as New York,
If he were at hotel on Broadway,
she followed him there, and showed
herself upon the street in front to
look upon him as she had at home.
The gentleman has, of late years,
tried to get rid Of her by quitting
public boarding as much as possible
and hiding himself from her at the
private residences Of his friends.
But this did not succeed. She
seemed, by a kind of instinct, to
know just where he would 90 no
matter how secluded. 1t became
kind Of by-word for those who
knew him TO say where he was by
seeing this woman about. If he
was in particular house she was
sure to be found upon the street in
front Of it. The man could not
hide himself from the argus eyes
which followed him. There was
no bidingplace in the wide world to
which he could go to avoid her.
Distant places gave him no protec-
ton, and the most unfrequented
shades were alike unavailing from
her ever watchful eye.
1t was during his sojourn at the
quiet abode Of a friend in the city
that the facts were developed which
brought on this trial. The friends
house became worse than haunted.
The woman was every day, and al
most every hour, in front of it, or
in the vicinity, no matter what
kind Of weather prevailed. In sun
shine and storm, in heat and in
cold, in rain and sleet and snow,
she was ever there, as true as the
needle TO the pole. The friend, in
whose house he was lodged, found
that he must either get rid of bis
guest or his guests pursuer. The
neighbors rs well as himself were
annoyed by her constant appear
ance in front of his house, and ne
determined, instead of turning out
his guest, TO try and get rid of the
annoyance. Hence this suit.
Such are the facts, and we
naturally inquire, what can this
mean? Has the woman been in
jured by the man she pursues ? Did
he promise TO marry her, and, fail
ing Of his VOW, has she taken this
mode of avenging herself upon
him, by haunting him through life ?
There is no evidence that the man
ever wronged her in any way, and
she herself did not make any such
charge. She acquits him of all
wrong to her, and utters no COM
plant in that line.
Did her young heart in years
past form an attachment for him
that she cannot now rid herself OF?
II so, would not such an ATTACKS
ment have been chilled by the Geld
response IL met in her adorcd?
Would not a woman's pride prevent
her from making such exhibitions
Of love that WAS not rcciprocated?
Women seldom are willing TO ac
iSsowledgo their love, much less to
parade it thus in the gaze of an I'M
appreciatlve populace Yet we
cannot positively say what that
strange thing we call love may not
do in the female heart when strange
things meet strange things and
bring about stranger results
Women have been known 10 love
without being loved in turn, and to
die Of the love they bore for those
who knew no love in turn; we
know Of no instance in which true
levo has thus made a woman sc
excmplicativo of her devotion as tC
herald it TO the world upon every
street and alley Of great city-tC
strangers as well as iriends-to The
world as well as TO her own heart
Is it not more likely 10 be kline
of madness that possesses her;
monomania for the man she pur
sues-a dethronemcnt Of reason
upon this particular subject She
may be perfectly rational upon al
other subjects, but upon this ma,
she not be absolutely mad? Their,
have been such cases, and this ma,
be another.