Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-09-17


character OF Lady Byron calls for vindi.
cation, end the true story Of Der married
life, will, therefore, nDw be related.
l. Lord Byron has described in one Of hts
letters the impr ion left upOn his mind by
young person whom he met one evening
IN society, and who attracted his attention
By the simplicity and calmness with when
she surveyed the scene aruuad her. o. Ia
quiry he was told that this yor % person
was Mss Nilianke, an Gully child sTid Que
Of the largest heiresses 10 England.
Tue result Of Byron's intimacy with Miss
Milhanke and the enkindling Of his noble
feelings was an offer Of msrrisge, which,
she, though atthe time deeply IN ested
In him, decli ed with msuy expressions Of
friendship and interest. In fact, she alFsAdy
loved him, but had that doubt Of her pow
or to be TO him all that wife should be
which wOul be likely TO arise ia 8 mind so
seusitively constituted and so unworthy.
II ey however, continued q cor pondence
As friends; on her part the interest contiBu-
ally increased, On his the transient rise Of
better feelings was choked and overgrown
by the thorns Of base and unworthy pas
sions. From the hight at which be might
hev- bseI happy as the husband Of a noble
SOm n, he fell into the depths Of a secret
slulterous intrigue with blood relation,
near in consequently that discovery
must have been inter rnin and expulsion
from civilized society. From henceforth,
his dsmning guilty secret became the rul-
ing force In his life, holding him with q NOR
bid fascination, yet filing him wi, remorse
aud anguish. aud insane dread II detection
Two years at er his refusal by Miss MilbaDke
his various friends, seeiugthat for some
cause he was stretched, pressed marriage
upon him. NJ uriage has often been r,p-e-
scented as the proper goal and terminus Of
wild and dissipated career, and II has been
supposed to be the appointed mission of
good women to receive wandering prod gals,
with all the RACES aud disgrsces of their old
life upon thu m, aud put Iinss ON their ha Is
AMI shoes on their feet, and introduce them,
clothed and in their right minds, % al
honorable career ia sOoie'y. Marriage was
therefore universally Recommended to Lord
Byron ty bis numerous friends and we'll
wishers and so be determined to mary,
and in an hour of reckless desperation, sat
down and wrote prop lsals to two ladies'.
One was declined. The other, which was
accepted, was to Miss Mibanke. The
world knows we'll that he had tue gift Of
expression, aud Nill not be surprised that
be wro'e a very BEAUTIFUL letter, and that
the woman Who had already learned 10 love
him fell at once into the snare.
Her answer vas frank, ou'spoken avOw-
al Of her love for him, giving herself TO him
heart aad hand. Tho geo 4 in Lord Byron
was not utterly obliterated that he could
receive such n letter without emotion, or
pr ctiee such unfairness on a loving. trust
ing heart without psngs Of remorse. He
had sent the letter in mere recklessness; be
had not seriously expected to be accepted.
and the d scovery Of the treasure Of sffec.
tion which he had secured WAS like vision
Of lDst heaven 20 a sonl in b, But never
thelrss, In his letters written about the en-
gast ment, there, are sufficient evidences
that his sell ! va was hIttered at the prefer.
ence accorded him by so superior won,aa
and Une who had been 80 much sought. lie
'neUt ohs with an air OF complacency that
she has employ ed the last two years In RI,
fusipg five or SIX Of bis acqnainIances; that
he bad no idea sine loved him admitting
that 1t was al eli attachment on bis part T;
he dwell ON her virtues With a s,rt of pride
ut ownership. There IL sort OF childish
,,vity about the fir .hkness OF these letters,
very cl aracterisiic OF the mip wlQ skim
TN d Nv. the deepest ulysses with the high
esl j,'sts. Before the ~Urld aud TO 5 iuII-
mates he was sct'ug the part Of tue success
| fance, c"ns.'i"u, ali the while OF the dead
| ~ secret h lay cold at the bottom OF bis
| heart. Nueu he went TO visit Miss Mill
banke's l.arents rs her accepted lover, she
was struck with his manner aud APPEAR
ancv she sAs him moody AID glo ~, evil
IDENTIFY wreSliing with dark aud Il, spsrate
thoughts and arythng but what happy
.nd ace p,ed liver sruIld be, She sought
All interview with him alone, an told him
| thai she h al ,b-vrvvd that lac was not hap
~ Ia the engag' msnt, aud m-gnanimousiy
added that, II o. review, he fund be had
h. Of Ina
-he would remain Cply q friend. Overcome
With conflict Of his feelings, Lord ByTOu
faint d away. Miss Millbsnke was convin
ced thai his heart must really BE- deeply in
solved in an attachment with reference 70
which he showed such strer g,h Of emotion
and she spoke no more Of the dissolution Of
The engagement.
There IS no reason TO doubt tLat Byron
was, Ms he relates in his Dream, profoundly
agoHiEed aud agitated when he stood before
GOds altar, with the trusting young crea
ture whom lac was leading to a fate 81
avfally traglci yet il was not the memory
Of Mary Chaworth, but another guilty an,
more damniug memory that oyershadOwed
that hour. The moment the carriage door
were shut upon the bridegroom aud ih'
bride, the paroHysm Of remOrse and de
spair- unrepentant remorse and angry de
spair-broke forth upon her gentle head
You might have saved me from this, mad
am you had all IN your own power wher
| offered myself to you first. Then yHl
might have made me what you please; bu
nov you hni that you have married
deUa!" la Miss Martiueau's sketches
recently published, is an account Of the ter
minaiiuu Of this welding j1uraey, which
brought them TO one Of Lady Dyron's an
. 7 YfNss- uh .hay =
spend the EqHeymoon. Miss MartiBeal
says:
AT the altar che did not know that sh
was G sacriael, but before sunset Of tina
Winter day she knew il, il a judgment ma.
be formed from her face aud attitude o
! despair when she aligLted from the earriag
ON the afternoon Of her marriage day. |
was not the traces Of tears which won ID
sympathy Of fhe Old butler, who stood n
. the upen door, The bride aliglted an
came up the steps alone, sith counte
nance aad frame agoniIed and listless wit
evident horror and despair. Tho old ser
A., want longed TO offer his arm 10 the young
/, lonely creature, as an assurance Of sym
: pathy aud protection. From this shock sh
! certainly rallied, aud soon. The peculiar
: difierliies Of her new home Eere exactl
= what a devoted spirit like hers vas fitted t
r encounter. Her husband bore testimony
B Aft2r the eataet,ophe. tLat a brighter beint
9 a more syppathiIing and ayr cable com
r panion, never blessed any mans HON,
= When he afterwards called her cold an
= mathematical, aud over pious, and so forti
q il was when public opinion had gone again
/. him, aud Ebsn be Lad discovered that he
!, alelity aud msrey. her silence and magaI
: namity, night be relied on, go that he va
at full liberty TO make his part good, as IA
D as she vas concerned. Silent she vas eve
y 10 her gWn parents, whose feelings 81
. nagnsnimoasIy spared. She did not a.
J. rashly IN leaving him, though she lad bee
!, mos rash in marrying hin."
Not a. once did the full knowlsdgs Of ii
|, dreadful reality into which Ishe had enters
come upon the young wife, She kne
!, vaguely, from the will svoWals Ct the Or
: hours Of their maTr age, that there vas
= dreadful secret Of guilt shat DsroB's so