, 1869-11-06

10 TINS country. IL would seem from
the story of lady friend Of the
late Mrs. Daniel E. Sickles, that
that lady allowed herself to be scan,
dalized aud to die of grief, in order
to save the Honorable Daniel from
being hung for the murder of Philip
Barton Key. The seduction story
was eOucOcted by the valOrous Dan
after be had killed Key in a drunk.
en- 6t A correspondent of the New
York World does not believe Mrs.
Sickles was guilty of the laison with
Key, and says:
"I for one do not believe Mrs.
Sickles guilty of the charge made
against her. l believe Sickles to
have been as vile in bis treatment
of his wife as he was in every other
respect; perhaps more vile, because
he could wrong her with inpuuity,
aud sweep from the earth, covered
with odium, man whose graces ere.
ated envy in his own mind, and
whose manly sense of honor was a
reproach to his own vileness, and
whose intellect and culture we're far
beyond his own reach, and whose
only sin was in his sympathy for and
kindness to a neglected, i'll used
wife. l admit that it is dangerous
ground, this sympathy for a married
woman, who had better be coutent
to suffer, endure and die than touch
the tempting cup. Let this suffice
on this head.
That Mrs. Sickles was lovely in
person, simple and childlike in char
acter, all admit. Such characters are
not easily degraded. Were she the
degraded creature he has led the
world to believe, her sensibiities
would not have remained so acute
that she died in less than two hours
of broken heart.
She was weak aud cowardly, l
admit. Alas! these detects would
have made her sacred in the eyes of
a manly man, and he would have
done his utmost to shield her from
evil.
Let me depict the few last years
in the life of this injured woman.
Stung, it may be, by au irrepres.
sible feeling of remorse, he pretends
in the eyes of the world to have res
stored her to favor. l will not dis.
cnss the propriety Of this kind of
klopstock sentiment l speak of the
fact.
She was placed 10 handsome
house, with the ordinary appliances
of wealth. Of the secret history of
thc two at this time nothing need be
said. She wes ruined in character,
broken in health, utterly lost to the
world-as only woman can be lost
left without sympathy, except from
those who we're related to her, and
who loved and pitied her. She had
long intervals of nervous prostra.
tion, when she would for hours act
like a dying person. She sat day
after day, with her head leaning up
on her wasted hand, and eyes listless,
seeing and caring for little in a world
whose sunshine had been so darkly
ecIipSed. She sighed family, but
said little or nothing. She was a
sad wreck. She knew she was dy.
ing, and expressed no thought or in>
terest in anything but her absent
daughter.
One day she turned suddenly to
young friend and asked: "Do you
think me a guilty wOman?" and
without waiting for an answer she
went on. "I wish to speak now
while 1 eau. l was so shocked and
terrified at that horrible time that
did not know what l said. But
am not guilty of any sin. Mr.. Sick
les was very violent-I was afraid of
him-he brought me a paper, which
be said l must sign-he said he
should be hung if l did not sign it.
| never read one word of that paper;
l did not know one word written in
it. put my name where be told
me, and to save his life"
She was sinking rapidly, and was
carried to her bed from long faiutN
ing turn. As she opened her eyes,
reviving slowly they fell upon the
face of Daniel E. Sickles, painted
and framed, hanging before her.
Lifting her pale hand she said:
"Take it away"
Those about her demonstrated; but
the second and third time she muir.
INJURED:
"Take it away
The picture was removed. snow
place my daughters face there" she
said, with a 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 open the secrets Of the
heart. Of such is Grants minister
To Snain. What saw Won. &C loil mills