The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-01-01
a Grieyous sin GrievoasIy' Atoned.
49,, n. Cincinnati Fnouirerl

From E3e Clnclnnatl EuqulIer.I
? Among the passengers of the ill-fated
steamer United States, at the time of
its collision with the America, were a
gentleman and lady, whose names ap-
peared upon the books in the clerks
office as man and wife, but who, in
assuming that relation toward each
other, had forgotten the most sacred
ties, for the disregard of which even
Christian charity itself could hardly
forgive them, however much, in view
of che sad fate which ;awaited them, it
might be disposed to pity. 1t was the
old story of illicit love, and unbridled
passion y eliminating Y in Aelopement.
The gentleman was a young German
merchant, formerly doing business on
Vine street, who had always borne a
high reputation among his fellows as a
scrupulously honorable man, and a
high-toned generous companion. The
LADY was the wife Of his most in
innate friend, whom he had seduced
from her allegiance to her husband, and
was now carrying away to distant
Southern city, where they both hoped
to erioy their unlawful desires without
paving the usual penalty of the scorn OF
| the world or narrowing the feelings OF
friends who might be sensible to their
disgrace. We always pity the weakness
of poor human nature, conquered and
bsrne down, in spite of its struggles, by
some overmastering passion, but ind 1t
impossibletof forgive, even under such
circumstances, a woman who forgets
her vows to her husband, or the man
who deserts the mother that nursed
him. And snch case this was. The
woman had left a kind and devoted
husband, and the man, in order to ena
Sla him to elope with her, had robbed,
it is said, feeble and aged mother OF
about S25oo-her sole dependence, ex.
cept thesduty and affection which she
might naturally expect from her son il
her declining years. Even TINS far, the
story is sad enough to contemplate fol
Ione can not think of it without reflect
! ing, at the same time, upon the sad
u inevitable sequel which follows wsssuch
!. transgression- keen and bitter, re
morse of the parties after sin has slaket
itself in safety, and both man ant
woman awaken to find themselves pa
riahs and outcasts, and disgusted Will
themselves and each otheS think OF TIT
homes thew have made wretched, of tn,
,, friends they have outraged ana deserted
and of the scorn they themselves hav'
merited. And all this too for but
libtief season Of guilty enjoyment, ever
!, in the maddest ecstacies OF when thsr
: was never any sense of security, but ol
the contrary, an eV er- present conscious
. ness of evil and sin relentlessly ,pursu
, inc them! a story like this, we say
: would have been sad enough, II 1t ha
even had it's ending at this point. Bn
in the. present instance there was
more melancholy sequel, anu on
which must have seemed to each
0 the parties involved the direst an
o swiftest fury of an avoGging PROV
4 dence. The public have already rea
u the frightful horrors and sickenlng d'
tails of the collision between 90
o steamers United States and Ame
ica. We have given them here
hitherto unwritten chapter OF secrt
sin. which was cut short by that sh9cH
ipr catastrophe just as it was emergin
info An open transgresSion. Among "a
names in the list of the lost by 10
III wreck OF Tue lll-ldgCu oOSS'LN .
: found that of the young German me
: chant of whom we have here writer
II The equally guilty woman was anon
Q the rescued, and returned again to th
CITY to live a stranger to her own lam
q ". to reflect how soon cher sin NJ
found her OUT and to repent, in oltt
Il agony, a step which cost her at once n
g own happiness, her station in soclet'
l. aud the life of him for whom all WI
y sacrificed. ~. y
v The facts rs they were related to I
IS are a text for the moralist, and we gi'
n them to the public, hoping that son
"a one endowed with the gift Will poi
the moral and adorn the tale" For o
l' own part, we care not to judge eth
n the living or the dead. 1t was grle
10 GUS sin, but grievously has it be
ts atoned; and, without peering INTO .
grave to condemn the man, aud toroe
J" Ing to accuse" theIwoman, we may P
N both the life that was lost and the
c. that was saved, for we know not WI
~ lot is hardest to bear, that of the liz
= OF that of the dead. II |