Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-03-16
MIsoELLANE Gus.
bas g tFrem the Mobile Register,l
The Life of an outeast. bpes

An Incident IN .Nontqopiesy-- TIE Stoyyofa a
rs sisl HsiG5 Wonas. las F.aslsgca

b sii Womas. F..stsgea
a few weeks ago, there was l, buried in the
( City Cemetery a woman whose name appears
upon the books of the Sexton as Rose Dell
monde. This of itself is noih ne strange bur
there is something behind tile name, rcl,,ed
] to us by one who was present at the death
( bed scene, so mysterious, sad and sprr1wtnl.
Z that we publish it, as incident not often
occurring anywhere, much les in such an
even tenored place as the clrital. Of y labama.
Runor has it. and in this case runor seems
to be true, that just after the war there came
to Montgomery beautiful. sprightly and .ac 3
complished woman of some twenty years of
age She stopped at one of the principal ho-
tells. and being alone, attracted marked atten
ton She hada tall, commanding, splendid
iy developed figure, fine dark eyes and jetty,
waving HairAand as-she swept into HE bril-
liunfly lighted parlors md dining saiooh, with
all the grace and seeming dignity of a queen,
every One pnid TO her. that which true man
hood always pays to beauty-the ho,n9ge of a
sigh. She remained in luxurious quarters
for some ten days durinE wlicli time never
ceasing gossip was busy with her name At
length she asaddtuly disappeared. it is sup
posed with cotton agent of the u S. sTrca-
snry Department, well known IN business cir
cfes here. aud was not heard of for long time
jBve and bye She returned, but instead ni'oc.
cupying sumptuous quarters us before. Size
hecafne an inmate of "a leailing Jngtiio in the
city. Here lier true character was revealed.
She becamA a aq'Ieen .f the denii monde, and
WIS cnnitsd flilterel md dressed rs n Ia,
lvoi,e by all who visit those pecuar hauufs
Ii was n1t If en- that She appeared upon the
streets aud promenade but when She did.
she was known. noted and remarked upon,
for lier stately beauty and handsome personal
ia,lpear.lnce W Wlio she vas ar what she was
other tlana woman uncoinnonly prepossess-i
ing an outcast, a .poor unfortunate no one
knew OF seemed TO care She still went by
the name of Rose Delmonde, aud although to-
the untutOred eye she might haze appeared
as other women did. still the seeds of vice lad
been sown. and that fate. which g has sure
ly marked out for all who trans3ress his NOR
al law, had cast its shadow before and could
not be ayeried 1t was not long ere she
commenced hard drink-sunk info the midst
of midnight reveIries and dissipation and flius,
step by step descended the tsrtex of shame,
until the elastic step of youth had passed away
her beauty was gone forever, the bright
sparkle of budding womanhnod had melted
from her eve and the tint of the rosebud had
faded from her cheek, and when our inform
ant called to see her she was a poor, wan,
n -
emaciated womln. Stunned as a pestiieuce
and inhnmanly deserted by her summer friends
of her former infamous days. -
Here our story properly begins - s4s
Some weeks since call was made upon a
professional gentleman of this city to visit Il
woman he went and found the subject of
this notice, lying in dingy little room in tho
house of an old nesress. When he entered
the room, he soon saw that the patient was
not long for this world, as she was then in
tn last stages of consumption. brought on
doubtless by exposure and excessive dissiPa>
ton As he entered the door, the patient rs
vet unknown. called him to her bedside and
asked, doctor can Live ?''sigsisl 81
Size seemed tolput this usual interrngatory
with. so much of tender feling. that our friend
possessing as he dose the benevolent soul Of n
learned minister to bodily and mentally suf-
fering, evasiyely repIicdsF Il hope so. =
This reply was not satisfactory, however.
as she then said : .sSir. only tell me how long
L can live Will | have time to send for my
n1sfher?" With this she burst into tears.
aud there ia that hnt7 of squalid poverty, The
poor diving outcast wept as If her heart would
break. us calling memory reverted TO the
happy scenes of her childhopd. where IN Il.
bright and joyful home she had listened TO
tfie soft and sentle lullaby of mothers
song. The physician. seeing her coudition,
administered a soothing opi:,e and when she
slept he retired, promising her only attendant,
the old negrcss. to return on the fnorrow
He kept his promise. aud on returning f5und
her cool, self possessed aud perfectly ratipnal.
She again called him to her bedside aud re-
lated to him in substance the foliowirg, intel
Iigent but sad and nlysteri6us story Il know
that must die. The world calls me
Rose Delmonde NIy true name Is Charlotte
-. --.. Ny fatberis dead MyImother and
only brother live in Utica, New York, No
street I am tWenty-three years Of age.