The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-04

and outwardly on good terms He seemed re-
solved to shake and combat both her religious
principles and her views of the family state. He
tried to undermine her faith In Christiani ty as
rule of life by argument and by ridicule. He
set before her the Continental idea OF the liberty
of marriage, it being simple partnership of
friendship and property, the parties to which
were allowed by one another to pursue their own
separate individual tastes He told her, that as
he could not be expected to confine himself to
her, neither should he expect or wish that she
should confne herself to him; that she was
young and pretty, and could have her lovers
and he should never object; and that she must
allow him the same freedom.
She said that she did not comprehend to what
this was tending till after they came to London
and his sister came to stay with them.
At what precise time the idea of an improper
connection between her husband and his sister
was first forced upon her, she did not say; but
she told me holo it was done. She said that one
night, in her presence he treated his sister with
q liberty which both shocked and astonished her.
Seeing her amazement and alarm, he came up to
her and said, in a sneering tone, II suppose you
perceive you are not wanted here. Go to your
own room, and leave us alone. We can anuse
ourselves better without you."
She said, 81 went to my room, trembling.
fell down on my knees and prayed to my hea-
yenly Father to have mercy on them. thought,
what shall do p"
remember after this, pause in the CONVEX
sation, during which she seemed struggling with
thoughts and emotions; and, for my part, was
unable to utter o word or asl; a question.
She did not tell me what followed Immediately
upon this nor how soon after she spoke on the
subject with either of the parties She first
began to speak Of conversations afterward held
with Lord Byron, in which ne boldly avowed the
connection rs having existed in time past, and
as one that was to continue in time to come; and
implied that she must submit to it. She put
it to his conscience as concerning his sisters
soul, and he said that it was no SIM that it was
the way the world was first peopled; the Scrip
lures taught that all the world descended from
one pair and how could that be unless brothers
married their sisters that, If not sin then, it
could not be sin now.
Immediately said, "Why, Lady Byron, those
are the very arguments given in the drama of
Gain"
''The very same" was her reply. "He could
reason very speciously on this subject" She
went on to say that, when she pressed him hard
with the universal sentiment of mankind as to
the horror and the crime, he took another turn,
and said that the horror and crime were the very
attraction; that he had worn out all ordinary
forms of sin, and that he 'longed for the stimu-
lus of O new kind of vice" She set before him
the dread of detection and then he became
furious. She should never be the means of his
detection he said. She should leave him; that
he was resolved upon: but she should always
bear all the blame of the separation. In the
sneering tone which was common with him, he
said 'The world will believe me, and it will not
believe you. The world has made up its mind
that BY is glorious boy; and the world will
go for By right or wrong. Besides, shall
make it my life's object to discredit you shall
use all my powers Read Caleb Williams, and
you will see that shall do by you Just as Falk-
land did by Caleb"
said that all this seemed to me like insanity.
She said that she was for time led to think
that 1t was insanity, and excused and pitied
him. that his treatment of her expressed such
hatred and malignity that she knew not what
else to think of it; that he seemed resolved to
drive her out of the house at all hazards, and
threatened her. If she should remain, in way
to alarm the heart of any woman yet thinking
him insane, she left him at last with the sorrow
with which any one might leave dear friend
whose reason was wholly-overthrown, and to
whom in this desolatiOn she no longer per-
mitted to minister.
inquired in one of the pauses of the converse
tion whether Mrs. Leigh was peculiarly beau
tiful or attractive woman.
''No my DEAR she was plain"
'Was she, then, distinguished for genius or
talent of any kind ?"
''Oh, no Poor woman! she was weak, rea-
lively to him, and wholly under his control
"And what became of her ?" l said.
"She afterwards repented, and became truly
good woman" l think it was here she men
TONED that she had frequently seen and con-
versed with Mrs. Leigh in the latter part of her
life; and she seemed to derive comfort from the
recollection
/ asked, ''Was there child?" 1 had been
told by Mrs - that there was daughter,
who had lived some years.
She said there was one, daughter, who
made her friends much trouble, being of very
difficult nature to manage. had understood
that at one time this daughter escaped from her
friends to the Continent, and that Lady Byron
assisted in efforts to recover her. OF Lady
Byron's kindness both to Mrs. Leigh and the
child, had before heard from Mrs. -, who
gave me my first information.
1t is also strongly impressed on my mind, that
Lady Byron, in answer to some question of mine
as to whether there was ever any meeting be-
tween Lord Byron and his sister after he left
England, answered that she had insisted upon
1t, or made it condition that Mrs. Leigh should
not go abroad to him.
When the conversation as to events was over,
as / stood musing, l said, "Have you no evil
dence that he repented ?" and alluded to the
mystery of his death, and the message he en-
deavored to utter.
She answered quickly, and with great deci-
sion, that, whatever might have been his mean
ing al that hour, she felt sure he had finally re-
pented; and added with great earnestness, II
do not believe that any child of the heavenly
Father is ever left to eternal sim"
said that such hope was most delightful to
my feelings, but that had always regarded the
indulgence of it as dangerous one.
Her look, voice, and manner, at that moment,
are indelibly fixed in my mind. She looked at
me so sadly so firmly, and said:-
Danger, Mrs. Stowe What danger can
come from indulging that hope, like the danger
that comes from not having IL p
said in my turn, "What danger comes from
not having it?
''The danger of losing all faith in God" she
said, all hope for others, all strength to try and
save them. l once knew lady," she added,
''who was in state of skepticism and despair
from belief in that doctrine. / think / saved
her by giving her my faith"
was silent; and she continued: "Lord Byron
believed in eternal punishment fully; for, though
he reasoned against Christianity as it is COM
monty received, he could not reason himself out
of it; and think it made him desperate. He