New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-15
SAD FALL OF AN ACCCo APlIsRED
WOMAN.
4 Former Belle New an Gutcss N or
Meeting with an cid Lover.

From the Chicago post-l
There might have been seen, on me after
nooa OF Sunday last, in the parlor OF re-
spectacle citizen of Chicago, a scene the ike
of which is rot often to be witnessed even II
this busy and versatile city OF commerce, OF
good, and of evil. IN pari0r which IS no
sable for taste. on whose walls hang num-
Der of beautiful ngs-some OF them
rare works OF vertu; where there are some
tine SPECIMENS of the plastic art; where
everything indicates taste, and culture, and
refinement, there sat on q sofa the gentleman
of the house, and near him noted woman
Of the town." When We say that he 10 the
head of family, the father OF seven children,
that ne has moved in the best literary cir.
cles of the country, and that no suspicion
of present i'll habits can justly attach 70 him
whatever may have been the irregularities
of his youth-we have said enough to indi-
cate that the woman was there for good and
not for evil. That singular interview IL
wolves sad history, and q deplorable ruin
of woman once lovely and still beautiful.
The following are the outlines:
Some fifteen years ago or more the gen
tleman, attending college in neighborlng
State, became acquainted with & young ady
whom we shall call Vinny Veam. She was
very beautiful, Intelligent, accomplished
the reigning belle of the town, in fact. lie
! fell desperately in love with her. but never
declared his passion, Tor the only reason,
as he says, that the lady seemed to be lack
ing in religious principle. She would occa.
sionaily scott at sacred things quality
which was especially distBsteiul to him
who, though not practically g Christian,
profoundly believes in the tenets OF that
faith. Nevertheless. he showed his adnl-
ration OF VIuny's beauty, wit an1 talents
in thousand ways, and the thousand
tongued gossip of d country town had them
engaged We judge from the gentle
mans account Of this episode n his former
| life, that the sentiments OF Fiuny coward
| him were little warmer thau ordinary
| friendship.
Be this as It may, the memory OF her had
for years been tender spot in MS mind.
| Judge of his feelings, then, when, on Fri
dav last, IS he was standing on the corner
! Of Deaborp aud Monroe streets, he saw his
| old fame approaching IN the unmstaka6le
surface gargeOusuesS and fuery OF {. woman
Of the town. They had not seen each other
for fifteen years. Their eyes met, and on
the recognition the poor woman burst
into q food Of tears. He spoke with her
kindly, gave her his card, with his address,
and said: Come and tell me how II i,
| Vinny Chat is not her name poWt though !
know, alas, how it is ana may be something
! can be done Sac promised TO come, and
passed on still weeping.
/ At the interview in tae parl0r she tod her
| history. and here it ID III brief:
She he'd fallen ia love with . student from
! New York, in the junior class, 3 very fine
! locking, generous fellow, she said. They
were both young. They attended balls, and
| parties, and exhibitions together. They
were engaged to be married. From these
| intimate relations came sin.
| As !oye's wild prayer dissolved Z az,
Her Womans heart gave way
| Her lover got into difficulty, and was dis
missed from college six montbs before the
evidence of their guilt came 10 life. Before
| this, however, her tamily-one OF the most
| aristocratic of the town-hac removed 20
another State. There, soon after the birth
of her child, she became insane, aud was
sent to an asylum, where she remained
many months before 81 cure was effected.
Then her child and family were gone, and
| she, more insane she says, than when
| ! was confined in the maniaC's cell, Gelib-
ersteIy adopted life OF shame. Despised
and scorned by my own family, and by the
rest of the world, of course, took this in
! sane method of revenge" She admitted
| that she took wild sort Of pleasure in her
wicked life, and averrei that almost the
only human feeling she has had in all these
years was when she suddenly saw her old
| friend, and the sight Of him brought back
recolections of her pure and happy days,
! which completely overpoWered her.
| She does not admit that she would Ike to
| be good woman" but says she has known
many young girls in her disreputable line Of
| life who are unutterably miserable, and who
would reform if they could. But that is
| impossible" she continued; there is but
| one thing to wipe out the shame, and that
is death" Seeing her in this obstinate
frame OF mind, our friend did not urge any
| further argument for reformation, except to
say, that, should she determine upon re-
| formed life, she could make his house her
home. She was deeply affected by this
| Offer so entirely unexpected, and at last
| promised to reflect seriously about it.
But the party most affected by the dis
| covery of this public woman, is the gentle
man. She has managed, he says, to pre-
serve her beauty wonderfully well, and tie
believed that if she would reform, hence.
forth living pure and honest life. she might
be able to accomplish a great deal for the
suppression Of an evil which has SO far
eluded the curative skill of every known pee
pie. However this may be, it is certain the
accidental meeting of this woman on Dear
born street by our friend, knowing what she
is and what she was, has given him fit Of
sadness and absolute griefWhichl 1t is deeply
affecting to behold.