Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-15

others; she was Fair, gentle, pleasing, with
hOthing strange abpnt her but a whistfiII.
yearning melancholy that could not be ex-
planned, and that obedience to invisible
calls which at all times and,in all places she
] woulo meellly follow. - r., = -
Be7lng OF a narrow soul, Mrs. Brandon was
! not capable of great compassion. of undy
| ing devotion. Her child, without doubt.
had become a. burden. to her, While
| Chamcey loved his first-born not less. than
when for her sake he had expatriated him
self, his life was now filed to such degree
with an4ieties and perplexities, SO harrass-
/ ed was be with the estrangement of friends.
the fretfulnesS of his wife, the repining of
his children, the desertion of his servants,
and the strangeness of his ,-fated daughter.
that existence was well-nigh Ilnendurable.
He undertook to find husband for Mar
garet. The first individual upon whom he
/ liked his choice was young iron. merchant
/ III a town twenty. miles distant. He, was
an honest, agreeable, well-horn, and we'll
hammered young fellow, some two, wears
| Margaret's senior. There was no nervous
| ness, no Imagination, no susceptibility about
him; he was fuIl-blOoded youth, with a
mellow voice and an unfailing appetite, for
| good dinners. Wish this excellent young
! person Chaunceys acquaintance grew; it
! was a terrible bowling of the English gentle
mans proud son to cultivate a friendship
for such an end, and offer his daughter in
stead OF having her asked for. But, as, we
have seen, Chauncey was a man. who.
could do any thing for the good of his family
Meantime, the youthful merchant be-
heyed that his own merits caused him 10 be
sought, and plumed himself upon his own
destinations. When, after having spoken
OF his daughter, ChasIpcey offered her hand
and her fortune to his new friend, that
friend stil fondly dreamed, that his own in
nate goodness had secured him wife and
means to build up an extended and remun-
erative business. BE accepted with alac-
rity. No sooner did he begin to speak of
his prospects than kind friends related to
him The facts of Margarot's insanity; wher-
ever he went the rumor) reached his unwill-
ing ears. He had met Margaret, and she
pleased him well, but a crazy wife, an heir
loom of insanity for his future children,
were more than he anticipated in agreeing
to become Mr.. BEandoHs rson-ip law ,g He
was an honorable young man, and he went
to Mr.. Brandon frankly for an explanation.
'Still, Mrs. Brandon urged renewal of
matrimonial offers in Marearet's behalf to
some party who might be eligible, and Fate
threw into Mr.. Brandon's neighborhood a
young physician, Horace Merrill. Doctor
Merrill loved nothing so well as books,
Hampered by poverty, he had by great sac
rifces obtained classical and professional
education, but he was the student rather
than the physician. He adored theory, he
abhorred practice he lOnged to pursue his
investigations in quiet, he lOathed the exer-
else of his profession. He was refined in |
manner, kind of heart, recluse by nature,
but, being burdened by debts, was driven |
among men to toll for means to pay those
debts. After months of acquaintance, be |
said one day to Chauncey, Il detest my
business. I'd give anything, do anything, !
to get money enough to pay what owe
and live plainly in peace with my books" |
rs that SOP" said Chauncey. "You are |
a good man, and 1 can trust you. viii |
give. you my eldest girl and thirty thousand !
dollars. Most likely you have heard her
history. - q. .-... .f.-1 4
q have heard it said that she was insane >
but | do not think She looks 50, said DR..
Merrill. ...'-..---.... r.. 49, CO. -,
She is no more insane than you or l;
She has simply Inherited curse-she sees /
the Brandon ghOs-, but ghosts are unknown
in America $50. go 80 y
Il would like your version of the story, y
said the doctor. = ~, -''..- 80. ...'
''Poor Chauncey! He blushed like a
bdlrush in storm, then unfolded his &mi-
ly history. ~ b. -. ...-... -.-s
: The iron merchant shook his head Il
capnOt believe in the supernatural nv dear
sir; 1 have not the least faith in ghosts, but,
unfortunately, maniacs are hereditary. In
marrying your daughter-and indeed L !
greatly admire her-I should take a burden /
which has proved too heavy for you-the /
burden of insanity-among my children"
Mr.. brandon could have combatted this,
but he would not press his cross upon other
people. '.Forgive me if seem to have
dealt unfairly by YOU he said, .'but indeed
l have been sorely tried .. t-.
"Dear sir" answered the young man,
''you have offered me a great honor and
great advantage; pardon me if must de- I
cline it, ..... -.y.-.. 4
Thus the iron merchant passed out Of
Chauncey BrandOn's life, and for the next
few years the perplexed father made no
further effort to marry off his daughter, and I
the domestic difficulty thickened. Z
Hundreds of years ago, in the lawless 1
feudal times, said Chaqncey, zone of my
ancestors carried off from her village home
lovely maiden, a widows only child. He
kept her close prisoner in the house. He
was rich and strong, the mother poor and /
weak; she could get no egress, could not
recover her child; all she could do was to
haunt the house, going about it day and
night, crying and calling for her daughter. 4
Heart broken mother, injured child. and Z
lawless Brandon died at last, but ever since
with the wild longing that she had for her
girl, that mother pJIrsues the eldest daugh-
tiers of the house. She can draw them
with her eyes. 1t is as if they had filial
feeling for her, as if her blood ran in their
veins and her milk had fed them. They
obey her call, they go out to her longing
eyes, as her imprisoned daughter could not I
go -. a... - 4
DIR. Merrill shook his head: 'lInsanity 7
transmitted from mother to daughter, and
explained by fanciful legend" ,9-,a.. 4
~ ''Y on are mistaken; these eldest daqgh-
ters are all childless. They die spinsters or Z
wives that have never been mothers" I
'But you say the crime was committed
by a man. How unjust to imagine that Z
Heaven would visit the wrong on the lc0Rea
Of the racer o. .....'. $500. !
Chauncey replied, as one who had often !
thought Dll bilt Sullctl- IL - a CODlptQSd- Z
ton to the defrauded mother, thus to claim I
forever daughter in our house. Moreover, /
the curse falls heaviest on the fathers, who
see their daughters doomed. These women
DO not fear the Brandon ghost-it seems
part of themselves; but the fathers-ah! 1
know their misery" And tears ran down
his face. |
ga break in the chain of lives might de-
stroy the visitation" said the doctor, mus
ingly. .... .... ..... ,...'..-... !
tThere has been break" said Chaun-
eey. "My aunt, who saw this ghost, died
ten months before my sister Annie was /
born; there was then no living daughter of /
the Brandons. During those months, in !
the calInest weather, winds walled through J
all the house, shook the walls, cried in the |
chifnneys, sobbed along the entries and in ,
lonely rooms, while not leaf stirred nor |
a grass blade bent, and no blazing fires, no !.
burst of music, could Danish the chilliness Z
and the mourning cries. Then Annie was |
born, contention ceased and the yexed .
ghost Of the Brandohs had its own
again. In earliest infancy the babe |
saw presence by the cradle
invisible TO all beside. Its eyes, too young
to answer to the smile of nurse or mother,
responded to the longing glances of the
Brandon ghost. The child in its nurses
10 =