Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-05-09
Bride of the Black Veil.

O44NO VA LAO o4dSA v O14S
The Chronicle newspaper, of Cincinnati.
gives the points of little romance in reality
which deserves narration if on no other ac-
count than because it is thoroughly un Ameri.
can. During the summer of 1869 an only
son of one Of the WcalIhiest merchants of the
city above named, while ruralizing for the
season in Adams county, same State, had his
vOlative fancy strongly attracted by n village
belle of more than ordinary beauty aud ac-
cOmplishments, aud forthwith devoted him,
self to what he intended should be no more
than harmless sentimental pas;ime. The
young lady, however, was not person to be
hIrted with and then Forgotten, like the or.
binary country lass, and early in the acquaint-
ance the city beau found himself too seriously
interested to carry out his first self cOneeited
idea. In fact, before returning to the city he
made an explicit aYOWai of his Interchangeable
AHectlOn, and, after persistent solicitation, inS
uuced the maiden to promise him her hand
1t his family should approve the engagement.
This latter was consideration which had not
yet entered into the spcGulations of the hasty
sultor, aud the more lie thought of it after the
remainder the less became his confidence in
the likelihood of its favorable result Still,
upon rejolniDg his father in the city, he man
fully related all the circumstances of the case
CA pIdIucu luaL MS sweetheart was q WelI-e0u-
Gated orphan, with S3 900, and earnestly be-
sought the pateTnaI consent to his proposed al
lance. The old gentleman was au invalid,
very anxious that his son should be we'll set
tied in domestic life before succeeding to his
PatrimOuy but the idea of that only sons
marriage with country girl of neither family
nor aPPrecIable estate was not at all agreeable
TO him, and, upon finally exacIing the sup
pIementry information that the daughter iu-
law proposed to him was \ Roman Catholic
he Hatly refused TO sanction the nisaIiiance
Furthermore, his arguments were of such
force, OF the Glial mind to which they were
addressed of such weakness. that the SON him
self began to doubt the wisdom Of his own
choice, aud in consequence wrote to Adams
county letter Of implied Tetractiun not to be
misunderstood by any high. spirited girl la
short, he required her to change her religion
aud her very proper answer was a formal re.
lease OF him from all engagement with the
writer. While, however, the girl had the
self-respect and virtuOus strength of mind to
accord such release to another, she could not
as readily free her own heart from the absorb.
ing love to which it had been committed for
lie; aud accordingly, after acting as
above, she Withdrew quietly from her native
village and entered a convent III "a ueighbOring
State as a boardcr, thus seekiu: the consoia-
tiOn Of religion for her grief, and preparing
herself, as she contemplated, Tor au ultimate
retirement from the world for life. So, the
tickle lover, with his dying father, and the re.
Jected lady III nunnery, the two remained
virtual strangers to each other until n short
time ago, when, one day after receiving u let
ter, the fair novice was surprised in her room
by one OF the sistcrhoOd ON her knees in pas
sIOnaie prayer for n soul departed aud another
almost fO nc
lous characters, was from the uufaithful lover
OF two years ago, relating his fathers recent
death aud his own critical illness aud implor-
ing the Only woman he had ever loved to come
to him at once. He was being cared for by
his two sisters in n country house belonging
TO the family, short distance from Cincinnati
aud thlther, at his summons. repaired the one
OF all the world whose presence and Forgive
ness were necessary to the peace of his self
accusing soul. The reunion Of the lovers
took place beside the death bed of the mer-
chants son, who, IN his conscieu u ce- stricken
importantly, would not credit the pardon of
his visitor unless she should consent to wed
him as he lay there dying. His mourning
sisters joining in this eutreaty, the orphan
could not maintain her first refusal; aud so,
with death at the door, priest performed the
ceremony of marriage, aud in less than an
hour thereafter a widowed maid Wept with the
sisters for her dead. After the funeral it was
made known that the departed bridegroom
had bequea,hed fult half Of his rich inher-
itancc to his wife, VINO, it is understood, will
endoW with it the convent IN which il is her
intention to assume the black veil. Thus
ends romance of a tone and colOTing savouring
far mOIe of Europe than America, aud not
altogether Insignificant, perhaps, of the transi.
tiOnal religious changes assim ulating US more
and more every year - the spiritual systems
of older countries.
A Sorru ruC,ro,,.,.C,s.n rL