Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-07-11
From the New Orleans Sunday Times.
A Remarkable premonition.

AIN nOG sure tlidt remember tue malQeL
name of Mrs. Stone, but it rather strikes me
it was Lane. | have seen her mother; she
was silent, coarse-featured woman, with the
unpleasant force OF iowness about her, and
have grave doubts as TO whether Mrs Stone
was really her daughter The latter had an
artificiay elegant form, was rather petite with
round, full face, low, white forehead, of tenn
permanent strongly sanguine-as indicated by
her full blue eyes and red hair Her complex
ion was beautiful she dressed with natura
taste and elegance, was easy and self-pos-
sessed-in short, thoroughly the woman to
please, attract and manage men. There was
also dangerous kind OF sentiment in her con
yersation, which was sufficiently lively and
piquant to attract but net quite to conceal the
absence Of the real and true elegance Of the
genuine woman
1t was in the summer oi i355 that I, with
two friends, whom shall designate as 7. G.
aud DR. G., spent some time at one Of our
coast watering places. OF course there is no
society without ladies', aud we soon became ac-
quainted with several among whom was Mrs.
Stone, then married some five or six months
to Mr.. Stone, a grocer doiog business 10 this
city, who had sent his wife across tie Lake
Mrs Stone at this time was about seventeen
years old; her husband, who was a stout mus
cular man and apparently attached TO her, was
about thirty FIVE It is common and just re-
mark that no woman, be she maid, wife, moth
er, or widow, is &c be trusted unless she is ha-
qDitualy under the nfueI ce Of religious prlnci-
pie or conscience, as a rule Of action. We may
make the further remark that mere physical
beauty in woman, when not allied with moral
virtue, is physiolo gcally most closely allied to
and divided from The most hideous repulsive-
ness and ugliness. remember to have once
seen in Baden, the most beautiful woman in
Europe, the mistress of person of high rank,
engaged in the excitement of high gambling !;
and close analysis Of her features and style
developed this interior uginess which, as a
shadow, was simply and merely and imme-
diately underneath the exterior splend'r. The
outer attracted, but the interior, which some
times came up to the surface, was absolutely
horrible. 1t is eq 1ally true with regard to
what the 'softer Sc" so much prize-beauty-
that where there is exterior homellness, ac-
companied with real excellence OF heart or
mind, this at times comes up to the surface to
beautify and adorn the exterior, as a cosmetic
superior, to any sold under the most grandilo-
quent names of Greek extraction.
To return, however, to our purpose. My
friend r. G., between whom and myself had
subsisted close friendship and confidence of
many years, became suddenly and violently
smitten with the charms of Mrs. Stone. He
had every requisite to please; a gentlemanly
exterior dressed well entirely at leisure had
wealth; of excellent family, and was in short
dangerous to women and was by no means
troubled with any conscientious scrupes. He
had, however, one certain friend, and that was
myself, and mother, one OF the most truly
excellent, pious and amlable OF women. A
rather dull watering place had now, however,
first class sensation-a something for the
,JIoro &b,o RI tall abpuE-and Mira
Stone and T. G. entered fully into the spirit
of If. at first merely. as they told me- TO give
those who imagined great deal more evil than
existed and who would lave died of ennui,
hut for this gustable SANDER something to
talk about, The hotel was well kept; the
moonlight boating excursions on the playful
waters of the bay charming vi the pistol
shots at the hotel considered L. G. one OF the
best Tindly ard fearfully on certain occa-
sion, Mrs Stone took from him pistol and
fred it-her first shot-with that Instrument
hnt fatally enough, both for her aud others, not
her last He undertook to instruct her in the
art of pissol-shooting, and IN few days she
succeeded in ringing the bell. This was her
first exploit in pistol-shooting, but not the last
7 remember her almost child-like glee | will
here state as the result Of my convictions land
there never were any secrets Withheld by l..
G. from mel that there was no criminality be-
tween these parties, 10 the loose sense in which
that word is employed. In the true sense Of
the more refined and virtuous Of the sex, it
was Of course criminal in Mrs. Stone not to
love her husband, aad criminal in I. G. to
love another's wife. Women, however. do not
err suddealy. It is on the large neutral space
of ground, in which they admit what they call
innocent Irritation, that women require refor-
nation if they would be virtuous. In the
meantime, however, [ undertook the part Of
Mentor, and with the usual success
"And so | interfered- and with the best
Intentions-but their treatment was not kind,
I think the foolish people were possessed,
For neither of them could ever hnd.'
The circumstance [ am about 10 relate may
to some appear Improbable; It is, however
an actual occurre. ce. The locality to which
refer on the lake shore, possesses some charm
| ing retreats Immediately under the shade o
the live oak trees, and in view and 10 the en-
ioyment of the sea breeze and they were tn
jreouept resort of parties from the hotel re
member an occasion, either there or in the ho
tel, in which, after miscellaneous converse
ton, Mrs. Stone made this remark: THAT sh