Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-04-27

this city stranger, young girl in her
teens, who gave her name as Lizzie Carl
ton. Nothing more was known of her
than that she was accompanied hither by
young man who was, OF pretended to
be, deaf and dumb, and who left at once
after aiding her In securing situation
in the establishment of Mrs. Williams.
q milliner and dressmaker on na1drth
street, nearly opposite the spot where
Barker's New York store now stands.
Lizzie was a handsome brunette, with
a wealth of raven hair which swept the
floor. with bright expressive eyes, and.
altopether, genteel and dignified in her
general appearance. From her ladylike
deportment and close attention to the III
terests of her employer, she was soon
made superintendent of the establishment
The social lines were not so strongly
marked and scrupulously guarded then
"a now. and hence the beautiful stranger
was soon received into the best company
forming a number of friends outside Of
her business circle, among Others Mrs
e, a prominent member of the Baptist
Church. at whose house Lizzie was fire.
auent visitor. She, in time, attached her
self to that church, and became a most
exemplary member
During her visits to Mrs E. she met
Philip Slaughter, himself one of the pill
lars of the church. who, after living IN
single blessedness for years, enjoying his
wealth and family station all alone soon
conceived a tender sentiment tor the
vouue and lovely sister. Old bachelors
are considered public property In 80 far
that a lively public interest IL always
manifested in their matrimonial welfare,
and hence it WAS not long sitter the m tch-
makers put their heads together until the
twain were made one The marriage
ceremony was performed at the B'ptist
Church, then standing on the south west
corner of Fifth and Green streets, the Rev.
Mr.. Buck officiating. The happy bride
and groom, accompanied by a number IT
their brothers and sisters, repaired TO the
residence of Mr.. Slaughter, about ten
miles from the city, on the B4rdstown
nike. to partake of the usual festivities.
The HONEYMOON witnessed mutual
growth of admiration between the two,
and not only the honey moon, bat several
other moons, waved and waned. and drip
ped with honey "sweeter than the honey
comb"
Alas that mans avariee and brutality
shOuI0 DredR III 10 mar uGebt'S
scene of happiness like this
About sunset one evening the door-bell
rang. Lizzie-now Mr.. SlauRhter-left
her husbands bedside, (he WAS confined
70 his room by a slight illness At this
time,) arranged her toilet, and descended
to the parlor.
One piercing scream, that startled the
echoes and shook the rafters, aroused Mr..
Slaughter, who rushed down stairs
What was his astoni-hment and di-may
when he found his bride fainting on the
floor, and a strange gentleman, attended
by policeman, bending over her.
"Sir," said the stranger. "this woman Il
my slave. Her name is Malinda Cas-.
SIN Mississippisn-here Is the bill Of
sale. bought her few months before
she escaped from my home. have been
on Der track for long time and now she
must return with me-"
The distress of this unfortunate couple
drew az once a large concourse of their
friends, who were as much at loss what
| TO advise in the midst of these strange re-
lations as were those most deeply con-
cerned.-The husband, after the feat par
oxysm of his grief had subsided, vowed
eternal fidelity to his wife, bond or free.
and with the assistance of Deacon Elliot.
Rev. Mr.. Buck and others, it was arranged
that, to quiet matters, the stranger should
be Unidentified for tho loss of his slave,
and little party of friends met at the
Gait House, where the Mississippian re-
ceived 500 for compensation and return
ed home.
But Mr.. s. being a rather feeble-min9ed
ana easily influenced man, was so beset
h.-h ic ralo4iyn1 4hat he uhonAnnaA If5
wife, as they could not tolerate one in
such relation as that. who bad one drop
of African blood in her veins, however
concealed beneath a fair exterior. He
turned the poor woman into the street,
and she, broken hearted, went from place
to place in the capacity of a seamstress,
soon after giving birth TO a son. She
managed to support herself and child, and
to bear up under all her misfortunes un-
til Mr.. s. married another. She at once
took to her bed, was kindly attended by
the Sisters of Charity and few of the
Baptist sisters 10 this city, until she died
of broken heart.
Mr.. Elliott went South to learn a true
statement of her history, but the reports
there were as conflicting they had in
the meantime come TO be here.
Lizzie Carlton persisted to the last that
she was a pure Caucasian-a free woman.
She related that her mother. a Portu-
guese. on reaching this country, being a
dark brunette, formed the scquaintance
of wealthy planter in New Orleans,
who became so infatuated with her that
be took her to bis home, and to conceal
bis purposes from his wife. got her con-
sent TO pass as his servsnt-her appear
ance enabling her to assume the character
of bright mulatto. Lizzie was the IF.
spring of this illicit strategy. and the
planter, dying suddenly, and without
disclosing the trne character of his is
tress, (who herself died soon after) Liz
zie, while quite a child, descended to the
heirs with the other slaves of the estate
and the estate becoming involved, she
was sold to a stranger-the same who af-
forwards visited Louisville in search of
his property. She further stated that the
gentleman who brought her here was her
half-brother, the son of her mothers Sc
Queer, and that she fed to escape the per-
secutions of her purchaser, who persisted
in soliciting favors which her womsnly
virtues coul dnot tolerate.
A few pitied and more blamed the I'M
fortunate woman for imposing herself. As
they called il, upon this community. But
time has mellowed the harshness of the
sentiment which was then prevalent and
made unanimous the opinion that her
story was true IN all respects. The oldest
hsbitants of Louisville now declare
their belief that she was indeed the
daughter of Portuguese woman that
she was altogether gifted with splendid
virtues, and was the innocent victim of
the strategy of her parents, and was. of
course, as much entitled to the rights of
a free woman as any one who walks
Fourth street to-day. Her fathers and
mothers sudden death was the cause of
all her troubles; even her ostensible own
err was ignorant of her true history. How
terribly, in this instance, were the sins of
the parents visited upon the child.