Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-10-11
A WONDERFUL CAREER
STRANGE HISTORY OF A YOUNG
LADY.

years ago there resided in r. county,
Kentucky, about eighty miles south Of Gin
cinnati, family composed of a father,
mother and two children-a son and a
daughter. They were well-to-do, being
the owners of one Of the finest farms in
Central Kentucky, and of the purest and
best lineage that the old Blue Grass State
can boast of. At the time i'll which we
introduce our story both the son and
daughter were az school, the young lady
attending seminary at Covington, where
she was among the elite of Kentucky's fair
daughters.
Her education finished, she returned to
her rural home, and as her brother too had
just graduated, and there being a some
what numerous circle of young people
about her home, she passed the first year
after her graduation quite contentedly I'M
der her parental roof. In the spring of
1869 her brother went awaytO Gin cinnati
and accepted 4 situation in commercial
house, leaving his sister at home with the
old folks. There had been, that spring, a
general breaking up of the select social cir
Gle in which she had moved in the neigh
borhOOd Of her home, and so, as the sum-
mer passed, Miss Sallie, as we will call her,
found herself troubled with ennui and dis
content.
She was ali ambitious girl, and having
ndu IilC lulSIOrJunc 10 WTllc one or TWO
passable sketches of fiction and little poems,
which had been published in literary
journal, she became infatuated with the
cacOetheS Scribe1ldi, than which no disease
can be mora fatal, except it se spinal men,
ingitis or ASiatic cholera SO nothing
would do but she must go to Cincinnati,
to gain livelihood with her pen. Her
parents demonstrated, but to no avail. To
90 she had made up her mind, and go she
would.
Finally, finding that eXpostulations and
entreaties were Of no avail, the grieving
parents fitted their willful daughter out to
the extent of their ability, which was not
| by any means meager, and with we'll
filed trunk and purse, hopeful heart and
aspiring brain, the nineteen-year-old
country girl whirled away on the cars to
POrkOpOlis.
Arriving there she had no difficulty in
finding her brother, who provided her with
elegant lodgings, and sought to procure her
employment behtting her station and aspi-
rations. But he found that literary talent
was 10y no means drug in the market
even i'll a city SO celebrated for mediocIity
as is Cincinnati, and after making the
round Of the press, daily, weekly, BIZ
/ weekly and monthly, secular and re-
! ligious, news and literary, he concluded
that if his sister was to shine in the literary
! armament, Cincinnati was not the par
! ticular system in which her orbit was to be
! cast.
He therefore advised her to return home,
and he would still keep up his search for a
position for her, and would acquaint her
! Immediately with his success if he should
meet with any. But this her pride would
! not permit her to do. Size said she had
started out to make her fortune, and she
/ did not propose TO return home no richer
OF more famous than when she went
away
She then determined to come TO st.
Louis, where she had some fricnds-young
/ ladies whom she had met at school. AIri-
wing at st. Louis, she made a pleasant visit
/ to her old friends, and remained there
! during Il greater part of the winter OF
| 1SGg-'7O. Her financial wants were sup
piled from time to time by her brother, and
thus she found the first part Of her journey
in search Of fame and fortune all exceed
! inSly smooth road TO travel. Gifted i'll
! every paIticular-in person, in manner
and in mnd-beautiful far beyond the
| average Of young ladies; spirited, bright
I and cultivated, her winter in st. Louis be-
! came moro Of belJeShip than a struggle
] for livelihood.
| Meanwhile her brother had gone into
/ business. on his hOWn account i'll Cincln-
natl, and early in the spring of 1870 he
| suffered from Il reverse of fortune which
! stranded him and wrecked his father, who
! had become deeply involved with him by
| going upon his paper.
This news was communicA' ed to theyoung
| lady, but Sailie had too much Of the Ken
| lucky pluck and pride about her to think
OF throwing herself burden upon her
bankrupt family. Accordingly she told
! her friends that her season of pleasure
! must come to an end, and that she must
| do something to earn livelihood for her
| self. Availing herself Of the services OF
| her friends she was soon installed as an in
| structess in one Of the public schools of st.
| Louis at a remunerativc salary.
! Here she performed her duties so well
! that she attracted the notice of those in
/ charge of the school and she became one
of the most highly esteemed Of the whole
! faculty. She continued to write for the
press, but her ill-success in this particular
! seemed TO be as persistent as her success
as teacher was gratifying.
She remained in st. Louis until July,
! 1871, when she accepted an offer OF a posi-
ton as teacher in one Of the towns Of Holt
county, in the northwest part OF the State.
What led her to leave st. Louis does not
| appear, but it TaS nothing discreditable TO
the young lady, and she came to Holt
county with high recommendations and a
a. character as unspOtted as the snow. Not
! long after she had assumed her duties in
/ her new location she attracted the notice
of young lawyer, real estate agent and
politician Of the town in which she was
! teaching, and bis address soon became sc
aSsiGuQDs that he was allowed to monOp0-
/ liZe her society. This intimacy was not
con iucive to Sallie's welfare, for it hap
pencd that her walm, cOnliding nature,
! and the utter abandon Of her affection fOI
the rOue who had wound his web about
her made her an easy victim to his arts
The rest goes without saying. Willis tells
it in
GAS loves wild prayers desolved d in air,
Her wCman's heart gave way"
When she had sufficiently recovered her
self to comprehend the situation, she be
came thoroughly desperate, and visited the
office of her b2trayer, aimed aud bent on
mischief. He succeeded in calming her,
however, by promising speedy settlement
of all existing complications at the altar.
She insisted that she must be made his
wife without delay, but lie finally per-
suaded her to wait until some little prepa-
ration could be made, for the sake, at
least. of outward prOpriety. The next day
tie artist was not to be found, he having
availed himself of the gloom and quiet that
alwal intervel es between two days, to-
-ether with the running arrangements OF
the Council Bluffs railroad, to put distance
between himself and lis victim.
Sallie was now helpless. TOO proud to
make known the story of her wrongs, and
too sensitive to face the world cvcu with
the consciousness Of her shame locked up
III her own breast, she could not bear 20
stay where he was. Her bank account
was limited, and the twO hundred aud fifty
check signed by Lcr betrayer, which she