Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-02-01

lie Nelll dUOul IL bNliOSiaNNIN' 'ANN
a determination that was not likely tC
meet with defeat. But, alas . alas
what was he doing? These twoyoung
hearts were already so intertwired-sO
grown together, so reborn as one-that
to separate them was like cutting asun-
der vital parts of the human organlza
ton. The father. stern and resolute tC
do his duty, thought not Of this, bur
pressed forward in his purpose. The
tale of love, the fond prayer of ar ago
nized and breaking heart tor him to lis
ten to argument and reason-lhese were
of no avail. a parents duty must be
done. His first plan was to lock hi'
daughter in her room. He put on ex
ira bolts and paddock, for he remem
bered that 'love laughs at locksmlths.
When he was about to leave her after
all this preparation for her satekeeping
had been made, he remarked
Il do all this because | love you, my
child. Yon cannot escape, and no one
can obtain access to you. Reflect on
all | have said to you. Forget this man
and save me the pain of making you a
prisoner.
His voice faltered. and he looked at
her with implOring eyes. She was sit
ting, weeping, pale and trembling. In
an instant she sprang to her feet, and,
standing proudly before her father, ex-
claimed
Father, do your worst lmprison
me, starve me, drive me to madness /;
but never, never will forget or cease
to love the man to whom, before God,
stand this hour betrothed =
She stood looking heavenward for a
moment then she reeled and fell e1
hausted to the floor.
The father looked at his child as if his
pity was about to overcome him, but in
a moment he recovered himself, and ad-
vanced toward the door.
"Undutiful, wicked child" were his
words as he closed the door, and, draw
ing first one bolt and then another, II
nally made all secure with the paddock.
AS he went away, he said : May God
give me the frmness to do my parental
duty"
The sad village tale, as now told by
all relates to that Imprisonment contln-
ued for some ten days. After a day or
two, additional severity was added by
making bread and water the only food
offered to the poor prisoner No one
except the father ever approached the
room. He found his daughter growing
palcr and paler,s and weaker and weaker
Most of the time she was in bed. Re
pealedly he attempted to talk with her,
but her only reply was
you may Kill my poor body, but my
love is undying."
"What nonsense :" replied the father.
pray to God to fill your heart with
love and obedience to parental authori-
ty! Have done with sickly sentimen-
tality."
But this sickly sentimentality was a
passion as strong as life and reason. AL
ready it was doing its work. Health
was falling and hour by hour the mind
itself was yielding. There were whis-
pers in the village Of what was going
on, but the full facts were not known.
One morning the father went to the
room, bearing, as was his custom, her
food and drink, which still consisted OF
the portion of bread and water To his
surprise he heard her singing. He lis
tened and heard the words of a song
which had always been favorte one
with his daughter. The verses she was
singing were the following
81 love thee, as the glad bird loves
The freedom Of It's wing,
On which delghtedly it moves
In widest wandering.
al love thee, as love the swell
And bu>h OF some low strain,
Which bringeth by its gentle spell,
The past of life again.
Then all became still for a moment or
two. Then there was a moaning and
weeping, followed suddenly by laughter
and talking. The father made haste to
enter. feeling no little alarm from the
strange proceedings. When he entered
he found his daughter sitting up in her
bed, with a wild look about her eyes,
which he had never noticed before.
ala, ha, ha, dearest, | will meet you.
Will come on the wings of love. Fa-
ther, cruel father has forgotten the key
hole. Ha, ha, ha.
The father fled from the room with
out seeing or hearing more. A terrible
fear, for the first time, took possession
of him. He ran with the greatest speed
for the family physician, who came al
most as speedily to see the poor suffer
er. When he saw her face looking se-
rious enough, and he was not long in
the parents that their daugh-
ter was insane The father was shocked
and overwhelmed. He frankly told of
all that he had done, and blamed him
self, though he declared that he thought
he was doing no more than was his
duty. Sadness fell more gloomy than
ever upon that house, and the whole vii
lage was stirred by the circumstances, ,as
related from mouth to mouth.
The young lady grew worse and
worse. At length her actions were such
that it was decided 20 be necessary to
remove her TO All asylum. She is now
an inmate of the institution at Utica. A
very touching scene occurred in the cars
when she suddenly broke forth in the
hearing of the passengers, many of whom
had been told of her condition and his
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