Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-05-24


mi IDS, when Burr re-cntered with a tall
an | elegant female leaning on his arm.
Sac was attircd in simple white dress,
with a wreath of ivy encircing her large
straw bonnet, and lace veil completely
concealing her countenance. Burr whis-
pered a few words, apparently encOur-
aging her to advance, and then grace
fully raising her veil, discovered to us a
face of proud, surprising beauty. / re-
collect, as well as if it happened yester-
day, how simultaneous the murmur of
applause burst from the lips of all pres
ent. Turning to the plaintiff, Mr.. Burr
asked, in Il cold, quiet tone:
"Do you know this LADY,"
T do."
"Will you swear to that?"
81 will. 70 the best of my knowl-
edge and belief she is my daughter"
Scan YOU swear to the IDENTIFY"
81 can"
"What is her age:"
"She was thirty years old on the Goth
day of April"
"When did YOU last see her?"
"At her own house about fortnight
since" ....
"When did you see her previous to
that meeting:"
The plaintiff hesitated-a long pause
ensued-the question was repeated and
the answer at length was:
son the l4th day of May, II"
"W When she was just three weeks old!''
added Burr
"Gentlemen," continued he, turning
to us, 81 have brought this lady here as
an important witness, and such, think,
she is. The plaintiffs counsel has plead
ed eloquently i'll behalf of the bereaved
husband, who escaped the perils of the
sea, and returned only to find his home
desolate But who will picture to you
the lonely wife, bending over her daily
toll, devoting her best years to the
drudgery of sordid poverty, supported
only by the hope of her husbands re-
turn? Who will picture the slow pro-
cess of Notwithstanding, the anguish of
hope deferred, and finally the ovcrwhelm-
ing agony which came upon her when her
last hope was eXtinguished, and she was
compelled to believe herself indeed a
wi low? Who can depict all this with
out "; ke..ing III your hearts the warm
est sympathy for the deserted wife, and
the utmost scorn for the IN, pitiful
wretch who could thus trample on the
h art of one whom he had sworn to
love and cherish? We need not i'll
quire into his motive for acting so base
a part Whether it was a love of gain
or licentiousness, or selfish indifference
it matters not; he is too vile thing to
be judged by such laws as govern men,
Let us ask the witness-she who now
stands before us with the frank, fearless
brow of true-hearted woman-let Us
ask which of these has been to her 8
father"
Turning to the lady, in tone whose
sweetness was strange contrast Will
the scornful accent that just character
lied his words, he besought her to relat
briefly the recollections of her early life
a slight flush passed over her prou'
and beautiful face as she replied:
"My first recollections are of small
ill.furnishel apartment, which my siste
and myself shared with my mother
She used to carry out every Saturda.
evening the work which had occupied he
during the week, and bring back EN-
I, ployment for the following one. Say
! ING this wearisome visit to her employer
! and her regular attendance at church
she never left the house. She ofte
spoke of my father, and of his antlc'
I pated return, but at length she ceased t
T mention him, though | observed sh
used to weep more freqently than ever
, | then thought she wept because W
/, were poor for it happened that our SUI
, port was only bit of dry bread; an
= She was accustomed by the light of tn
: chips which she kindled to warm hC
!. famishing children, because she coul
not purchase candle without deprlvin
us of our merning meal. Such was OF
poverty when my mother contracted
{ second marriage, and the change to l
u was like a sudden entrance to Paradis
Is We found home and father" 81
:, paused.
J ''Would you turn my own child agaih
u me ?' cried the plaintiff, and he imp
- - tiently waved his hand for her to be
~ lent.
g g The eyes of the witness flashed fire
w. she apoke.
y "You are not my father" exclaim'
80 she. vehementlv. "What! call you n
i. II father-you who so basely left yo
1o m wife to toll and your children to be
10 . garry? Never Never! Behold there II
r.. father!'' pointing to the aggitated 9
w fendant. "There is the man who waite
~ ed over my infancy who was the sh'
I'd er of my childish sports, and the gut
~ dian of in my experienced youth. The
~ is the man who claims my affection a
.er ~ shares my home; there is my Jdth
AS for youder selfish wretch, know h
af- not"
'ar She drew her veil closely around ]