The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-01-17
2Uiscellaneoue.
JUDITH BENSADDI.
A THRILLING STORY FOUNDED ON FAC,

From the Lexington (Va.j Gazette of 1889.
The most interesting incidents of life are such
as occur Unexpectedly, and from rare combi-
nation of circumstances. The interest is much
increased, when such incidents produce a crit
ical and perplexing state of affairs, when much
depends on the speedy decision and conduct of
the person concerned; and yet he is unable to
judge with certainty, what course si, is best To
him to the islands of the blest; but he sees, or
imagines rocks and storms by the way, which
may wreck all his hopes. He stands trembling
between hope and fear the tide of fortune be-
gins to ebb; he hestates the tide is gone,
then he bewails his indecision; and through
life looks back with sorrow on the loss OF that
golden opportunity; but finally soothes him
self with the reflection that if his hesitancy
was not fortunate, it was at least safe. He sees
in the incident itself, the hand OF Divine Prov
| idence and in his conduct, the blindness and
| weakness of human nature.
tide of that nature once happened in the
affairs of my life. 1t was sufficiently extraor-
dnary to form a narrative somewhat lnstruc-
tive and affecting and 1 will propose to relate
| it in substance as it really happened.
was born and educated in the great Valley
| of Virginia. My parents were respectable, but
| in such moderate circumstances that they could
afford me nothing more than q good education.
| was graduated at Washington College in this
professional studies, when l was threatened
! with that enemy of hard students-the con-
SUMPTION By medical advice it was determin-
| ed that should spend the approaching winter
| in the South. | bade sorrowful adieu to my
| friends, and to the romantic scenes OF my dear
native valleys never had felt so much mel
ancholy. had never travelled; my life SEEM
| ed to be wasting away with disease; my local
attachments were strong; my little circle OF
kindred and friends were nearly all the world
to me. What youth would not, under such cir
cumstances, feel deadly dependency settling
| on his heart? when from the top OF the Blue
Ridge I looked perhaps for the last time, over
the woody hills, the cultivated slopes, the cliffs
| fringed with cedar, and the smoke of my pater-
nal home, by the windings of the upland river
l wept-yes, though now man grown, wept
| bitterly as turned my horse down the south
ern declivity of the mountain. l went moplng
! on my journey. l arrived safely, however,
though in low spirits, at the place of my desti-
| nation in South Carolina.
By degrees my health and spirits revived un-
| der the influence of new scenes, genial winter
| climate, and an agreeable circle of new &C
quaintances. Much / longed for my native
mountains, but now hoped to see them again
when spring should mingle its verdure with
| the azure mist of their lofty pinnacles.
To confirm my health and to enlarge my
scanty knowledge of the world, resolved to
return by way of Charleston, and take voyage
round to the Chesapeake. Accordingly, at the
first blush of spring took seat in the Charles
| ton stage, which set out from the village. two
hours before day. found two other passengers
within, but discovering only that they were
male and female, l spoke not until daylight,
nor did they. AS the dawn gradually disclosed
their features, l was more and more struck
with their interesting appearance. soon con-
| cluded that they were brother and sister. They
| were in the bloom of youth-had brown, but
soft complexion, raven black hair, eyes of bril-
| liant jet, rotund faces, and altogether look OF
most pleasing and intelligent vivacity. The
| young lady struck me as the most beautiful
brunette that 1 had ever beheld. They were
we'll dressed, and had all the air of good breed
| ing. On seeing each other, we appeared will
| ing, on both sides, to enter into conversation
| so we began with freedom, and sosn got into
| the full flow of agreeable chat. My proposes
sions were more than confirmed. The conver-
sation of my fellow travellers charmed me with
a union of good sense, modesty, intelligence,
| vivacity and wit. There was peculiar cast
| of benevolence, both in their features and Ian
| guage-accompanied with unaffected gaiety,
and simplicity of manners. l soon found a
happy buoyancy of spirits in their company,
such as ] had never experienced since lett
| home. The young lady talked less than her
brother, but when she spoke, the sprightly good
sense of her words the sweet tones Of her voice
the kindling lustre of her eyes, and the lively
play of her pretty features, made everything
she said go warm and animating to the heart
Every sentence she uttered left a glowing sem
sation within-as if an ethereal fire had pene'
trated to the sources of animation and given ar
exhilarating impulse to all the principles OF
life Not to admire her, was impossible tc
love her-aye, with all the heart, would have
been easy ; but for me, the accidental compan.
ion of day, it seemed rash and vain. hao
never been in love; if the new feelings l ex.
perienced in her company were those of love,
was not then conscious of the fact.
I had no doubt of their being foreigners
But of what nation They spoke English al
d their mother tongue; yet their features ano
com plexion differed from my ideas of the Eng
lish people. In the course of the day, however
they informed me that they were born in Lon
don, where their forefathers had lived, tina
their father, having some business to settle il
the West Indies, had sent this, his only son to-
the purpose-and that this romantic sister o
his must needs accompany him to see the world
and, as she said, to improve her mind by IN
specting nature in the Torrid Zone, and man IL
the deepest mseres of bondage, as he existed
in the West Indies-and in the highest enjoy
ment of freedom, Gas he is in your happy coun
try" said the young gentleman. "Your siste
sees man in both extremes here" said l. -"
quite" said he; "for West Indian slav