Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-04-07


m DenjamIn VEest's Marriages.
About the middle of the (eight.
eenth) century young West had an
obscure lodging in Strawberry Alley
and painted portraits at a guinea 8
head-painted signs too, for few
shilIings when portraits and guineas
were not to be had-AThe Cask OF
Beer, - or &c The Jolly Fiddlers. " A
picture Of st. Ignatius, after Ma-
rillo, having been captured on Span
ish brigantine by the Brftda'afd, fell
into the possession of Governor
Hamilton at Bush Hill West cop
led it, and humored some of his port
ly patrons by painting them in the
altitude of the saint. Mad Anthony
Wayne, then a handsome, gallant,
showily dressed young fellow, was
often seen on the streets with the
mild-mannered, apple-cheeked Qua
ker lad. He brought as many of his
fashionable friends as he could per-
suade to sit for their portraits to the
hungry young artist, and it is limited
not only made military man of him,
but introduced him to charming Miss
Betty Shewell, with whom West,
in his orderly, proper way, fell in
love. Miss Shewell's brother, how.
ever, being a man with an income,
had no mind that his pretty sister
should marry man who had none,
and whose occupation was held to be
not half so genteel as that Of a tai
lor. He therefore locked Miss Betty
up in her room, Just about the time
that one of the Aliens, who was send
ing ship laden with grain to the
starving Italians, offered Benjamin
a passage on her to Leghorn. But
love laughed at lock-smishs then as
now. The Quaker Romeo aud his
Juliet saw each other, though one
was in the garden and the other in
the window, and vowed eternal faith.
West promised TO win fameand mon.
ey and his sweetheart promised to
come to him to the ends of the earth
as soon as he should send her word
he had enough of the latter neces-
sary to keep them from starvation.
The remainder of the story Bishop
White told DR.. Swift, of Esston,
Pennsylvania. West, as we all know,
succeeded rapidly in winning both
fame and money, and as soon as
he was established first favorite at
Hampton Court, sent 10 Miss Shew-
ell to claim her part of the promise.
Her brother was still inexerahle, and
did not consider painter, though
he were Georges Own, . fit match
for the daughter of a asblue-blooded
Philadelphia family He locked
Miss Betty up again in her chamber.
The story went out through the
town. Popular ympathy was with
the lovers; Stephen SheweH was de-
nounced as o tyFant; and many
glanees of pity and encouragement
were cast at the high lstticed win
dow behind which was the fair cap
tive maiden. The ship was in the
harbor ready to sail, in which West
had arranged that his bride should
come to him, under the escort of his
father. The day arrived for her de-
parture. At this crisis DR.. Franklin
appeared as the good angel, and
proved himself quite as competent to
direct a love affair as the lightning
or draft in a stove. With Bishop
White, then a lad of eighteen, and
Frank Hopkinson, he went to the
ships captain and arranged with Him
to delay starting until night, but to
be ready to weigh anchor at mo,
ments warning Old Mr.. West was
then taken on board, and at midnight
Franklin, oung tHPhh " hhiitte. iitte and Hop
kinson repaired 10 Stephen Shewelrs
house, fastened ripe ladder to
Miss Betty Tia1ow, held It while
she deseendeds and condncted her
safely to the ship, which set sail as
soon as she was on board. The low
ers were married and lived happily
together. But Stephen Shewell new
er forgaYe his sister, nor did she or
her husband ever return to this coun-
try.
The story is romantic enough for
fiction, but hears every weight of
authority. DIR. Swift states that
he CALLED the venerable Bishop on
his part as knight-errant to this
modern Dolorida, he replied that he
had done right, adding with warmth
that ''if it were TO do over again,
/ should act in precisely the same
way. God meant them toI come
HagperS Magazine. Q