Smyrna times., 1878-12-11
Death at the Toilet.

how poorly you have been all the week; and Ir.
world for you"
"PshGw, mother! nonsense, nonsense.
BE persuaded for once. my daughter / beg of
you Oh dear. dear what night it is, too-lt pOurs
rain like ptchforks and blows perfect hurricaneH =
You'll get wet my child, and catch cold you may
RELY on IT, Come now won't YOU stop at home with
me tonight daughter? yes do be good and stay!
I'll have lots of nights to be home with you, and
I'll go Mrs. BIS party to-nightif it rains cats and
dogs along with pltchforks.'
such were, very nearly, the words, and such was
the manner in which Miss A. D expressed her
determined to act in defiance of her too indulgent
parents wishes and entreaties.
She was the only child of her widowed mother and
had but few weeks before completed her twentieth
year, with Notwithstanding her many vain en-
deavors-nO other prospect before her but that OF
Certainly, the twentieth year may be generally con
sdcred the time of life when female beauty begins to
blossom into real lOvenes, II the former years has
been occupied in acquiring useful knowledge and
the principles of Christian duty But when the seeds
OF vanity folly and dccit are SOwn i'll the nursery and
nOurished at home and at school by rtatiOns useless
visits and the immoral current literature of the age
the essence of a girls youth, never guarded by
mOdeSty, may be properly expected To vanish with
her teens. Although belonging to a respectable
family and bv nature endowed with rich fund Of
intellectual ability weaker more frivolous and con
ceed creature than Miss A. D. it would be very
hard to find She was the torment of her He,recEs
parent. and the nuisance of acquaintanceS.
Her mothers circumstances were very strained,
sucing barely to enable them to maintain position
i'll what IS called respectable society nevertheless this
young woman continued, by some means or other To
crafty her pcchnRt for dress and gaddcd about here
ana there, ana everywhere the galulIy QttIcd
young person in the neighborhood Though far from
having pretty face fair figure, for she was both
stopped ana bousy yet she believed herself hand
some; and by vulgar, hlppant forwardneSs: es-
pecially when mixed in company cXtoTted such at
tenOns as persuaded her that others thought She
For two years She had been an occasional patient Of
mine. The settled pallor, the tallOwyneSs of her
complexion, COnjUnty with other symptoms evi
denced the existence of stomach and Liver plant
frequent sensations OF oppression and pain in the
chest which plainly indicated organic diSglSt.
saw enough to warrant me in warning her mother
of the possibility of her daughters sudden death
from this cause, and the imminent peril which She
exposed herself to by dancing late hours &c, but
Mrs D-S rcmOnStrances, gentle and aticCtiOnae as
they were always, thrown away upon her hcadstrUng
daughter
| Church, when Miss A. D., humming the words of q
popular song, lighted her lamp and withdrew to her
room 10 dress III leW moments Shc called sarah,
! the hired girl and gave her sound rating for not
having starched and roned some article Of dress that
| she had intended to put on that evening.
Seated beside the stove in her little pariOr Mrs.
D had commenced reading the account OF a pre-
| possessing American young lady who had gone to
Paris and there married very wealthy officer of the
| French army.
The story was very interesting. and much time had
passed unnotced: the clock told a quarter to eight
| AnneteS toilet was usually lubOriOus business
and therefore her long absence excited surprise in
| the mind Of her fond parent. The noise she had
made in walking to and from her dressing table had
| ceased for some time; but then her mother thought
She might be engaged at the mirror i'll adjusting heI
+.
may arrive az any moment ana the Sirl should bt
ready 70 receive him. said Mrs. D in 4 Subducd
| tone of voice.
Taking hold of the little call bell on her table She
rang it, and Sarah was soon by her side.
DO you know sarah" said Mrs. D., whether
| Miss Annette is yet ready for the party?'
e. don't know, ma'am," replied the girl, " took
her the curling irons about half hour ago and sht
| seemed to be then a little out of humOr.
! 90 up TO her room and see If she wants anything
said Mrs D..
The girl went up stairs and knocked at the bed
| TiUDr twice. thrice bI!t received
answer There a dead silence, except when the
storm shook the windows. Could Miss Annett,
have fallen asleep? lmpOssibler Sarah knocked
again. bat unSuccessfully, she ttustered; and after
moments pause. opened the door and entered
glass
why la met commenced Sarah in a petulan
tone, walking toward her young mistress, here
have been knocking for five minutes, and
lIOrrorstruck, she staggered against the bed utter
| ing loud shrek, which alarmed Mrs D., VIII
instantly tottered up stairs and tainted sh
beheld the liieleSs form of her daughter. Miss A
D was dead
sent for. 1t was stormy night in March, and tn
dcsoae aspect of things abroad deserted streets tn
dTcaPy. bowling wind, and the nCeSSant pattcring
the rain contributed to cast a gloom over my 0w
mind. when connected with the intelligence of tn
event that had summoned Inc out
On reaching the house found Mrs. A. D worl
ing in violent fit surrounded by several of hC
neighbors, who had been called TO her assistance.
repaired instantly to the scene of death, and behel
what never shall forget. There was table toward
the further side of the room, and on it stood loOl
| "
various articles belonging to the toilet lay scattere
aboutIPns, curling papers; ribbons gloves: &c 4
| 4. D. stone dead. Her head rested upon her rgl
hand her elbow supported by the table, while ht
left hung down by her side. graspng pair of curtin
i irons each of her wrists encrcled by a show
gilt bracelet Her face was turned toward the glas
= | which by the light of the lamp reflected with frgh
! ful fidelity the clammy. fixed features, daubed ov
r with rouge and carmine, the fallen lower jaw,
directed full into the mirror with cold dull star
} that was appalling. On examining the countenan
more closely, l thought detected the traces of
| smirk of conceit and selfcOmplacency. which n
even the paralyzing touch of death could Who'll
Obliterate. The hair of the corpse all smooth al
glossy, was cured with the elaborate precision: al
the shining sallOw neck was encircled with striI
u of glistenng pearls The gaStly visage of death tn
Il eering through the tinSe of fashiOn-the vain sh0
% of artificial beauty-was horrible mockery Of Il
> foOleries of life!
l. Indeed it was a most humiliating and shockil
sight Poor creature! Struck dead in the very act
y sacrificing at the shrine of vanity! Two or three
the women present proceeded to remove the corpse
)f the bed for the purpose OF laying II out. VIII
. strange paSSivenesS; she who but few hOu
before would not: on any account, submit to the e
" treaties of a fond mother, offered no resistance
those who bound her for the cold and silent grave
- Her limbs were extended. and her jaws tied
W with ribbon she had intended to wear that eYeni
n at fashionable gathering.
!. On examining the body, found that death HI
Id been caused by disease of the heart Here life mig
le have been prolonged for many years, had she TAX
"a | my advice and that of her mother
10 have seen hundreds of cOrpses, as well in the cal
cOmpOSure of natural death, rs mangled and dStOrt
upon human nature, repulsive, unSighty and Loaf
e. some spectacle as a corpse dressed for ball!
,o --<oS-
s. NEW ORLEANS SINCE THE PLAGUE.-Eew Orlea
- once more feels something of the JOY of life Sin
~ the plague left her, trade. says the Democrat /
:. multiplied to a remarkable degree" From the he
of Ninth st. down to the lowest limit of the river fro
the activity seen is almost unprecedented" In
ay upper portion of the water front there is literally
IL forest OF masts The number OF sea-gong vessels
w larger than has been there for many day if
- like has ever been before. a steamship fr,
h. Rio has just discharged cargo of 2l.750 sacks.
&c IN in R.ffA Ovn1f =
vessel is discharging English bricks and tiles, a
Ia another, bound for Bordeaux is taking slaves
n German Loyds ship and two Italian vessels are los
, ing with cotton, grain and tobacco. At the head
~ one street lies "a vast quantity of cotton destI
for Havana Six large steamships are lying close
and two barks which are taking on cotton. AT
barge-landing several boats are being unloaded
an immense quantities of Western produce" All O.
by the landing are quantities of corn, oats and flour
:. that i'll some places lOcOmOtOn is difficult. {
E river Steamboat on her last trip brought down :,
IS bales of cotton At Canal ST. the levee is "jamm
H. and Uttered by barrels of aOur hogsheads of SUI
- and bales of cotton" At the sugar sheds scare
ou any available space Is unOccupied." In other pa
ad OF the city returning life and activity no less
,so parent. Business streets are filled with vehiC
40 laden with merchandise going toward the depOts
so that the din of the heavy charots and the hue
cry of the drivers endeavOring to thread the maze
trading wagons is perfectly deaening." In one da
firm sold for cash to country merchants more go
ice than for an entire month previous
=. An old gentleman reprOached his son for carry
gold watch in a very careless and exposed mann
elk but the young gentleman persisted in the pl
lar tlce IN spite OF parental aulnOnltlOn III Gro
at the theatre one evening, the old gentlen
nd asked his to tell. him what o'clock it was
re- the young man distressed TO find his watch
been stolen. Never mind" said his father 81
ing: Il took it myself to show you how easily
ith could be robbed-here it IL" He put his hand in
~, fob to restore IL, but 10. and behold il was go
'is Some thief more adrot than himself had approp
ted the property.