The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-10-31
THE STORY OF LoRENA

pOpu4u4s ouu ~ 4OuAu 4LS way 0Outu
through Louisville and Cincinnati, and
during the rebellion 1t was the only
piece sung in Southern homes, and,
excepting martial airs, about the only
one sung In the Confederate camp.
Everywhere was ssLorena." A steam
er on the Ohio was named Lorena, en-
gines on Western roads were called
1Iorena, and a person now sometimes
meets in society young ladies named
Lorena, called that by mothers twenty
years ago. That the song had a story
nearly every one familiar with it sup
posed, and supposed correctly, and it
may not be uninteresting at this late
day to give admirers of the famous
melody the facts in the love affair.
The author of the words was
THE REV. II. d. L. WEBSTER.
He studied in the Columbus Academi-
cal and Collegiate Institute, and was
editor of the college paper. In the
year 1s4s, being then p years of age,
and full of poetry and romance, he was
enjoying his first pastorate in Zanes-
Vile, Ohio. His leading parishioner
was a wealthy manufacturer, whose
residence was upon one of the many
hills which surround that smoky town.
The house was about half a mile out,
and the eminence upon which 1t was
seated was the one referred to in the
song:
Twas fiowery May,
Te wateh the e dyinE oPe pf the dawn
| And hear the distant church BELLS chimed.
There lived in his family younger
sister of his wife, who was the leading
singer in the choir. She was nineteen
years of age, small of stature, had blue
eyes and light, brown hair, and was as
fair as lily. She was not only a
sweet singer, but she was as full of
poetry and romance rs her pastor, and
they soon became very much attached.
per WE'LL" for the family were proud
and aristocratic, and sshad higher no.
tions of the girls future than to sane
tion her marriage with poor preach
er." AS she was dependent upon
| them for a home, she was forced to
yield to their counsel-Mr. Webster
says he now thinks it wise counsel
and they were obliged to give each
other up. 1t was: however, the strong
will and the proud spirit of the sister,
more than the opposition of the broth
er-in-law, that separated them, or rather
kept Lorena from him. Lorena seems
to have been passive, indecisive in
character, and submissive in the hands
of her strong-willed sister. Mr.. Web
ster saw her for the last time at her
home, learned of tho sisters uncon-
querable opposition, heard his fate,
and took a quiet but painful farewell,
very little being said. That night she
wrote him a last letter, in which she
used the words, so we'll remembered by
those familiar with the song, elf we
try, we may forget" 1t was eight
years after that he wrote:
We're We S words orc sSf 81 thine % long % Years ago.
Yes, these wcre words of thine, Lorena,
They burn within my memory yet,
Which thrill and tremble with regret.
There is a future. Obi thank God,
OF life this is so small Il part.
'Tis dust to dust beneath the sod.
But There. up There, tits heart to heart.
The effect of the separation was to
crush the young man, and, writing to
friend five years ago, twenty-six
years after the occurrence, he says
ssI doubt if all dark lines are erased
from my heart yet" He resigned his
pastorate and sought another field,
smothering his pain by hard study
and work. And the only sign of that
pain the world ever saw was the heart
cry in the song of "Lorena."
In 1856 he was residing in Racine,
w lSCOnSlO, WncTc AC IucG ~ L. "eO-
ster, the composer, who, though of the
same name, is no relation to him.
They soon became very intimate. J.
p. Webster was writing song music,
and was troubled to find appropriate
words. Rev. Mr.. Webster told him
that he would write a song, and in two
days he produced it, entitled "Bertha,"
a mere fancy name. When the COM
poser came to set it TO music, he wanted
name of three syllables, accented on
the second, and the author then made
up the name of "Lorena."
The young lady's name was not Lore
ma, however, nor Bertha, but Ella.
1t is said that she lost her vivacity
and sunny, witching ways after they
parted, and never regained them, and
that she is now a sad, sickly woman,
past the prime Of life. She is the wife
Of judge, and lived for many ycar
at Ironton, on the Ohio. When last
heard from, however, several months
ago, she was travelling in Europe.
Her "proud aud naughty sister has