The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-10-21
A cLANDEsTINE MARRIAGE.
BY CuARLIE e. WILLIAMS.

will relate this sad story, which
is too true to be romantic, of a
beautiful young lady, which at
present has quite spoiled me for
merry fellow. 1t was told to me
this evening by an elderly gentle
man, friend Of mine. l will now
candidly, with very little embelish-
ment, try to relate this as it was
told to me. The gentleman, after
drifting back into the PAST awhile,
told me the following: "While l
was yet quite a boy. l went to
school in Meadville, Miss. One of
my schoolmates was Eliza Spring,
a beautiful girl about my age, and
q daughter of a merchant in Mead
vile Of moderate wealth. She
was one of those gay, jovial kind.
that brighten the earth-a happy,
hitting, merry. dancing school girl.
How little did she think that woe,
sorrow and misery would ever cast
their dark shadows over her bright
young life, marring the happiness of
a light heart and merry mind. /
guess she spent many an hour draw
ing silvery dewdrops of pleasure
from her imagination Of what she
deemed brilliant future. But,
while she was young. oh! so very
young, both her parents dropped, and
all too sSsn they were no more.
There were some distant relatives
who, in the hour Of her trouble,
gave home to the orphan girl.
Her kind and generous relations
must have, by their tender atten-
tions aud kind word. Aaae her feel
less the loss of her parents-that
their place was, as we'll as could be,
supplied by them, and she was in a
degree csntent. When she grew to
naiden h cod, she was weed and won
by = young man, whose handsome
face, well-shaped, muscular form and
brilliant intellect had irredeemably
infatuated her. Her relations op-
posing the union on certain grounds,
the couple eloped and entered in
to a clandestine marriage. The
young man she married, despite
his possessions above mentioned,
was worthless, dissipated fop
Yet, he was quite popular with th'
gay and giddy element of that COM
munity. Subsequent to their mar
raige grand fair was given in Mead
Vile in behalf of the young couple
and all bid fair to be merry again
But the inebriate husband soon be-
gan to bring about the shadow o
sorrow and misery. The house, thai
shonld have been an earthly para
disc, proved to be hell. 1t con
tinued so, and finally The trying or
deal of separation was thought t.
be the only requisite that would, il
any way, restore peace to the tor
tured mind of the young wife. 1t wa
indeed trying ordeal to that true
hearted woman; for full well sh
knew, that they had before God an
man vowed to love and honor on
another-to their hearts they ha
promised fidelity and everlastin
confidence. The husband joyful
considered himself free once NOR
Again kind relatives came in tn
hour of despair, and again the brid
was taken under the shelter of the
roof. But pleasure now was pric,
less gem beyond her reach. Oh
how bitterly she repented the wron
step she had taken, but, alas! st
knew full we'll it could never be r.
Traced. She settled down in d.
nestle solitude, to brood upon hi
troubles, and every time she r
called them the more miserable an
wretched she was. Time slow
went by to her. until the demo
madness seized upon and controle
her. She was no more true, lovin
and patient Eliza Spring, but q ra'
ing lunatic. Her many relative
lwho had ever been so kind to he
| forgave her rash act, and now,
her pitiable condition, watched ov
her with all tender care and solie
tude that humanity could dictat
While under their vigilence she W,
, harmless. but with q maniac's Gu
ming, watched for an opportunity
escape bondage, and, finally, OF
night, after Q heavy snow, she gu
ceed in escaping, and, ere she W
found, she froze to death. This W
the sad and untimely end of tn
young lady, which was caused by
handsome, immoral man, who /
trayed her into morriage.
=