The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-05-12
Select STORY.
ISABELLA STEWART,

with, even in this prosaic age of the world,
whose whole life seems tissue OF remark
able events, one incident leading to another,
and every vicissitude the result of some un-
expected occurrence Often, too, this order
of things is the lot of those who appear by
nature the least fitted to cope with it.
Such was Isabella Stewart, gentle even to
timidity, tender, refined, and delicate in all
her tastes and habits. Her mother was the
daughter of a Spanish nobleman, the Mar
quis de Villena; her father was an Ameri-
can sea-captain. This incongruous mar
rage was the result of an accident While
taking pleasure excursion in the Medi-
terranean, in the vessel of an English gen.
tleman, the young daughter of the Marquis
de Villena fell overheard. Captain Stewart,
whose ship happened to be near the scene
of the disaster, rescued the drowning girl.
He carried her to her father; and, while
lingering on board the yacht to learn the
result of the measures that were taken to
restore the unconscious Isabella to life, a
sudden storm sprang up that made it i'm
possible for him to regain his own ship.
Captain Stewart was detained on the
yacht for two days, long enough to excite,
in the heart of the young Spanish girl, a
love none the less powerful than it was
sudden and strange. 1t seemed rather like
the awakening and response of the feelings
to the summons of some sympathetic ma
ture, than the up=springing ofnew emotions.
The result was clandestine marriage, some
three months after, to which, however, lsa-
bella de Villena would not have consented
if she had known any other way to avoid a
union with the man she hated. Her father,
a proud Castillian, who looked upon his
daughter as part of his own possessions,
to be disposed of according to his will and
pleasure, with no regard to her own incli
nations, disoWned his disobedient child,
and for many years gave himself no further
concern about her.
She accompanied her husband to Amer
lea, and lived for time in the city Of New
York. Her position was of course very
different from that she had formerly held
in her own country; but, tenderly guarded
as she was, by the watchful care of affec-
ton, she hardly perceived the change. She
had never been used to love; and it was as
if new sun had risen upon her life, Her
mother had died while she was an infant;
and her father, cold, stern man, had been
accustomed to treat her with the utmost
disregard So that the thoughts of Cap
tain Stewards young wife seldom reverted
to the past. While he was with her, she
was entirely engrossed by the happiness of
the present; and, during his absence, she
was occupied with preparations for his re-
turn. At first, she accompanied him on
some of his shorter voyages; but at last
other cares and duties came to keep her at
hope.
Several years passed away; one after
another, little ones-whose eyes had caught
from hers theiF soft and loving glance
whose sweet, imperfect uttera9ces seemed
an echo of her voice-whom day after day
she had nurtured and cherished, and night
after night lulled to sleep in her arms, until
they became almost the life of her life, the
spring of her existence -obeyed the sum-
mons of the destroyer, and sslept the sleep
that knows no waking" Out of seven,
only one child remained to her, daughter,
named, like herself, Isabella.
The solicitude of the parents about this
only daughter was of course extreme. Her
health was to them an object of the greatest
importance. To preserve this, Mrs. Stewart
left the crowded city; and, while the air
was fresh and cool with the early breezes
of spring, she sought the seaside.
Captain Stewart still retained in his pos
session the farm that had been the home
of his parents. AS this was near the sea-
shore, he built on it little cottage; and
for several years it was the summer resi-
dence of his wife and child. Whenever
he was at home, he joined them there; but
oftener they were alone; yet, protected, as
they WERE by the near neighborhoOd OF the
tenants of the farm, they felt secure; and
happy in each others society, they frequent
ly remained in this secluded spot until the
bleak winds of November drove them back
to the city.
One summer, the little Isabella's sympa
thies were aroused by the illness OF boy
employed ON the farm. He had beer
bound out to Mr. Martin, the tenant, by
the overseers of the poor, when he was
mere child; and they had tried in vain t.
make useful and obedient servant of him
Mrs. Stewart had been accustomed, eacf
summer, to hear such complaints of An
drew, of his vagrant habits, his turn fol
mischief. his pretty thefts In the pantry ane
the orchard, that she looked upon him as
kind of youthful desperate, and had or
dered Isabella's attendant to see that thu
boy never approached or spoke to the child
But, one day, when Isabella was abou
seven years old, attracted by the sounds o
! r,oans sba assembled To AN attic. and there