Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-12-22
James Ruchanan,s Early
Romance.

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whom he was devotedly attached.
The biographer has given us in q
brief but deeply interesting sketch
the history Of this sad episode A
"lovers' quarrel" originating III the
gossip of village girls, separated
them. Trifles are causes in the
philosophy OF life, as in nature,
which sometimes produce convul-
sions, catastrophes. Young girls of
the past generation in country
town were marvellously like young
girls of the preceding and of the
present generation. The gossip OF
thoughtless children, scarce grown
to womanhood, produced effects
which they little imagined. The
lovers were parted. The separation
would have been only temporary,
perhaps, but for her sudden death.
In very touching and eloquent
letter he begged to be allowed to see
his dead love. In this he said: my
prospects are all cut off, and l feel
that my happiness will be buried
with her in the grave. 1t is now no
time for explanation, but the time
will come when you will discover
that she, as we'll as 1, has been much
abused. God forgive the authors of
it'll My feelings Of resentment
against them, whoever they may be,
are buried in the dust. / have now
one request to make, and, for the
love of God and of your dear depart
ed daughter, whom l loved infinitely
more than any other human being
could love, deny me not. Afford
me the melancholy pleasure of see
ing her body before its interment.
Perhaps to the unsentimental
reader this is but trifling incident
in a human life. But, after all, the
mighty forces which move humanity
are the forces which come from the
affections rather than from the cool
intellect. Men have died, and
worms have eaten them, and this
for love. He who endeavors to meas
ure the soul, to analyze the moral
and intellectual part OF man or
woman, and who ridicules what we
call sentiment, leaves out the most
important element in the whole
subject of consideration. When in
later years Mr.. Buchanan became a
public man, political antagonists, ac-
cording to the accepted American
style Of political campaigns, raked
out of the history Of his youth this
incident, misreplesented and falsiied
it. The old politician, who knew
better than any man in America
how to meet and reply to all the at
tacks and accusations, true or false,
of opponents, never allowed the SOL
emn sacredness of this memory to
be furnished by any allusion to it on
his part Once he told a trusted
friend that there were among his
papers letters and relics which, when
he was dead, would, if necessary, set
this history truly before all who
we're interested. It would seem
that before his decease he came to
the conclusion that the story of his
love belonged alone to himself and
to her, and that it mattered little
what was said here when he and she
should talk it over where there are
no g0ssips or scandal mongers. His
executors found sealed package
endorsed with directions to burn it
unopened, and they obeyed the d.
rection.
The course of true love, says our
biographer, in terms of very simple
eloquence, iran in this case pure
and unbroken in the heart of the
survivor through a long and varied
life. 1t became grief that could
not be spoken Of, to which only the
most distant allusion could be made:
a sacred, unceasing sorrow, buried
deep in the breast of a man who was
formed for domestic joys; hidden
beneath manners that were most
engaging, beneath strong social
tendencies, and a chivalrous old
fashioned Difference to women Of all
ages, and all chimes. His peculiar
and revereDtial demeanor toward
the sex, never varied by rank or,
station or individual attractions,