Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-10-21

that was worthy of a
better purpose he declared that he
would take his life in friends
presence, SO that proof of his death
could be readily established. He
further said that he was the only one
of his family that survived, and that
the property he owned in Baltimore
and Philadelphia would descend to his
family, rs provided for III will amply
witnessed, then in the custody Of a
friend. Surely enough, the next post
from New York-then a week on the
road-brought the sad intelligence of
the husbands death. The body was
Inferred in the Trinity burying- ground,
and the stone, with the date of death,
is still standing" The gentle
raconteuse admitted at this point that
there had been people malicious
enough to say that the man had
abandoned his American wife, and
that, having another spouse in En-
gland, he had invented the neat story
to get away without scandal. But her
(the matron's) granduncle knew bet
ter. 1t WAS true bill.
1.-The willp o, yes, it was found,
and'is the most curious part of the
story. After providing amply for the
maintenance of the homestead, the
widow and tho children there was a
supplemental clause reading some
thing like this, as my granduncle re-
peated it:
"In view of the fact that there is a
recognized taint of insanity in my
blood, and that for three generations
before me there has always been a
demented member of my family, /,
being yet of sound mind, do wish to
provide for the lost one who will in
evitably succeed me. l therefore di-
rect that $4,000, to be realized from
the sale of my property, shall be safely
invested by my executors for the sup
port of such invalid and his or her sue.
cessor.' Then. again, in the form OF
a codicil, was this clause:
"'To the lost one during life, and to
to his or her successor, the small house
in the North woods, known and de-
scribed as "Ashmer," and l suggest
that he or she be there confined, under
watchful care, rather than in apublic
hospital
'tThe widow was terribly shocked
at this revelation. Every thing that a
woman's heart could suggest was
done to keep the knowledge of the fam
lily taint from the children. 1t hung
over the mothers life and blithted it
The boy grew to mans estate, but wat
sly, secretive person, and was one
day found drowned in the Patapsco
The coroner's verdict was mercifully
framed to read accidentally drowned,
but nobody doubted that it was the re
appearance of the suicidal impulse
What became of the elder girl my in
formant never heard. There was some
mystery there, also, but the matror
never fathomed it,
"The younger daughter, however
married. She had always been of {
lively disposition, had shown no tend
ency toward moroseness, and the
mother began to believe that the curs'
of madness would pass over her only re
naming child. The suitor for the girl
hand had been told the family secret
and, though staggered for the time, h,
had solemnly accepted the responsi
bility. He was very proud of his prett
wife. and well he might be. They live,
very happily together. the wife
mother finally dying, peacefully
assured of her childs escape. But
was not to be so. After five years 0
. marriage the first child, a son, wa
! born. The young wife's manne
changed completely. Her gayety dis
Il appeared. In vain the husband trie
: to rally her. She recovered her phys
u u ical health, but her eyes permanent
y took on that strange, sleepy look ths
IL her daughter now has. But not t
!, get ahead of the story, trip to Er
u rope, in the constant attendance of he
l. devoted husband and maid, was TO
u lowed by the advent of the daughter
e whom we all know. The family ha
q returned to Baltimore prior to tn
>, event. The mental disease fully deve
e oped in the mother soon after, ant
r having tried all the specialists in tf
l. country, the husband was sorrowfull
'e induced to send his wife to the hou'
q in the North woods, tract of TO
le est about twenty miles out on the Ha,
'i erstown road.
8 "The two children were committe
l. to the care of housekeeper. A ser
l. ant maid, who had been in the fami
{ of the wife's mother, was also r
!, tanned. That was serious error, fl
10 one day the three were missed, an
Il after long and anxious search, thu
N were found at 'Ashmere sitting {
l. the ground outside watching the anti
/ and listening to the howls of the d
i, mented woman within. She could
a., plainly seen through the grated wi
o1 dows. This scene left an indelible il
10 preston on the minds of both ch
Ii dren. They knew their mother. An
u though they were taken back to TOW
e. with the utmost dispatch, they remel
" bered the road, and, in after veal
T. they frequently made the journey ST
reptitiously. Hours were spent
as them in this sad, speechless associ
) ton with the mother they loved. S
er never recognized them. 1t was mo
n pitiful than a visit to her grave. A
s, to me now there comes a shudder
a. think of this fair girl, whose pr
ence at Long Branch this summer
"a. been delight even to those who kn'
OF her not, standing with tears in /
IL big, blue eyes in front of the graf
's' door to her mad mothers cage. WI
et- human sorrow equal to hers! In
ee heart the cankerworm of woe.
ne can not marry-first, because she dal
OF not, and, second, because the M
Die venturesome man in this Republic
OF coils from the inevitable prospect Of
ID maniac wife. All the cold, mercil
ell words of the gentle, Christian matr
en- as she closes the recital:
ng Fine girl, and rich. Why, sh
de the sole heir to 1.-THE house in the No
ly woods" and will one day be its Il
to- ant LONG Branch Letter TO N.