The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-10-06
FREOIoNT,S LOVE STORY.

In the first volume of his memoirs
| Gen Fremont tells the following love
story.
In the family of AIr. Benton were
four sisters and bat one SON, Randolph
then but IL wears old. ID fell TO each OF
the sisters to have marked life, and as
they grew into womanboOd they We're
separated far apart. as often happens in
this country Of ours. All of them had
strong. high character and capacities
carefully cultivated. and among them
| rare musical talent Randolph died
when just entering into what promised
to be distinguished life. Jessie was
| the second daughter / went with the
eldest of the sisters TO a school concert
| in Georgetown, where / saw her. She
was then just IN the bloom of her girlish
| beauty. and perfect health ctiervesced
| in bright talk which the pleasure of see
| ing her sister drew cut Naturally
| was attracted. She made the effect that
n rose of rare color or beautiful picture
/ would have done Months passed be-
| fore in the vacation time, ] saw her
again at her fathers house. which al
/ ready had come to frequent She was
/ happy in the return to her home. aud
my first impressions OF her were made
in the unreserye Of family life, where
| the real nature most readily expresses
/ itself. Her beauty had come far enough
| down from English ancestry TO be now
| in her that American kind which is
made UP largely OF mind expressed in
/ the face; bu. Ii still showed its Saxon
| descent At that time Of awakening
mind the qualities that made hers could
! be seen in fitting shadows across the
| face or i'm the expressions of incipient
/ thought and unused and untricd feel
/ ing. So n writing here / give what
/ after knowledge made known to me.
/ Nor would it be possible to disentangIe
| the iutervovcn threads OF memory aud
conine impressions to the time when
/ they were made. There are features
| which convey to US soul so white tnat
/ they impress with instant pleasure. and
| Of this kind were hers. The piox
/ loves the native sand or rock, but the
/ difference is in the warmth it finds there.
/ In the human rock there is no heart to
replace the sun. Her quantities were all
4 womanly. and education had curiously
| preserved the down Of modesiy which
| was innate. There had been no ex-
/ perience of life to brush away the bloom
| She had inherited from her father his
| grasp Of mind, comprehending with
/ tenacious memory, bus with quickness
| OF perception and instant realization Of
/ subjects and scenes in their completed
extent. which did not belong 20 his; and
/ with these warm sympathies a generous
/ pity for human suffering, and a tender
/ ness and sensIbilitY that made the feel
| ing take the place Of mind; so compel
/ lei was every impulse 10 pass through
/ these before it could reach the surface
/ to find expression. There vas rare
/ union OF Intelligence 70 feel the injury
| OF events, aud submission TO them with
/ silence and discretion, and withal a
/ sweet and happy and forbearjng tenn
/ per, which has remained proof against
| the wearing Of time. Insensiby and
impercepuoIY in these frequent meet
/ ings there came "a glow into. my heart
which changed the current and color OF
/ daily LIE and gave beauty to common
/ things. And so it came tuat there WAS
/ no room for reason, which found a cold
| and dull ear that heard bat did nof
! listen
/ The influence of women is a force
/ sometimes dangerous. Mrs. Benton was
not friendly 20 nay suit, though TO me
( she always was. SHe Thought her
daughter much too young she was bui
! I6-and beyond this that the unsettled
/ life OF an army officer was uniaF0rable
/ 10 making such "a home as sac wished
I for her. she hau herself for seven wears
/ delayed to marry Col. Benton until he
resigned from rhe army.
/ l was leading busy, working life;
/ what was Immediately at hand and
/ what was projected should have been
I enough 10 occupy my thoughts and
time. A probation Of a year had been
/ agreed upon; bat as sometimes happens,
/ the most important events Of our indlvi-
/ dual life COME upon as suddenly and
unpremeditatediy. and SO It was with
I our marriage, which was on Oct ~,
I 1851