Year: 1864

ness and even existence Of individuals.
= often depend! Some years ago there liv
ed in a small interior town in Ohio young
woman, then but fifteen years of age
She was the heiress of a large fortune held
bv trustees. The will of her father strict
" enioined upon her that she was not to
marry until after she had terminated her
twentv-rfst year. He had enforced this
injunction by strong and earnest appeals
to her affection. and by reminding her of
the heuntimoly death of two elder sisters who
had been married young. and had dieI
childless shortly after. But, with most
prophetic judgmentof her future lot, he
had added a still stronger inducement to
obtain her compliance with his request
He had stipulated that, in case of marriage
before attaining the prescribed age, the
trustees should by deed convey all his es-
tate to some distant relative The young
and handsome girl soon found herself the
attractive object of the attentions, the de-
votions, and the opportunities of score
of young men of the noighborhood She
was aware of the provisions other fathers
will. and honestly intended to comply with
his so fervondy expressed wish but soon
too soon. indeed-was that I'M junction to
appear harsh, unkind, unfortunate, unrca-
sonable.


Three years after her fathers death she
then being eighteen years of age, she be-.
came acquainted, at a festive party with
an individual upor whose honor, faith and
manlincss her destiny was from that hour
to depend. Ire knew her as fair, accom-,
piished girl, and as an heiress of half Il
million. He was but visitor at that
town. He remained their but few weeks,
but during that time succeeded too well
in leaving n highly favorable impression
of his worth upon the heart of the lady.
lie returned in one month, announcing his
intention to reside in that village. The
vanity, not criminal. but natural vanityef
the woman was gratified she recognized
in this voluntary Abandonment of his for
mer home and friends to.take up his res
idcnce there. tribute from his heart to
her own mental and personal attraction.
lie failed not in soon confirming that be-
lief, and in protestations of dcepaffcction.
and ureed the inevitable life of wretchel-
ness he would endure in case Of her rejec-
tion, as well as by the display of all the
outward accomplishments and bearing of
a gentleman. won her lsvc, and obtained
from her promise Of marriage. These
proceedings had been secret, and were en-.
tirey unknown to her guardian, with whom
she resided The betrothment was soon
followed 10y an urgent request for mar
riage In her hour Of blissful communion
with her loycr, she had almost forgotten
her fathers command Itnow came upon
her with sudden aad bitter force. She
answered the proposal of marriage by stat
ing that her fathSgs dying command was
that she should notmamy till twenty-one.
This he met with ridiculing the fears and
suTorstitons of too anxious parent, and
holding out to her the alternative of obey
ing an unreasonable request of a deceased
parent, made when child, and when her
capacity for forming a proper alliance
could not be determined, for the distress,
ruin. madness Of a true and honest heart,
WHICH could not exist if separated from
her.


The next objection met with more seri-
GUS consideration She told him that she
could not obtain her property till she was
of full age. Though this was unexpect-
ed and did not at all agree with the hopes
and aims Of the willy suitor, he was too
well skilled in deception to betray his dis
appointment He therefore promptly In
terrupted her in her explanations of the
conditions of her fathers viii by the most
solemn assurances that witllahim her for
tune had not feathers weight; that he
loved her, and that love would be as pure,
and as strong and as devoted had she been
reared in poverty instead of the expectan-
cy of wealth. Again and again she solt
to explain to him that with her marriage
before the period fixed by her father, she
would sacrifice all her expected wealth
but with the blindness which often over.
takes and misleads avarice and other base
passions of human nature, he assured hel
that he knew all that he was aware o
everything, that he had enough for both
and was prepared to remedy to the exten
OF all he possessed any inconvenience sh'