Year: 1869

A young gentleman named Joe White,


a very respectable, industrious quiet,


good looking fellow of about eighteen


years of age, and resident of Ger


mantown, went to South Nashville


Saturday night, to visit his lady-loye,


Miss Barnes. lie had been frequent


~ to visit her before, at various times.


They were engaged to be married.


He found her in the parlor sewing, as


proper young girl should be-. She


was anxious to finish the article; and


therefore concluded not to throw it


aside when he entered, particularly as


he had complimented her on her pref
ty appearance, with her beautiful face,


bending over her work, and her slen-


der fingers flying as she piled


the stitches with as much grace and


rapidity as other girls display when


skimming over the keys of a nasty


piano. He took his seat beside her.


They chated very gaily After wait


ing few minutes, which to him seem


ed hours, he became impatient, and


longed to imprint chaste kiss upon


her ripe and pouting lips. With the


view of carrying out his design, he let


his arm circle her waist furtively, and


as he was drawing her close to himself
she objected to being disturbed until


her little work was finished; but he in
sisted. She made motion to shove


him off, as girls are said to,generally.
This motion proved fatal to her hap
piness and to his life. He became inn
petuous, and, drawing her to him with
much violence, the needle, which was
caughtin her thimble, got between them,
the point toward his heart. 1t entered,
and as he was about to imprint kiss.
of love upon her lips his own became
a shy pale. His vigorous grasp re-
laxed, and then the fire of love died
out, as if by a celestial puff, at the
moment of contract. He sickened, fell
back upon the sofa quite helpless. The
young lady was very much alarmed,
and ran for assistance. The family all
ran into the room and proceeded to
open his shirt collar, thinking he was
in fainting fit, and that the restora
tives would suffice. In undoing his
vest it was found that the needle had
penetrated his side very deeply, a cir
cumstance which the young lady never
noticed in her fright. The doctor wes
sent for. He administered what rem
edies he could. Partial consciousness
was restored, and the young fellow
enabled to talk. The scene between
him and his first, last love was ex-
tremely affecting. She wept like one
who feels that all happiness on earth
is lost, and he seemed to regret her
loss and not his own condition. He
consoled her by saying that she would
soon get another lover to fill his place,
who would be more worthy of her
hand than he could hope to be, and
who would make her happy. This
but increased her sorrow. She sank
down upon the floor beside him and
cried aloud. When he was becoming
worse, and the doctor gave the en-
phatic opinion that he could not live,
she started suddenly to her feet, and,
running into another room, swallowed
a heavy dose of laudanum, which was
kept there for the use Of q young
member of the family that was sick.
1t was some time before she was dis
covered, and it was with the utmost
she was brought back to con-
sciousness. The first word she utter
ed was, go, where Is he? let me go
to him I will be with be with him"
At the same instant the young gentle
man was resigning his spirit into the |
hands of its Maker in the adjoining
room. He died about 10 O'Clock |
She is still in a precarious condition,
md evinces symptoms of insanity |
Tenn, Press.