Year: 1867

icanlng on his arm. She was attlred
in simple white dress, with "a
wreath of IVY leaves encircling, her
large straw bonnet, and lace veil
completely concealed her counter
ance. Burr whispered few words,
apparently encouraging her to adj
vance, and then gracefully raised
the veil, discovered to us a face of
proud surprising beauty l recol-
lect as well as if it had happened
yesterday, how simultaneous the
murmur of admiration bttrst from
the lips Of all present. Turning to
the plaintiff, Mr.. Burr asked him in
cold quiet tone:


DO you know this lady p


Il do"


"Will you swear to that -


Il will, to the best of my knowl-
edge and belief; she is my daughter"


"Can you swear to the identity :"
II can"


What is her age?''


''She was thirty years old on the
Goth day Of April


When did you last see her -


eat her own house about a fort
night since"


"When did you see her previous
to that meeting p


The plaintiff hesitated-a long
pause ensued-the question was re
peated, and the answer at length
was


"When she was just three weeks
old,' added Burr Gentlemen"
continued he, turning to us, 1 have
brought this lady here as an impor-
tant witness, and such think she is
The plaintiffs counsel pleaded elo-
quently in behalf Of the bereaved
husband, who escaped the perils Of
the sea and returned only to find
home desolate. But who will picture
to you the lonely wife, bending over
her dailytoil, devoting her best years
to the drudgery of sordid poverty,
supported only by the hope of her
husbands return? Who will pic
ture the slow process Of heart sick
ening, the wasting anguish Of hope
deferred and finally the overwhelm-
ing agony which came upon her
when her last hope was extinguishcd,
aud she was compelled to believe
herself a widow? Who can depict
all this without awakening in your
hearts the warmest sympathy for
tbs deserted wife, and the Interest
scorn tor the mean, vile wretch, who
could thus trample on the heart of
her whom he swore to love and
cherish ? We need not enquire into
his motive for acting so base part.
Whether it was love Of gain, or Ii
centiousness or selfish indifference,
it matters not; he is to vile a thing
to be judged by such laws as govern
men. Let us ask the witness-she
who now stands before us with the
frank, fearless brow Of a true hearted
woman--let us ask which of these
two has bee to her father"
Turning to the lady in tone
whose sweetness was strange con-
trast, with the scornful accent which
just characterized his words, he be-
sought her to relate briefly the rec
objections other life. A proud flush
passed over her beautiful face as she
replied:


"My first recollections are of a
small, illfurnished apartment, which
my sister and myself shared with my
mother. She used to carry out ev-
erry Saturday evening the work
which had occupied her during the
week, and bring back employment
for the following one. Save her
wearisome visits to her employers,
and her regular attendance at church,
she never left the house. She often
spoke of my father, and of his anti
cipated return, but at length she
ceased to mention him, though / OBJ
served she used to weep more fre-
quently than ever. I then thought
she used to weep because we were
poor, forltsometimes happened that
our support was only bit of dry
bread and she accustomed to see by
the light of chips which she kindled
to warm her furnishing children
without depriving us of our morning
meal. Such was our poverty when
my mother contracted second mar
riage, and the change to us was like
a sudden entrance into Paradise
We found home and father
She paused


would you excite my own child
against me p cried the plaintiff, as
he impatiently waved his hand for
her to be silent.


The eyes ofthe witness flashed fire
as she spoke:


You arc not my father" exclaim
ed she vehemently. "What, cal
you my father? Never! Behold
there my father" pointing to the
calm defendent, "there is the man
who watched over my infancy, who
was the sharer Of my childish sports
and the guardian of my inexperienc
ed youth. There is the man who