Year: 1878

1t was the evening of a disagreeable
day. Rain and snow mingled together;
but the very dreariness of the weather
prompted me to call upon the Dudleys,
who were suffering most melancholy
bereavement. The servant admitted me
without announcement as l was the con-
fidential friend ofthe family. Miss Dud
ley was sitting in chair with her head
bowed over her arm, and when she raised
her face to greet me saw she had been
weeping. Dudley was walking up and
down, back and forth, with slow, drag
ging steps, his head sunk on his breast
l sat down beside Caroline, taking her
hand in mine, for we were engaged to
be married when the year of mourning
had expired.


"The weather is enough to iepress
even the happy" said, "but / wish
that bad found you more cheerful. Dc
you not think that you ought to over.
come, so far as possible, this trouble, for
Dudley's sake? 1t is killing him."


81 know it, and that is what gives me
so much pain. Of course my grief is
nothing compared to his. BUTT breaks
my heart to see him SO changed. l fear
that if he does not die outright worse
calamity will happen. Sometimes ]
fear for his mind"


The disaster which had brought such
irremediable ruin upon the house o.
Dudley was the loss of his wife. Her
youth, her beauty, her devotion to him
and the tragic manner of her death
made it apparent to all why his sorrow
should be deeper than that of many
others similarly bereaved. To me, who
knew something of the character of both,
and of the intense love which seemed to
blend their beings into one, it was al
most marvel that he survived her al
all. When l had seen them together in
the freedom Of their own home the
thought had more than once occurred
to me that the existence ofeach was de
pendent upon that of the other. Yet
she had perished suddenly-been swept
from him by swift end terrible catas
trophe, which had hardly allowed them
a parting embrace.


In the autumn of 1862 Dudley had
been called to Havana upon business
His wife persuaded him to permit her tc
accompany him. How well remember
that splendid autumn day upon which
they sailed Caroline and myself stayed
with them on the vessel until the last
moment How beautiful Mrs Dudley
looked as she waved her handkerchie
to us from the deck, the bright colol
Lighting up her always eloquent face inte
the loveliest animation We had
watched the noble vessel until it was 6
speck out in the Narrows; then we had
turned away with sigh, half sad and
yet not sad. We had no presentimen
of evil, and when her brother and wife
returned Caroline and 1 were to be mar
ried.


That vessel was fated never to touch
the Cuban shores. When but twelve
hours from Havana, at midnight, in the
midst of darkness and storm, she wa:
run into by another ship, and sank in
fifty minutes Thrown from his berth
by the severity of the collision, Dudley
seized his trembling wife under his arm
forcing his way through the disorderet
crowds from the cabins, already filling
with water, to the upper deck Here he
maintained his place while the men and
officers made efforts to launch the boats
The first of these filled and went down
The second was more successfully man
aged. A few women to whom was given
the first chance, were lowered into it by
the light of lanterns, whose uncertain
gleam made the tempest more appalling
Mrs Dudley clung to her husband
begging to be allowed to stay with him
until he, too. should be permitted tc
make the desperate effort at salvation
Butfor once her prayers had no influence
with him. HIS desire for her safety
overruled the pleadings of love. With
almost rudeness he tore away her cling
ing arms, the rope was fastened about
her waist and she was lowered down
The lantern threw strange beam upon
her paihd face, turned to him as she
lswung Oh from the ships side, and that
was the last look he had of the eounte,