Year: 1870

they came for the purpose of observing BIZ
motions. The difficulty was greatly owine
to the lonely position of the house ; thu
cloak Of friendly intercourse might have
covered the frequent visits Of near neigh


bOrs but there were none such-for thC
nearest house was two miles off /; and as fol
relations, they were in another part of tht
country, distant in locality as well as blood


The case was hedged with difficulties


Violent diseases require strong remedies.
recollected that James H said, on {
former occasion, that be was the suitor o.
the young woman, and wished to wed her
l came to a resolution on the instant-hrm


decided, and sound | told him that, if be
wished to save the father and the daughter


he must accelerate his intended marriage
With the latter, even in the midst of the IN
fortunate circumstances in which she was
placed, and under the unfavorable auspices
of an event Of joy being shadowed with q
cloud Of sorrow. This would give him q
claim on the daughter aud il the old man
would not permit his son-in-law to remain
in the house, and assist him as formerly with
tie labors Of bis land, he could threaten to
take her from him altogether threat that
would not, in all likelihood, fail to make
him consent to his becoming an inmate in
the house. The young man was pleased
with an advice that quadrated with bis
wishes, and left me, to consult with some
other friends on the prOpriety Of instantly
following it.


heard the banns proclaimed next Sun
day IA the parish church, and was somewhat
surprised at the rapidity with which my ad-
vice had been adopted, and the nlan put
into execution. The intelligence was
promptly communicated to me by the bride
groom himself, who informed me also that
the fact of the proclamation Of the banns
had been communicated to bis uncle, who
had expressed himself strongly against the
match. He had, in fact, taken up strong
prejudice against bis nephew, in consequence
OF the latter's interference with his purpose
Of self-immolation. He had never allowed
the young man to come near him since the
day on which be had taken the razor out Of
his hands by force; and the intelligence
that be was to marry bis daughter, and de-
prlve him Of her society, reused him to
fury. He denounced the union, and said
that it added another drop Of bitterness to
the cup of bis misery, which was already
Overhowing. / told the young man that
the anger into which bis uncle had been
thrown would, in all likelihood, do him more
good than harm: it might stimulate mind,
dead or dormant, from the effects of brood
ing over imaginary evils, which produced
ten times more selfmurders than tie real
misfortunes of life. He told me that the
marriage would not, on account Of his un-
cle's anger, be put off; that it was fixed
for the 9th of the month, and would be
celebrated in private. informed him that
| required to 90 to a distant part Of the
country, and could not, for some time, see
bis uncle, and that he must endeavor. BY all
means, to support and comfort the unhappy
bride in her watchful care over her unfor-
tunate father, who, according to his account,
was still under the cloud from which he
threaten every instant to draw down the
lightning that was to strike him to death.


When l returned from my journey, l
called again upon the unfortunate man, in
f, the hope of finding some ameliOration in bis
condition, as well as that of his daughter.
found nim still in bed, though be had been
up and out on several occasions since
visited him. [ saw no signs Of improve
meut [ endeavOred to get him engaged in
a conversation about his own condition but
saw that, in place Of being fond Of dwell
ing on the ate Of his mind, talking of his
sorrows, and contemplating the purpose be
I entertained against his existence, be showed
an utter repugnance to the subject, having
become perfectly taciturD, sullen, and mo-
rose, giving me monosyllables for answers,
and sometimes not deiguing even to show
that be attended to me, or understood me.
\ The only thing that seemed to interest him
was bis daughters marriage-looking dark
and gloomy when the subject was broached,
and mutterlng indistlnct words of reproach
and anger. The condition Of his daughter
was changed but it was Orly new form
Of anguish. Some days previous, she had
observed him with another razor in bis
hand but he had secreted it somewhere,
and all her efforts had as yet been Intellectual
to get it Her watch had therefore been
more unremitting-her apprebensOns were
increased, while her strength was greatly
diminished. She was reduced to shadow !;
the pale skin that covered her face seemed
to he in contact with the bones while her
eyes burned with fever and excitement. Yet
her marriage was fixed to take place two or
three days after She could not avoid it /;
she bad pledged her word, and her father s
safety depended in great degree upon it.
She could bear her condition no longer-all
her powers Of suffering we're worn out !; and
if her father would not permit her husband
to remain in the i,ouse, she would, she said,
allow the latter to exercise what authority
he pleased, IN endeavorlng, by force, to save
bis father-in-law and bis wife from the ruin
that seemed 20 await them. The gloom
that enveloped her mind was deepened by
the contrast Of the light Of happiness she
had long sighed for, now changed into re-
6nement of peculiar pain. She shuddered
when she thought Of her marriage with the
man whom she loved, and feared that the
power of Heaven would fall on her, for
presuming to bring joy into the chamber of
mourning, if not death. AS she spoke.
tears moistened her burning eye, and ran
|, down her thin, palld checks She wished
the ceremony over, as an evil to be endured,
? and then fate must take its course, though
she feared the termination would be mlsera-
BILE, as well for her father as for her. His
life was hanging by thread; hers was
worn out by watching, fainting, and suffer
ing, till it was on the very eve Of leaving
the body, which was no longer able to sup
port or contain it. These were the misfor-
tunes in the inside of the house; but there
E we're others without doors. The landlord
had sequestrated the stock belonging to her