Year: 1871

J a
certain town of Alabama one Mr.. Hunt,


who. although generally deemed respec-


table and industrious citizen, had been so
indiscreet as to ''live up to- his whole in
come, and consequently left his family so
poor at his death that the expense of his
modest funeral, even, completely exhaust
ed the pitiful estate. Bereft of her hus-
band. the widow Hunt found herself pen
.niless 10 The gcrll witk-.ss.-gs surs.s,-:.-.s-A-
|sesS Hdd asSon fuUkfng to hef1Ur support;
and in this accumulation of grit. helpless
ness and inordinate responsibility, knew
of naught else practicable than the remov-
al with her three charges to New Orleans,


where lived some distant relatives of her
late husband, and where her son, at least,
might be able to enter into some employ
ment as an aid to the maintenance of his
sisters. To said city, then, after a while,
the Hunts removed. and, according to re-
port, lived there in very narrow circum-
stances for two or three years. Drudgery
and obscurity might have continued to be
their lot but for the more uncommon and
far less happy destiny of one of the daugh-
tcrs, Miss Laura, who to personal beauty
of very striking type added mental char
acteristics in chronic revolt against her
trying domestic station in life At sixteen
years of age this girl vas as conscious Of
her physical and intellectual fitness to
shine in the highest sphere of social exis-
tence as of the adverse worldly circum-
stances doomlng her to toll and hardship
in. the lowest, and, from the time of the
removal of the family to Louisiana. she
seems to have bent all her keenest facul-
ties upon scheme to break the bond of
adyersity by the sheer strength Of her wit
and beauty, and raising her relatives to
something like ambitious living. 1t chanc-
ed that the impoverished family, in the
course of their petty. trading, became &C.


quainted with rich wholesale grocer.
named Strong. who, although old enough
to have been the grandfather of Laura,


suffered the attractions of the young lady
to enthral his widower's heart with senti-


mental rapidity, and was tempted by her
amiable demeanor to offer his hand in mar
riage. II there is nothing in the publish
ed records of this part of Miss Hunts life
to show that she felt any particular affec-
tion for the suitor. there is also nothing to
justify the idea that her acceptance of his
ardent suit was any more tainted with un-
womanly motive than are the matches of
convenience arraigned in the most polite
society every year. It is but just to give


her the credit in this matter of the suppo-
sition detractiqg the least from her char
acter for delicacy and average integrity.


Being. that as it might have been, how
ever, Mr.. Strong's offer was accepted, the
marriage took place, and the bridegroom {
money lifted the bride and her family,
temporarily, to comfortable circumstances
Summoning common christian charity to
the qualification of individual judgment a.
gain, it is possible to believe that, if this
matrimonial union had proved even pass
ably harmonious, the nature of the young
wife might have been preserved from any
signal perversion, and her consequent ca
reer undistinguished by more follies and
offences than ordinary self-willed women
! find indulgence for every day; but unhap-
PLY, soon after the wedding the husband


was revealed as little better than drunk.
en-. despotic savage, who. in his frequent
cups, treated his wife with outright bru.


tality. At first Laura was contented te


know that her friends understood the con.