Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1873 — A Sad Story. [ARTICLE]

A Sad Story.

A small place in one of the interior counties of the State of New York 1 has among its local annals a sad story of insanity. A young lady of eighteen years had fallen desperately in love with a young man of the place,’ but her parents, particularly her father, opposed the match. The reasons are supposed to have been good ones'but certain it is they assumed a fearful responsibility, and brought upon themselves a dire affliction. The young lady was forbidden to see her lover, and he was told not to visit her house, but they managed, as is often the case, clandestine meetings, and interchanged assurances of their undying affection for each other. —Busy village gossip soon informed the father of the condition of affairs. Though kind father, he was greatly. irritMejf, arid immediately adopted measures to separate the lovers, • : / This course on the part of the father was the conscientious action of a parent concerned for the welfare of his child; so he went about it deliberately, and with a determination that was not likely to meet with defeat But alas I alas! what was he doing 'These two young hearts were already so intertwined—so grown together, so reborn as one—that to Separate them was like cutting asunder vital parts of the human organization. The father, stern and resolute to do his duty, thought not of this, but pressed forward in his purpose. The tale of love, the fond prayer of an agonized and breaking heart, for him to listen to argument and reason—these were of no., avail. A parent’s duty must be done. His first plan was to lock his daughter in her room. He put on extra bolts and a padlock, for membered that “love laughs at locksmiths.” When he was about to leave her after all this preparation for her safekeeping had been made, he remarked > “I do all this because 1 love' you;“my r ' child. You cannot escape, and no one can obtain access to you. Reflect on all I have said to you. Forget this man, and save me the pain, of making you a prisoner.”

His voice faltered, and he looked at her with imploring eyes. She was 'sitting, weeping, pale ana trembling. In an instant she sprang to her feet, and, standing proudly before her father, exclaimed: —“Father, do your worst! Imprison me,starve me, drive me to madness; but never, never will I forget or cease to love the man to whom, before God, I stand this hour betrothed! ” She stood looking heavenward for a moment; then she reeled and fell exhausted to the floor. . . ' C,., The father looked at his child as if his pity was about to overcome him, but in* a moment he recovered himself, find advanced toward the door. “Undutiful, wicked child,” were his words as he closed the door, and, drawing first one bolt and then another, finally made all secure with the padlock. As he went away, he said: “May God give me the firmness to do my parental duty,” The sad village tale, as now told by all, relates to that imprisonment, continued for some ten days. After a day or two, additional severity was added by making bread and w’ater the only food offered to the poor prisoner. No one except the father ever approached the room., He found his daughter growing paler and palsr, and weaker and weaker. Most of the time she was in bed. Repeatedly he attempted to talk with her, but her only reply was: “You may kill my poor body, but my love is undying.” “What nonsense!” replied the father. “Pray to God to fill your heart with love and obedience to parental authority. Have done with sickly sentimentality.” But this sickly sentimentality was a passion- as strong'as lite und reason. Already it was doing its work. Health was failing and hour by hour the mind itself was yielding. —There were whispers rathe village of what was going on," but the full facts were not known. ’ One morning tire father went to the room bearing, as was his custom, her food and drink, which still consisted of the portion of bread and water. To his surprise he heard her singing. He listened and heard the words of a song which had always been a favorite one with his daughter. The verses she was singing were the following: “ I love thee, as the glad bird loves •_ On which delightedly it moves In wildest wandering. “ I love thee, as I love the swell And hush of tome low strain, The past of life again.” Then all became still for a moment or two, then there was a moaning and weep ing, followed suddenly' by laughing and talking. The father made haste tcTenter, feeling no little alarm from the strange proceedings. When lie entered he found his daughter sitting up in her bed, with a wild look about her eyes which be had never noticed before. “Ha, ha, ha, dearest, I will meet you. I will come on the wings of love. Father, cruel father, has forgotten the keyhole. Ha, ha, ha!” The father fled from the room without seeing or.hearing more. A terrible fear, for the first time, took possession of him. He ran with the greatest speed for the family physician, w’ho came almost as speedily to see the poor sufferer. When he saw her face helooked serious enough, and was notiongin informing the parents that their daughter was insane. The father was shocked and overwhelmed. He frankly told of all that he had done, and blamed himself, thougfoUre declared that he thought he was dcifffg no more than was his duty. Sadness fell more gloomy than ever upon that house, and the whole village was stirred by the circumstances as related from mouth to mouth. 1 he young lady grew worse and worse. At length her actions were such that it was decided to be necessary to remove her to an asylum. She is now an inmate of the institution— at- Utica. A very touching scene occurred in the cars, when she suddenly broke forth in the hearing of the passengers, many of whom had been told of> her condition and history, with a verse from her favorite song. She sung in a voice of particular sweetness and pathos these words “ I love thee, am I love the last Rich smile of fading day, . r Which Imgereth, like the look we cast/ On rapture passed away ”