The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, June 24, 1870, Image 1
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THE ABBEVILLE PRESS AND BANNER.
BY W. A. LEE AND IIUGII WILSON. . ABBEVILLE, S. C., FRIDAY; JUNE 24, 1870. VOLUME XVIII?NO. 9.
MY ANGEL NAME. t
t
I
BY TEncr no PENCE. J
e
la the land where I am going, j
When my en thly life is o'er
When the tired lunula cense ihcir striving, '
And the tired heart aches no more? I
In that land <f light and beauty,
Where no sorrow ever ctimo (
To o'ereloud the perfect glory?
What shall be my ung<>l yuuii I j
m/>n 4in..n;.:i. ]
Meet me at my entering in, '
With what-panic of love nnd music, :
Will their welcoming begin!
Not the one bo dimned with earth stains,
Linked with thoughts of grief and pain: '
No I the name that mortal? gave me 1
W ill not be my angel name 1 t
I liave heard it all too often
Uttered by unloving lips; (
Eurthty. care, and sin and sorrow, ' i
Dim it with their deep eclipse.
1 shall chango it like a garm.nt '
When 1 loava this mortal frame, I
And at life's immortal bitptism <
1 shall have another nunio. (
For the angels will not call mo
l$y the name I.bear on earth;
They will speak a holier language t
Where 1 havo my holier hi rib, j
Sj'llablod in heavenly music, ,
Sweeter fur tlmn eaith may claim,
Very gentl.-, pure and tender?
Such will be my angel name.
It lins thrilled my spirit often (.
In the holiest of my drenm*;
JJut its beauty lingers with me c
Only like. the morning beams. I
TV-eary of the jarring discord
Which the lips of nioi luls frame, t
When shall I, with joy and rupture, i
Auswer to my augel nume t j
ONLY A FACE. j
I. 8
I was sauntering slowly homewards J1
one night about half past eleven, ^
-iuiui liuvnig uucuuca uie iuieipln 1'
theatre, in common with my brethren 11
-of the press, the first representation "
of a drama by a very popular author. "
Cigar in mouth, and in deep cogita- ?
lion as to the sort of critiqT.o that n
the new piece deserved, I was startled 11
by a hand being laid gently on my u
arm?-just touching me ever to light- ^
Jv, and no more. My eyes rested on
the hand?glovelcss, but resembling ?
a fairy snowllako; then 1113- gaze wan- v
dercd father towards its owner's face, a
and there it remained for & moment or
?o, ppcllbound. Big soft eyes with
tbeir iris so deeply violet as the petals 0
of a heartease, and with their lids ^
fringed with long curling lashes, look- "
ed depreeatingly into mine. Bright ?
chestnut hair waved freely off a low ^
whito brow, surmounting a little ^
iJreek nose and and a rosebud mouth. 3"
slightly open, showing a row of glis- ir
tcning teeth. * u
vniy a lace, nothing more; but the llJ
faco ol'. a woman angel! "Who could *l
the be? I wonder to myself, this
Titanir, this embodiment of a poet's iU
dream, this delicate, apparition, this
lonely waif?wandering ill the evil
London streets side by side with unblushing
effrontery and hideous ilauntingvico?
Not one of that sisterhood h
1 diviucd at a glancc, as she stood b
shyly beside mo, and spoke iu
hesitating accents.
"O, sir, where is Charing-cross sta- r<
tion? . I have lost my way, and it is
very late!" l
"Cbaring-cross! "Why, you must
have passed it, 1 fancy." P
' Passed it ? But I was so frightencdl"
and she shot a furtive, nervous t]
glance over her shoulder.
Noting the suggestive movement, I 0
too turned round, and saw that the ^
poor child had apparently fallen into ?
tbc camp of the Philistines. 'r
Close behind us, eying the girl, "r"
Btood a short thick-set man, darkLrowed,
and with the prominent fea
tures that appertain to the tribe of
Israel. Evidently nothing but a roar- w
ing lion seeking whom lie may de- "
vour," a vulture in pursuit of a dove, h
My resolution was talfep at once. A
Looking at my watch, I said?"Whore
do you wish to go?"
"To Spa-road."
"Como along, then. We have just
time enough, I think, to catch the
last train."*
And leaving the diseomfittcd "Mo- b
bcs" plante, I walked quickly off with u
an angel?but an angel in a stuff o
dress and an unpretending straw bon- t(
net?trudging along bj'my side. In v
a few minutes wo were seated in a n
first class carriage?its solitary^ occu- a
pants. d
The respectability of my exterior o
had undoubtedly had its proper effect, s
for the rosy lips no longer trembled, o
and a reassured look roigned in the a
pretty violet eyes. o
"How came you to be out so late s
all i alone?" X asked her, gently, p
curbing as well as I was able any un- 1
due curiosity that was larking in my p
hrAfint, ftnrl tlivrtniin/. --j - *?
, .U.vnuig US JI1UUJ1 uuier- a
ence. into my manner as thongh I ]i
-was addressing the GraiiHe Duchesse o
herself. I could see that it never e
even entered her brain to question
any legitimate right of mine in put- \
ting the query.. Lovater himself 1
* roust have neen a terrible impostor r
indeed; if guile, or any arriere pentee, r
could have existed with the Candid f
brow, that countenance open as the s
<lay. I
'My father has been very ill, and he
-was worse to-day," sho replied at c
once, and the repressed quiver of the s
childlike mouth, and the pained ex- t
prcssion that flitted across her face, i
carried with them the conviction of her t
truth; and I went to call ob a doctor 1
In Brook street that we were told wad ^
the very best one we could consult;, 1
but I found ha had gone out to a 'grand *1
party,' the servant* said?and after i
'waiting three hoars, I bad to come i
away without seeing him." - <
"What U your father's ailment? -i
Pet-haps X may. know of some skilfal i
physician," I said; and then curiosity i
got ili? better of discretion^. and with i
the witttoesrof the tempter of-Bye, I 1
Added?^What name shall 1 ask for,
if I succeed in finding one to aceoin- <
pan me to yonr house 7" <
"O how good yoa are I" aha cried, i
gmtefhBjr. . "Uster-ifthe name. My i
lather is all artist?an excellent jut- <
i
istand her facc brightened up in- i
o perfect radiance us slie diluted on i
lis genius. "Many of his paintings |
lavo been in tlio Exhibition; but (
linco he fell ill ho has not been able t
>o devote himself to his url at all, and
.vo have no money?that is," she in- <
,crruptod herself hastily, whilst a ]
leep Hush swept over her cheek, "we
lire not quilo ho well off as wo were,
ind wo do not know many people ;
Tor my mother's timo is so much taken
up with attending on my poor
lather, that she is unable to go out
md sec friends."
O how my heart bled for tho child,
is all unconsciously and artlessly she i
revealed in her innocent words the ]
Lerriblo poverty and anxiety that i
Hied hoi1 ltomo life! " ,
l}y this time we had reached our \
Icstiuation, a small but clean-looking ]
louse in "Spa-road. A f'aeo looked (
jurriedly Tout'of f'a window as we (
:ang the bell, and a woman's voice ex- (
laimed,?'It is !Nellio at last, thank ,
Jod!" ]
I clasped her hand a moment as 1 ]
>aid good-bye. and slipped into it my |
anl with "Mr. Mark Fleming, 4 <
\rundel street, Strand,"; neatly en- |
jraved upon it; and then 1 had to ;
rharter a vehicle, for there were no t
nore trains that night, to take me 1
ionic and to bed, where I might (
Iream of "only a face." t
Three days slowly lagged on their t
tourse, crawling snail-like enough, as t
! vainly attempted to devolo my* at- i
ention to my usual avocations. Dur- t
ng the whole of the time I was per- <.
actually haunted by that face?5?el- j
ie'sface; for already, after the fa>h- 'l
on of lovers, I had begun to call lier
sellie to myself.. . ]
It did not in the least signify what _
ubjc( t> I wrote on, or what interesting 1
latter 1 studied : a vision stood ever j
csidefmo with ^violet eyes looking ?
leadingly out of their great depths ;1
itomine. Soextraordinaiya change (]
ad feverish fancy wrought in mv t
sually prosaic and somewhat matter- i,
f-fact temperament, that my imagi- ]
a-jion becume aft'cetod; and in mo- y
uents of "temporary insanity," to 0
sc an exaggerated term, I caught v
lyself actually listening, with apaili- j
til tension of the nerves of my organ n
f hearing, for a ilutter of starry c
,-ings which might bear away my ;l
ngel from me. r
' Mark Fleming," I paid to myself, c
can it be possible that any amount t
f sense you flatter yourself 3-ou pos- s
ess has been dispersed to tho lour n
rinds at your mature age of thirty- a
ve by only a face? Nothing more! ],
'he face too of a girl over whose
riirlit. liPfl/1 nnl mnrn (li<in tmlf I'min
o--- a
ears havo rolled! Cui bono??this t]
iwano infatuation, this following of a
ill-o'-the-wisp. Marriage, that usual 0
Itimatum and desideratum of feelings . w
ieh as you are indulging in, would r)
3 simply a ridiculous mistake. May
ad December wedded together make p
it a sorry pair. Shako yourself up, n
[ark, and don't he such an egregious ej
iol! Descend from the regions of
mdowv' vioions, return to earnest, ft
palthy life, and forget?what? 'On- ;l
' a face,' after all." p
Not so easy* The spirit was wil- L]
ng, amenable to the mandates of ft
. 1..1 il - Xl-. l 1 - *11 '
jiiaun j uub-Luu iicbii was nornoiy, jj
jrribly wcalc. Like the anecdote of M
be old .woman and the gin-palace, for f,
bree days I had manfully resisted jj
utting myself in the way of temp- ,(j
ition ; on the fourth, 1 was forced 10 S(
rcat resolution. u
I remembered the address of nn p
Id chum of mine, whom I .knew to
e on the top ladder in his profession ; ^
nd at half-past three wo were.ster.m- p
ig away toward Elysium, aluis Spa- u
aad. - c.
Spa-road was my oasis in the desert, u
lie nest that contained my bird of Ir
'arndise, the tiny speck on earth in
'hich blo;-omcd the lovelicst^flowei^ ]j
exotic of celestial birth that should T
avo only blosomed in celebtial air."
Jready I but knew . js
o:
"Twoseparate worlds; the one^ that small jc
Beloved and consecrutirt] ppot
"Where Nellie was ; the other, all "
The dull wide waste where she was not." If
P
Many a sensational romance it liad a
ecn my province to criticise and cut b
p, but nono of them bad approached 3
ne-millionth portion ol' a hairbreadth el
5. the romance of my own brain had b
romcH in absurdity and want of common
sense;.for although not a fop by d
ny manner of means, the imperious n
emands of civilization had entailed l!
n me, in common with others of my
ex, the necessity of looking occasi- e
nollv J T ^
?N fj Hiiv u mil I Ui | U1JU X wuu iuuy
ware that though I was not a dwarf si
r humpbacked, or marked' with the tl
malkpok, or even outrageously un- li
feasant to tho hnman eye; that, h
)amo Natnro had not been especially s
irolitie in her gifts as to my. personal a
ppcarance; that, in fact, I was a f<
c>ng way off from being an Adonis, g
r, on account of my attractions, an c
n/ote gate of tho feminine box. h
Thirty-five, and not haAlsome: j
rhat right had I, then, to think of
Nellie even, unless in a purely pater- 1
lal fashion? And just as I had ar-. v
ived at this cheerful conclusion, my
riend the doctor and I found our- r
elves on the top of tho stairs of Kel- s
ie's house. I
Reclining on a sofa thqt was drawn c
lose up beside the window, witlv the I
ummer light falling upon each feaure,
was Mr. Lister. Death, was r
mprinted on his thin face. Consump- <
ion in its deadliest form' had singled g
)im for its victim. One glartce re- ]
realed that the case wap utterly hope- t
ess?that a few more months at far;hest
would find him calmly sleeping i
-ho long, long sleep from which there ]
S UO awaken in <r. Hia atm were clna- *
id, .and-his hand lay cfasped iri his t
wife's, who eat close beside him?a 1
fragile, careworn woman, with the <
remains of a loveliness that in yonth. i
most haxc surpassed the beaaty that i
ber daughter now possessed. i
The angel herself, in the toeatest i
5f cotton dresses, stood awaiting oar i
entrance in the shy and graceful atti- 1
tade of a gtxelle. Xsat there for half . 1
id hour, lUted out of earth into hear- ? ]
5*, receiving in a beatific dream the
thanks of tho parents for my kindness.
I mechanically put pn iny liat
und gloves, ami went through tho
ceremony of eaj'ing good-bye; but
still in a drem, with my qvck necing
uothingbut a "face," with iS'ellio herself
filling tho wholo. of my poor
heart. It was all up with me, I
was mad in love !
II
"What was tho good of struggling
with myself? My lovo for jS'ellio
was absurd, but gigantic ; hopeless,
yet a painful joy to myself. Tho
unco or twico a weelc that I
went to Spa.road were white days in
Llie calendar of my life. I was no
longpr bluir in speech, honest in purpose.
Lovo had cnticod me into a
itatc of deceitfulncss of which I was
thoroughly ashamed; and many an
liour was- passed in- finding pretexts,,
51* concocting purely imaginary reasons
for. calling on the Listers. The
July salves 1 had to my reproachful
conscience was the sight of the invaid
fa I hers genuine enjoyment of the
liothouso grapes and other comestibles
that 1 invariably carried with mc
.o insure my presence being acceptable;
for iu spile of the ciifnest cordi11
i13- with which I was ever welcomm1,
passion's timidity disporscd all tho
ittTo self-reliance I had and made me
loubly distrustful of my own cavitations.
Ono afternoon, on entering
.lie little sitting-room, 1 was surprised
to find a visitor whom I had never
net before?a tall young man -whose
proportions were more strapping than
degant in my eyes; but the dawn of
ealousy probably made mo survey
lim through a sort of yellow glass.
"Mr. Fleming, Mr. Urling," in Mrs.
Lister's gentle tones and I and my rival
?for an instinctive feeling told me
ic was Nellie's lover?were formally
ntroduecd to each other; and then I
at down with an "all-overishness"
ibonf me to analyso his defects. I
lid not like the young giant's looks: ,
here Avas a decided boldness about
lis countenai.co which " was positive- j
v rcpulsivo to inc. rhysically he
ras a lino animal, but with no thorughbrcd
jjoints about him. There ?
ras a rcpcllant familiarity in his adrcss
too that irritated me and made
ic pugnaciouely inclined towards the
ano Awith a shfiwy knob which he i
ggrayatingly "twiddled" round and I
ound in his broad red hand. I was i
ither dclrop or elso I had the misfor- I
une to be a wet blanket; for convcr- l
ation lagged terribly, and after a few I
liuutcs the' irentlenian nimln '
dieux, accompanied to tlic door by 1
osfess i
I remained solo monarch of I
11 I surveyed for a while, hoping
lint Xellio would* put in an appear- <
nee; but not.a bit of it?"hope" bad i
nly "told *a flattering tale," and <
ben the door ro-opened it was to ad- i
lit 31 r. Lister. (
".Nellie is out, Mr. Fleming. Very I
rovoking, for she knew Mr. Urling (
light call, as it's Saturday', and the i
ity olfiecs close early. What do you ?
link of him?" And the good lady 1
ilded her hands quietly in her lap, I
ncl looked me full in the face, as she
lacidly asked tho question. And f
tiere 1 was, conscious that I was, at i
ve-and-tbirty year of age, blushing ^
icc a great awicward schoolboy, who If
;as being catechised before a room- e
il of people. So Nellie had some- i
liing in common with 'this handsome '
oliath, or else her presence or ah- 1
jnec on that particular afternoon ?
ould scarcely have been a subject of t
lcasure or regret to her mother. I 1
:lt that I hated the fellow with a i
eathenibh hatred. But I had to re* ?
rcss the feelings- that kept bubbing
p worse than any eruption of a vol- r
unic mountain, and to say calmly? 1
I think he is a very fine young man,
la'am."
"Yes," she answered mildly, and a c
ttle disconnectedly, "a very fine t
oung man?so good-looking, and in e
>ve wity Nellie for two years. He" (
i a eon of Urlintr and Co.?at lnnst. t
f l>riing himself?tho great jewel>rs
in Oxford-stret, you know; rcred,
of course. And a largo fortune,
cop their own carriage in a nice
lace at Staines. Alfred is tho eldest
nd is in an "oil" business, likely 'to
ecorne a partner in a few years. But
rellie, though I am her mother, and
Wouldn't say it, is a very good girl,
pt bo strongheaded."
Strong-headed! What on earth
id that mean ? Had Nellio dctcrlined
for or against the match with
he oily young man ?
"If Miss Lister likes him, and ho is
ligible, why doesn't alio marry him ?"
' That's it?if she likes him; but
he doesn't 6Ccm to know moro than
lie babo unborn her own feelings.
rou soo, Mr. Fleming, my husband's
ealth is not very good, and I am not
trong. It would bo a comfort and I
m not strong. It would bo a cornart
to us both to know Nellio had a
;ood kind husband, who had taken
are of her if wero taken away. She
ias a great respect and likincr for
OU." i
O, bow I winccd at tlioso words! 1
fhey made rao feel so much as if I i
pas her god-father.
"And if you would advise her to i
aarry Mr. Ufling, she might think '
eriously over it. Now, stay and ;
lavo a cup Of tea; and when she 1
tomes in I'll leave you to do your
>est."
"Not to-day Mrs. Lister. I have
in unavoidable engagement, which
:an't be put off. I will call again
toon," I managed to stammer .out, as
[ shuffled rather than walked out of
,he room. ... .
What a tnmult raged -in my breast
is I wended my way back to town!
t, who worshipped the very earth
.hat my darling trod on?I, to whom
the was everything in the "Wide, wide
fvorld?wa* to use toy influence to
Srive her ontirely oat of my life into
mother's arms! I could hay? jelled
iloud at the preposterous .notion of
roch a self-sacrinw. True, I dared
uot dream that the could ever be
mine; bat why, in the name of all
the Don Quixote#, should I against
my own interest, heir a&d coax
her to become another toon's wife ?
- The very thought of each on etsnt
/
rouRod up a thousand demons ham
mering and knocking witliiti my soul
and plunged mc in unutterable miseiy
"JJut after dark llio light will conic,'
as Boureieault tcllsJJnsj and the rccol
icction, that, if "pcrmiaMon" was nec
essiiry to l>j*iupr on the match, it war
positive that there was no love in hoi
heart for the suitor, pulled me up again
from the slough of despond.
After a fortnight .1. went again tc
tlio houso. 1 was ushered into at
empty room; but presently NclIU
came in- He cheeks were flushed am
her eyes wcro heavy, and tho lid.'
swollen from recently shed tears. Af
tcr shaking hands with mc, instead ol
ojir customary chat, she turned away
a little brusquely, I fancied, and stood
gazing out of tho window. Kow
Spa-road, though a charming spot in
my enamoured farvcv, had certainly
?n ;nl,in? <1.? ...?
IV |mt uivuiui ?*cll HV. isilsilo 111 LUU ^ il )
of scenery or fashions; bo that J
.could only surmise that she wanted tc
avoid our inevitable tcte-a-tcle.
My wounded feelings prompted mc
to a malicious cour.se of conversation;
of which, however, I was soon made
to be ashamed, coining oil* a crestl alien
wretch, instead of a victor with
flying colors.
".Miss Lister," 1 said, going up to
her, and putting on a high jocular
tone, and mustering up an extremely
facetious expression on my pbysiogwhilst
my heart was thumping and
bumping up and down beneath my
waistcoat with leviatlinn force, "3*our
mother asked mc to use .my persuasive
powers to induce 3*011 to reward
Mr. Urling's attachment with 3*0111'
hand." I look the little white palm
in mine with a Grandisonian grace
that ought to have been completely
overpowering, but it evidently missed
its mark for she snatched it away
from mo with a strange vehemence
in her manner, and with an angr3*
flashing light in her violet orbs that
gave quite a new phase to her beaut}'.
Ah an angel bho was perfect; but the
glimpse of deviltry that sparkled momentarily
in her 03-0 rendered her, it
possible dangerous to my poor peace
of mind.
"So you advise me to marry Mr.
Urling, whom I not only dislike, but
have a contempt for! You think it
110 sin, then, to go to the all# with a
lie upon your lips, and to promise fo
cding to a man whom you would prefer
novcr to look upon at all! I
thought better of you Mr. Fleming?
Ijetter of 3'our judgment, better of
your heart; for I (lid fancy that you
liad some little feeling for mc, a little
'riendship at any ruto." Aud she
l>urst out crying.
"What .was to become of mc? A
lozen tongues scomcd struggling within
mc for spocch; a million tongnus
. ould never havo uttered all my lovo;
ill my adoration of her. But somching
kept mc' silent. Afterwards I
cnew what that "something" was?
.lie horrible foar of certainty was
mtagonistic to my ljappinets. And
;o I stood stock-still, appearing p rouble
in her eyes as interesting as a
jlock of ice or a senseless log of wood.
Regaining her composure by an cfbrt,
she resumed: "Wei!, Mr. I'lcmng,
I cannot blame you for doing
,vhat mamma asked yon. I will try
ind like Mr. Urling; and perhaps I
shall succeed?who knows?" she said
.villi a bitter little smile upon her lip.
'And the next time you cull you may
iave to congratulate mc. But I must
jo now, and will send mamma to
hank you better than I can do. Good-*
)yc, Mr. Fleming." And just touchng
tho tips of my cold fingers, she
jlidod out of the room.
I followed hordown the stairs, then
loisejcssiy let myself out of the
iousc.
Ill
For some weeks I persisted in xuy
liurnal work; but my brain kept
.hrobbing, and there was a a strange
linging in my ears; and lassitude
:rcpt over me, and i>ppetito wont
i way.
Then one morning, as 1 sat listlessy
in my arm-chair,'my buxom landady
came, dropping her curtsey, and
lesiring her matutinal chat.
"Lord, sir!"?she had been staring
lard ot my visage for a few minutes
vith more curiosity than politeness?
'why, I do believe as how you are
;oing to bo very ill I I never saw
inybody look so unearthly liko in all
ny born.days. And you never eat
mything now. Mr. Fleming?not if
[ do your bacou mj^s'elf, and
tend it up nice and brown to a turn.
So hero it is, sir, and untouched 1"
iho exclaimed in a plaintive tone,
whoso pathos, little inclined as I was
*or.mirth; tickled my risible faculties.
"Never mind about my appetito,
Mrs. Ilobson ; I am all right enough.
[ want you to put these flowers and
fruit into a basket, and dispatch them
it once to Mrs. Lister, Mary ville Cottage,
Spa-road."
"Of course I will sir, diroclly. And
now do go and liodown quietly. You
look as white as your own ghost, and
are no more fit to-bo worriting over
those newspaper articles than the
shoeblack at the corner."
I took the good woman's advice
and went to bed feeling that it was
useless to attempt work. My head
was aching as if'tbe "Anvil Chorus"
of the Trovatore was being performed
upon it, and my limbs felt as though 1
had been stretched upon the rack in
the chamber of the Inquisition for
ninety-nine days.
That night I became insensible?
for several long days, they told me
afterwards; and then 1 began to toss
about in delirium, raving madly and
insanely. . jg
It was one evening (shaU.Jt ever
forget it), about seven o'clock. The
summer had not yet gone by, and the
last lingering beams of the sun fell
through my window upon my room,
The pain in my head*was gone, leaving
a dull numbness behind; and my
strength was no greater than a littu
ehild's. The weight was still on my
heart, thongh I could barely realize
its cause, so utterly prostrate I felt.
Silence refgned around; and weari
ly Tecloefcjg the lids I had sca?celj
opened, I tamed oa my pillow. Thet
a soft coot hand was passed gentjj
. over iny hot fofrehcnd, and n fragrant
f breath swept over me,
Who could r*ho ho? I wondered.
' Xot a hireling surely, with bo ltiud
. ami li/iht ft touch. 1 opened my oyes
. wido and looked up, and flaw only ft
? face! blithers?Nellie's! What could
it all mean? Was 1 dead, and liad my
i angel eomo to bear me to heaven ?
1 "Arc you going to bo married?" I
> exclaimed feverishly, with tlio blood
! flaming up in my face, and my pulso
> galloping.
I "2sTo, Mark, no?unless it is to you!"
i and she put her two arms round my
- neck and softly kissed my check. And
[ then ehe added, shyly : "Mrs. liobson
) came and told- us how ill you wore,
I and that your poor weak voico was
r itiwiiys caiing xseiliC! JNCII1C! fto
, mammsv and 1 came to nurse you by
r turn's. You have paid often enough
in your ravings how much you love
mo clear! Say it again, now that
, you have regained your senses, and I
shall ho tlio happiest girl on earth!"
. O, could it be true? Yes, 1 felt it
: was, as with the little strength that
. was left me 1 drew her pas.siouately
to my breast.
******
As I am "writing this manuscript,
i my wile is peeping over my shoulder.
. 1 look up and see?"only a face," but
the face of u woman angel 1.
* 4^^
STEPHENS ON TEE WAR.
"The Matcliless Duplicity and Dishonesty
of Seward"?Til? Hampton Roads
Conference?Lee's Invasion, Etc.
The advance sheets of the second
volume of Alexander Jl. Stephens'
" important work have been read by
the editor of the Augusta Constitu
uonanst. xiio lolloping extracts from
that paper show the scope of this remark
ablo contribution to the history
of tho war:
Tlio initial colloquy is talcen up
with rt distinction us to our form of
government. Tho federative principle
is held to be a discovery in political
science. We are a confederated
nation?a nation of nations, in which
the power of sovereignty is divisible,
but not the sovereignty itself. The
narrative then proceeds to tho causes
of conflict arising from misinterpretation
of tho governmental principle
enunciated. The papsago of personal
liberty bills by several of the Northern
States, preventative of the rendition
of fugitives from service, is
shown to have been violato of the
Federal compact, since, without ample
pledges on the part of the North,
thcro never would have been any
Union. . The agitation arising from
this breach of contract, bad as it was
became intensified by the declaration
of Salmon P. Chase, that tho Nortlrcrn
States would never repeal - their
acta. IIcj^co, tlio secession of the I
South was principally brought about
by the perfidy of the North, and hor j
declared determination to continue in
perfidy. Mr. Stephens completely
exonerates the South from inangura- j
tion of tho war. The first 'gun at
Sumter was not the overt act, since
tho agressor in war is not the first
who renders force necessary. It is j
clearly shown, too, that tho South exhausted
every known means of preventing
strife, but was met at every
turn by the matchless duplicity-and
dishonesty of William II. Seward.
The history of the formation of the
Confu'dei'ato government is elaborately
drawn. Jefferson Davis was looked
upon by all as an eminently conservative
man. Toombs was to have
been choscn President, but failed
through a singular misapprehension
on tho part of representatives of
other .States, who had understood
that ho refused to have his name put
forward. There was somo misunderstanding
like wiso concerning Howell
Cobb being tho choice of Georgia.
By accidental complications Mississippi
had the first choice, and choso Jefferson
Davis, leaving Georgia tho so
cond, which resulted in the Vice-Prcs
idency of Mr. Stephens. Tho Montgomery
constitutiou is a monument of
tho wisdom, forecast, and statesmanship
of its framcrs and an overlasting
refutation of the charge's brought
aguinst tho South of. disloyalty to tho
fedorativo principle. Coercion -was
unconstitutional and. only defended
on the plea of necessity?tho plea of
tlin t.vrimt. in nil nrrna nP tlin ipnrlil
A convention of tho State callcd by
Congress would have prevented ?war
and restored the Union; or, in case
the South refused to go into such jr
convention, tho North would have
had a better cause for battle. It is a
misnomer to call the war a "rebellion"
or a "civit war." It was a "war between
tho States," One of tho most
remarkablo and vigorous portions of
Mr. Stephens'-book is his statement
of the treatment of prisoners of war
by both belligerents. Tho cruelty
and torture charged upon the South
is fixed upon Stanton and tho Washington
authorities, and upon them
and their policy will forever rest the
blood and tho suffering of tho bravo
on either side. The responsibility for
the failuro tp advance qfter the battle
of Manassas is referrod to President
Davis. Mr. Stephons affirms
that there never was any .personal
feud between him and Mr. Davis,
though they diffoi'ed widely on many
questions of public policy. Mr. Da.
vis is alluded to throughont in the
i kindest manner, and warmly defendi
ed against the aspersions of his cne;
mies at home and abroad. Mr. Stephens
believed that diplomacy could
> honorably atop the war in 1863. Ho
i proposed a mission to Washington for
i that purpose, when tho military status
i was most favorable toboth parties.
, Mr. Davis did'not concur until too
late, until, in fact, the military status
' had rendered such a course lmpossi>
ble. Lee's invasion of'the North was
r * great blunder politically and in a
> military sense, but chargeable in the
main, to the Richmond cabinet.. Get.
tyburg and Vicksburg tarped the tide
r in fovor of the RctfE. But the vital
i blow struck at Southern suocets was
r in the mistaken policy of finanfce and
t* . t "
conscription? tho latter, cspeeiall}-. b
Tho people's spirits were broken by 11
it, nn<J. it was as unconstitutional as u
unnecessary. Tho pcoplo were will- t
ing to light fer liberty, but were not j<
willing to be compelled to do so. If t
compulsion had been necessary, tho o
war ought to havo been abandoned; c
for iio people aro worthy of liberty, o
or capable of preserving.it, who have ti
to be d?ivcu into battle. Even in the
early part of 18G5 Stephens had w
hopes, iu case tho policy, of the ad- a
ministration changed. It did not n
change, and so conscription, impress- tl
ment, the suspension o 1 habeas cor- 1*3
pus, and prodigal waste of lives and
property were tho causes ?of South- st
j crn despair and defeat. Much light u:
I is thrown upon tho Ilamptou Hoads w
I Conference. There seems to bo little d<
doubt that a echcmo was concocted si
to terminate t,ho wur !>v n dirorsimi h:
of Iho question to another channel tl
^ind a joint movement of liotli armies sc
against the French in Mexico. To tl
liiivo been successful the preliminaries w
to a military convention demanded
tlio utmost secrecy. Mr. Stephens s:
proposed that Mr. Davis should meet in
Mr. Lincoln. lie refused, and siig- ti
gested three commissioners. Mr. R
Stephens advised that three able men h
should bo appointed whoso absence
would not ho detected or observed, hc
Mr. Davis, however, insisted upon ap ai
pointing just tlio very trio whoso ab- a;
senco from Kichmond would have hi
been remarked at once. In conse- ft
queue?, the matter became a common tl
! public rumor, and the wholo business tl
| was thus defeated from tlio start. 01
Nobody was more disappointed at- rj
this rcs.nlt than Mr. Davis, who sub- ai
sequently seemed to lose his good o;
judgment, but never his ardent devo- w
lion to liberty. Mr. Stephens descants
upon Iho future destiny of the tl
United States. IIo holds that the g
South is powerless at this iitnc to h
shape or control events. Tlio judicia- al
ry department, though sadly brow ci
beaten, may slill be a bulwark of lib- b:
erty. So far, however, Iho cause lost ft
at Appoipattox was not tlio Federal cs
principle, but tho maintenance of oi
that principlo by arms. Tho point m
reached by the Centralists is an at- m
tempt by duress to induco certain m
States, as sovereign States, to con- b<
form to their action under tho sent- al
bianco of voluntary conscnt. The b(
battlo is still to be fought in tho lb- w
rum of reason, on the validity or in- lil
validity of their acts. To the last m
Mr. Stephens lingers wistfully over oi
his beloved South and her cause, a
lie declares that wo arc not a "con- su
qucrcd people," at all events, that as- w
sumption lias never been avowed at ol
Washington. He conjures his coun- ?oi
trymcn to avoid accepting responsibility
fox* tho acts of tyrants. It n<
should never he said that the Soutli hi
is the author of her own degradation to
Some day or other tho uprising ut
Northern masses may rally to the Hi
cry that the "Cause of tho South is 01
the cause of us all." But if there bo "r.
no reaction and no rallying tho condi- "<
tion of the South will soon be that of gi
the North. Tho loss of Southern lib- st
erty will only antedate by a few tl
years tho destruction of Northern zi
freedom. The judgment of posterity tl
will not in any event brand us as "re- ti
i bels and traitors," but rather as self- tl
sacrificing patriots, and our heroes tl
and martyrs will talc? their places in b;
hist'oryby tho side of Washington,
Hampden and Sydney. Centralism ai
and empire may came, but the South M
will be acquitted of erimo. For even n<
centralism and empire will bo her al
justification in tho last Btrugglo for su
constitutional liberty. ol
^ si
TOBACCO. tl
tl
An interesting historical article by ri
Dr. William Bacon Stevens, publish- al
cd, in tho Magnolia Magazine, in
lS'44, gives an account of the first introduction
of tobacco into England. .
It an account of tho "First English
voj*ago to Virginia," made in tho year
1584 by Captains Amndus and liarlow,
at the charge and under tho aus- ec
pices of Sir Walter Raleigh. . rc
Anderson in, his "History of Com- It
rnmerce," says they took home with ro
them some tobacco, tho first that was
ever seen in England. But this is er- ?I
roneous, as in Stow's Chronicle it is er
stated that Sir John Hawkins carried 8e
it thithor in tho yoar 1565, but it was to
liiuu uonsiucrea as a mero arug, ana ^
tho Chronicle tells us "all men wonder- di
ed what it meant." This account of di
Stow is confirmed by Hakinyt, who, ta
in his narrative of tho voyago of Sir G
John Hawkins, in 15G5, thus speaks
of the article as observed by that
navigator among tho Florida Indians : tli
"The Floridians, when they travel, it
have a kind of herb dried, which, w
with a cane, and an earthen cup on to
tho end; with firo, and tho dried herbs
put together, and suck through the i"
cano tho smoke thoroof, which smoke
satisfioth their hunger." Hawkins
probably carried a specimen of it to
England as a curiosity. b<
Camden and other authorities, how- M
ever, assort that tobacco was first tak- m
en to England by .Ralph Lano, Gov- is
ernor of tho Virginia adventurers, in at
15SC. That the-colonists at that time D
learned the use of this narcotio is evi- in
dent from what Harlot "a man of sei- sv
once and observation," who accom- a<
panied Mr: Lano says: "The Indi- fo
nns usea to uiko ino iumo or smoKe ci
thereof, by smoking in pipes made of V
clay. We, ourselves, during the time ti
we were there, used to suck it after e^
thgir fashion, as also since oar re- P
turn." The interest and example of di
Sir Walter Kaleigh, "a man of gaiety <
and fosbion,". soon brought it into
such vogue at court, says Smith, that
many great ladies, .as weft "as noblemeh,
made no -scruple to take ft pipe. I
We are not informed whether the j,
Queen herself made nso of it, but it q
is certain that she g&Ve great counts- j?
nance and encouragement to it, as a j(
vegetable of singular strength and .
power,.which might, therefore, prove
of benefit to mftnkind and advantage ?
to the nation. 8b bar, m Hr. Oldys b
trell Ikia *riBe Princess I
from the refined taste of her sacce* x
or, who hold tobacco in such abomiintion,
tluit ho not only rofusod to
sq it Iiimsolf, but unduavorcd to des- q
i'oy and suppress it among hiH sub v ,j
BOts, and would thereby havo robbed t
lie crown of what has Kinco proved '
no of its noblest jewels nnd most JS
onsidorablo revonuo, and tho nation fem
f a very advantageous branch of na.
rado. nor
Sir Walter Raloigh's tobacco box, ty.
ith somo of his pipes, whoro extant
ad laid up among tho rarities of tho
luscum of that curious antiquarian,
10 late Ivulph TUomasly, of Leeds, s^'
nglarid. ?'|c
There aro somo humorous stories Prc
ill rcmenloorcd concerning the first rj
so of tobacco, particularly Ualeigh's Hjn)
agcr with tho Queen, that ho would |1||>
nvnr?flxr llm of flin ? ?
-rr ""?j ?: ?n"." ? ~? ion
nolco that Tvcnt ofr in a pipo of to- {lln(
icco. This he did by first weighing
ic tobacco, and then carcfully pre- 1
srving and weighing the ashes, and of
ie Queen readily granted that what ed
as wanting in prime weight must be grc:
raporated in smoke," and when sho tho
lid pleasantly that kIic had heard of mal
lany laborers in the lire who had
frncd .their gold into smoke, hnt
aloigh was the first who had turned Sail
is smoke into gold. i"g
Jt was also related that a connlry ^ca'
srvant of his, bringing him a tank- rioi
I'd of ale and nnlniog into his study, ty*
ho was intently engaged at his ^
ook, smoking a pipe of tobacco, the
Mow was so frightened at seecing
ie smoke come out of his inoqth, j
I at. he thl'fiw llit? nlr> info liiu I'm ni* in
rtlcr to extinguished the fire, and auj
\n down slain*, alarming the family
ud crying out that his master was -y
11 fire, and before they could get up qui.
ould be burned to ashes. ]>CI)
"Certainly," says Camden, "from j,av
lat time forward it began to grow in sj011
reat request, and to bo sold at a ?^la,
igh rate." It is l'emarkablo that, in
11 our early accounts of tho Aineriin
aborigines, we find the use-of to- J4
ncco specified1. Carter, in 15:>5, r0a<
mnd it in Canada, and thus describ- Dut
>it: "There grows a certain kind fr0r
f herb whereof in summer they ma
ako great provisions for all the year, Alu
jilciug great account of it, and onlj' ].]Vj
en uso it. At first they causo it to $i2i
3 dried in the sun, then wear it 000
jout their necks, wrapped in a little ei?-l
last's skin, mado like a little bag, ?
illi a-hollow pieces of stono or wood L
co a pipe, when tlicy pleaso they of s
ako powder of it, and putting it in suffi
ic end of said corrct or pipe, laying nopi
coal of fire upon it, at the otjier end vari
ick so long that they fill their bodies 1301
ith smoke, till that it cometh out ing
' their mouth and nostrils, even as tian
it pf tho funnel of a chimney."
Brereton, in his Journal of Cfos- A
ild's Voyages in 1602, and Rosier in ^ov
s account'of "Weymouth's voj'ages old
> England in 1005, both speak of its cler:
10 among tho Indians in those parts, stqj*
ut in this case, it was not smoking, him
chewing, or snuffing, but drinking, try
Llioy gave us also," says Brcrcton, reli^
3f their tobacco which they drink
L'ccn, but dried with powder, very -f
rong and pleasant." "Wo drank of uni
jcir excellent tobacco," writes Ro- sara
er, "as much as wo would with Cor
icm, but we saw not any great quan- give
ty to truck for, ana it seemed that y0u
ley had not much left of the old, for
icy spent a great quantity yearly cj*v
f their continued drinking!" x ^
Lane found it among tho Floridi- , .
is, and tho Spaniards among the r*0
Mexicans, "where tho natives took it *en
>t only in smoke at tho mouth, but "ie
so in snuff at tho nose; and it was P&rl
ich a luxury with them that Lords
!" Mexico composed themselves to T
eep with it.". "Its namo," says An- ia is
jrson, "was probably given it by out
10 Spaniards, before this timo, from bct\
10 Isle of Tobago, one of tho Car- u/id
bbces, where it was produced in trac
jundance." thoj
Gov
000
The first suit under tho social equal- finei
V law of Louisiana. bft)uf*ht arminsfc hm
le proprietor of an icc-crcam estab- the'
ilimcDt who refused to recoivc color- eho
I applicants for refreshments, has heai
suited in adisagrccmcntof the jury. mor
is said that a variety of races wcro voss
presontcd among the jurymen, and Cun
iat a colored jnror was prominent in
>posing the intentions of tho fram- E
s of tho law, alleging that lie him- way
If did not want whito men as visl- veU(
rs at colored pcoplo's balls, "to er (
>mo there and take my colored la- pQ0]
es away." After long and heated
scussion, the other jurors agreed to ,
ke t^e opinion of a gravo and silent "
erman. lie decided that, as it had
(en evident* that the lawj'ers in tho l}8"1
iso'wero at varianco upon tho'law,< dan
ie justico and tho cvidcnco adduced, by."
could not bo oxpected. that a jury atta
hinh lrnmv fn.r loss nhnnt. annh mnt.
rs should agree. And this saga- A
ous opinion was adopted as the find- ^ev
goftbojury. ford
littl
Oregon has elected the first mem- a
5r of the Forty-second Congresp. f?
r. J. F. Slater, the now Congressan,
i?) a Democrat, and his election and
a good omen for the political char- you
ster of the next Congress. The ^is
emocratic victory in Oregon, follow- ? T
g as closely "as it has aftor the 80 *
veeping victory in thfs State, and go <
shieved as it was in spite of the of- 8tpc
rts of one of the strongest politi- ans
on the Pacific coast?Senator Ia
Hlliams?is another proof of the tj
irning of the political - tide Whatrer
may be the result of the next
residential election, it is already eyjs
eat that the next House of Kewb*; * 1
mfcativo is to be Deuiocrati^^W ^
Chicago has a new cifttitoh?the ga^
'irst CongreffptionaV-fwWch fca*
ist been finished,at a cjftst of 3180,- ?.
00. A peculiarity^^ihia. cnurcn
'iV.i alls
I IUUI VUV 1CUU1UWMBK wr puiuit *****
? provided witbjj^p^er speaking Tai
rampet, ^vhicbgw ioniiected witb ^
leveu pewa, m vrkh robber
.aM aid caJFsttMlwa, #> awrf ??
nay enjoy jlfiuiwrwftlt Mthow
iot so uafatfftnate. Yo
SCRAPS.
"ho Port Royal Railroad, it it
iovod will bo somplotod to Augusby
tho 1st Novombor.
li.ss Amy M. Bradley is tlio first
nlo office holder in North Caroli?Sho
has boon appointed oxamiof
schools in Now Ilanover Couuhc
Gorman translators of Dickons
sst novel arc in doapair. Tlioy as
i? mat nouo of his previous works
red tho Bamo difficulties as tho
scut one.
'hero is at present at South Kenjton,
London, an international exition
of fans, in which Queen Vica
and tho Empress Eugenia "aro
jng the contributors.
'ho derangement of tho cablo lines
telegraph, which has lately causlmicli
inconveniencc, has, to a
at cxtont, boon remedied. Tho aurities
promiso all diligenco to
io tho restoration complotc.
o plentiful arc the grasshoppers in
t, Lalco City, that tho stench arisfrom
tho accumulation of their
J carcasses is terrible, and is setsly
affecting tho health of tho citiss
Louisa Stratton,of Cass Coun?
Indiana, challenges any man in
State to a ploughing mutch with
, ftiio pi* poses a, two-horse team,
li compclitor to drive tlio horses
hold the plough.
"ictor C. TJurringcr, Esq., of North
olina, Judge James, of Ohio, and
ijamin Y. Abbott, of New York,
0 been appointed a new comniis1
to codify tho laws Of tlio United
Los, the salary to be $"5000 a year,
U a stationery, See.
icgal practico pajrs when ono
dies c the upper story." David
llej' Field received $300,000 free11
tho Erie Tiailroad. Jeremiah S.
ck got $235,000 from Iho New
laden rryno oaso. William
iris has a professional income of
5,000, and recently charged 65,for
ono speech which occupicd
lty minutes
argo sums of money, irrespective
ect, have been subscribed for tho
jrers the late firo at ConstantiIc.
Tho number of lives lost is
ously estimated at from 800 to
3. Tho Turks wcro freely throwopen
their houses to tho Chris
s wno wero ourueu out.
clergyman in a recent sormon, in
v York, quoted an anecdoto of au
merchant who instructed his
ks : ' When a man comes into a
0 and talks of his honesty, watch
; if ho talks of his wealth, don't
to sell to him; if ho talks of'his
jion, don't trust him ujdollar." .
1 Fenian "general" in green
form and waving plume of tho
ie, Intel}' called on the British
isuI in New York, and impres>ly
remarked: "I have.to inform
, sir, as the immediate representee
of British interests iu this
, that for every one of my capid
countrymen's lives that shall
aken in Canada, the lives of
British subjects shall ans.wer in
United States," and boldly de;ed.
V
ho now Cunai'd 6tcamcr Abyssini
ono of the four new ships fitting
in tho Clyde to carry the mails
veen this country and England,
cr Messrs Burns & Mclver's conit,
which, it will be remombored.
7 obtained from her Majesty's
ernment for eight years, at ?70,
a year. Tho vessel is ono of tho
3t specimens of naval architectTho
Abyssinia is unlike any of
Cunard steamers now afloat, as
is a four-docker, and with' horvy
iron masts and plum stem look*
0 like a line-of-battle ship than a
el destined for the service of tty?
ai'd Company.
luvious people should notf.al
trust to first impressions. A
erable Danbury lady, of a rathcredulous
turn of mind and, a
p stretch of vision, saw a . p^jbr
^rayB dasli by her window ono
last week, and," in agony Of cri>
Blie shook her fist .at the estabtnent
and cried out: "Ride,
1 rft it rril 1 V\n m*t 411 rn n?rl
? J ^ J AV ?? * ? WW bull! Wjr-?uu"
' The handsome grays wery
ched to a hearse.
. Boston man proposed to. visit
7 York recently, via the Harti
& Erie Railroad. As he was a
e early for the train, ho bought
iwspaper, and, alter looking at
stock sales, picked up tils valise
started up street, "t "thouglit
wore going to Nes^TTork by
rovte? said a.friend. "Well,
! was, but rill*'"hanged if Til
>ver a road .when a sharoof its
kia worth less than a single
trr1l now pretty certain that
ick" Pomerov will succeed the
a. John Morrissey as a member
the House of Representatives
11 the Fifth District of New
rk. "John's constituents ate die-,
sfied with him, not only becausehasbeen
so seldom in his seat*
i session, bat on account of thatj
ance with Greely and the antJntnany
won tye fight, and none
; $ammany disciples can hope to
aa to the next Congress from .
i Democratic districts bf New
dt, v