Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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lewis m. gbist, proprietor.| Inbepcnbent Jfantilg ftetosjaper: $ot tjje promotion of % political, Social, Agricultural an)r Commercial Interests of % Sonfje. jTERMS?$3.00 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE. VOL. 21. YOEKYILLE, S. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1875. NO, 16. 1 * .... ... . . tt!?;i- I :?j :<.? Tim mootinor nf which W0 jltt ?riginal jftowg. Written for the Yorkville Enquirer. UNCLE BRAINERD'S WILL; OR, The Fortunes of Alice Lyn chapter x. ALICE REMAINS A PRISONER. "When Alice could sufficiently compose li excited feeliugs to speak, she said, in a to of forced calmness? "Mrs. Broderick, I don't wish to acci you of unkind motives, but I must say th your treatment of me is very singular a quite unwarrantable. I am neither a chi nor an insane Derson. and I am quite able f ? * take care of myself." "You are very little more than a chile rejoined her cousin ; "and I am surprised th you have been allowed to leave home ai travel about alone as you are doing. I co sider that my brother and myself, being yo nearest living relatives (except your gran father) are your natural protectors, and i have decided to act in that capacity." Alice's dismay, ou hearing this annount raent, can be better imagined than describe "But you have no right to detain me th by force," she gasped. "You have no authc ity over me; I have never been placed und your guardianship." "Have you any other guardian ?" ask Mrs. Broderick. Alice was silent. She could not, in trut say that she had. "Every one knows," calmly pursued Mi Broderick, "that a girl of your age?fiftee are you not ??is not at liberty to choose h own mode of action while she has living rel * /"i t i?? i a?: tives capaDie 01 noiumg ner m men guaiuio ship." "I am sixteen," replied Alice, speakii with difficulty. "Well, sixteen ; one year makes no diffi ence. At all events, you are too young take care of yourself, and Providence havii thrown you into our hands, we do not inteu for sometime to come, to let you slip out them, my dear." There was an inflexion of triumph in Mi Broderick's sepulchral voice, and a cove gleam in her cavernous eyes, which puzzh as much as it dismayed Alice, while she spok What possible motive could these people ha for thus taking possession of her. What a vantage could they gain by having her wi them ? It was a complete mystery, and o: that she could not unravel. She struggl for a moment with her feelings; then with sudden impulse, springing toward her cous and clasping her arm, she exclaimed in tone of entreaty? "Oh ! Mrs. Broderick, pray, pray, let me ; away from here! Indeed, I am not ungrai ful for all your kindness to me, but I a obliged to go elsewhere ; indeed, I am. Y< will make me miserable if you force me stay." . "And why will it make you miserab Alice ? Are we not nearly related to yoi And can you not see that your natural ai fitting home, at least for the present, is wi us ?" "No," sobbed Alice. "If my mother hi chosen me to live with you she would ha told you so before her death." _ Yuur mother always acted- wifftiffy ai imprudently, and was blind to her own goo But now that she has no voice in the inatt( we must take it into our hands. In shorl she added, with an air of decision, "there no use in arguing the matter. We are qui resolved upon the course we must pursue, ai you will find it to your advantage to subn with as good a grace as possible to what inevitable. I am sorry you should find 01 selves aud our home so disagreeable ; out p< haps custom and time will reconcile you both. My brother and I will see that y< are provided with a proper wardrobe, aud i othet necessaries; aud you may rest assur that as long as you make no opposition to o wishes, you will be treated with kindness ai consideration. Let me advise you to weij this well iu your mind, and for your own sal reconcile yourself to the situation in whi we consider you most providentially placer With these words, Mrs. Broderick made t exit from the room, leaving Alice to her 0' reflections. The poor girl was so overwhelmed with si prise and confusion by what she had ji heard, that it was impossible for her, at lir to arrange her thoughts in any definite or ci elusive form. The more earnestly she tri to think of some means by which she raig effect her escape, the more hopeless her ci seemed to be. There was no habitation wii in sight; no human being near, on whom s could call for aid ; and if Mr. Chester a his sister were as resolved, as they appeared be, to detain her, she could see no prospect rnlnaoliur Kopcolf frAJTI thplP AtlCtnH 17 A fT? came the perplexing inquiry?why should th desire to keep her with them ? She was d titute, friendless, without influence of a sort. Whatbenefitcould they derive from i suiuing the position of her protectors ? S was too ignorant to know how far their t thority extended over her,or whether, indei they had any lawful authority at all. 13 even supposing that they had none, this fa alone, could avail her nothing. She felt b terly that "might was right," and while th chose, forcibly, to assert this right, how cou she prevent them? She was, in fact, a pi oner, and, from what she had seen of her ja ors, she judged that there was a small chaa of hope from their clemency. Of Mr. Cli ter, in truth, she knew but little; but that 1 tie impressed her almost, if not quite, as i favorably as her acquaintanceship with sister. There was a possibility, however, th he might be induced to listen to her entreat and representations, and a faint, very fa ray of hope struggled into poor Alice's brea that when she could find an opportunity, i might win from him a ntore indulgent heari than she had done from Mrs. Broderick. How little did she imagine the real cat of their satisfaction at having her in th power, aud of their anxiety not to permit 1 i tv. .i..:. _i.ii.. i ??i : to escupe : iu incir wunuijr anu otntun minds, the arrival of this helpless girl wa: timely stroke of good fortune, (or, as tli hypocritically said, of Providence,) to ei their apprehensions concerning their futu and place a most tempting prospect iu th view. Had she known all their plans c< cerning her, the trouble and perplexity s now felt would have been augmented to t keenest anxiety and distress. But of thi it is not yet necessary to speak. The poor girl spent the remainder of t day iti sad and hopeless reilections on 1 trying situation, and melancholy retrosp tions of the life she had lately quitted. I congenial as her aunt's home had become her, the memory of it seemed like Eden eo pared to the dreary abode she now occupii "She had spent many, many happy days the and now that she was so far away, the rec lection of these outweighed that of the glooi and sorrowful ones which had also fallen her lot. At times, a bitter regret for havi come away filled her mind, and an earn longing that it were possible for her by a means to return. Perhaps, had she stay< her aunt's feelings would iiave softened towf her, when she discovered that she wanted make restitution for the injury which throu her had been inflicted on the family, a Maurice might have been prevailed on, wli he found her resolute, to accede to her wisl in the matter. A thousand vain regrets and I possibilities floated through her mind, giving ? j fresh weight to the grief and perplexity arising from her present position. At last, completely exhausted by the excitement of these i ; agitating thoughts, she threw herself upon : her bed and fell into a heavy sleep, from which shedid not awake until Mrs. Broderick Q came to her room to summon her to dinner. ' i Alice was too miserable to feel any appetite, j but she accompanied her cousin down stairs, and silently took her place at the table. Mr. ! Chester was extremely attentive to her, euler deavoring to persuade her to eat, and indeed ne helping her, against her will, to a portion of ; everything that was on the board ; but though ise the meal was a good one, and very well prelat pared, she found it impossible to swallow nd mor^than one or two moutbfuls, and those Id | nearly choked her. After diuner, when the to j table had been cleared and the plates and i dishes washed up, Mrs. Broderick said to her I," | that if she would fetch her bonnet and shawl at| she would accompany her in a little walk, nd ; "I do not wish to walk, thank you," replied n-1 Alice. ur ' "But it is good for your health," interposed d-1 Mr. Raphael Chester, in an insinuating tone, jve | "I have studied medicine, my dear cousin, and : T fool ^nmnptont. tr? irivft an oninion on the * ? ?3 -r :e* subject." id. A feeling of hatred toward Mr. Raphael us Chester darted into Alice's raiud, as she >r- glanced toward him. At that moment, as he er | stood regarding her, with his head slightly to j one side, and a smile on his sallow, uuwhole* ed ! some-looking face, he appeared to her more disagreeable and repulsive than his sister, h, "My health is very good," she replied, shortly, "and I would rather stay in the house." rs. "But I would rather have you walk," said m, Mrs. Broderick, smoothly ; "so, if you please, er I will wait here until you are ready." a- Alice walked up-stairs, but instead of getn ting ready, threw herself into a chair, firmly resolved not to be forced out against her will. ier i "They are not equal to taking me up," she ' 1 said to herself, "and I'll go in no other way." >r-1 After a time, Mrs. Broderick came in search to | of her, and discovering how matters stood, jg j said, calmly? d,! "You are determined, I see, to 6et yourself of j in oppostiou to our will. Be it so ; but you j will find, as I told you before, that such a rs. : course can benefit you in no way at all. On irt j the contrary, it will make your life here far ed j more uncomfortable than we desire it to be. ;e. I Submission to our wishes is your safest policy, ve ! and a stubborn resistance can only result in d-: uuhappiness to yourself." th j Several dreary days passed away, unmarkue i ed by any special event. Mrs. Broderick ed i furnished Alice with a plain but complete a 1 wardrobe, and to this she added the luxury in ! ofa few books, and a portfolio containing a ! writing materials, to make her solitude less | irksome. On receiving the last, Alice felt a go thrill of hope rush through her. tone might te- by some means manage to despatch a letter ,m to Maurice, entreating his aid, which she knew ou he would readily grant her. But she soon to found that this hope was a barren one. Her movements were too sedulously watched to le, permit any chance of her sending otf a letter i ? i undiscovered. She was never allowed to go id j out alone, and at certain times in the day, th j when Mr. Chester aud his sister were both too much occupied with their own affairs to id 1 keep the necessary watch over her, she was ve forced to remain in her room under lock and j key, to preclude the possibility of her escape, id ; At first she grew almost frantic under this id. treatment. Accustomed as she was to a life jr, ' of freedom and unrestraint, the mere deprivation of liberty would have been to her a seis ; vere affliction, even had it not been fraught ite with the additional bitterness of useless regret id and sorrowful and anxious foreboding. Her lit dislike?nay, that is too feeble a word?her is heart-felt aversion, toward her jailors increasir i ed daily,and she was constantly apprehensive ?r-: of receiving some fresh unkindness at their to hands. And yet, with all their rigorous treat[>u : rnent of her, there was mingled, at times, an ill ; evidence of their wish to win her liking and ed good-will; more especially on the part of Mr. ur Raphael (Rafiy his sister called him,) who iid ; frequently made demonstrations of his esteem gh for her, which caused her, however, always to :e, shrink more within herself, and to regard him ch : with more disfavor than ever. He would 1." sometimes bring her .fruit, or nuts, which, ier when she did not venture to refuse it, she ivii would, on going to her own room, immedil ately throw into the fire or out of the window; ir- aud once or twice he presented her with picjst tures and books. These last were too temptst, it'g to be rejected, for anything was a price >n- less boon which served to enliven her solitude ed and divert her mind from its melancholy ;ht thoughts. Finding, at last, that resistance was jse of no avail and only made her situation a th- harder one, she subsided into a dull, hopeless, ihe submissive state, yielding passively to the diend tales of her captors, and walking out just as to they chose to order. She would rather do of; almost anything than hear that eternal "My tin dear cousin, I have studied medicine, and ey though I have never taken my degree, I feel es- competent," and when, as he sometimes did, tiy Raphael would clasp her wrist with his lank is- fingers to ascertain the state of her pulse, she >he ! shrank from his touch as she would have done tu- from that of some loathsome reptile. It 2d, | seemed to her almost incredible that these lut people could be so nearly related to her as ct, they, claimed to be, and yet she could not it- contradict the evidence they produced in supey port of their assertion. Their assertion was, ild 1 in fact, perfectly correct; but they did not in is form her that their father, old Mr. Chester's til- eldest son, had been the "black sheep" of the ice family, and left the paternal roof in disgrace cs- soon after attaining his majority, since which lit- period lie had never returned to it, having jti- died abroad without effecting, or indeed seckhis : ing, a reconciliation. (It was something of lat his spirit, though in a better and higher form, ies that had sustained his young sister, Alice's int mother, in all her trials and wanderings.) 1st; Three intermediate children, a daughter and >he two sons, had all died unmarried, and eonseng quently Raphael and his sister, and Alice, were the only living descendants of old Mr. jse Chester, who lived in solitary and cheerless eir state on his old family domain, on the banks ier of the Combahee river, ng Continual anxiety of mind began to prey, j a at last, upon Alice to such an extent as to iev mar the fresh and youthful beauty of face is'e and form, which had been so captivating, re, The soft bright color faded from her cheeks, eir giving place loan unhealthy pallor. Her eyes )n- lost their brilliancy and became heavy and ihe dimmed with constant tears. Her step lost its he | lightness, and grew slow and listless, and a ese settled melancholy usurped the place of the joyous animation and cheerfulness which had ,he added fresh charms to her loveliness, ier Mr. Chester and his sister noticed the ec- change with discontent; especially the former, Ti- who was by no means insensible to the attracto j tions of female beauty. m- j "I tell you what, sister Martha," he said on I'd. more than oue occasion to Mrs. Broderick, re, "something must he none to orignion Alice <>1- up. You let her pine too much ; and it will uy end by throwing her into a consumption, that's to all. My medical experience assures me?" ng "Nonsense," said Mrs. liroderick. "She's est not going into any consumption at all. 11 uy people sulk, as she persists in doing, it always ed, makes them look badly ; hut I can't help it." ird ; "Something must be done,' said Mr. liaphto ael, meditatively. "If she should go and die, gh you know, all our chances would be gone." nd "I don't see, for my part, why you should ien shilly-shally as you're doing," said his sister, ies 1 impatiently. "Why don't you tell her at j once what you want and be done with it?" j "My dear sister, it's more difficult to do : than you imagine," said Raphael, shifting J about uneasily on his chair. "I expect to enI counter very violent opposition on her part? i don't you apprehend that I will ?" "May-be you will; but you and I together I won't be worth our salt if we can't get our I own way in the end. For my part, Raffy, I > think you're acting like a simpleton, and ten | | to one you'll spoil the whole game, if you ; dou't pluck up courage and behave like a man." CHAPTER XI. AN UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL. " Alice was sitting by her window, one afterl noon, gazing listlessly at the dreary prospect, 1 1 1 - ? 1- _ 1 J | when mere was a knock, at uer uwur. j.ura. j Broderick never knocked, and Alice knowing J that it could be no one but Mr. Chester, and j resolved not to admit him if she could help it, would not say "come in," but went to the door instead. There stood the worthy Raphael, with a curious expression of embarrassment and uucertainty upon his unprepossessing face. "My dear cousin," he began, with a little 1 preparatory bow, "may I?are you at leisure, ! just now, for a few minutes' conversation ?" "Yes, I suppose so," said Alice, unwillingly. "Shall I come dowu stairs ?" "Why, ah?if you have no objection, I think, ifyou will allow me?we shall be more private up here?my sister is busy down stairs at present. I want?ah?to speak to you alone, if you please." "Come in, theu," said Alice; and relinj quishing her hold of the door, she allowed it to ! open sufficiently to permit the entrance of j Mr. Chester's lank figure, which immediately I glided in and slipped itself into the nearest i seat. Alice could not but observe as she j placed herself in a chair as remote as possible ] from his, that there was an unusual air of ; nervousness about him, and that his manner I was more awkward and fideretv than she had j J ever seeu it. He looked at the fire, rubbed j his hands slowly against each other, and j cleured his throat several times before he ! could collect himself sufficiently to open the ! interview. At last, leaning forward with his ' haudson his knees, aud an insinuating, though ' somewhat forced smile, distorting rather than I embellishing his features, he said? "I suppose, my dear cousin, you have no | idea of the nature of the subject on which I am desirous of speaking to you ?" "No," briefly replied Alice. "It is, I apprehend, one which may be a little unexpected to you?and, therefore, take j you by surprise ; but I hope?ahem !?that it i may not prove utterly disagreeable." Alice, leaning her head upon her hand, and glancing with an indifferent expression out of j the window, waited in silence for him to proceed. ! "The fact is," pursued Mr. Chester, "my j sister I?that is, I suggested to her, a very ; natural arrangement by which the unpleas; antness of your situation here (1 am aware ! that it is rather unpleasant for you in some | respects) might be cancelled, and a degree of j good feeling aud?and?contentment estab! jished, which would be gratifying all round." : Still Alice was silent. "You apparently take very little interest in the matter?" continued Mr. Chester, some; what more briskly. "I am waiting to hear what you have to J say," replied Alice. "You are desirous, I suppose, that such a I state of feeling as I have alluded to should be | established, are you not?" "I don't much care," rejoined Alice. "Well, that isn't very encouraging," said Mr. Chester with an embarrassed little laugh ; "but I suppose I must make allowances for a somewhat perturbed state of mind on your part. But to come to the point. The arrangement I spoke of was this?that you j should consent to become my wife!" If an electric battery had unexpectedly heen applied to Alice, the shock to her nerves could scarcely have been greater than that which they sustained on the reception of this ; announcement. ?She looked at her cousin for ! a moment in speechless amazement; then the ludicrous side of the question struck her, and, for the first time in weeks, a transitory smile j broke over her face. "You must surely be joking," she replied, j "Joking ?" said Raphael with a somewhat offended air. "Is this a subject for joking? I never was more in earnest in my life." ; "But you must know," said Alice, "that | such a thing would be impossible." j "And why impossible?" asked the wooer, moving to a seat nearer to her. "Consider, my dear Alice, the advantages which would ! accrue from such a step. You would become the mistress of this establishment, which,; though not elegant in outward appearance, is, I I assure you, in a most thriving condition, j j My fortune is a modest oue, but would be amply sufficient for our united wants, yours [ being, I apprehend, not extravagant ones ; and as to myself, if I may be permitted to introduce so humble a subject, you may rest assured that no mark of consideration or?or affection on my part, would be wanting to increase your happiuess, since my heart is wholJ ly and entirely at your disposal." "Mr. Chester," said Alice, whose temporary amusement had entirely given place to vexation and disgust as he proceeded, "it is quite I useless for you to say any more about the matter ; for, as I told you before, it is quite impossible for me to grant your wish." "But why, may I ask ?" If Alice had given utterance to the prompting of her heart, she would have answered flatly, "Because I hate you, and will always hate you." Feeling it incumbent on her, however, to be as guarded in her expressions as sue could, sue answered, insieaci? "Because the idea is a preposterous one, | and not to be thought of for an instant." ! "Still I ask, why?" persisted Raphael. "You owe it to me, surely, to assign some reason for your reluctance to accede to my wishes. Am I personally disagreeable to you?" Alice was silent. A deep Hush spread itself over Raphael's sallow face, slowly ex- ; tending upward to the roots of his limp hair, and sideways to the surl'ace of his large un- j symmetrical ears. He gave a sort of gulp, and continued with an effort? "Your silence, in this case, is not flattering, \ j if, as I apprehend, I am to construe it iuto an ; assent ?" "The truth is," said Alice, facing round to- j | ward him, "I don't want to say anything rode, but you asked a question which I couldn't j well evade, and I am not going to tell a falsehood. I do not like you, and I thought you knew it before." i "You have taken no pains to conceal it from me," said Mr. Chester, partly rising from 1 I i.' A ... 1! . _ / A 1 ? 1 . - I __ jus cnair, as n intending t^as alice uevouuy hoped) to take liis departure; but apparently ! changing his mind, he sat down again, and , after a short pause, resumed? i "I am not daunted, however, byyour nnfuj vorable reception of ray suit. Wooing," begun under no better auspices than mine, has \ ended in a satisfactory manner, and I venture to hope that such may now be the case. At all events, I do not relinquish hope." "I am sorry to hear it," said Alice, "for I assure you that there is not the slightest i ground for any such hope. My determiuai tion is quite fixed, and can never alter." i "Young ladies," said Raphael, with his in, sinuating smile, in which, however, something : of a sardonic expression was mixed, "oftenj times change their minds. It is the acknowl-1 ' edged prerogative of the sex." 1 "May be so," said Alice; "but you will find ; that in this case I shall not change my mind." ' She turned away from him as she spoke, and took up a book that lay near,with the evident determination of putting an eod to the interview. Mr. Chester this time rose in earnest, walked a few steps toward the door, hesitated, turned back, and coming up to her chair laid his hand upon her shoulder, and beuding close to her ' ear, said in an impressive tone? "My fair cousin, I have never had occasion yet to measure ray will with yours, and I j trust you will not compel me now to resort to j so ungallant a measure. But be assured, that j should such a contest be entered into, there j can be not the slightest shadow of a doubt in j whose favor it would end. I advise you, j inererore, ior your uwu suae, uui iu uuiiipci rae to resort to violence, to attain an end which can be so much more satisfactorily accomplished by gentle means." Having uttered this warning, he waited for no reply, but immediately stalked out of the room. Left to herself, Alice threw down the book j she had taken up, and starting from her chair, paced up and down the room in a tumult of agitation impossible to describe. "The wretch !" she exclaimed. "The odious, hypocritical creature! Does he presume to think for one instant that I can be coerced into marrying him!?him!" She shuddered j with disgust at the idea. "As well marry a , snake, or a baboon! And to threaten me j too! to dare to resort to such unworthy means .u gain my consent! But he shall'find that I am not so easily frightened. He thinks because I have been docile and uncomplaining, of late, that I am tired of resistance and can be made to submit to anything. Base, unworthy coward! He shall find, that frail as I look, helpless and unprotected as I am, I still have strength and courage to persist in refusing his insolent request. Alice Lynn's j spirit is not crushed out of her yet, and it j shall rise equal to this emergency. He may kill me, if he likes, but he shall not conquer J me." She passed in front of her mirror as she I spoke, and involuntarily stopped, arrested by !' tiio flnuKinnr pvph and trlnwincr countenance of I "V ""-"""b S-- D - | the reflection she encountered there. At that | moment her former beauty returned in full j! force. Not, however, the mild and smiling [ loveliness that had once adorned her features, i but the proud and fierce beauty of an insult- j ed and revengeful spirit, burning with hatred and indignation?a spirit for the first time, aroused within her breast. And then a sense of her weakness and impotence suddenly rushed over her, quenching her momentary courage; and throwing herself down on the floor, she hid her face in her arms and burst into an agony of tears. "Oh ! Maurice, Maurice," she murmured, in broken accents, "if you could only see me j now ! If you could know how miserable,! how tormeuted I am, you would surely come j to help me. Oh! why did I not stay at your home? I am bitterly punished for my rash conduct; and yet I acted, as I thought, right. Oh! if I could but get a letter to you by some means or other, how thankful I would be." As she uttered the words, an idea occurred to her. "I will, at any rate, write a letter," elionvnloimafl "onrl 1/ppn it. a) R'fl V8 ill Teudi* ness; und perhaps by some happy chance, I j may be abie, one of these days, to send it off. ! It is not very likely, but God may take compassion on me and throw some assistance in my way. At any rate, it will be a sort of consolation to write to him." Ever impulsive, she sprang up from her forlorn attitude and immediately proceeded to put her design into execution. Seating herself at the table,she drew forth pen, ink and paper, and wrote the following epistle: "My Dkar Mauimck?You will he surprised to receive this; and indeed nothing hut necessity of the most urgent kind impels me to entreat your kind assistance. I am placed in a most painful and trying position here. I was, as perhaps you know, on the cars on the Siltii of December, the day when that terrible accident happened and so many lives were lost. I was among the wounded, and while insensible was found by the unr.iilA with whom T now reside. Tliev brought | mo home ami took care of me, and it was not I very long before I got quite well. But only think, when I was well enough to go away and proceed on my journey they would not let me go, but kept titc with them' by force, and! am now actually a prisoner in their hands. The worst of it is, they are my near relations?my lirst cousins, though I never heard oftheni before. My grandfather, it seems, was twice married?and they pretend that they have a right to control me, and make me stay with them, as they say I am too young to take care of myself. But oven this i would not beso dreadful, if the man (I can hardly bear to write it!) had not taken it into his head) that he wants me to marry him. Oh! Maurice, you can't think how odious he is ! lie is detestable in every way, and old enough to be my father. Of course I refused him, and he has all but said that he will make me do as he wishes. He says if it comes to a eon test of my will against his, I will soon find out which will conquer. I believe, of course, this is only an idle threat, to frighten me into submission, for it will be impos- I siblc for him to cany it into effect. I am resolved to submit to tortures, sooner than be forced into such an odious marriage. But lam kept in eonstunt misery, from the state of apprehension lam | in. The horrible creature's name is Raphael | Chester; he is the son of my grandfather Chester's | eldest son, my uncle Robert, my mother's halfbrother. His sister is a widow ; her name is Broderick, and she is almost as bad as he is. ' I T I Tiiey Keep nnuse nere lugeuicr, mm * . , own this place together. At first I was grateful j to them for taking me in and earing for me, but now I only feel an aversion for them. They have I some moti ve in treating me as they do, which Ij can't find out. "I have written all this, in the hope of being | able, one of these days, to send it to you, bill it is very doubtful whether I will find an opportunity. ; As 1 have told you, they keep me prisoner, and I I am never allowed to stir a foot out of doors by | myself,for fear I should run away, and, of course, [ I have no chance of posting letters to any body. But, at any rate, I will keep this always in readi- j ness, in hopes of soinefortunatechanceoccurring. "I know, dear Maurice, you will help nio if; you can, for you have always been like a brother i to me. The name of the railroad station you must j come to is Fisher's Pond,and this house is about a mile from it. Iam sure I don't know whether there are any people living about here, for I have never seen a living human being outside of the house since I came, but I should think you might find the way, if no one can direct yon. * I seem to ! be in a wilderness, I am so cut off from the world. | "Excuse that blot; I think I hear some one! coining, so no more at present, from "Your distressed Alick." ; This letter, (having found that her fear of interruption was groundless) she reud and re- i read ; supplied the date, which, in her haste, i she had at first omitted to put; and then pro- J ceeded to fold and direct it. Envelope or stamp she had none; here was another diffi- ! culty ! But there was a bottle of mucilage j on her mantelpiece, which had been lent to her one day to repair a torn engraving, and with the aid of this she constructed an envel- j ope out of a half sheet of paper, making it | as neatly as she could without the aid of knife or scissors, neither of which did she possess.j \ ?? il>? n/..vianla nf lior 1111 r?:n elwi full 111] 11 ' IIIUU^ Liu; LUUltillo w. iiwi I'M.wv V..W ? dime,and this could he used iu purchasing a j stamp, if ever she found any one willing to j undertake the commission of posting the letter. , So the letter and the money were carefully folded up in a piece of paper, and put where i they could be got at on a moment's warning ; though poor Alice felt, as she made this arrangement, what a very forlorn hope it was j that she was cherishing; so forlorn, indeed, that j it seemed likely to end in nothing but despair. [to he continued next week.] What America can Do.?The new Ency- j clopedia Britannica makes the following as- ! sertions : "If the natural resources of America were developed it would afford sustenance to 3,000,000,000 inhabitants?a number nearly five times as great as the entire mass of human beings now existing on the globe! And what is more surprising, it is not improbable that this population will he in existence j within three, or at most, four centuries." ' psitotg of JT. feolina. Written for the Yorkville Enquirer. HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THK Early Settlement of South Carolina. BY REV. ROBERT LATHAN. (CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.) Precisely two hundred and five years ago. South Carolina was first permanently settled by Europeans. For ages?how long no one can tell?it had been in the possession of a people whose origin is as mysterious as their end was tragical. Carolina, then, was one unbroken forest from the mountains to the seaboard. The grandeur of the scene ravished the sightof the colonists. The air was loaded with the odors of uncultivated flowers, and from every tree proceeded charmiug notes made by birds of the richest plumage. It was, in reality, a new world to th& newly arrived immigrants.-: They had never seen anything like it before; and the accounts which they had heard concerning it, and which they had regarded extravagant, fell far short of the reality. The forest was full of wild animals of different kinds, many of which have long since disappeared from the State. So numerous were the deer, that au eye-witness said "the whole country seems but one continued park." Hunters often killed, in a single year, two hundred. Bears were in great numbers, and the wolves made night hideous with their howlings. These are nearly all gone. They fledou the approach of civilization, and the forests in which they found a home, melted before the ax of the European. When imagination paints the territory now occupied by the State of South Carolina, as it was two hundred years ago, and we take a survey of it as it now is, a feeling of sadness creeps upon the soul. We almost wish we could turn the wheels of time back two hundred years, that our senses might bp ravished with the primitive grandeur of nature. This we cannot do. The best that can be done at present, is to gather up the fragments of the history of these early times and string them together as pearls. It was the intention of the proprietors to 3ettle a colony at Port Royal. They had attempted to plant colonies at Cape Fear and Albemarle, in the present State of North Carolina ; and not being as successful, at these points, as they desired, they were anxious to make an attempt in a more southern portion of the territory granted them by Charles the Second. To accomplish this desire, the proprietors made ample arrangements. Three vessels, and supplies for eighteen mouths, were provided. William Sayle was appointed Governor; Joseph West, commander-in-chief of the fleet; Henry Bairne, commander of one of the vessels; and John Rivers was placed iu charge of the military stores. Sayle's commission bears date July 26, 1669. In January. 1670, the colonists set out for their point of destination, and on the 17th of March, they effected a landing. Here they remained for only a short time, and went to a high point on the west bank of Ashley river. This they called Albemarle Point. To Sayle was given, not only a commission, but also instructions. The intentions of the proprietors juts out prominently in the instructions given to Governor Sayle and the other officers. For this reason, they should be generally known. The proprietors were aware that it would be impossible to put the "Fundamental Constitutions," which they called the "graud model," into execution on the first arrival of the imm'grants. Hence, provision was made for a temporary deviation from its requirements. It was, however, enjoined upon Sayle that he "come as nigh the grand model as practicable." .Sayle was instructed to call the free people of the colony together, so soon as he arrived, and hold an election for five individuals, who, together with the five deputies appointed by the proprietors aud the Governor, would constitute the Council. Whether Sayle did this at Port Royal, or whether he waited until after the arrival at Ashley river, or whether he did it at all, does not appear from auy record. We may reasonably suppose that he carried out his instructions aud that the election was held at Tort Koyal, and that it was in accordance with the advice of this Council that the settlement was made at Ashley river, rather than at Port Koyal. The five members elected by the people were required to swear allegiance to the King of England, and "subscribe fidelity and submission to the proprietors and the form of government by them established." It was, however, granted to anyone who had conscientious scruples about swearing according to the prescribed form, "to subscribe the same in a book provided for the purpose, and this subscribing shall be deemed the same with swearing." It was enjoined upon the Governor and Council to select a proper location for a fort, and place upon it, when erected, guns which would command all the streets of the town. This goes far to indicate that no settlement was, in fact, commenced at Port Royal. From all the circumstances with which these immigrants were surrounded, we may conclude that among the first things they would undertake, would be the building of a fort. This they did the moment they arrived at Ashley river, and it was well that they did. The instructions given to Joseph West, the commander-in-chief of the fleet, are more in detail, and even more interesting thau those given to Governor Sayle. In fact, the duties of Admiral West resembled those of au overseer of a large plantation. West was ordered to sail, with all possible speed, with the fleet under his command, for Kinsaile, Ireland. The object of sending him to Ireland was to get "twenty or twenty-five" servants. Having accomplished the object of his visit to Ireland, or having discovered that the servants could not be procured, he was to sail directly for Bnrbadoes. No free man, who had no servants on board, was to be allowed to leave the vessel. Ifa free man died or left the ship at any point, his servants became the property of the proprietors. The object of sending Admiral West to Barbadoes, was to secure seed of various kinds for the colonists. This shows the wisdom of the proprietors and also the real interest they took in the colony. Seed grown in Barbadoes, they no doubt thought, would be more likely to flourish in Carolina than that grown in England. Everything was to be paid for by the proprietors. This was the case with respect to the servants which West was ordered to procure from Ireland. From Barbadoes, West was ordered to furnish himself 1 ? ???,i wun a supply oi uuuun seuu, i.mijju sccu anu ginger roots, together with vines of various kinds, canes and olives. The roots were to be placed in tubs, partly filled with earth, so that they would not perish before arriving at I'ort Royal. When he arrived at Port Royal, lie was then to plant these roots and seeds in what we may call an experimental farm or nursery. On this farm the cotton seed, indigo seed, ginger roots and cane roots were to be planted, and all the seed produced the first year to be saved for planting the next year. On this farm, which seems to have been under the absolute control of Joseph West, he was ordered to erect for himself and thirty servants, good warm houses. So soon as the houses were built, West was to put the servant" to clearing up the forest, so that it would be ready for cultivation the next spring, when it was thought the roots of the previous year would be ready for transplanting. Ginger was to be the main crop. More attention was to be paid to it than to any thing else. Whether Admiral West went to ivinsaue, i Ireland, or not, does not appear. It is certain | that he arrived at Barbadoes in February,1 1670, and in all probability brought with him : the first cotton seed that was ever brought j into the State of South Carolina. No doubt j it was planted, and we may conclude that I South Carolina commenced her existence with I j the cultivation of cotton on the west bank of ! ! Ashley river. Cotton was found growing in j i Mexico, Peru, Texas and Louisiana when \ these regions were discovered, and Sir Walter j i Raleigh found cotton cultivated in Virginia | ' and North Carolina. It is thought that the ! ! i cotton found in Mexico, Peru, Texas and j | Louisiana, was what is now called the short j ' | staple; but what West brought with him was j ' the long staple or Sea-Island cotton. The bo-j i tonical name of this variety indicates very clearly the region from which it came. It is ! known amongst botanists by the name Gosi sypium Barbadense; literally, cotton from or 1 j of Barbadoes. We may as well add that j very little effort was made to cultivate cotton ! J in the State of South Carolina, at least seaj island cotton, for a number of years. Prior j ' to the Revolution of 1776, only small quanti- j (j ties of the variety called green seed was pro-1 I J.mA/J linnifl /IAMOM m nll'lMI VpfV llt.f.lfi | j UUUCU 1U1 11UIUC VUUOUuj|ynuui T w.j ------ . was shipped. Iu 1747, seven bales were shipped fftgiip the | : city of Charleston, and when iu 1784, seventy-one bales were shipped to England, the au! tborities in England seized them as stolen I goods, alleging that all America could not produce so much cotton. The first successful j effort to grow sea-island cotton in the State, j was made by William Elliott, in the year j 1790, near Hilton Head, in the neighborhood of the spot where Ribault attempted to plant a colony in 1562. The proprietors instructed West to take with him from Barbadoes "half a dozen young sows and a boar," with which to stock the country. This is a fact of someiuterest. No i doubt, in the swamps around the present city i of Charleston, these animals proved very prolific. Cattle and sheep were brought to the State from Virginia. The circumstances of | bringing them were these. On the 1st of ! May, 1671, the proprietors sent out Captain Halstead with supplies, to the colony planted I at Ashley river, now called the Ashley river I colony. So soon as these supplies were unI loaded, he was instructed to load the ship with lumber, and take it to Barbadoes and I exchange it for rum and sugar. These were j to be taken to Virginia, and exchanged for | cattle for the Ashley river colony. I When America was discovered by Europeans, there were neither horses, hogs, cows I nor sheep in the country. We cannot refrain I from remarking that the increase of these do,| raestic animals is most wonderful. Previous j to the war of 1776, the country was full of ! wild horses, wild cattle and wild hoes. This is the more wonderful, when we remember that the country was also full of bears, wolves and panthers. Guthrie, au old geographer, , informs us that the beasts of prey were not so ravenous in America, as the same kind of animals are in Africa and Asia. As the country became settled and the number of wild animals decreased, and food for those which live on flesh became scarce, the wolves and panthers became more troublesome to the planters, and made greater havoc on their domestic animals. ^ Capt. Halstead arrived at Ashley river in the month of August, 1671. fie brought J further orders to the colonists respecting their organization. The orders were addressed "to the Governor and council of Ashley river." Before this the proprietors had learned that the colony had given up the idea of settling flbfort Royal, and had already located themselves on the Ashley river, on a high point which they had named, in honor of one of the proprietors, Albemarle Point. It is evident that nothing but some very potent reason could have induced the colony I , . 1- - *t.:? ?1 TU? nf P.,rf i IU UJtlftU LUIS UU<1U??U? JL 11C uaiuut v/a x VII> i Royal is all that they could have desired, aud moreover, as we have seen, they were instructed to plant the colony at Port Royal. The reason, no doubt, was that the Indians in the neighborhood of Port Royal were incensed against the whites, on account of the ill treatI raent which, at various times and in different ! ways, they had received from the Spaniards. | It is almost certain that the Spanish were ; dreaded by Governor Sayle aud his men. It ! is true that a treaty had but very recently | been made between England and Spain, I which granted the Bahamas to England; but ! the Spaniards at St. Augustine cared very litj tie for treaties, as many of their subsequent I acts plainly show. The exact number of the ' colony we do not know, but many things lead i us to couclude that it was comparatively i small. The Spanish had been settled at St. ! Augustine for a Jong time, aud had grown i comparatively strong. The colony under J ; Sayle was by no means prepared to engage j in a war with the Spaniards, aud hence it ; was no doubt resolved to select another loca| tion less exposed to their hostile neighbors. : The proprietors ordered Capt. Halstead to j I ? ^ *L/v n/%1 a?\ *? of A jUIaw im irnr ni ntlt f i milieu 10 pass wiinoui a paironug puriy uemg i sent out. The inhabitants of the town were I j required to do duty twice as often as those : who were settled on farms in the country. The Grand Council, with Governor West for its chairman, met frequently?once every ' week and frequently oftener, when necessity 1 CIAVtJ Willi llic uuiuujr at -rxoiucj nivi, ngu? : j small guns and their carriages. The military stores were under the control of John Rivers, subject, however, to the Governor. Previous to the arrival of Halstead, in August, 1671, ' it is probable that the colonists were in possesj sion of no cannon. This, also, is another rea! son why Governor Sayle was unwilling to ! ! risk settling at Port Royal. Capt. Halstead brought instructions to the ; Governor respecting the Colonial Parliament. I These instructions are addressed to Governor Sayle. This shows that the death of the j j Governor was not, on the 1st of May, 1671, j ; known to the proprietors; but since the loca-1 ; tion of the colony was known, we may infer I i that Capt. 13airne removed the colonists from . Port Royal to Ashley river, and having landI ed them returned to England. The Govern- j J or was required, within thirty days after re- i ceiving the instructions, to summon the freeholders of the plantations and require them 1 to elect twenty men, who, together with the deputies of the proprietors, were, for the pres- i ! eiit, to be the Parliament of the colony.! J These, or the majority of them, were to make ' such laws as might be necessary for the pros-; | perity of the colony. The Parliament was to I meet every two years, on the first of No vera-; ' TKa finot tkinrv fKfl Purliamnnf ivqq rp. I UCl. IliC IJICb klllll^ bUb j. U<IIUUIV<<v mmw . v quired to do, on assembling, was to choose five i men whom they might think fittest, to act in ) concert with the five deputies of the propriej tors, and who with the five oldest of the no, bility, were to constitute the grand council. On the 25th of August, 1671, Thomas Gray, Maurice Mathews, Henry Hughes, ChristoI pher Portman and Kalph Marshall, were > chosen. Joseph Dal ton was chosen Secretary ' of the Province, and Thomas Thompson, Mar- J ' shal. The militia were put under the com-1 : mand of Capt. Thomas Gray and Capt. John ! Godfrey. They were now put into working order, i Governor West was a man of energy. The work of laying out and fortifying the town,! which, in honor of Charles the Second had ; been named Charles Town, progressed rapidly, j The works were finished in May, 1672, and Stephen Bull was put in command with the titles of Master of Ordinance and Captain of the fort in "Charles Town." A constant watch was kept by the citizens. No night was per ' . - i: .... rcijuireu it. umv ? have any notice, took place three days after the organization, or on the 28th of August, 1671. The first matter that seems to have merited its attention, was the form of 'oath to be administered to each member of the Council. One of the clauses of the oath bound each member of the Council to "doe equall right to the rich and poore." Each member of the Council was required to swear as follows: "You shall not give, or be of councill for favor or affection, in any difference or quarrell depending before you; but in all things demeane and behave yourselfe as to equity and justice appertains." The first item of business proper that came up before the Council, was a petition from John Norton and Originall Jackson against " - ?-?e n??:i Maurice Matnews, a meniuer 01 mo vjkuvu and others. The difficulty, if such it really was, seems to have been about seventeen pieces of cedar timber. It may be thought strange that men, in an almost unbroken forest, would have any sort of difficulty about a few sticks of "cedar timber," or would ever have thought of petitioning a dignified Council about such a thing. It must be remembered that at that time cedar was regarded as the most valuable of timbers. It was highly prized for making boxes, chests and drawers. It was then supposed that it was a perfect preventive against moths. The case of John J^grton and Originall Jacksun against Maurieg Mathews and others was thus disposed of: "It is ordered thaf the petitioner doe appeare before the Governor and Councill upon Saturday, the ninth day of September next, peremptorily, to prosecute the said complaint against the Defendants." On the day appointed (Sept. 9,1671) the Council met and made this decision; "Upon hearing the matter of the petition of John Norton and Originall Jackson against Mr. Maurice Mathews, Mr. Thomas Gray and Mr. William Owen?both parties having referred themselves to the determination of the Governour and Councill? that the said John Norton and Originall Jack son shall have the sixteen pieces of cedar timber desired, and one piece of cedar timber moreclayraed by the said Mr. Maurice Mathews, Mr. Thomas Gray, and Mr. William Owen, <fcc." These old documents possess an interest in themselves, and they possess an interest on account of the time in which they originated. The English language, as will be readily perceived by the spelling of several words, has undergone great changes. When the petition of John Norton and Originall Jackson was read before the Grand Council, South Carolina was less than two years old. In November of the same year, (1671) Henry Hughes appeared before the Grand Couucil and "made his complaint on the behalf of our souvereign Lord the King, against Thomas Screman, gentleman, for that the said Screman, upon the of October, 1671, at Charles jowne, in this Province, did feloniously take and carry away from the said Henry Hughes, one turkey cock, of the price of teun pence of lawful English money, contrary to the peace of our souvereign Lord the Kiug, hiscrowne." This was a complicated case. Thomas Screman, from the fact that the title "gent." is given him, was a man of some position among the colonists. Two other individuals?Joseph Oldys and Capt. Lieut. Robert Donne?were connected with Screman in this offense. Donne, 'in someway, assisted Screman to steal the turkey, and Oldys assisted him to conceal it. Since Donne wa3 an officer and Screman a gentleman, it is probable that this turkey was "feloniously taken and carried away" in the same spirit that boys of good birth and irreproachable characters at home, sometimes, while at college, make raids upon hen roosts. Be this as it may, the Council thought it a grave offense. It was ordered that Screman be stripped to the waist, and Oldys, also stripped to the waist, inflict upon him nine lnuhea with a whin nrenared for the DUTOOSe. ?i ? ri?i?- i It wad also ordered, that in December, Capt. Lieut. Donne, in full uniform, appear at the head of his company, and that his sword be taken from hira'by the Marshal, and he be further required to give security for good behavior in future, or otherwise to remain in the custody of the Marshal. No doubt, this was the first case of the kind that came before the Council, and the punishment was well calculated to make it the last. The Grand Council possessed almost unlimited powers; but at first it acted in such a way as to secure peace and prosperity. The people obeyed, with promptness, all its orders, and the result was that the colony was soon placed in a condition of comparative security. Those who, in any way conducted themselves so as to be detrimental to the common good, were punished severely. Idlers were regarded as nuisances. No individual was allowed any assistance from the public store, who did not have two acres of corn or peas planted for every member of his family. The whole colony was a well orgauized military post. Every individual was required to be ready at a moment's warning to meet any foe that might assail the settlement. The gunsmith, Thomas Ashcraft, was required by the Grand Council to keep the guns in complete repair. In fact, every man woman and child, was required to do something to produce supplies for the colony. ? * .1. .i? it! We cannot better snow tne staie 01 lamga in the colony, during the first two years, than by quoting a part of an ordinance passed by the grand council at its meeting on February 10th, 1672. "It is farther advised, ordered and ordayned by the Grand Council, that no person or persons whatsoever (except before excepted) shall have auy benefit of the Lords Proprietors' stores who shall not have two acres of land at least, well and sufficiently planted with corne, pease, or both, for every person in his or her family and the same to be well cultivated till the gathering of the next crop. * * * And if any person or persons (except before excepted) during this crop doe or shall loyter or slothfully spend his, her, or their time, or doe exercise, or follow auy worke, labour or imployraent, not hereby allowed or not especially directed, by the Grand Councill, such person or personssoe offending, upon notice thereof given, shall be disposed and committed to the care and charge of such industrious planter as the Grand Council shall judge convenient for the better raising of provisions and their present maintanauce as aforesaid." Carpenters and smiths were allowed permission to labor at their trade. These are the classes of individuals meant by the words "except before excepted" in nnrontKocia We canuot but admire the wisdom which was thus displayed in providing for the general welfare of the colony. Had there been no controlling power exercised over the whole, the colony must have perished. Sickness, hunger and the Indians, would have swept it away in a short time. (to re continued next week.) A Strange Sight at Sea.?In the year 1775, the captain of a Greenland whaling vessel found himself at night surrounded by icebergs, and "lay to" until morning. In the morning he looked about and saw a ship near by. He hailed it, but received no answer. Getting into a boat, he pushed out for the craft. Coming alongside the vessel, he saw through a port-hole a "man at a table, as if keeping a log-book, frozen to death. The last date in the log-book was 1762, showing that the vessel had been drifting for thirteen years among the ice. The sailors were found frozen among the hammocks, and others in the cabin. Fur thirteen years this ship had been carrying its burden of corpses?a drifting sepulchre manned by a frozen crew.