The Expositor. (Waynesboro, GA.) 1870-187?, February 15, 1873, Image 1

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fiiKflH JOlK\lilf OT W. 0. HIIYANT. * FMtlir, That knowest beat, Tlii* thought Is nil my stay } I see blit just tilts step ahead, Thou knowest all the way. To me, us on T walk, The way seems nil obscure, lint Thou wilt guide my troubling leot, Ami make my footsteps sure. K'eu though the darkness falls. And hides the path from view, Thy rod and staff direct me still, And will my strength renew. Father, the way seems long, My strength is very weak ; Support me still by Thy right hand And words of comfort speak. OVER A CABIN TABLE. li the summer of 1 So—, Frank Manly and T were homeward-bound, from China to Boston, in the splendid clipper ship Sunset, Wc were children together, and had followed many a butterfly in company Iu later years, we had often ruu after those marvelous butterflies iu pink sun- I bonnets those Will-o’- the-Wisps in dimity —in other fields; rather as rivals, i though, than sidc-by side companions, | to confess it. This was Frank’s first voyage as master. He was now. at two-amd-twen ty, every inch a sailor and a man. I was his only passenger, running home after some years’ truancy, in :t period between a closing clerkship and sin opening partnership at Canton. These were to me delicious days—care free, and every hour with my old playfellow was communion of a rare order. We were chatting one evening openly —for there was now nothing between u> but the cabin table. The light burned just low enough for the quiet dreann hour that Frank reeled oil to me the small-talk of the dear old town, of which his memory held an unreckoimlde cargo. There was May who had married Jan uary, and the squire who had drank him self from affluence to the poor house.—• He told of young Skimicm, who in boy hood won marbles, and sold them again to the losers at a hundred per cent, ad vance upon regular rates —who never played ou the ‘‘Fourth,’ hut opened a curb-stone bazar of pop beer—of hisown brewing—tirc cracke s, peanuts, and a full line of dried apple tarts —of 11 lo>v grade. Now he was piously loaning money Saturday afternoons to gain Sun day, at two per cent, a month, and won derin" what this world would be wit! out interest. Ilc'had bought a book, “Busi tiess iu Heaven,” which proved to him Shat the occupations of earth are con tinued above. He dwelt with miserly unction upou the life to conic. The steward now appeared w'tfi our evening coffee, 1 hen came the u*ual cigar, and wc swung apart in meditation as lightlv as two vessels parting com pany after exchanging sca-cmrtesies. “Captain,” said I, suddenly, as if something had just come to mind, tho the question had b en balancing, on my tongue for au hour— “ Hal,” interrupted my companion, “don’t Captain me oft deck, here under the cabin-light, if you love me.” “Well, then, my modest old desk mate, how is that little my Woodson whom you used to eudow so bountifully in school-days with pickled limes and chcwing-gum ?" My captain—the splendid follow—to show his unconcern, breathed a couple 1 of smoke-wreaths out of his mouth, and replied with counterfeited sadness : “Hal, I shall never have faith again in the power of piokles with school girls, and I am a doubter for ever of the virtue of spruce gum. So, so, my #ily hoy* you were on that track, too, were you ? But you may as well emu late the example of your forefathers, and throw that chest of breakfast-ten overboard, for father A\ oodson has gone where tea-drink’ng is neither a blessing nor a sin. No, no, Hal, Roy Llw-ml weathered us all. By Jove, to think of it! The little toad that I nursed thro’ vulgar fractions and the rule of three who never had spunk enough to kiss a girl under four eyes—to marry Amy ! But the ways of women are wondrous, Hal. The Sunset is my choice. Isn't she a beauty? I am wedded to her,’ Then he laughed, drew himself up, aud I thought, ‘How could a woman resist you, my handsome captain ?’ •(poor puss, she had a coufounded rough way of it, ' lie continued. “What do you mean (‘Why, haven't, you heard of it ?” By Jamea K. Frost. II VOL. II Li “Vague rumors only. Her father, cashier of the bank. Wasn’t there trouble 't Mas it all true V Proud old inau! His heart broke, I fancy. For Heaven’s sake, Frank, tell me what you know,” I demauded. “Well, well, old quill-driver, don’t rough up so. Ido know about it, and, though I say it, more than any but a verv few iu the old town. I never was any band at a yarn, but if you will have it, maybe 'twill harrow you some, seeing you were a little sweet on Amy. “Come, come, captain— thej?, chum my, then—begin. But, by George, if you exaggerate one iota, I 11 call tlie Sunset —a clumsy old nooler .” “Well, I needn’t ask if you remember Amy,” began my vis-a-ns, fofmentingly, “nor tell you of her step in the dance, of the color of her hair and eyes, nor what her laugh was like, nor what a woman die has grown. Le me see. you left homo in forty—” “Eight.” “Ail 1 yon remember Gen. Woodson, then, as a cheerful, elastic old gentle man, who, at the bank-counter, told oft' the notes with a celerity little less than magic, to our unaccustomed eyes. 110 was a favorite everywhere, you know. With a lad’s help lie performed all the labor of. the bank, except when Amy would couie down once in a while to r>ivc him a lift on the books. Amy was her father’s housekeeper, too . her mother died just after you lift home, I guess. You see the young girl had fish enough to fry.: Fur all this, -he alwny had a spare hour and some nicknrtck of her needlework for us sailor-boys when about leaving homo; And the old gen era! would say, ‘Luck to you, my lad,' in a mighty good manner that won us. But I never could sec that she favored one much above another, (bice I had bidden her good-by, I remember, and afterward seeing Ben Boltrope call at ber bouse, I stood out of sight and timed him—you laugh—watch in band, and 1 bad the better of him some odd mimiH'S, or it may have been seconds. [ always think of it when I meet Ben’s widow in the street. Ben married the milliner s daughter, Melissa Bliss, whose name we young sea-dogs changed to M'lissy Blissy. lie went oft' to Singa pore a month after, second mate of the bark Meimher , and was never beard from. Her widowhood began, you see, as soon as her honeymoon ended.— Melissa wears mourning for him now, and always will. Aud Ben was worthy of all her tears—as good a fellow a* ever learned a rope. Go and see her, Hal. But where am I running. Le‘'s tack ship. “You know the Woodson homestead, on the corner of India street ? Yes, but you don’t know—as we young fel lows never think of such things—that the grand looking place had been in the Woodson family for some generations, and that the general’s father left it to him encumbered. The mortgage was never lifted by the latter. The general lived pretty well, thinking his.position required it. Then in an evil time all Bramblchead ran wild witli a land fever —a speculation that promised to make the poor rich, and the rich happy. All the old stockings in all the dark corners in town were emptied of their shillings to buy land in Koostock. Why, peopl > old people, took money out of their ; Bibles that tircy had laid away to bury | them, to invest, expecting it to return them a bund red-fold before it would be needed. Burial day always seems so J distant to us, especially if there is a chance to make any money to-morrow. Amy's father was bitten by the going madness. He gathered the little he could togctliu’. He drew his salary regularly', and let his household bills run. He sold wrongfully a few bank shares that ho hold in trust for Amy, which an uncle had willed to her, and invested the money in the golden land, secretly, in the name of a brother in “SALXJS POPULI STTPBEMA LEX ESTO.” WAYNESBORO’, G A., SATE 111) AY, FEBRI'AItY 15, IST.I. Ohio. The voyage turned out mighty poor. The land was well timbered, but a hundred miles away from liver or tide water. The bubble burst. So the rich became poor,and the poor became happy, thinking how their betters had com* down. They were sure of a burial, fob nobody was ever 100 poor for that. “The old gentleman aged. He grew fretful alid absent-minded. The grocer and the butcher called again and agnin for their dues—at tho front doer, too. The milk-boy was even more malicious, j lie chalked on the garden-gate, ‘Warn- , in’, pay up ol’ boss,’ and chuckled to himself around the corner, as he peeped and saw Betty Floyd, the old domestic, spend many minutes spelling out, and many more in scouring off the words, and shaking her clotii at the empty street. Thrift had abandoned the house hold. Amy knew but little of the truth. He said he had only the amount of two or three quarters’salary in the lamented slide. She saw the failing step, and that he did not like to have her note it. lie was glad, though, of her help at the bank, which was needed now oftener than ever. The toil began to tell ou little Amy. Phe didn’t 10-e her beauty, though. I don’t believe she will ever lose that. My boy, am I tedious V” “Very. Go on.” “Don’t blow your smoke iu my eyes, then, or you'll swear I'm crying.” “Well, well; forward V ‘ Where was I ? This went on awhile, the old man keeping the ship on the old tack, close-hauled, flag at the peak, and pumps a-going. But there came a day when the world could do little for Abram Woodson, and he could do less for the world. One morning, when Amy was holing him on with his coat to go to tho bank, he staggered and fell upon the sofa. The doctor came and said ‘Paraly-i.s.' lie revived somewhat, but the old general \ as a wreck of the saddest kind. He couldn't speak an intelligible word. Ainy became his hands, eyes, and mind. Huy Elwell was appointed acting cashier, fur the directors would not supersede him at mice. lie lingered for months with Li* faculties at sixes alio sevens, (hie day he said something that sounded like ‘May tenth,’ and soon after he dropped anclioi for the last time. “The bank officers, when examining his cash and accounts, discovered a de ficieney of between one and two thous and dollars. And they who had held the old general as incorruptible said, ‘There is none true under the sun.'— His bondsmen were called upon, and the few, which finally mean* the many, thought they knew the,cashier had used the funds in his keeping. “Amy, living secluded with her old domestic, Betty Flo\d, was ignorant of the affair at the bank. She knitted worsted work, and fitted ball-dressc, for her schoolmates of old days. Young Skimicm offered her what he called his heart. By Jove, twenty young fellows would have come forward for bur hand, but there was something in her way that | wouldn’t let a man with a decent heart : offer it. Skinnem thought his magna nimity twenty p< r cent, above par.— He find inherited from his father the mortgage on the Woodson homestead, which he threatened to foreclose.— Troubles came iu troops. •‘Looking over\t?r father’s papers one day, Amv discovered a note iuTdressed to her. It was in the ueat hand of the general. It told her that he wrote this for her in case anything should happen to him—that the world, after lie was. gone, might judge him amiss. That he had, it is true, wronged her, his sweet, beloved daughter; that lie had been false td bis trusteeship; that their means were all gone with the broken land bubble—that his heart and thought were long sick with the secret of it; that, May the lOth of such a year, he had found his cash unaccountably short, and lie man yet knew it. If he live t v A long enough ho should make it up; yes, make it'up, every cent ; but Amy .must wait for hers; perhaps he could never make .that up, and if ho did not. would his darling daughter forgive' him 'i “Amy bowed benealh this blow.— Now appeared tho reason of the unpaid bills and the ill-supplied household. — And thought came to the stricken girl, how once she had proposed to sell a share of her bank stock and buy a gold watch and chain, and on New Year's morning she found them under her breakfast cup, a present from her father. I get all this from sister Nell, of whom she made a confident. Yes, Hal, Amy bowed as the lily bows when blown upon. She was lily without and rock within. She sent for Hoy Klwell. She pressed Koy until.she drew from tho reluctant fellow tho affair as viewed by the directors. It was a plain case to them. A land enterprise—an op portunity for making money—and the cashier 3 ielded to temptation, borrowed the funds of the bank, thinking to en rich himself, and return the uioucy.— They were all the more ready to look on the dark side for him, as mfiny of their dollars had gone the way of his. Tlio fever had been among them, too. This point of view was not plain to Amy. Through Elwell, who had been made cashier after tho death of the general, she obtained permission from the officers to make a personal examina turn of the books, to be aided by Roy. Her knowledge of bank routi.ic was serviceable. “About this time I returned from an India voyage. I served as hoy in the bank awhile, you remember, and Rov", with her consent, invited me to lend them a hand. I was glad for her sake, not to say my own. “Hal. are you yawning “Spin away, spin away, my old hoy.” “Well, we met an! made our plans, ngicuing to make researches after Elwell had finished his day’s work. By George, Hal, you ought to have seen the girl. — Her perceptions were all quickened by pride and love for the honor of the old man The theory of the directors was not tho theory of the daughter. She admitted nothing but 1 lie existence of no error that might yet be revealed. Koy and l followed her with a low assent. Wc began. Wc turned to that ‘May the 10th.’ which lie mentioned in the note and named in the night of his speechlessness. We took the first entry of the deposit*) ; we analyzed it. If bills, it was not so noted; if checks, wc followed them to their final entry. Aid s‘o through each and all. Amy sur prised us by her thoroughness. Items that Huy and I were willing to check, us being correct beyond questiofi, she looked to again and again before dis missing. The general bad been too much harrowed by the trouble to make any Systematic aunty-sis of that day’s transactions at tlie time. Who knows but the error, if one, would have been detected had he called his quicker-eyed daughter into his confidence 'i “Wo finally arrived at tho end of that day’s labor, and summing up the figures, we found the balance on hand was two thousand dollars le-s than the amount required. Here now was n chance for speculation. What became of the sum? Amy was not long in deciding that its equivalent had been mislaid, some check misplaced ; but this was merely guess- | work. Her proposition at the next meeting, was to search thoroughly the papers in the safe. Not, succeeding there, books and papers in the vault were taken, one by one, and turned, leaf by leaf. Thorough ? I think so. It was a slow, laborious process. Her patience was astonishing. Her glance seemed as though 'twould burn the papers it fell on. But they could not reveal a secret not in their keeping. “Where was the waste paper put? In a basket. And emptied where?— Roy couldn't say. The old woprau who II ;t year, in advance, swept the rooms was called. She emp tied it, when full, into the dark closet. Sometimes when out of shavings she used a little of it to start the fire.— Amy turned pale. The search nmong the contents of the closet was assigned for tho next day. Was it narrowed to this, the chance of finding a valuable paper in the rubbish ‘t She would have had more heart, but for the knowledge of tho.ie occasional handfuls taken for kindling. Piece by piece wc went thro’ this accumulated hcapbf dusty, goue-by papers, and without success. “Roy and I had not foreseen tho end failure. We didn't anticipate having to see that noble girl sit down disconso late, with the tears falling upon her fallen hands, By Jove, I wouldn’t have begun the work. It was joy for me to labor with, her all the way, but. when that labor was brought to the bitter end —to sec hope go out of.lier heart, by her blessed blue eyes! llov attended her I home. | “The next day he and I were seated in the bank, talking over the affairs. : ‘Roy,’ said I, ‘the Yh/m'o,G'hurlieLane,iß due; can’t we see, from the skylight in the garret, if she is in the bay?’ “He proposed going up to see. Roy went ahead and uponed the skylight.— The place was dusty as a grave, and just as jolly. There Was no /toniro in sight. Account books and bundles of papers lay hero and there, with dust upon ih*m nearly inch deep. And over these things, that had ouo day a mean ing and a value, and neither now, the ! spiders bad woven their litnAeg; and j wore having in turn their little care*. ! Wc looked about us curious!*. Rov remarking a book on top of a pile, less du*ty than the others, proposed to me to take it down stairs as! a curiosity.' I did. The skylight was lowered, and two sunburns, that had vanished as we opened tho light, came back again and lay athwart one anouher like bars of dusty gold. Downstairs we sat and ex amined our priz**. It was not n blank book, but a ledger, evidently belonging lo lie geiuril, rtnd filled with records of dealings long years before, when in the wood and coal business. The writ ing wa- neatness itself. Rarely a blot ; or an erasure did we see, as lloy sat j rather indifferently turning t}ic leaves, \ Occasionally there remained au unbal anced account. The fuel bad become smoke and ashes long ago, and the deb tor dust, may be. Here was one Job Jones, charged with a cord of wood a l generation ago. Out of this scanty ma terial we imagined a history for this later Job. Wo invented for him little pleas for bis deliuqucuo. ; that lie bad married a wife; that be hud left the town ; that he never had it; that it was only half a cord ; that he paid for it at the time, etc. Nevertheless, it is a shame. Job Jones, for you to owe for ever for the fuel that, boiled your kettle and blessed your burthstono, and, per chance,' warmed to life one of the in numerable little Joneses, wc concluded. Didn’t bis cars burn ? While wc were laughing over this, the dopr softly opened, and Amy Woodson appeared I had almost expected twas the ghost of the said Jones. “She wished again t 0..-•••) tho book containing those entries of tho 10th of May. Hoy brought it. Amy sat i t one side of the table; Elwell and I at j the other. She pored over the page, ns Iter father had, doubtless, done Before her, with dreamy, misty eyes. We men tioned the reason of our mirth. I took the book, carelessly, and opened it, Roy and Amy looking on as I turned now one leaf,’ then three or four together; when my ‘heaveifs!’ T exclaimed.'— They started. Amy leaned over the table. Her breath went and came quick ly. By Jove, I cart feel it now, on my cheek. Never a wind can blow that away. There, staring us all in the face, were two one thousand dollar bauk hills, i I swear i saw joy go into her oyis. “It was piutty olunr to her. Thtfa will fresh' writing oiitlfo' Credit side of an account. The old general bad had the book from the garret and upon his table that 10th of May. Exchanging llm bills for some customer, lie had laid them on the open book and absently I closed it. It was then returned to its ' old place In ITie garret. His mind be -1 ing distracted by his pecuniary troubles, the transaction of tho bills bad -made no mark upon his memory,. This was ! our theory. “Amy bad dreamed, singularly,’that | she was greatly comforted by a book, laud this was the reason of her coming and calling for the one wc had first ex amined.” j r, s!,l “And you say Amy married Hoy f' “Ay, ay; their boy they Vo named Frank Manly Elwell. Turn in, Hal, 1 must look after my girl, the Sunset." ‘T obeyed; and in aWuoment more l thought 1 landed ou a wharf iu Bramb lclead, and the first sign that met my eyo was “Job Jones,. Dealer in Goal, Wood and Burl', For Cush Only. - ’ A beak-nosed, fiery-eyed little old man leaned over an oldfashioned door that was divided in tin: middle, half shut and half o|;eu. “Job Jones,” said I, “Frank Manly and Hoy ElwelLJhawa.judged you un justly. Thai cord of wood they thought, you owed for,”-1 ©entitled, as his glassy eves seemed to demand nu explanation. The little mint was silent, ‘ but he g.irc ’me a look which said pfairtly enough, “What is Itußiam jns<iec to mo. or in justice ,J ” -And Job Jones, for ledtild notthhik of him as any other Being, Became in stantly a statue "of i&; a tear trickled frdm each eye; ami another rumbled splendidly from its nose, and in tho sunshine they became-'— 1 I awoke; anil iifstead of Job Jones, my eyo* fell upon Jim tlio steward, who was setting at tlio breakfast in the cabin of the S'aitset, mi the table over which this tale Was Will to me as f tel! it to j’oii —-only that drowsy gleam of rli6 eaWn-liglit fills not upon the paper, and never will. I NO. 21. a wrpu fijtef “ tttk A. G. WHITEHEAD, M. D., IVavnesboro, ga., Qjl co a(, old sland.yf Rukdkll <fe WiiJTF.nkab. Uesidence, pomcT ’Whitaker and Myiic st<) *■—• : Special attpytiijH niveij to AccougLicnieut ami Sui-gei'y. Thanking tbc jmklic for past patfonage, solicits a ooiitmuunce ot tlie Kitne. 3 155, jut.L3— l y ( y f e I >IGNTISTIINF. GEORGE if AIERSON, D. D. S„ QFt'ICF NUXT rp FFJXpIUX- UOTEL, A yxtis liO r6\ GA. F.AMIIJES desirinii’ljis services at their homps. in Hnrke, or adtolriitig IftMuitTes, can address him at this place. doc2B-ly A Ml Tv OntfKß ATTORNEY AT LAW , WAYNESBORO, GA. OFFICE .17’ TUFCO&IIT rtQl*F 2. Fl~j7l (Y ATTORNEYS AT LAW, WAYNESBORO, GEORGIA. OJJirt in Court House basement—niy-tfatul roam txui *.'• iiook. j !.aiu>nki: HOOK Sc O-A^HllDlSrEjet, ‘ATTmty }ttF AT LAW, a r<; itsta ... imsu'i x ........ n bokoia Will practice in Urn Au.i'MfHk i'ireiit aad in the Unitpd States ItjstrietnndCircuit Courts fer the State of Ceonria. Oases attended to in other counties and iu Carolina har Fpoeial oou trrud. janfS-Gm '■ M . -..-11 I"-. IC'MI !! i. 1.1.1550.N --ASi ETON '& A TTORTEYK AT l A IF, WAYNBSIWnHV. H. ..‘. vf'GEOfNSFA ■ ' {■' ' I #l fl f Will iwact.ice in the Superior Courts cf the Angela, Eastern; and Middle ChVults, the Supreme CviuL of the Stele, and in the District and Circuit, yourts of the United States’, at Ratiuinafn Crams cdltected and ens enforced. rvvltUly & 1 AT. 15 ¥K RKINS” PROF. OF SCIENCE AM) LITEIIATIiRB OF HI SIC . Witt THAI II CL ASS-SIX(II Xtt, Ct >\ U 101‘ MUSICAJ, vSUCILTI ES, A TPI i fynhqß Organize and Drill Chairs, with spocial reference to th wants of the Church. Address, M At T. FEIITIIFS. jy‘2'2* ha.wtomi.He, Burke eft., 6*. .1 KTll KOTIIOMAS, A#.at.mt IN family tiwwmpm ni-vGboods WAV NJCSBURU, LA. \V\ A. \ViriKlN%i h* nMU'M (x -yv- i* >w*. DRY UOOIiS, UKOCHKIfiS, RRIJtiS AND MK-DittlXUß, TOILKT AUTLULESy.KTd., KTO. WA V.y/AWORO, Gsi.b I