The sunny South. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1875-1907, June 07, 1879, Image 1
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Ttff FlOWEHS GQmCHON
VOL. V. J. H.&WB. SEALS,}
ATLANTA GA., JUNE 7, 1879.
Terms in advance:} §iif g TC e co P y 2 sS- No. 205.
THE WFIi Ol' FIFE.
Backward my memory wanders to-night,
Into the shadows of by-gone years.
Parting the curtains, and bringing to light
The past, with its gladness and tears.
Tilings long forgotten, memories hushed,
Dreams I had tenderly buried from sight.
Longings unsatisfied—bright hopes crushed
Of sunshine and gladness—of shadow and blight.
< if a sister's tears, and a mother’s prayers—
Of trials, temptations, and victories won—
Of days of brightness, and freedom from cares,
Or of striving to utter ‘‘Thy will be done."
And I marvel much at the tangled skein
The parted curtains have left in Sight,
With threads of gladness and! threads of pain,
All mingled and twisted, the dark with the light.
Ah ! strangely woven, these lives of ours,
With a warp of gladness, and a woof of pain,
Yet the tlowers would droop in the sunny hours
Wert they never refreshed by the cooling rain.
We wonder oft-times at the broken threads,
And murmur at trials, and crosses we meet,
Xe’er thinking it needetli each fragment and shred
To render the pattern of life complete.
O, a careful weaver is watching the loom—
And though the web may seem jagged and rough )
Whether threads of glory or threads of gloom
He knoweth the reason, and that is enough.
RALPH MEDWAY;
—OR THOSE—
Queer People at Ivy Hall.
HI tl.f'Kf 1- UKfcAA.
CHAPTER II.
Yale watched the figure of the horseman out of
rieht with a half plavful, half really wistful gaze.
>'o Robin Hood had never looked so sad, so a. odds
with fortune, as this cavalier. A\ hat was it in his
face that tom-lied a chord of memory .
‘•But this isn’t finding wingina’s cabin, she
thought, springing from her seat on the stile.
After you get over the pasture fence, turn down
EE WIPED THE BLOOD FK01I HE It TEMPLE VN'IAEXAMINED THE WOUND.
terrible a way. But Vale lost sight of the horror
that deatli had inspired in her strong rush of pity
and tenderness for the man who had beer, so unfor
tunate, who had, through one act, cut himself off
from friends and fortune, fastened a brand on bis
name and a burden of undying remorse upon his
life. He was about to leave his native land forever,
to slip away under the shadow of secresy; he was
telling her good-bye in sight of the house that ought
to have been his: he was the last of her kin, and he
had been kind as a brother in the old, light-hearted
days. No wonder she was moved.
“We shall meet again,” she said, “I feel that we
shall. I pray that it may be under happier circum
stances. God keep and comfort you, my cousin.”
Her eyes were swimming with tears as she slowly
role on alone along the dim bridle path that wound
around the orchard and led up to the stable door.
When she was close to the tomb, she stopped short.
She had caught a glimpse of a dark figure moving,
down through the sloping orchard towards the tomb.
A faint glow ot twilight still lingered to aid the
light of the stars and of the young moon whose sil
ver horn appeared in the west, und Vale could dis
cern the gliding figure quite plainly. It neared the
tomb, came round to the rear of the building near
where Vale sat upon her pony, screened by a clump
of tall hay hushes, her light dress hidden by the
black hooded mantle Wingiua had thrown around
her. Unearthly tall seemed that strange figure,
and as it moved, it appeared not to touch the earth.
She had a good view of it through the open vista
between the trunks of the trees. It came round to
the hack of the tomb and stood there for a breath’s
time motionless: then disappeared utterly while
Vale was looking at it. Where did it go! asked the
mystified girl. Where could it have gone? It had
not moved away, that she knew: it hail not entered
the tomb, for the only entrance was on the front.
She waited with her eyes fixed on the spot where
she had seen it last, but it did not reappear, and
she rode on at last, wondering over the strange
phenomenon and recalling what Achilles had said of
the ghosts that haunted Ivy Hall.
(To he Continued.)
Monument to Gen. N. B. Forrest.
the right hand"path through the woods, and a hun
dred or so yards will bring you to the house.
These had been \ iney’s directions for finding the
cabin and Vale proceeded to follow them. 1 he
turn to the right carried her in the track of the
horseman who had just passed lo put him out of
h.-r mind, Vale gathered a yellow Saracema and
its queer tuberlar, insect trapping leaf.
It was a
strange plant to her and she became interested m
examining the flower. So occupied, she wa.ked
tlr.wlv along coming at length to a sharp heml in
the road, which following the line of the fence took
a turn so abrupt that it described almost an acute
•unde She was tearing open the crimson-spotted,
- tuberlar leaf to see if the Saracema were realIv an
insect-feeder; her ears at the same time were filled
with the strong sweet singing of a mocking bird in
the husl.es beyond the fence. She did not hear the
sound of hoofs, she had no warning of the proxim
ity of a horse until it was upon her as she was tuni
ng the sharp angle of the road, with a cry of
warning the rider jerked the horse back upon liis
haunches, but a blow from his head upon Tales
forehead had been unavoidable. She sprang aside
hlindlv her ankle turned in the awkward leap,
and she struck her head against a sharp projection
of the fence. But she rallied, staggered a few steps
and fell fainting with the pain of her ankle and
the stunning effect of the hurt upon her temple.
Tlif* stranger, who had instantly leaped irom his
horse, caught her as she fell. Bareheaded and
pale as herself, he supported her, wiped the blood
from her forehead and examined the wound, it
seemed only a small cut. hut it was in a dangerous
spot, and, thoroughly alarmed, he tried to restore
her to consciousness. He sat down, and taking her
in liis arms, rubbed her hands vigorously and tann
ed her with liis hat. Then, he bethought himself
of a flask of brandy in his pocket and poured a
small portion of the liquid between her lips, She
shuddered, a quick contraction passed over her
brow and she opened her eyes. Surprised and be
wildered she saw an anxious face bending over her
—the face of a stranger—of the man she had seen on
horseback Recollection of what had happened
flashed upon her, a smarting sensation sent her
hand up to her temple, and she felt the warm
blood. She raised herself from the support of the
furtively" and puzzling over an expression, a tone
a movement that were s rangely familiar. And he
seemed to regard her with a kind of perplexed m
terest, now half assured, now baflled.
“And so you have never seen the old Indian wo
man ?’’ lie asked as the cabin came m sight.
“No I an. a new comer to this neighborhood.
And you—you are not a stranger here; you nave
friends here ?” „ T
“None hut old Wingina—if she be still m mg. 1
could not leave the country without ssaj mg gooa-
bye to her. Yonder she comes ! Thank God . the
faithful old creature is still alive.”
Thev were near the house—a two room log cabin.
“1 have been hurt,” she said, sitting up, “hut not |
badlv I think. 1 am better. I can stand, I believe.
I thank vou for your kind assistance.”
“You have me to thank for riding over you and
half killing you,” said the man with self-reproach
^“Oh ’ 'itwas my fault, being so absent-minded.
I was examining a flower; I remember—a queer
Saracenia. Oh !” . ,
This last, little ejaculation was one of pam as she
attempted to step.
“I am afraid there is something wrong with my
ancle. It is a little strained. It will wear off
^The stranger regarded her with concern.
“Really you are not equal to walking. Don’t
attempt it Let me put you upon my horse; he is
perfectly gentle and will take you safely home,”
“To have him take me home would he too much
out of your way. If I could get to the cabin of an
ol 1 Indian woman, who lives quite near here—”
“Does she live here still! The cabin was fastened
np just now I went there to see her and found no
one and heard no answer, to my calls so I thought
she had moved away or was dead, and rode hack to
inquire of you.” T ,
“I think she still lives here. I have never seen
her, hut I start,ed this evening to find her house.
? I thought I must lie near tt.”
“You are. It is just around that sharp bend,
will vou mount my horse and ride there (
' “Yes, since it does not inconvenience you, ’ \ ale
answered, and suffered herself to be lifted upon the
back of the strong, handsome horse that had stood
r by eyeing the two intelligently. Hei newacquaio-
grey squirrels. She walked in a slow, stately way
her coarse dress seeming like drapery. because o
the majesty of her step and
op i >ed
young
man, seized bi/extended hands and bowed her
head over them for a minute m silence. 1 h( oi . fie
put a hand on each of his shoulders and_ stoodHook
ing at him. Anguish and tenderness btoke up the
immobility of the bronze face. ’
“My child,“ she said in her deep guttual utter
ance/ “VVliat made you coine ? Aou know it is
da “St"ithe ^' he answered, his moustached lip
curling, hut trembling too. “What, is hie teat I
should want to keep up the misery of hv mg. Let
it end. “
“Hush !“ said the Indian woman. That is cow
ardice. Have courage: live; bear; suffer. I his is
what the Great Spirit demands ‘
He made no answer; suddenly lie seemed to re
member Yale, who sitting on the horse at a little
distance, had caught detached words ot tbisshoit
colloquy and immediately tliougnt:
“Can this be Ralph Medway ?“ ^ , A
He turned to her, lifted herefrom the horse and
half supporting her weight upon one strong arm,
said to Wingina:
“This lady, a stranger to me, was hurt just now
by an accident that was my fault. I know your
skill in cuts or bruises, Wingina, and I don t tiiink
she could be in better hands than yours
“It was unwise to bring her here * muttered TV n-
o-ina in an undertone, hut she spoke to T ale and in
vited her to come into the house, whose interim
though poor, was clean. She listened without com
ment to the storv of the hurt and the
probable sprain. Taking Yale into the room she
drew off her shoe and stocking, and examined hei
S' tt.™ .-.ttU! yS-fer;
tlmt l was tba most erime-blnckene.1 wretch a],on
earth—that the hand 1 will not offer you has—
His voice choked and he turned away.
“Yes, I have heard all, but—“ T
“Do not force yourself then to tolerate me. 1
know you look on me as a monster. It us right y on
should. Don't let kinship or pity make you do
otherwise. Sit down, child, he quiet or your ancle
will not he restored. Go home and forget that y on
have seen me, or that a drop of the same blood is m
° U “That I can neverdo,“ cried T ale. “I remember
I you as kind, tender, noble.. It you did that deed, it
must have been through stress ot tern ue passion,
though it is strange you should nax e been angry
withvour father for such a cause. ‘
“What cause ?“ he demanded, wnat have they
told you ? Tell me truly. “
Yale hesitated. u
“Tell me," he urged. They saul——
“That the cause of your striking your father was
a quarrel about property. “
A spasm crossed liis face, Ins eyes flashed lu e.
^Tliey lied/ 4 be said between his set teeth, i ne>
lied so’ from the first, and I had no recourse-it
was but no matter. The deed was done- no mat
ter what the cause. The crime drowns everything
elS He was silent, a look of stern endurance in his
close-shut month—of hitter pain in liis eyes. But
I feel
presently, lie turned himself towards her and said:
1 “As you are my kinswoman and cared for me
once, 1 may tell you this much: There was no quar
rel about property, and 1 did not strike my tatlier.
“Did not? Oh"! I knew it.“
“Stop: I killed him all the same—I will tell you—
jf j ca ., “ speaking hoarsely and with difficulty .
“I had told him—something—a discovery that stun
ned him—stabbed him to the heart, as it were; Oh .
I can feel it now. “ “He resented it he said it was
false—threw the lie in my face: I laughed scornfully,
fori was shamed and sore. Another goaded him on,
whispered a subtle lie in his ear, and he came upon
me in white rage, he who hail always been so kind,
who had lately been ill and unnerved—ah ! why
did I not remember all this ! he struck me, in the
f ace _it was the first time he ever toucher! me m
anger—and he hurled that slanderous falsehood at
me 5 My blood boiled, I pushed him from me, his
h«-ad struck against the stone mantle piece and—
he fell I saw him lying there—saw the blood on
his gray hair, saw his eves turn reproachfully upon
me Saw ! Merciful God. I see it now; I see it al
ways And I still live. I fly from the scaffold,
lit ho of some value if given
cause. I knew the danger of coming here,
indifferent to it—If they take me, if I die a felon s
death, it is right, all right, 1 am glad though that
mv mother is injher grave.” , .
lie was walking the floor of the cabin and speak-
in- as if to himself. A sob from T ale recalled him
to“a consciousness of her presence. He " ent up to
her auicklv and stooped over her.
“Little cousin he said, “ilont cry aliout me. I am
a poor kind of kinsman, who brings nothing but
sorrow and disgrace to the only one of is Wood
that lie knows to he alive. I meant it to be diftei
e ,t I hoped to have shared what fortune should be
niiite with you: to be your friend, your guardian,
~ ]{ e stopped abruptly and drew back his hand he
had laid on her hair. . ...
“I am exciting you and doing you an injury, lie
said. “I have already been the cause of harm
enough to you today. Are you sure that bruise on
vour temple is only a trifle ? Here comes TV ingina
with a pot of smoking tea and a cup for each of us
we will take our supper together one time more.]
remember Yale what nice tea you used to make.
Strange I did not know you at fiist. But joui
height and vour darker hair and brows misled me.
Now vou look wonderfully like the child V ale.
! * He was talking cheerfully in order to raise her
spirits Yale knew. He poure 1 the tea for her and
insisted upon her eating a piece of the nicely-broil
ed souirrel. Wingina sat by looking at them. Hei
face had an anxious expression and she rose more
timn once and went to the door to look out and lis
f The sun was setting when Yale rose, and trying
the strength of her strained ankle, sanl:
“1 believe that queer application has almost
worked a cure. 1 am able to go home now, and
T'liiust go before it is later.” .
‘“No.” said Wingina in a low, significant tones.
nresentlv returned with a skin she had just drawn
From Se ofthe squirrels she had killed, and wrap-
it all reeking around V ale s ancle.
1 “Keep it on for two hours, and be quiet; then you
will walk without pain,“ she said as she proceeded
tn substitute a richly worked moccasin for the shoe
she hml removed! '“The fresh skin will take away
‘he soreness; your ankle is only strained.
“But in two hours it will he quite dark/ said
Yale uneasily, “and I must return home should
not like to go through the wood m tbejnuht^
“I will go with you: you will have to ride of
course “ said the strange traveler, who had just
come in from putting up liis horse. He made
of attending the girl through a lonely woo
ff hf v as though he were an old acqua
anee nor did it seem audacious to Vale so much is
there in an eye, a voice to inspire confident e.
there man v , different reason than ]
thaTcaused Wingina to dissent. She made a
strong gesture of disapproval, and said sigmhean
* “T think this young lady lives at Ivy HR/
“At Ivy Hall !“ the young man repeated quick-
re che—she must he little
“I am Yale Medway, “ the girl saul, returning
his look with one as earnest, ife made no response
but turned his hack quickly, upon her and walked
to the whidow. Wingina left the room. \ ale rose
mitering m his lace, vresenuy, siieim™ “U <“/*
saw him leaning against the rough frame of the
window, liis head upon his crossed arms. Lvery
other feeling was lost in compassion. She rose
from the seat where he had placed her, approached
him and laid her hand gently upon Ins arm.
“Dont repulse me,’ she said, “what you did was
more an accident than a crime. Let all mere allegi
ance of blood he set aside. You are unhappy and
you need a friend, let me he one to you, for the sake
of old times—for aunt Margaret’s sake.”
She had a sweet, childlike voice and a gentle
touch; and such earnest, candid eyes.
Thev were filled with tears now. The man s
face softened as he met her look.
“Kindlittle heart.” he said, a sad smile breaking
up the stern lines about his mouth. “You were al
ways over pitiful, Vale. Dont I remember how
you rescued the old clog that had been convicted of
sheep killing and sentenced to he drowned—watied
in the pond in spite of mud and moccasins, and
managed to untie the weight around his neck. And
how you kept the secret of the convict that hid in
the gin house, and carried him your dinner, and
cried and begged for him when he was recaptured.
Yet he was a murderer, as I am, and he wears the
ball and chain now as I may do, unless they are
more merciful and give me a rope.”
He ended with a hitter laugh that jarred upon
Yale more than his words.
“Oh!” she said, Ler mouth quivering and the
VOU lllllhb Vilili lauci ii. '«•*> ^ ^ - -
‘Yale, suddenly comprehending the danger to
Ralph of being seen by any inmate of the Hall,
protested that she was not afraid to go alone or w ith
Wingina. But Ralph would not agree to this.
“I"will ride,” he said, “and no one will be apt to
take me when I am on Moro’s hack. Aou have
your pony Still, I see, Wingina Yale will find him
excellent under the saddle, and lie can he sent hack
l ' ''fheV" sat by the window, watching the twilight
thicken and the larger stars appear- From the
creek at the foot of the hill came the plaintive croak-
in- of frogs, and the fantastic note of the L buc k
will's-widow sounded in the thicket. Great velvet-
winged night-moths flitted about the vines with
which 1 the little window was festooned, and lire flies
flashed their tiny lanterns across the dusk. V ale m
■I-lieht dress, with her sweet face half in shadow
keeping with the scene. The sweet peace of
ihe hour fell like dew on the fretted and fevered
heart of Ralph. He did not again refuse A ales
hand when she held it out to him sa\ Dig:
“There is—there must be a power that under
stands and rules all things. Standing here, front-
?ng these stars—his bright, mysterious haudiwork-
et us ask him to deal mercifully with us-with you
my cousin-to throw light on this dark path of
y °And a £y prayed thus-liand in hand, facing the
putp2 sky and the large, throbbing stars of twi-
ll8 Then Ralph went out and soon had the horses at
the door anil Yale, thanking Wingina earnestly foi
her kindness, and promising to see her again, Mas
placed upon the hack of Wingina’s Indian ponj. (
‘“Remember that you must not go near the house
Wingina said to Ralph. “Young lady, see that he
does not ter^ it f/rk trees, marking the
notes and devising a plan by which to raise the
necessary means for erecting a monument to the
greatest military hero which the war produced.
The senior editor of the Appeal commences the
subscription for a monument with one hundred dol
lars, and twenty men can he named who will give
a similar amount. The monument should not cost
le<s than ten thousand dollars. W e see it stated
that General James R. Chalmers has been selected
to deliver the next annual address before the South
ern historical society of Virginia, and that he has
selected Forrest and his campaigners as his subject.
This will constitute a theme for an eloquent and in-
teresting lecturs, o.nd it is hoped the soldiers of
General Forrest’s command will hold a meeting at
an early day and invite General Chalmers to deliv
er a lecture in the southern States with a view of
raising means to build a monument to the name
and fame of N. B. Forrest.
MIDDLE AGE.
As we glide into middle life the vague dreams
with which we start out grow into earnest realities,
and we find that as youth wanes the enthusiasm
with which we entered upon new pursuit, thebouy-
ancy of feeling that kept up our faith and hope in
early years, grows less as disappointments, failures
of our plans, anxieties and crosses that make up
the average sum of daily existence, become also our
portion, to hear with philosophy, or with fretful
impatience, as we school ourselves. i outh has
hope courage, faitli to do and bra\ e all things.
middle age sees the earnestness of life and buckles
on the armor of work, for hearing the still, sad
music of humanity,” he knows it is the call for his
broad sympathy and unceasing purpose; hut he may
make something grand, beautiful and sweet out ot
the days that are given him.
THE OFFICE”5F SORROW.
place of the 'totite,”came te right as the to»'nA
along the same path Vale had traversed that day,
she stopped and said:
We must say good-bye here.
I am not afraid
t0 U° was a*sail parting, there in the sight of the
tomb of the father who had come to his death m so
There is something about deep sorrow that tends
to wake up the child-feeling in all of us. A man ot
giant intellect becomes like a child when a great
grief smites him, or when a grave opens at liis fire
side. I have seen a stout sailor—who laughed at the
tempest—come home when he was sick and let his
old mother nurse him as if lie were a baby. He
was willing to lean on the arms that never failed
go a Christian in the time of trouble is brought
to this child feeling. He wants to lean somewhere,
to talk to somebody, to have somebody love him
and hold him up. One great purpose in affliction
is to bring us down to the everlasting Arms U hat
new strength and peace it gives us to feel them un
derneath us : We know that far as we may have
sunk, we cannot go any farther. Faith is just
clinging to those arms, and nothing more.
Mr. Beecher and the South.—Mr. Beecher’s
new love for the South (developed after he found he
could make money out of us by his lecturing) is
characteristically gushing. “I love the southern
people,” said the great denialist. “They are noble,
kind considerate, enthusiastic. I never met more
intelligent, and better people than you Southerners.”
One may he sure he has an eye to Mature lectures
and much raking in of filthy lucre from southern
purses when he piles it on so thickly. He is play
ing out at the North. Plymouth Church pews have
gone down greatly in rent and new pulpit star?
are eclipsing the old ones. The South is believed to
he looking up in prosperity. Cotton is mounting
the ladder, crop prospects are splendid and there is
a chance we shall make something outside the taxes
that have hitherto “sized our pile.” Consequently
northern adventurers are scenting the air and will
he winging their way “down South ” as soon as they
think the money is coming in pretty freely.