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VOLUME 11.
(Driginnl |ketrtj.
jo the Memory of Miss Frances G. Butt,
of Warren Ga.
B T MRS. R. H. RILET.
The dew has been rudely brushed from
The flower,
The bird has been harshly torn from
The bower—
The frost of December o’er Spring
Buds have swept,
And o’er the dead blossoms some fond
Ones have wept.
Sowert thou, fair girl, in the morning
Os life,
Down stricken when youth with hopes
Should be rife,
So did the chill winds rudely touch
Thy fresh bloom,
And scattered thy youth and hopes
To the tomb!
Thy cheek with the hue of the sea-sliell
Wus bright,
Yet soft as the tinge on the blush-rose
At night,
And thy pure brow was white as the lily
At morn,
Ere its petals are bruised by the wing
Os the storm.
The seashell tho’ torn from the side
Os the waves,
A mimic roar keeps of its own
Ocean caves,
So those to the last a beauty
Retained—
Os feature and heart most puro
And unstaiued.
• *
Thy thoughts, like the planets by night
In the sk} r ,
Shone brighter when came that dark
Hour to die,
For tho’ rarely sorrow thy spirit had
Bow’d,
Its last gushing waters reflected
No cloud.
Boyond ether heights thy pathway
Now lies,
Where hearts never bleed o’er earth
Riven ties,
Then rest thee, dear Fanny, beneath
The cold sod,
For thy justified spirit this night
Is with God !
Glynn County Ga.
(Drigittnl €nlt.
A CHAPTER OF MY LIFE.
BY ADAM VERNE.
My health was rendered so feeble
in the year IS—, that my friend and
physician advised travelling and re
maining abroad for some years, !
which my means and no family lies
encouraged. The usual resorts on
the continent ofEurope were sought,
nnd the sickly and artificial excite
ments that pass for pleasure, en
dured. My valetudinarian and ;
morbid feelings longed for some se-
O
festered spot where I might enjoy
pel, and gratify my imagination
horn the contemplation of rich land
scape scenery, which from its locali
ty might also enable me to mingle
my pleasure in such society as
travellers of mv class in life might
command amidst cities, watering
lakes, and other fashionable
res °rts. I fixed my abode in a
c Wmingr cottage ornee in a suburb
01 mviting beauty on the skirt of a
Market town in the south of Eng-
Pand, and with the aid of clioiee !
books, and an unexceptionable
t lo rse for daily exercise, passed ma
ny or unruffled hour, indifferent
li)0 ut (| le surrounding world, un
ited for, and willingly unnoticed.
h my solitary rides, inhaling the
Slv eetness of the hawthorn hedges
iiJ at appeared to infuse new health
into my feeble frame, I frequently
met a gentleman as well mounted
as myself, but riding far more grace
fully than I did ; dressed with the
greatest care, without the least ap
pearance of foppery. The ease
with which he moved on horseback
Nv as only exceeded by the graceful-
his person and demeanor on
00t ’ In our frequent meetings for
rcc fcation, although we were per
j s ° n % unacquainted, his highbred
j manner showed how courtesy can
| ° e displayed without the positive
Drantrit ta ITitmiture, &tmu nail M, tlje hm nf t’ntijirrnnre, M /Hlamajiip, 3tamn} nnh feral 3ntrllignim
personal intercourse through the
medium of speech ; his person
withal appeared very slight, but of
great activity, elegantly formed,
complexion dark but clear, and
eyes that by their speaking expres
sion might have redeemed all other
defects had they existed in bis per
son.
In one of these rides an accident
occurred that might have proved se
rious to my safety but that bis pres
j ence of mind and cool display of
courage, enabled him to snatch me
from danger. His service changed
my taciturnity and from this acci
dental cause he soon won my en
tire confidence and friendship. His
name was Gray. I learnt more of
his history as our intimacy increased
he was from the Island of Jamaica,
where his family had settled many
years ago ; his ancestors having re
! sided in the neighborhood near us,
; but were forced abroad during one
iof the rebellions, by the harshness
i of the successful party that gained
: the ascendency, political sins meet
ing with neither sympathy among
the people, nor clemency from gov
ernment. After a longconcealment
i. „ &
m some foreign land, the crown ex
tended its lenity as far as the safety
of their persons was concerned ;
after which thev removed to the
i *
Island of Jamaica, where in time
they advanced to wealth and con
sideration, aided by the recognition
of their claim in virtue of the fam
ily name to rank among the aristoc
racy. The tide of fortune once
more ebbed in consequence of the
measures pursued towards the West
India colonies, and Gray, now the
last that survived of the family, al
though indebted far less than his
neighbors, was made poor by pay
ing bis debts, which absorbed the
whole of his large estate, so much
was it reduced in value, by reason
of the clamor of the English peo
ple, more zealous to carry out good
intentions, than sagacious in finding
out that the sacrifice was ruin to the
white master and decrepitude to
the unsupported black; but politi
cal vanity is seldom disturbed by
the mischief inflicted, and the mis
fortune of the most virtuous, seldom
interrupt the sleep of the philan
thropist.
Gray lingered about the spot,
hallowed to bis ardent mind as
the home of his ancestry ; he
stood isolated ; many bore the
same name, but the link ol consan
guinity was long ago severed. He
sought no acquaintance, and rather
bore himself haughtily at the places
of public resort, where he often in
duced me to accompany him. I
soon learned that he was disliked
on this account, made more promi
nent from his constant presence at
races, assemblies, and balls); those
deficient in manners and education
exaggerated his bearing into pre
sumption, so that he was the disliked
among the males of a borough town,
where the strong lines that kept
classes separated in the metropolis,
were so faint as scarcely to be tra
ced ; one general body of all above
the humblest, participated in the
amusements, that could not be se
lect, and that embraced necessarily
much of conceit, ignorance and
vulgarity. Gray shunned the ap
proach of familiarity by civility
so cool, and politeness so marked,
as to keep at bay all nearer access
to companionship, and so became
the object of strong prejudice and
dislike, that soon increased to hate.
I once more by sickness, was con
fined to ray chamber, and he came
to serve me, but I pressed, nay in
sisted, on bis pursuing his usual re
creation and pleasure. I cautioned
him (asl thought it an opportunity)
I to check what was thought an im-
SAVANNAH, GA., SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1850.
perious bearing ; to forbear an im
pulsive manner and impetuosity of
all kind,and to avoid rather than suc
cessfully to repel. He looked mor
tified, and took my rather ambigu
ous counsel amiss. “ What is the
reason of this caution, and the mode
of communicating it, made wound
ing by withholding the circumstan
ces which prompt you to offer ad
vice ? You must know more than
you choose to explain; it is not
like you ; nor more friendly to with
hold, than flattering to me that you
doubt your own discretion in keep
ing anything from me.”
I said “ my servant had been the
involuntary witness in the bar room
of the ‘ Kings arms,’ of certain loud
threats uttered, to be put in force if
the least chance offered. That the
dislike towards him appeared loud
and general, and that some swore
they waited only for a chance to
fasten a quarrel upon him. It was
necessary he should be made aware
that prudence was essential ; hut
by going into details, I thought I
would defeat the point I sought, by
the scorn he might shew in provo
king such inferior enemies, to whose
level he would not descend, and
from a contest of any kind so little
could he gained. He was satisfied
of my motive after I expressed my
hope that my explanation was made,
that I might not suffer in his opin
ion, hut 1 felt less content for his
safety since I made it; he thanked
me for the interest I showed in his
behalf, said that I might rely on his
forbearance; hut his scornfully
curved lip and flashing eye be
trayed a foreshadowing of mischief
and a language that thrilled
through my weakened nerves.—
My health continued to decline, and
I was advised to try the waters of
Germany; I saw but little of him
afterwards, save at a parting inter
view, during which I thought a
sternness of demeanor destroyed
the former expression of his fine
face. We parted, the day before I
setoff’ for the continent exchanging
tokens of remembrance. He at
tached to my watch chain a valu
able seal ring with some heraldic
symbol connected with his past fam
ily history of yore. He said that
the disturbance on the Texan bor
der invited his presence there to
join the brave spirits already bai
ling on the Mexican frontier, so that
O
it was scarcely in the page of prob
ability that we should ever meet
again.
I learnt at the Spa from a conver
sation with one who knew us both,
the sad events that occurred after
my departure, and 1 felt re/ieved
that I had been absent so as not to
witness the torment on so fine an
organization as must have been in
flicted on him. Mr. Gray, after my
advice, never wss absent from any
public place. It appears that on an
occasion at a public Ball, he sought
out some belle to dance with him,
whose head was turned by the im
pressive manner ot his address so
much so, that she might in accep
ting his hand, have overlooked the
promise previously given or alledg’d
to have been given to the man who
had boasted that he only waited for
a chance to chastise him. Hawkins,
for that was his name.rudely claimed
his right with vulgar menace, and
swaggering assumption, mixed with
his old dislike of the airs and con
sequence of Mr. Gray, who treated
all this coarseness coupled with
threat, with cool contempt and looks
of defiance at the whole opposition.
It passed away apparently, hut du
ring the night a servant delivered
a rrfessage to him, that alady wished
to see him in the next room ; on en
tering the retiring room, he received
a blow which felled him to the floor
from the cudgel of Hawkins, as it
was reported,and immediately after
boasted of, and his prostrate body
unmanly outraged by stamping in
his insensible state upon it.
I shall never forget the excited
circulation of my blood at this re
cital, regardiuga being who so often
had told me he considered a blow
unrevenged worse than death, and
could only be redeemed by blood to
the death !
The outrage was so severe on his
slight frame, that he was taken up
to his room in the hotel still sense
less ; some took a malignant pleas
ure in turning this into calumny,
and few sympathized in his dis
grace.
They turned from this victim to
pursue their coarse pleasure, their
nightly indulgence in liquor and de
bauch. Some days after this a vio
lent quarrel, after midnight, under
the excitement of their orgies, fell
out between Hawkins, the hero
bully, and Blake, a headstrong,
stubborn man, who had been de
coyed from creditable daily work,
by which he had industriously sup
ported his aged mother and child,
to these nightly brawls; Blake had
been wronged in some way by Haw
kins, and he swore to have his re
venge; it required the combined
strength of the company composing
these worthies to keep them asun
der, from what was likely to be a
desperate encounter, made the fier
cer by the enormous quantity of
liquor each had swallowed ; and
when a truce was accomplished
the quarred recommenced, and
Blake again broke out into menaces,
and at each drink an oath was taken
to be revenged. Hawkins finally
left the bouse, and Blake rose after
an interval to follow, and seizing
a cane containing a short sword or
dagger, sallied forth reeling in pur
suit down the street after his man.
His companions, as soon as the}’
could procure their hats, which oc
cupied a moderate time, followed ;
they hastened down the dark and
silent street and coming up with the
intoxicated Blake, found him pros
trate on a man, who on examination
proved to be Hawkins, dead, swim
ming in blood, which also covered
Blakes clothes, and the unsheathed
weapon was also bloody ; the party
horror-struck seized the now sobered
wretch whose protestations were
that he remembered nothing of the
affair, except falling over something
and that was all, but he was not
conscious of any murder commit
ted by him.
Suspicion fell on Mr. Gray, who
had by this time recovered, by rea
son of the outrage which might
have been a motive for revenge,
but before any measure regarding
him was ripened, it was found he
had left England by some Ameri
can ship, bis passage having been
encarred before even the time that
he was attacked, and not a little of
evidence could be gathered to com
mit him with the murder; while on
the other hand the strength of cir
cumstances against Blake was irre
sistable, by the evidence of his
friends, who would, if an oppor
tunity had occurred, rather have
testified against Mr. Gray. Blake i
O J
was committed, declaring he knew
nothing about it, and leaving his
mother and child for the alms-house.
Some years passed, and my own
hitherto fortunate star was eclipsed.
I had passed years of my life in
ease and independence, with noth
ing to annoy me but the ills that
spring from the fatigue of idleness,
I, one fine day learnt, on opening
mv letters by the steamer, that by
the failure of Messr. Griggs, Betts
& Cos., my bankers, and the faith
less conduct of a friend to whom I
had trusted a carte blanche, freely
to act as hisjudgment prescribed,
in guarding my interest. I was
penniless ! but I was yet young, and
instead of sinking under the unex
pected blow, I turned homeward,
and sought by action to relieve my
self, I began ‘ westward ho ! ’ rush
ing with the crowd to the western
coast in search of gold, and the love
of adventure. The year of my- life
(and I am yet young) lhat found
me engaged in the pursuit of gold,
was more crowded with stirring
adventure than I now can attempt
to impart, regarding the western
slopes of the continent, and the
multifarious swarms that are pre
cipitated on this newly awakened
land. But a few years hence com
paratively, and the successors of
our race will have looked back up
on our times and will cloth it with
romantic interest ; with my pres
ent impression, it is nothing but
hopes excited, and for the most
part miserably disabused by dis
appointment, hastening youth in
to premature old age, and the wear
and tear fearfulty shewing the fur
row unnaturally early on its cheek.
How often is it, when misery and
broken health prostrates the poor
wanderer, does fancy in dreams
intermit his suffering by conjuring
up the scenes of childhood and
home, of old and familiar faces,
more endeared by the realities of
all around. Such dreams are as
the mirage of the desert to the
thirsty traveller who wakes, hut to
wretchedness and want. Davs
J
pass in disappointment and weigh
down the discouraged mind ; then
lacked the spirit and enthusiasm that
mingled the excitement of war with
the fervor of bigotry to sustain the
avarice that marked the followers of
Cortez ; the sword and lance is now
the pick and spade, and the impo
sing formula of ceremonial religion,
then debased, finds a substitute in
the revolting coarseness of gaming
and intemperance ; yet the progress
of humanity keeps us stainless from
the cruelties that tainted their search
of gold.
Long before time shall have
spanned a period, as long as sure
their career, and the shore of the
Mexican gulf become the busy
marts of commerce, with cities
sprinkled on the border of its blue
sea, crowded with floating vessels,
perhaps as different from our ships
and steamers as ours are from those
that bore the Spanish conquerors,
or those from the argossy and galley.
The canal that severs the conti
nents looking like a burlhened train
of rail cars, bearing the products of
India or Europe, far beyond the
point that the eye reaches* and the
Western shores rivaling by its ci
ties those on the Atlanticcoast; teem
ing with Asiatic emigrants as nil
incrous as those that now cross the
Atlantic. These reveries passed
my waking dreams as I tarried in
the city of Mexico, where I had been
called, until I could recruit my ex
hausted body from excessive expo
sure and fatigue.
I remained several weeks, and
usually dined at a table d’hote,
seated near a Mexican of some note ;
L heard him enquire of his compan
ion if Col. Gray was any belter, and
if likely to recover; the friend
shook his head. Gray ! it was a
common name, and yet the sound
struck harsh upon my nerves;
years had passed since it affected
me; could it by any possibility be
my forme r friend ! The enquiry
was promptly made and courteously
satisfied. It left me still in the dark.
‘He,’ said the Don, ‘is a gallant
officer, formerly in the United States
army, that had seen desperate ser
vice in the Mexican war, but ill
health has induced him to resign his
commission on account of his being
unable to bear the latigue of travel,
and his wish to take advantage of
the salubrity of the climate, favora
ble to pulmonary attack,under which
he is sinking.*
‘I will see further,’ thought I,
‘and test the fact,’ and penning a
note ol common place courtesy, my
willingness to nurse one with whom
I claimed some kindred as a coun
tryman, and that the name of Gray
was endeared to me by past recol
lection. 7 sealed it with his “iff.
O
in a very short time a message
came imploring me ‘for God’s sake
to come immediately.’ I lost no
lime, and being announced, 1 entered
the sick chamber. He had previ
ously said he wished to have a pri
vate interview with a friend, and as
1 “PH reached the bed he held out
It is hand, and faintly said, ‘the im
pression ot the seal on your letter,
shook me much, and told me all
1 wished to know; come and be
sealed near me, for lain very fee
ble and must soon be released from
life. lam grateful once more to see
you, though in the last stage of deep
consumption; I cannot from this
cause narrate what I have passed
through and what I have suffered
since J saw you,’ and he paused to
take breath. His once line counte
nance bore the marks of decay and
suffering, while yet the repose of
firmness and eyes made wide beam
ing by disease, almost gave confi
dence to belief that death was yet
a fa r.
‘ Had Ia wish, it would have been
to see you, tor it will save me some
writing, and I will crave a favor
which you must grant,’ with some
emotion I bowed acquiescence and
pressed his feverish hand, ‘ thanks
my kind friend,’ said he, ‘ The re
quest is to attend my last moments,
and stand in the relation of my only
friend after death. I have sought
death in every battle, but could not
meet him, save in this lingering way.
I must now come to the point. You
may have heard of the events that
occurred a short time after you left
England for the continent?* I ac
knowledged by a silent bow. ‘lt
u r as I who killed the scoundrel Haw
kins, that matter troubles me not, but
the remorse of allowing another to
suffer, has embittered my life every
hour. Nothing but the hope of fall
ing in war, which death I never failed
to seek, sustained my mind from sui
cide. I have, since disease so rap
idly has made its inroad, awaited the
the hour which cannot be far off*.
When I am cold, carry into effect the
wishes 1 will intrust to your hands :
they ate such as are only in my pow
er left to repair the wrong i have
done.”
He lingered a week longer and
passed from life to death without my
knowing the moment The paperduly
executed was a bequest to the moth
er and child of poor Blake which wa3
a handsome competency with the
reason assigned, and the deathbed
declaration that Blake was an inno
cent man.
An old lady said her husband
was very fond of peaches, and that
was his fault. “ Fault madam,” said
one, “ how can you ca'l that a
fault? ” “ Why, because there are
different wavs of eating them, sir.
My husband takes them in the form
of brandy!”
An urchin in a country school,
was reading the verse in the testa
ment which read thus — he
saw Abraham afar off with Laza
rus in his bosom.” The boy grave
ly spelt it thus: “and-he-saw-a
broom-afar-off-with- leather-ears -in-
Boston !”
NUMBER 12.