Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-01-27

ing master was evidently not mere sing
ing master. He soon made himself agree
able TO the farmer, by preforring corn
bread, negroes, and fine horses, to produc-
tions of his own native Massachusetts,
and thus secured free access to his hospi-
table dwelling. To have seen him with
the farmer, one would have supposed that
Helen was "not in all his thoughts;' . to have
seen him without the farmer one would
have supposed he lived but to adore her.
The consequent result Of all this ma,
neuvring, wild, untaught, beautiful Hef,
ed agreed to an elopement with the cool,
self.possessed master, agreed TO leave the
happy home oil her doating father, to give
her destiny into the keeping Of u stran-
ger, whom she had known but Il few weeks.
"Why did you not ask my father; am
sure he would have consented" she con-
tinued TO repeat.
The singing master better knew why,
for the farmer had remarked IN his hear
ing, that no stranger should ever get his
consent to marry Ellen; and to wait until
she was her own mistress in old Virginia,
was a trialto which he seemed not dlspo-
to subject his passion for the beautiful
girl. He saw how fondly the father low
ed her, and he saw that there was none
other who would supply her place in the
old mans heart. "When he finds it ire
trievabie, he will forgive her." he said to
himself as his eye glanced over the we'll
filled stack-yards, the ripening corn fields
and comfortable homestead OF the farmer,
Safely they arrived in Frederick, that
Gretna Green of the "Old Dominion"
were married, remained until the NOR
ming, and still no iather came to claim the
fugitive daughter The singing master
had expected the old man in the first ebu-
lition OF his wrath, 10 pursue them, but no
such thing.
A scene he was prepared for but not for
this quiet indifference, and he scarcely
| knew how to understand it. 81 have made
great mistake, fear, IN Southern char
acter,n he muttered 10 hlmseli-"l expec-
led violence that would wear itself Out,
not determined obstlnacy in The old fell
! low "-Slowly he W, liked down stairs and
ordered the carriage. He had no home
to carry his bride to, nor means 10 pay
his bills al hotel, SO that the only alter
native was 10 return to the farmers and
beg his forgiveness.
With an agitation for which he could
scarcely account in the usually confident
and self.willed Helen, she stepped into the
carriage that was to convey her home
Helen remembered some traits in her ia.
theirs temper too nearly allied to her own,
and she trembled. IL was the evening Of
delightful autumn day when Helen re-
turned to the home Of her birth, that hap
by home into which sorrow had never yet
intruded. The swallows were whirling
arouud the sombre looking mansion
The droves of poultry were soberly con-
gregating in masses around the yard, and
waiting for admission TO their respective
houses, into which littlc black was ndu-
cling them. The milk maids with full
pals, poised upon their crispy locks, were
returning from the cowpen, but their usu-
al gay song was hushed. The very plough
boy, as he drove his team TO the clover
field, refraned from whistIing. Stiffness
brooded over the usual Joyous household
the negro children stopped rolling over
the grassy yard in chase Of the bright
leaves that the soft west wind ever and
anon blew from the shade-trees. The We
ny house-dog looked up into his masters
| face--seemed checked in his usual ex-
presslons of friendship, and stood beside
him in silent sympathy. A carriage drove
in from the road, turned slowly down the
grassy lane, shaded by morello cherry
trees, to the farmhouse. But the bluff
farmer was not there-his elbow char
sat in the centre of the hall, and his cain
and hat lay on the marble slab, but the
father locked within his bedroom, and
none dared approach him Helen trem-
bled violently as she walked up the path
to the door. An elderly yellow woman
who had long filled the Office OF housekeep-
er, and with tears in her eyes told Ellen
that her father forbade her entrance I'M
der his roof-that, for her, was no longer
home.
The singing master had wrongly cal
culated on the Virginian's free and Joval
and afTectionate manners, There was
stern obduracy of temper beneath the cor
diality of his general manner that was
rarely brought into exercise, but in pro-
portion to the warmth Of his feelings was
his constituencies to ingratitude. Tic was
open, honest, and to use his own express
sive phrase, s'above board" in all his deal
ings, and his contempt and hatred Tor
those who meanly stopped to practice de-
ceptlon, was loudly expressed and deeply
felt. From the moment he was made iul-
y sensible that this child, his Helen, had
practiced deceit with her indulgent father,
he tore her from his heart--he would