The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1839-09-19

sta tnc Dest 1fitef ever puk upon tnts
road. or any where else. was Jim 4yton.
Oh. sir. you cannot think what 6ne fei-
low he vas. and sIsge-driEer loo. II is
his story am going 10 tell you, for Jim's
heart and life once rested in that white
eotisge."
allow was that" said I.
"I.et me lsll The whole story" said
The driver.
&" Jim AyIon. was the son Of Charles
AyIon. His father was iipsy, do-noIh-
ing gentleman. college-bred. but none
The better for that. sir. lie early came 10
these paris. bringing with him q pde.
siekly lady. but there was something se-
~ mild and good about her. The folks
said she was a clergy mans daughter. and
Iha, Ayton had stolen her heart. while al
college. and married her. against the con-
sent Of ell her friends. II must have
been so. sir. for no friends ever came 10
see her. She made friends however. Ev-
cry body round about loved her. she was
so sweet. engaging. and affeclionate-like.
She made lIule things for the children.
and met them al church. and had kind
word for every body. recollecl her well.
sir. ! was a child ihen-I am child
now, sir. Here the driver paused few
moments, 90 slihe his emolions.)
"You will pardon me, sir. These
things are strange. but | can never recol-
let that, sweet lady. and her sroking my
hair. and palling my cheeks, and giving
me little books and pictures. but my heart
is full. She died Of grief, sir. She dot
ed on her husband while every one else
despised him; and why did they despise
him, sir! His hard-working father had
loiled day and night TO send him 10 col
lege--he had married an angel. sir, and
yet he threw himself away. he murder
ed himself soul and body with rum. OF
ten, sir. in the cold and stormy nights OF
the winter, has that reble woman sought
him out and taken him away from the Ia
verns. She could persuade him when
no one else could, for such q wife. sir.
could persuade man TO any thing. ex.
cepl 10 leave rum altogether, and that
death alone could do. Yes, sir, she tri
ed hard. but she could no, keep him from
drink! have heard The people tell how
she prayed Cor him; sat up for him; took
his head in her lap, and spoke sooth-
ingly to him. ill he vowed a thousand
times he would qui. the bottle, and be.
come q good man, and yet it was all
smoke, sir He become worse and
worse, as all drunksrds do. and would
you believe il, SIR, before he died, he
beat that iender.hearted woman he once
loved so much, Yes, sir, The neighbors
heard Of il and would have torn his house
down over his head. and taken her among
them, hut she prevented them. and beg
ged them to spare him for her sake
She loved him 10 The last, when all The
world had forsaken him; she followed
him like his shadow, ill he was una
BILE to go about; and when at last he d.
ed, in raving madness. she never. never
raised her head, bu, dropped. as il were,
into The same grave. Mrs. Ayton died
three weeks after her husband, and lef
poor Jun an orphan at The age Of twelve
years. He had been her stay and com
fort, sir, in the long years Of misery with
her husband, and she laugh. him many
things that he never forgot. So, sir. a
twelve years old he was left alone in
this world.
.'Jim's grandfather. sir. was still alive
but though hard-w orking man. he wa,
a drunken brute TOO. He had never Ink
ed his sons early marriage, though hi;
daughterin.law was an angel. and far toe
good for him. He. however, took jim
home. aud made him do all sorts Of work
upon his farm. The poor boys health
began TO suffer. bu. just then master
came into the place. and set up district
school. The neighbors made him lei
jim go to it, and jim took learning 90
well. that in short time, he ontsIrippet
all the scholars, and even equsIled Oh,
master himself. Twas one of the schoo
boys, sir, and recollect hearing the mas
ter say, that it all came of having sc
good a mother, and the tears came ia
Jim's eyes when he said so. Well, The
master loved him, aud we all loved him
and the visiting committee said he ough
10 be sent 10 college, but who was there
to send him, poor orphan! His grand
father heard Of their wishes. and The We
ry mention Of college made him savage
He took Jim away from school, and pu
him TO harder work. His son, he said
had been ruined at college but there b,
lied. sir. Every body knew tina, the oil
man had spoiled him before he went
But Jim was in his power. and he tool
every means TO Cypress him. but il dlt
no, last long. One nigh. the old grog
bruiser go. into hard frolic. and afte
beating jim shsmefully. turned him on
) Of doors. So the poor boy came in .h'
dead OF night. without coat to his back
aud took shelter with George Norbury
who kept the farmers Hotel.
"Now Norbury had always liked Jim
and received him gladly. and said h,
J should not go back to the old ruffian
who might put his life in danger. w,
/ d.;y.rs ,oo l,k al hio, ,nd oe Norhnr,