The banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847, 1846-08-05
Vol. HI.

ters OF the arlstocracy, with the judges,
the doctors, and the millionares of the
city were jostling the painted, bedize-
ned, and shameless harlot, the loa(er,
and the pickpocket: as they crowded
through the passage in their eagerness
to obtain seats. CHARLEs's companions
determined to go in, and he bid them
good night, with the intention Of going
home, but they would not hear to it, he
must come in with them, for they liked
not the reproof OF his example. They
insisted, he refused, and would have left
them had they not each taken hold of
an arm and detained him by main force
Whilst they were thus debating, Mr.
KlMBALL, the gentleman in whose en-
ploy they all were, passed with his wife,
and daughter: and bowling to them, en-
tered the theatre. The companions of
CHARLES made use of Mr. K1MBALLs ex-
ample as convincing proof, that there
was nothing to be dreaded in going; and
he knowing MIR. X. to be man of the
strictest morality, and feeling assured
that he would not visit, or countenance
any thing, he thought improper-at
last consented, and the three young men
entered the dress circle, already crowded
by the beauty and fashion of the city.
The play commenced, and CHARLES was
delighted, and bewiIdered the lights,
the crowd, the music, the actors, the
scenery, it was all new to him, he would
have been willing to have remained
motionless, until the end of the perfor-
nance, but not so his companions, to
them it was an old story, dry and faml-
liar, and after the curtain dropped for
the first act, they craved something
more exciting, and dragging CHARLES
along they sought the drinking saloon.
He, though earnestly solicited,
would drink nothing but lemonade; his
friends, to show their manhood, tossed
off strong brandy sings, and both again
locking arms with him, before he
knew where he was going, found him
self in the saloon Of the third Tier, filled,
as it always is, with the dissipated, the
vile, and the hardened. Of both sexes
CHARLES was both shocked and frighte-
ned, and would have instantly retreated,
but one of those squabbling fights so fire.
quent in such places, commenced in the
passage behind him, and he sat down
on settee in corner to wait until the
road was clear, and then make his way
down, but he was hardly seated, before
a girl. neatly, and plainly dressed,
whose age could not have exceeded Sc
vrnteen. and whose lace had once been
Of surprising loveliness, though already
faded by sorrow and excess, placed her
self on the settee within few feet of
him he looked round at first, involun-
tarlly, but there was so much distress
depicted on the girls countenance, she
seemed to be suffering so much, either
physically, or mentally, he could no,
tell which, that the natura! kindness of
his heart instinctively. prompted him, to
speak 10 her: he asked with sympathy
in his voice, what allied her, why she
looked so sad2 She told him such pitt
ful tale, of want, sickness and woe, that
all his benevolent feelings were enlisted
in her behalf, and the girl shortly after
complaining of faintness, and debility,
iorge,ful of himself and his own charac-
! ter, and only thinking of relieving sui.
fering woman, he offered to accompany
her home, she Of course was apparently
very grateful, and it was not until
CHARLES found himself within sight of
home, that he thought of the culpabiIty
of his conduct, and the anxiety he must
have given his kind mother, who met
him as he put his foot on the door step.
rejoiced at his return, for he had promi.
sed to be home early, and she had been
very uneasy at his long absence. He
told her he had been to the theatre. She
did not rebuke HIM, but he could see
how much she was panied, for she
knew how much the first step COSTS"
and CHARLES, fretted at the thought of
his mothers unhappiness, passed his first
sleepless night. Alas, how MANY was
he fated to spend, in consequence of