The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-09-19


Caspar's face, o tear stood in the mans
eye, and his voice tremblcd as lie spoke.
1T is so, lad? God help you! it is SOP
Forgive me, pray forgive mo!' stam-
mcrcd Caspar.
Il have another said Martin; syour
mother was the playmate of Margaret
my own bright girl--tended her in,
sickness and would, with the love of early
girlhood, watch her in death; tell you,
boy. | have another,' cried the old man
with vchemence! take it, and God in
crease it to you.!'
Never! I am not that sordid, selfish
wretch to rob old age cried Caspar,
and he sought to reach the door
Il tell you, boy, have anothcr,' ex-
claimed Martin; 'you hear? I have ano-
thcr,' and he placed himself before the
youth.
'Whcro is it?' asked Caspar; make
me sec it; and SO bitterly has the time
wrung US, that, for her sake, I will, 1
must despoil you
The loaf--'tis locked up--the key is
in my chamber; 1 have wine-havc
feasted twice today said Martin; but
Caspar mounfully shook his head, and,
hurnedly embracing the old man, at
tempted to depart. sYou do not quit
me thus cried Martin, holding the
youth. 'Heavcn forgive mel l knew
not that things had gone so hardly with
you. Hear me; tomorrow I have
new supply-a friend, an old, old friend
has promised me. If, boy,you would
sec your mother live, cast not away
her life upon an idle form. Caspar
Brandt, in the name Of your dead father
whose spirit at this moment fingers at
this hearth, share this with your fathers
friend Saying this, old Martin forced
the loaf, into Caspar's hand and broke
it. Now, boy, get you homc,' said
Martin, seating himself; bear my good
wishes to your mother, and leave me to
my supper
Again Casrar embraced the old man,
and, swallowing half cup of wine, for
ccd upon him by the hospitablo host--for
surely hospitality was in that broken
bread. that meagre vintage and hastened
from the house. Martin, for the first
time, tasted food that day, but he sat
not in solitude at his deserted frcside,
for he ate his crust, and drank his hum
bic draught, with the spirits of the dead
gathered about his borrd; and the dry
bread became mama, and the wine
draugh for saints.
Caspar hurried to distant quarter
of the city, where, at the commence
ment Of the siege, he had secured an
asylum for his sick mother; where, day
and night, he had watched her sinking
health. The rent Of three small houses
! bcqucathed to her by her father, most
frugallv applied, had enabled the wild
ow to support herself and child; but since
the war had closed about the city, all
trade had ceased, debts were no longer
paid, social obligations no longer rcspec-
ted or acknowledged. 1t had been the
chief care of Caspar to disguise from
his mother the extent Of the calamlties
that pressed around them; and though,
deceived by his tiGal tenderness, she
knew not half the misery that threaten
ed them-half the horrors raging in the
city--shc read with mothers eye the
haggard story written in her sons face;
it was plain that he was sinking beneath
the task Of administering to her comfort
and her reposc. He had, on the day
on which cur story opens, been many
hours from home; and the widow sat
with q beating heart, and with thou
sand thoughts ofundciincd danger busy
in her brain, watching the declining
rays of spring sun. Every sound
smote her soul with disappointment, for
it was not Caspar's footstep. Thus she
sat, until suspense became torture. un-
til, she flied her chamber with phantoms
of terror, until she was surrounded by
a host of fears.
'Caspar! Caspar!. she shrickcd, and
sprang from her chair as the youth en-
tered the house.
'Mother!' exclaimed the boy, and in
q moment he stood in the chamber en-
bracing his parent.
TO DE CONTINUED.
We once hearcd Of traveller at
hotel, who rose from his bed at night
to examine the weather, but instead of
looking out at the sky, thurst his head
through glass window Of q cupboard.
Landlord, cried the astonished man,
this svcry singular weather tho night
is as dark as Egypt, and smeH@ cheese.
Lord! said Mrs. Partington, what
monsters them cotton planters must be.