The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-01-16

ten times every winter, but in which,
during the summer, there was hardly
sufficient water to qucnch the thirst Of
our horses. There were no walks in
the cnvirons, with the exception of the
great dusty roads, without tree to
shade the passers By from the heat Of
the sun: no society in the interior, with
the exception Of THAT which we had to
encounter once week at the house of
the Project, and which after we had
once seen, we felt no wish to see again.
We lived then much in each others
society, and for my part, | did not com
plain, fox, at this epoch. had no taste
for the world, and | was still in all the
ardor of my first belief in friendship,
sweet illusion, which nothing is more
likely to create tlan military life.
divided my time between the poorly full.
filed duties of my Office, tho reading
OF some poor romanccs, which were not
admitted into the patcrnal library, the
evening lounge upon the little cspian-
adc, planted with tortv-cight suited sy-
camorcs, and the long st,ings at the
coi1cc-hoase Of the garrison, where, my
large pipe in mouth, | heard the old
officers Of the empire relate with regret
their lony,windcd accounts Of their
campaigns.
| enjoyed this kind Of existence, SO
in its monotomy, COR about six months.
when we learnt that the French Gov
crnncnt upon the demand of Ferdinand
VII, had just ordered that band of
Spanish refugees, all ancient ra:tisans
OF King Joseph, should be transferred
from Pan, where they were thought to
be too near the Pyrcnccs, into the little
town whcr" we we're posted. This was
quite an event for poor idlcrs like US,
and God knows how many foolish hopes
owed their origin to this news. fpr We
knew many Of these refugees had their
families with them. These among MS
who cherished the remembrance Of the
pcninsn!ar war, had often spoken to us
of the da"h Andausians, Of the vildct.
i've CastlIIans, and We iorcsaw only ser
cnaa"s by ;he light of the moon, bon.
nncts thrown from the lat,iccs, kucclir., :.
on the slabs Of the cathedral.
In reality. all these things moved
me very htlc: but the same motive
which had made me take pipe, and
caused inc to initiate the .jarson Of Tf7t-
| Vert, had made me wish to appca:.
more interested than | really was in the
arrival Of these beautiful and unhappy
strangers.
One cvcnin:: we were, according to
custom, seated u,'on the benches OF our
csplanadc, AT the foot Of which was the
road from Pan, when we perceived, in
the distance, a long line of carriages O!
all kinds, which advanced slowly to-
wards us. aud some men, wearing lony
lark mantlcs, walked at the head of a
convoy, which had a sad solemn aspect.
these are the refugees" said our
Mayor, they assured nc they would ar
rive to-day
These words were hardly pronounced
"hcn NC arranged ourselves along The
border Of the rsplanahc, in grave and
respectful atiidc: interest had replaced
cnr'osit.,; and. for my part, | certainly
rccoIiected that the first bread [ had
eaten had been that Of an exile.
As the procession dctilcd before us
We raised our hats; the men, who walk
cd on loot. sa'ntcd us with an cxlrcs-
sion OF acknowledgement, full Of digni-
ty; as for the women, they were shut
up i'll the carriages; no indiscrcct look
dared to penetrate to them.
Each one then returned to his lol .inr
with a heart filled with unaccustomcd
emotions. We thought of all the en-.
barrassmcnts of these poor prescribed
ones, Who came among us unknown to
any: perhaps without resources, per
haps to erect their temporary abodcs
III country from which they would be
again expelled, as soon as they had
habituated themselves to it, and made
for themselves friends in it.
| occupied, III front Of the barracks,
In the lower part Of the city. the first
story OF a pretty little house, the ground
lool Of which was inhabited bv the
proper proprietor and his wife, excel.
lent people, who treated me with as
much kindness as If ! had been their
son, instead of being their lodger. The
husband took me to the chase; the wife.
when | was under arrest, came to knit
IN my room, and, to amusc me, related
to me the royal charities of Mons. A.. /,
Al IL 1 .