The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1851-05-10
The Union of the South, for tic sake of tho Unon"
Alice Glen.

| noticed one day, in my ride toward
home, an old worn chaise, in which was seat
ed young man, fragile looking creature
with cadavcrous check and hollow ewes, tha
glistened fearfuly with each roll in the soc
ket. The loose fold of garment that hung
over his form BETRAYED its shrunken proper
ton; his hands were childishlv folded. Will
a meek air, upon his lap, and his posture
backward sw;ying and listless, indicated ex
trcmc exhaustion.
The worn old chaisc stood before mar.
ble-workcrs shop, where, fronting the door
along the smoky building, and on nll sides
white shafts, gray stones, and brown slabs
uprose, ghastly shapes yet beautiful, will,
angels and cherubs sculptured thereon, sorne
pictured with willows, some with doves, some
with graceful urns, many with sorrowful
faces of mourners bending over departed
hopes, buried with the cherished dead in the
church yard.
1t seemed gloomy stopping place for
one apparently so near his end and vet the
serene countenance of tile wan invalid was
sutfused with glad, almost holy expression,
that softencd its ghastliness and made its
sadness more spiritual. Day after day, as l
passed, l met him always in the same place,
either being assisted by some friend into the
Old cha'se. or sitting SO lstless, yet SO pa
tient, waiting tho progress OF the luborcrs
engaged with their work around him.
l5y chance met friend who knew the
invalid. l mentioned care!essly my opinion
OF his apparently hopeless case, and wonder
ed. rs any passing stranger would, who lie
was, and what drew him so frequently and
| stated!y to the shop of the marLle-worker.
He is doomed man," replied my COM
panion, land being full aware that his
time is short, lie is experimenting the work
of his own monument"
WAS startled, and looked my friend fix
edly III the face. " 1t is heartless whim,"
1 exclaimed impatientIy, "a living man
watching the progress of his own tomb
stone"
mo, not heartless," he replied, "only
singular. George Bcnnet, that is his name,
was once young man Of good health and
good expectations-by-the by, that latter
was his ruin in manner; never n more hum
ble. patiently waiting heir did 1 see, sill, than
that sape young man bnt." hc added with
emphasis, when his uncle died, and the
splendid fortune came-fne fortune and no
mistake, sr-he was off and away OH the
broad road 10 dissipation. Beginning with
moderate prodgality to rid himself Of this
golden incumbrance, his desires soon knew
NO bounds. He gradually threw off the re-
| straiiIts which once sense Of duty, cngen-
dered by mothers pious teachings. had
kept him under, plunged into fashionable
follics, forgot God, rained good constitu-
ton, and soon sank all but small portion
g L.. E,,x fol
the race scos to The swift {; but it has ended
in his destruction: Now here comes the TO
nance.
In his humber days he really loved and
engaged himself to Miss Glen, a pretty in
| telIigent girl Of Scotch descent, one of the
most amiaLle creatures l ever knew :; but
she had only few thousand, say three ut
tho most, to bring rs a wedding dowery.-
She never doubted his truth, nor would she
believe the least report derogntory to his
| reputation. ALI! well, but some women are
loving and forgiving creatures" soliIoquzed
my friend with an absent air, (he was a bach
elor,) and for full three minutes he was 81,
| lent.
"Did he ever marry her I" asked with
| n concealed feeling of impatience.
| "Never;;" !" l,e exclaimed abruptly, "no :;
he went to Philadelphia, dangled around n
few golden satellites, from thence to Europe,
came back to the States, paid court to Ia
dy Of wealth, and would willingly have we'd
dcd her, hut did not, for the very good rca-
son that she learned 10 despise his charac-
| ter.
After an absence of three years he visited
Boston again, wreck in body and fortune.
I met him first and we'll remember how
heavily he leaned upon my side as We walk
ed together through the old familiar thor
oughfnres. IIe said nothing about his pros
poets or disappoin.ments, but talked OF VA
rious subjects, mostly Of politics aud Europe,
till we Ly merest accident stood opposite
the old ground-you remember, Copp's Hill
l forgot to say that toe had been fol
many months absent BenDet expressed q
wish to walk through, and did it not seem
!, strange that he made pause, from very
weakness and weariuess, opposite small
smooth. white stone, that was familiar Z
neither of us 2 and when would have LEI
him farther on, he pushed aside the long
damp grass, and fell 10 coming the inserip
ton. a,-t
; Judge Of my surprise, as we'll as his re
morse, when read the following:
Sncred to the memory @ ..
of =. -
...,.. ALICE GLEN, u-
:. who died Septembur Is. Is-,
= Of coinsu mption. ;
d Aged 10 years. ,-,-,4
y Lone k7,o,1s no change ~ heaven.
lido not like TO dwell on what followed
| Renn.t 1 vas s,nitten u, the earth consciept