The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-05-26

| fufy tne hupf<eo10u on luk6fy, SIiRn an
person ] hsd ever met with before an;
1 had reason when .enviea her.
She was lifted into the carriage careful
"; carefully swathed Ia her splendid fur
and lustroue velvets and placed gently
IKE wounded.bird, In her warm nest O
down. But abe moved Ianguidly, snt
ffetfolly thrust aside her servants' bus,
hands, Indifferent to her oomfort., and an
noyed BY her blessings. Ilookedintob be-
face: It was strange iAee, which hat
once been beautiful; but illlhealth, and
care, and grief had marked itenov with
deep lilies, and colored il, with unnatural
tints. Tears had washed out the roses
from her cheeks, and set large purple rings
about her eyes the mouth was hard and
Pinched, but the eyelids swollen; while the
crossed wrinkles on her brow told the same
tale Of grief grown petulant, and of pain
grown soured, as the thin lip, quiveriine
and guerulous, and the nervous hand, net,
er still and never strong.
The train bell rang, the whistle sound
ed, the lady's servitoEs stood bareheaded
and courtesying to the ground, and the
rapid rush Of the iron giant bore off the
high-born dame and the starveling paint
er in strange companionship. Unquiet
and unresting now shifting her place
now letting down the glass for the cold
air to blow full upon her withered face,
then drawing it up, and chafing her hands
and feet by the warm apparatus concealed
in her ehau6e-pied, while shivering as If
in an ague-ft-sighing deeplySlost in
thought-wildly looking out and around
for distraction-she soon made me ask
myself whether my envy of her was as
true as deep sympathy and pity would
have been.
But her wealth-her wealth N I
thought. "True. she may suffer, but how
gloriously she is solacedl She may weep,
but the angels of social life wipe off her
tears with perfumed linen, gold embroid-
cred; she may grieve but her grisf makes
her joys so much the more blissful. All!
she is to be envied after all all!-envied, while
l a very beggar, might well scorn my
place now r. -.
Something Of this might have been in
my face, as offered my sick companion
some small attention.--I forget what
gathering up one Of her luxurious trifies,
or arranging her cushions. She seemed
almost to read my thoughts as her eyes
rested on my melancholy face; and say
ing abruptly: II fear you are unhappy,
young man !" she settled herself in her
place like a person prepared TO Iisten to
pleasant tale.
@Iam unfortunate, madam, I answered.
Unfortnnatel" ssid she impatiently.
" What with youth and health can you
whole world lies untried before yoS' % and and
you still live in the golden atmosphere Of
hope, can you pamper yourself with senti-
mental sorrowsi fie upon you-fe up
on you'll What are your sorrows COM
pared with mine r. .... ... .... ...
am ignorant of yours, Madam" said
respectfully; "but 1 know my own; and,
knowing them, l can speak oftheir weight
and bitterness. BY your very position,
you cannot undergo the same kind Of dis |
tress rs that overwhelming me at this
moment you may have evils in your
path Of life, but they cannot equal mine"
Can any thing equal the evils Of ruin. |
ed'health and desolated hearth I" she
cried, still in the same impatient manner.
Can the worst griefs Of wayward youth
equal the bitterness Of that cup which you
drink at such time of life as forbids all
hope Of after-assuagementi Can the first
disappointment Of strong heart rank
with the terrible desoiation Of wrecked
old agei You think because you see
about me the evidences Of wealth, that !
must be happy. Young man, / tell you
truly, would gladly give up every farth-
ing Of my princely fortune, and be reduced
to the extreme Of want to bring back from
the grave the dear ones lying there, or
pour into my veins one drop Of the boun-
ding blood Of health and energy which
used to make life long play hour Of de
light. Once, no child in the fields, no
bird in the sky, was more blessed than I;
and what am l now IA sickly, lonely old
woman, whose nerves are shattered and
whose heart 10 broken, without hope or
happiness on earthl Even death has pass
cd me by in forgetfnlness and scorn'b !.
Her voice betrayed the truth other emo
ton. Still, with an accent Of bitterness
ond complaint, rather than Of simple sor-
row, it was the voice ofone fighting against
her fate, more than OF one suffer- Suffering ing ssSS:s.s
ly and in despair /; it was petulant rather
than melancholy; angry rather than griey-
my showing that her trials had harden
cd, not sotened her ,i;cc::.gt.
listen to me-" she then said, laying
her hncud on my arm, "and perhaps my
history mar reconcile you to the childish
dopression from what cause soever Il may
be, under which you arc laboring. You
are young and strong, and can bear any
amount Of pain as yet: wat until You
reach my age, and then you will know
the true meaning Of the word dsspsirl--
/ am rish, as you may zee, ," she continued,
pointing TO her surroundings: ain truth,
90 rich that take no account either Of my
income OF my expenditure. I have never
known Ne under any other form. Ihave
never Known what i was 10 be denied the