Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-01-23

well, WE'LL cried he, in tone of pleasure,
you love her, heyF
1t is true, sir; but Heaven is my witness, l
have never dared to breathe syllable
'Ah, YOU were very right not to speak to her !;
but why did you not tell me your mind You
know that despise the pride of birth, and that
l don't care for money. All that desire is that
my son-in-law should be man, of probity, and
descended from. an honest family
1t is impossible to describe the mingled cx-
preston Of grief and shame which appeared i'll
the countenance Of George when he heard these
words. He was silent for moment at last he
said, in voice of great emotion, You are right ;
l never thought, l never hoped it could be other
wise. Hitherto have concealed from you who
| am; but tomorrow you shall know all. Leave
ME now Fbeseech YOU ..
Shocked with his evident distress, Standhal
pressed his hahd kindly, begged of him to COM
pose himself and left him. The good banker
knew not what to think of this scene; yet he was
persuaded that no blame was attached to George
The next morning. he learned with grief and
surprise, that the young man had quilted the
house. The following letter, which he left be-
hind him, will explain the cause Of this step:
How little did you think yesterday, my dear
bcnefactor, that even in the moment when you
meant to render me the happiest of men, you
strhck dagger to my heart! Yes-I know
feel that the mind of your angelic daughter nev-
er can be bestowed but upon the descendant of
an honest man. must then fly from her forev-
er.
4 viii not leave you without telling you all
Know that am the son of that st. Aubin, who
on being arrested for forgery, killed one of the
gens-d armcs, who was sent to seize him, and
expiated his crime upon the scaffod Ihad re-
turned home from college about year and a
half before this dreadful event took place. I'm
perfectly acquainted with my fathers circum-
stances, asked him to gvie me profession
He refused assuring me that it was not necessary,
as his property was sufficient for us both, even
independent of well founded expectations which
he had, that I<shoud inherit considerable for
tune from an uncle in the Indies.
Satisfied with these reasons, and concluding
from the style in which my father lived, that he
must be very rich, / thought. no more of . pro-
fession. Some months passed away, when one
morning my father entered my apartment, and
announced to me abruptly that he was ruined
Shocked and overwhelmed as was, had pre-
sence of mind enough to attempt to console him.
The education you lave given me- cried ], will
secure us from want, and you have still many
friends Not one.-not, onep cried he in agony.
Driven to despair, by my losses on Change, l
had borrowed money where could, and finding
i'll luck continually pursue me, l had recourse to
forgery. My crime is on the eve of being dis
covered. l must fy, Instantly: but 1 will not
leave thee, my poor ruined boy wholly without
resource. Take this-t is the half of what re-
mains to me- lie offered HE pocket book Il
rejected it with a look ofhbrror This alone was
wantingr cried he, in voice of fury, as he rusli-
ed from the room. followed hinl-I begged
his pardon on my knees but was resolute in
refusing his money. He fled and just when
began to congratulate myself that he was safe
from pursuit, | heard the overwhelming tidings
Of his arrest and subsequent execution. 4 bur-
ming fever seized mel should have pershed
under it, but by the charity Of one of those who
had suffered most by my unfortunate father
May Heavens choicest blessing light upon the
worthy man! Far from reproaching me, he took
pains to console me. He even carried his char
ity so far as to recommend me to the merchant
in whose employ in was when you took me
into your house. You will feel that, after the
avowal, we can never meet again. Farewell,
forever, my friend-my benefactor May hap
pness-eternal happiness-be the portion of you
and yours, GEORGE Sr. AUBIS."
The first impulse of Stendhal was to cause i'm
mediate search to be made for George; but all in
vain: he had quilted the town, and no one knew
whittier he had gone. Steudhal was at the first
truly grieved at his fight-but when he began
to reflect cooly on the circumstances of the case,
he was not sorry that George had quilted him as
he did; for with all his affections for the young
man, he shrunk from the idea Of giving his daugh-
to the son of convicted felon.
He felt, however, deeply, for the effect which
the flight of George evidently produced upon
Leocadie; and after consultation with his wife,
he determined to tell her the truth. She wept
bitterly at hearing it, but it evident that her
mind was relieved, for, from that time, she ap-
peared more tranquil. She devoted herself still
more exclusively to her family, Stunned society
as much as she could, and though always even
tempered, and at times cheerful, it was easy tc
see that she was not happy.
-Four years passed; Leocadie received many Of
fers of marriage, but refused them so perenpto
rily, that her parents despaired Of seeing he
married: it greived them, but they would no
constrain her inclinations In the beginning. o.