Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-03-10

The high embower'd root,
With antique pillars, massy proof,
And storied windows richly dight,
Casting dim religious light-MuToN.
At the Morton Mansion les. our opaning
scene. And first, as respects the Mansion
itself. Ii was situated directly up Silver
Creek, from the Village of E on its
southern bank in clump OF native trees.
that had been left BY the woodman's aNp, and
had been stretching their brawny arms out
to the blast as far back as the memory Of
the Oldest inhabitant could tell, shading
the grass plats and the rich daisy beds with
their clustering foliage. Children of past
generations too had sported beneath their
boughs-children who were now the AGED of
the earth aye, and many were sleeping the
quiet repose of deaths starless night in the
village church-yard, that once gamboled in
childish delight beneath these same mossv
limbs. That was years, years ago; they are
away, away but the old oaks are still the
same, bowling and bending in the blast that
booms i'll fierce currents from the blue hill
tops Of the Allegheny ridge that stretches
away in an undulating line across the unruf-
fled sky, like the bold brushes of painters
pencil against the strained canvass. The
Mansion bears strong marks of age; the
patches of grey moss sprinkled over its roof
and boards is sure indication of that, be-
sides its many sharp gables that shoot up
from the castle looking structure its long, mar
row windows, reaching nearly to the ground.
filed with diamond-shaped panes Of acute
angles, its numerous doors of massive struc-
ture and ponderous panels curiously wrought
cornices and turrets, and the stack-lke Chin
ney that rises from near the centre of the lit
tie village Of gables away above them all,
capped with hewn blocks Of brown stone, and
decorated with curious devices and dates, to
us almost as abstruse as Egyptian hieroglyph-
les, all this would tell us that Morton Man
sion was built long, long ago. even if the
intricate gauze Of the twisted ivy that clngs
to the western wall, hanging against it like q
green curtain, apparently and esidently tlie
growth of many tedious years, was torn a
way, still there would be remaining evidence
Of its being ancient of days. A wall of q
brown stone enclosed the Mansion, together
with some two or three acres Of ground
which was tastefully decorated by some ma.
tive forest trees and nicely marked grass
plats, graveled walks, fower-beds and shrub
berry. The Mansion was divided into many
rooms and apartments, and the part allotted
for the Kitchen was foored by polished flag
stones, which was kept at all times scrupu
louslv clean. Furniture of the richest kline
was fitted UP in the apartments, and books
and classic paintings, and statuary adorned
the we'll chosen library. So much for thc
Mansion now we turn to its inmates.
Mrs. Meredith, the owner and mistress o
the Mansion, came with her family and ser
wants from some distant city, entirely un
known to the sillagers, some years antcce
dent to the period at which our narrative
opens. 1t was said she was lineal descen
dant of the family after which tho Mansion
was named, but who she really was or from
whence she came, was altogether mystery
to her neighbors which still remained mvs
terry to them; for to make any inquiry 0
the servant who was seen at times to run t
the village on an errand and hasten back a
gain, was entirely bootless-he revealed no
+ thing Mrs. Meredith entered the Mansion
shrouded in the solemn weeds of painfu
widowhood, which she never laid aside. Sh
was seldom seen without the gates Of tn
Mansion, except on the day of Sabbath a
she sought the altar of the church of he
choice, to meet in audience with her Fathe
r God, in His sanctuary; but on all occasion
when she was seen, the sombre weeds of tn
D heart broken widow hung around her, an
t her pale face indexed plainly the trouble
J, workings of the hearts restless deep. Th
I shade that was gathered there, told that thel
: was some inner thorn Of grief ranking
= the hearts deep wound. She sought I'll
. acquaintance Of none, but in her home an
:, in the society Of those she brought with he
: she spent her days. For eighteen years ha
5, she thus passed her life, with the acquail
;, tance of none except those who came wit
d her, with one single exception, and that w
/ in the person of a man who applied at h
d gates for employment as 2 servant, and W
accepted. He alone was all she had recei
e ed into her acquaintance for eighteen year
n the servant man john as he was called
Of john this was the only name he "
s known bv-' Mrs. Meredith's man, john
!; John of the Morton Mansion Who
e really was, no one knew, not even the wi
ct ow.
ID Mrs. Meredith was, at the period of viii
g we write, somewhat advanced in years
a. long hair. that was once evidently black. "
SO now variegated by silver strand here a
= there interspersed; her eyes, although ST
m, ken. had not lost all Of their former fire a
n lnstre and her cheek, though furrowed,