Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-12-22

BOY. IL ookcu cui, ,,u, lonely Dy the Pac candle
light and ts silence whispered to her of death.
She placed the light on the table and seated herself
in the chair by the hearth. The memories Of by
gone years crowded upon her. The time when
her beautiful boy-bahy lay on itsdathcr's breast.
Its merry g!cc at her approach. The death Of the
husband and father. The hone cngendcrcd amid
the first gloom of wlowlood that her son might in
after years be a comfort and support. Then came
the rccollectons Of sickly, cnaciatcd child, that
fr months and years required her every care
How she he had watched and praycd-how her
nightly visils h,d been cliccred alone BY the fra
hope that he might not die, that God might give
her feeble constitution strength to overcome disease
How she had listened through the vrl"ng night.
for the faint breathings that assured her he yet
lived And when convalcsccncc slowly and almost
imrcrccptiLly commenced, how she had vert from
very JOY that her prayers had been answered.
The telcgraphic chain of ideas approximacd link
| hv link and she remembered his dawning nlanhond,
his success at school, and above all his devotion
| first to his Creator and next to herself. She
thought Of her daughters marriage, her sad fate,
and then the last past year Of alternating hopes and
fcars-hrr year Of probation. Then came the
diving or clse be dcad-his parting words were,
'Mo,hcr, if I am alive will be with you BY noon
on the twenty fourth" 1t WAS now nearing to
midnight and he Ind not come. Hope died within
her and she returned chilled and faint to the
dining room. Fanny had been weeping too. She
had put the rings and tssels to purse she had
lust finished for Gerald, and she too believed that
they would sce the absent one no more.
The widow leaned her head on her hands and
sobLcd ufresl, when suddenly the loud barking o.
the watch dog broke the stiffness Of the night. !,
sound of wheels was heard approaching and sll'
went TO the donr. 1t is not my bny," she said
mentally, Black Hawk would have borne lin
back" " Here are travellers Fanny, put NOR,
pine on the fire." she said as she looked out. Z"
would rather be alone, but as the Almighty ma!
have raised up friends to comfort my poor son in l
wandcrings 70 we will assist and comfort those wh'
have been exposed to the biting frosts Of this bite
night"
Two gentlemen alightcd from the carriage thcl
two females. This she could see by the moonlight
and rs she returned from the room whence sh
had brought candle, she met strange looking
gentleman on the threshold She invited him to en-
ter when lady sprang in and threw her arms abol
her neck Before she could comprehend the mys
terry of the lady's conduct, the well rcmcmbcrc
tones Of her sons voice cxcInimcd-"I did not quit
keep my promise, mother, but hope you were M
uneasy and she fell almost fainting on his a!icc
tionatc bosom.
The travellers we're soon thawing themselves q
the f,c-Eruce Mcdonald, Agnes and their litll
girl her dear boy anu the almost frozen servant cir
AS soon as the travellers had partaken Of an I'M
promptu supper got up by Gerald's old nurse aur
AIily, Mrs. Flemmng cnquired Of her son as to hi
| delay md l-looks. In reply, he gave the follow
| ing brief narrativci
, "When left you, mother, proceeded onwar
through Alabama and Mississippi with as little della
as possible. | WAS anxious to reach the Father
Waters" for there expected my adventures to b!
gin. The incidents ofmy iourncyings from the TIM
Of my arrival there, until the first If September,