Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-06

Provokcs to arms, or ~trumpets ~clangour shrill
Afrights the wives, or chills the Virgins blood
But joy and pleasure open to the view
Uninterrupted. PHILIPS.
A long lapse of years have flown since the
scenes in our fifteen foregoing chapters trans
pired and now, instead Of the harsh clamor
of the war-whoops and the loud booming of
tlea4 BLACK -BenHthnd among UGdf6trG8 ~hIits
and dales, there rests upon us tho blest
wing-shade Of the Dove of Peace, and the
broad crest of the Eagle ofLiberty scars DER
our happy land, sacredly guarding with ieal-
Gus care the rights of Freedom and the rights
of Man
Peace has long been restored to the fami-
lies that had long been divided by political
euds the social bands of relationship and
friendship that had long been discovered by
rash and fratricidal contention have been
long since consolidated and the happy deni-
Gems of the Old North State" now rejoice
in being q great fraternity of Freemen.
The close of the War Of independence res
tored husbands to their wives sons to their
parents friends to their friends and, gen.
tie reader mine, rejoice with us, Howard to
Columbine !! Her soul was filled with the
bright realities of bliss that she had feared
would never be hers to enjoy, and with the
clear tears of inefGble Joy in her eyes she
met her long absent lover and was happy,
happy as heart could wish in the enjoyment
of the society of him,
=" On whose fond arm With pleasing gaze she hung"
Soon after the close of the war there were
many marriages in the mountains, but none
more gay and happy than that of Baptiste
Howard and Columbine Greenwood. Their
peaceful home was in the midst of the same
romantic mountains where they had grown
up together amid the same flower studded
hills where they had rambled in blithsome
childhood in sight of the same vine clad
stile, where, at " pale n oonlight," she first
heard Loves hallowed strain breathed in her
ear by her faithful lover, and where she had
silently " blush'd assent :" hard by the dark
dungeon of the Haunted Cave, where she
had spent some of the most trying moments
possible for human nature to endure, was
their happy mountain home, where the way.
farln3 man found a welcome and hearty
good cheer. Within the cottage dwelt the
widow Greenwood, fast falling into old age,
whose every want was %sedulously cared fo1
by her son.in-law, thus fulfilling the charge
of her dying husband, whose fatal end was
faithfully concealed from her even through
life. Years after the close of the war. wher
'iSHU oycu, hdppy IIItIe NOW
ards sheltered in the mountain cottage, an ole
soldier Jack Bluffdale by name, might have
been seen sitting on the sunny side of the
cottage, of afternoons, with the children a
round him listening to him tell of the wa,
f and the drums. and shouting with iollv gle,
when the old man
" Shoulder'd his crutch, and .how'd how fields 1er
won."
And there, walking briskly about the littl
farm, was Captain Townsend, whose toll an
age sat d~ecently upon him, he too could ST
and tell of " the time that tried mems souls.
and at the chestnut roastings in the noun
| tains, when the Captain would " fight hi
battles DER again." all would be silence i
the circle, save the popping of the rich an,
brown chesnuts stewing and jumping befor
the hot pile oflogs in the Mountaineers' wild
chimney place. When the Captain died, b
bequeathed his ample estate to Howard, hi
old friend and comrale in the war.
The conjugal association of Howard an
his affectionate wife was long. and a sampI
of the happy union of kindred hearts :
"In peace and joyous bliss,
They liv'd together long without debate
Nor private jars, nor spite of enemies,
r Could shake the safe assurance of their state.
e The hoar headed Patriarch and Patrio
s who could sit and sing, with tears in his dir
Q and fading eyes, of the main incidents feebI
Il presented in our story, has been gathere
with his comrades to the repose of the toni
|, and there, with the drapery of Death abor
n them, they rest az if in pleasant dreams.