Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-09-07
o Original 5turg.
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
THE TWO sONS-IN-LAW.
A Tale of Avarice and Crime Defeated.
BY FELIX GORDON

BY FELIX GORDON.
Reader-this tale is founded on events
which actually occurred, and that too with
in the last four years; but proper respect
10 the sanctity of family history, will for
bid our further particularizing. Should
any Of the respectable connections of the
family whom we have introduced, discover,
as we rather fear than hope they may, the
characters we have attempted to sketch, we
trust they will not deem them too Sc
.yerely drawn.
"Tho prosperity of fools shall destroy them
Prov. 1-32
Forty years ago might have been seen
young man struggling with, poverty and
bu1fcting with the waves of life, which so
often wrecks youths little bark of hope,
and drifts it upon the sterile rocks of mis-
fortune. But the Fates were more partial
to Simeon Peyton for while, and he gil
ded on amid the storms and tempests of
youth, with a sunshine dream of success, to
manhood. After having accumulated a por-
tion of worldly goods, he settled down in
western Carolina, upon one of the contrib
utory streams of the Yadkin River, with
the fair one he had wooed and won, and
who blessed him in being the mother of
beautiful offspring, of which, perhaps, Ju-
liza and Eveylin were the more lovely. He
industriously employed his time in the quiet
occupation offarming, and in this retired
home he spent many years with his family,
peaceful and happy. The bow of promise
was bright the aurora of life was gilded
with hope. AS farmer he was unassum-
ing, for he never wished the applause of
listening Senates to command ; but as
MiSer, he was coVetouS. And as he saw
his isneighbors prospera and increase, he would
envy their wealth, and as he looked out and
saw their cattle upon a thousand hills,
his heart would wish they were his. But he
saw his own, increase and prosper like the
green bay tree and his heart lost its polar
ity-and that desire once of obtaining a
good living, had grownup to seed in all the
ripeness of Avarice.
Yes, Simeon Peyton was Avaricious -
He gave himself up to sordid and misan-
thropic calculations. Gain was his only
star of guidance, and he was ready for any
thing, that would drop the dollars into his
greedy pocket. And as he looked out on his
waveing harvests, and his broad, green corn
fields, and the blushing fruit as ithung up
on its yielding boughs, the archfend whis-
pered in his heart-the Liquor Traffic.
The Syren goddess seemed to jingle the dol
lars as in fancy he heard them fall into
the till of his chest. He paused upon the
Rubicon of hope-but gain loomed up be
fore him, and he cried-' I'll do it. Her,
the tide of destiny changed-where virtu,
shifting turns the other way, and to SOM
dread, unknown, internal centre downward
weighs He had many hands, an abun
dance of corn, fine crops, and loaded OF
chards of wasting fruit, and he resolved t
turn these blessings into curses. Near b
his house, which was of rough material an
structure, miser like, run a small brook o
its banks he built q smoky hut, the dirt an
filth of which was an index of his own hear
Here in this store-house of sin, whel
wretchedness was sold by the cup full, 81
the grim features of man, watching I'll
internal poison as it slowly issued from til
~ still, and where was sacrificed the staff
life, and for which his own posterity wi
cry with hungry voice.
Peyton had a neighbor, whom we sha
introduce to the reader by the name
Fisk. His was proud, aristocratic fami
fond of gaicty and fashion, and lived in
style that might be called luxurious. The
wasteful extravaganza soon began to me
away their fortune, and very soon insolve
cy stared them in the face dissipation fc
lowed, and then the verifcation ofthe Wi
mans prophecy Pride goeth before dc
truction, and a naughty spirit beforea fall
Disgrace and shame followed even some
the females of that once proud and haugh
family.
But weanticipate. Long before this tim
Fry Fisk, the youngest son, had become
frequent visiter at the house of Peyto
drawn thither by the charms, of the bea
tiful Julia. He had mingled in the q
throngs Of fashionable amusements, al
Joined IN the giddy dance with the rich
attired aud accomplished bellies of the ar
tocratic circle, and yet his heart was free
but here he found the forest flower, adol
cd in all its native simplicity, and from I
hidden recesses Of whose soul came fol
that pure love as tender andcon6ding as
er found resting place in the devoted he
Of woman.
Fisk was Of rather prepossessing appe
ance and with some good traits of charact
Home had had its delights, pleasure its
umphs but the first vivid dream of
was gone, aud dissatisfaction and disappoi
ments had mixed their dregs of bittern
in his cup. He had learned that tn
pleasures which are most attractive to
senses, have no links to connect them W
anything like permanent felicity. He '
restless, dissatisfied, and began to sigh
fit object around which the affections
his heart might cling. 1t was here in t
sequestered spot he found his fancy's id
In the form Of Julia, who, although
blessed with the advantages and blandi
ments of an education, yet he found
amiable in temper and pure in heart
ne no doubt also felicitated himself III
the hope he might be the heir of Sim
PeytOn.
Julia was guileless and unsuspecting,
knew but little of the world beyond
precincts Of her own home; and ere she