The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-06-28
iIere me mcrccnary z"

4 W. '"SN uP atie oloSN oStpIC lSIs
g t]nsay those cruel words ! Dc
you believe me the heartless, 1nrrccna
ry being you describe? Must we in
deed part thus 2"
Still no answer and Charles, after
a few more vain entreaties that she
would break her stubborn silence, de-
| parted from tho house.
a few moments afterwards Flora
ran up TO her chamber, where she used
such successful efforts to remove the
traces Of hcr tears, that by the time
she was called to join the family at
dinner she was rs calm and cheerful
as though nothing mad occurred to agi
tate her.
Flora Ormsby was spoiled beauty;
! vain, passionate, and impatient Of con-
troll. Her mother, weak woman,
had INDUCED her to the utmost point to
which her power Of indulgence extend.
| ed-but that power was u limited one.
MIR. Ormsby-from whom his daugh.
ter inherited her pride and witulness
was absolute master in his own
house, and nothing but the most per.
feet subscrvience to his will could en-
sure domestic harmony. His wife,
early taught the hard lesson Of blind
obedience, had III some degree indcm,
niGed herself for this sacrifice of what
let tho champions of the Sex say
~nat they may-every woman dearly
loves, by striving to compass her ends
10y the less honOrabc-but in this case
the more successtul--rncans ,i cum.
ming and double dealing and frequent
ly-whilc to the worthy husband all
seemed sno"thIys = ling under his own
Suldance-his vile, ;,y taking a1 ...n
tage of an undcr.cur'rn;, la..IeI him
exactly where she wished Bur it vas
only III smail matters that tins WAS
vcn,u'cd upon. Mrs. Ormsby' .>.nind
was Small o &c, AM, ia li,tir trl,l apis
her snnt delighted. .lrr s,inh ,,i,,cr,
with more intellect iilan herself, Il
stronger will and more irritable ;rtn
per, WORKED With he same weapons
most successfully ipni' both par.nls--
and had thus ensured t" herself !. lilo.
erty ui action few would believe pos
se''ed by the daughter Of the stern.
"icoInpr"misiuy, op;nionated MIR.
OrmSby.
Sill Flora held her father greatly
in awe. She knew that he loved her,
but it was in his own way his love
WAS not in the least administrative,
nor would it lead him Ia .acriire one
cherished nn.icn to tier happiness. Du,
nc WAS proud OF hcr-ot her beauty,
her talcnts-ot the admiration she ex-
citcd-and last though not least, OF
the prospects, through her. of adding
to the wealth il was the great object OF
his lite to anass for his descendants.
hrcc other children-brtwen the old
est Of whom and Flora there vas Il
considerable difference in agc-cunlln-
ed Mrs. Orlnsbya good deal! to her
nursery and Flora had therefore been
able for several months to receive the
visits of her lovcr--to whom she had
engaged herself, during her absence
from parental surveillance at an hour
when she kne% the occupation of both
would prevent lkcir observing upon
their frequency.
Ever since this engagement had been
contracted, Charles Glover, to whom,
as we have Seen the very thought OF
pursuing devious path was abhurrent.
had been urging upon the woman
whose beauty and apparent worth had
gained his warmest uff' ctinns, the ne
cessty Of revealing its existence to her
parents. But this ss.ep Flora could
not be ind ICED to take. She knew her
father had set his heart upon wealth..
er suitor; she knew, too, that this was
ina ter in which her mother fully
sympathised with him-and even II
she had not, it was one in which she
would not dare to oppose his will !:
she had therefore drawn her lover on,
day after day, hoping, as she said, that
something might turn up that would be
more favorable to his snit. What
this "somelhing" was, Charles vainly
cssayed to discover. With the cxccp.
ton of a very small patrimony, he
was entirely dependent upon his own
talents and industry for his support.
lie had no rich relations who could
die and leave him fortune, and he
saw no other end to Ills clnndestine
courtship than in The open and manly
avowal of his wishes to Mr.. Ormsby,
whom he knew to be strictly honora.
BILE man, and one whose prcdjudices
against him, if such existed, might, he
hoped, in time be overcome.
In addition to his other trials, Char.
les had the almost nightly misery of
beholding the object o. his affections
receiving the devotion Of others. while
ne was prev ntcd paying her ore
than the commrIcst eiYilities; aud
while he-who, though noble, was,
like most strong characters rather in.
petnous-was gnashng his L eth with
jealousy, and suffering species of
! martyrdom that, instead Of glory,
brought humiliation as it's reward, she
was really enjoying the, adula,on that
was offered her, and doing her best to