The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-08-16

beautiful indeed. The house, which
was situated upon gently sloping hill,
commanded n fine view of the sur.
rounding country, and on every side
but one, lay extended fields, with
nothing to impede tho view. To the
left Of the avenue, which led off direct.
ly from the noble mansion, was an
uncultivated forest, which extended to
the east and the north as far as the eve
could reach, where, the pine and the
oak mingled their foliage together, and
where many a gentle stream curlcd on
over snowy sands under the ilnpene-
trable shade. The landscape tho.
spread out before the maiden was Quiz
tand lovely. A flood of yellow ligHS
rested upon the broad scene, and Is
reflected back from field and forest II
soft lights and shadows,
1t was one Of those calm and glori.
Gus nights Of oriental brightness, when
every sound is still, and every voice
hushed to rePose-whcn the beauty of
Eden seems to revisit the earth, and
Danish for a season its corroding cares
and consuming sorrows.
Dora had heart to feel all the
beauty OF the hour. The poetry of
love was with her, and her thoughts
were away with the young soldier Of
his country, who had been content to
turn away even from her, and undcgo
the tolls and privations Of the camp Tor
the noble cause of independence. She
loved him with that generous and un-
calculating devotion, that in one of her
temperament and blood, almost
amounted to idolatry. Though meet.
ing but rarely, and latterly only by
stealth, ye, his image was continually
present to her mind.
Of late there had been many causes
ut work to diminish the peace and
happiness of the maiden. The coun.
try was overrun by prowling ban DIS of
torres, and nowhere throughout the
whole State was there band Of patri.
OTIS sufficiently formidable to stand
against the invader or to appear in
arms. The body urdns Morton, wh;oh
still refused TO iist..::.l, could scarcely
be called an exception to this rule;
for pert up in the fastncss Of the swamp
1t lay hidden from the enemy, while
its locality was "a mystery cveal to the
most undoubted patriots Of his own
party.
AS the maiden leaned over the bal
ustraae, the full light of the moon
shining down softly upon her beautiful
figure, that seemed still more voluptu-
GUS rs she stood exposed to the intlu.
ence Of that bcwitchilg light that soft,
ems even the downy cheek of beauty,
and gives perfection to its lovclincss,
one might almost observe the tear drop
flashing across her bright eyes, while
she unused alone on her young hopes,
the fruition of which seemed vet so
distant. Around her, throughout the
whole land, the foot of the invader
trod triumphan,ly upon the soil, and
even the most hopeful of the patriots
began to tremblc at the prospects Of
subjnSation. Well did she know the
fate that awaited her lover should the
invader finally triumph over Il pros
trate country. Her hopes would then
be but a dclusive dream, and her heart,
widowed i'll its affection, break with
its burden, or beat on through a sad
existence, maddcned BY its bercave.
ment.
Besides these anticipations Of evils,
us yet distant and only conjecturaI,
there were more immediate causes Of
anxiety and annoyance which harass
ed her peace, and were fruitful Of
much uncasiness and distress, from
which she determined to free herself.
even though it should be necessary to
resort to the most energetic measures.
Her home had Of late been frequently
visited by the leaders of the royalists
mostly, if not altogether, men of
abandoned characters and dissolutc
habits-who could now with impunity
venture abroad, and boldly, too, in Il
country where there was no longer
power to keep them in wholesome awe;
and more than one Of these military
trccbooters had cast glnnces of adu.;.
ration and covetous expectations upon
the rich heiress of Sumter.
Foremost among these, und espc.
cialIy detessed Ivy Dora, was the tory
lerder Harrison, who regarded her as
n prize well wen by his unscrupulous
devotion TO the cause of the mother
country. Patiently had he borne her
withcring scorn and her freely mani.
tested detestation Of his character, in
tho presumptuous hope that the final
hour of triumph would wiring f'om her
however reluctantly, a consent to we'd
him. lie had become free uent guest
at her fathers house, who courted the
society ofthe bloody and wicked man
whom his moro courageous HaIsshter
abhorred. ~
The gentle Dora was leaning over
the balustrade and musing upon the
mourntul circumstances that darkcncd
the sunshine OF her happiness, and bit.
ter We're her Ineditations as she called
TO mind her uniricndcd and desoiate