The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-03-15
(cosrrSurp FROM rtksr rAcE.)

lieve can. and III begin this very day
If ever do become any thing, iii
thank you, bless you for it--yuu, n
gill, not half us strong us am. Lu,
mastering ne with your courage and
truth! Arc there any more in the
world like yvu I'll never saw any
before. Now, dwn't you know, tina,
you'd make u capital missionary to the
poor! just try It, fur Me;r s,kcr.--
If they can stund up against ,uur
beautiful face and your bright eyes.
and your true tongue, they are strong.
tr than ain. Don't blush any more
Pm sorry said it, but Ills the truth.
Now want to ask you to do one little
thing for me, mud ,l,ut is, nlI the help
I'll ever need from you. Let me start
with this. Just write your name, will
you, with your own hand, and give it
to mc2 | don't want 1t printed on any
pastcboard tlummcry; want it Just rs
you wrote it YOURSELF for me. Ikuow
it will do me good. feel that can
do any thing when look at that
Will you stnrt. me in life with this7"
With an eye, downcast, yet glowing,
and firm, raised hand, Faunic wrote
her name, and gave him the card in
slencc.
Thank you. You've done great
deal to-day, and this isn't the least"
"Stnp u momcnt!" cried Fannie,
blushing. "fou ought to tell me your
name, too. Perhaps | may hear of it
hcarafter. shall, if you arc strong
and bold"
"Don't ask me that" he exclaimed,
reddening. 81 should have to tell you
If you asked me, and don't want to
do that yet. But if you'll only let me
write to you once in q while, and tell
you how am getting along; or, if you'll
read what write--won't you do it!
You needn't fear any thing. III never
sign any name, until ! can sign ono
that you have heard Of Don't say
no, for I'm bound to do it. Twill help
ME along SO much. Good bye"
:. And in al instant he was out Of sight.
For little while we looked at each
other without exchanging word.
Swell, this is an odd adventure
Only think ofyour talking half An hour
with ragged street boy !"
81 am not sorry for it," replied Fan
ME, quietly.
"You have no cause to be sorry"
said |, rather warmly; and then, after
paune-"Only think, Fannie, il this
savage young Orson should turn out
to be your Valentine at las!"
"Pshaw, Carrie! you don't know
what you are saying. Let us drop
the subject. wonder. though, if
we ever shall hear of him again. Don't
you hope so?"
Certainly" said ], and then we
talked of something else.
The first part Of my story has been
so long, that must hurry over the
rest, and let Fauuie's letters tell it all
in few words.
Several years passed by. Fannie
had received one or t=c aotes from
this reclaimed Grson, reporting his
gradual success, but they are in her
own possession, and cannot show
them to you. One letter that she wrote
to me, while was in Vera Cruz, will
be enough to explain every thug, and
1'll wind up my story with that. |
have some others here, giving the sub
ject passing mention from time to
time, but none SO full as this. AS you
will perceive, it was written under the
excitement Of strong curiosity, but it
as really provoking that she did not
delay sendingi it to the post Office just
one hour
Dear Carrie.-Just now ! am in
sad perplexity, and though know that
all will be settled in one short hour,
cannot help sitting down and making
you sharer in my troubles. And to
punish you for your long silence,
shall send this letter before the cause
Of my perplexity is removed, so that
you will remain in suspense until you
make yourself entitled to an answer
and an explanation. If you take any
interest in my affairs, this may secure
me letter from you before many
uAyS o'c ofci.
"You cannot have forgotten our
meeting with young Orson, as you call
him, for | have occasionally written
you an abstract Of the reports Of his
success, with which he sometimes fa-
vors me. Only read now this note,
which l have just received from the
unknown:
"If you have read my letters from
time to time, you must know that !
have finally succeeded in mastering the
lesson of life which you placed before
my eyes. You first taught me that
real soul could exist in one so ignor-
ant and wretched MS then was, and
that this soul could only be developed
through severe mental labor. found,
also. that painful bodily delying was
necessary before could have IN op.
portunity to exercise my mind, and
struggled through it. Then, there was
the work of many lost years crowded
into few, but succeeded in that,
also. When the preparation was over,
found that success must be toiled for.