Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-12-05
his pillow, and the wrestling soul of Ray

Who dare lift the shadowy veil Of the
unknown future, and say the madman was
not pardoned. When death in mercy set
his icy seal on his beaded brow, and the
wild delirun of his great agony was over,
He alone who knew how much Of madness
hurled. the poor, sick, helpless, and de-
grave-He alone who always tempers JUS
tice with mercy, can judge in pity, and
pardon, and save. Judge not, oh man,
your erring brother, lest in the day Of your
! calamity, temptation meets you, and with
the temptation, the fall "What is done
1--WE fsz...sliy may compete, hut know not
what is resisted" Well do know that
yearly, monthly, daily, hourly, bravely, the
desperate fight went on between Raymond,
and the tempters appointed by law to dog,
and slay him. Who wonders that like a
standard bearer fainting in battle, he fell
at last-6rst made rum maddened drunk
ard by the lar, and then maniac muir
dered by its hellish poisoners, licensed
according to lar
Many, and bitter, were the manly tears
that fell, when 4" dust to dust and ashes to
ashes," hid the last of the rum-wrecked
Raymond, from the hearts that loved him,
who still cherish with mournful recollec-
ton, the sad fate of him who died, "doub-
ly died, in that he died so young" Peace
to his ashes, and rest to his soul.
Autum's hectic bushes tinged the for
est leaves the mellow radiance of the
evening sun lit up the foliage of the live
oak and Magnolia. The evening breeze
was tossing the funeral festoons, and ban
ners of grey moss, when 4 noble looking
lady, in deep mourning by my side, stood
by the grave Of the cictina Of the License
Lar. | turned away in anguish. for I
could not bear to see the big tears that fell
so fast and silently down her faded face.
Oh! how much they said-how eloquent
are silent tears at the grave of the dear de-
parted.
Incz only "pity' Raymond If ever
woman's true love lived in loving breast,
its home was in the soul Of Inez McGre-
gor, who was so cruelty widowed.
Oscar said Inez suddenly" look at
tti$ tree we planted over him-all broken
by his friends to carry away mementos of
my poor husbands grave. There are cost
ly marble monuments all around us, but
the noblest monument amongst them all is
this mutilated tree. He is indeed bias
ted, broken tree, and L am "a trod-
den vine p And she took my arm, and in
sorrow and silence, we slowly walked away
Perhaps it was not right at that solemn
momcnt-hnt those were blazing curses
burning fercely on my soul. have ever
been most .tasttdiousIy obcdient to the laws
of my country-to the faintest right of
every man; would not wrong a spider, or
a snail. For they too have their rights,
patented to them by Almighty God Yet,
with all my respect fer our laws; if to.
morrow, mob will rise, to sack and burn
our doggeries Of high and low degree, will
head the Regulators, torch in hand. Let
US first try by the rostrum, and the ballot
box to suppress the liquor traffic, bis
tering, burning curse that damns the homes
and hearts of thousands If they fail
Then by the Gods sce wW try the are,
and brand. have lived protected and
in peace, under the ancritten cole of our
forest Rhodamanthus, ChiefJ ustice LYNCH,
of King Demos, the people; and like the
spartan brevity Of the Supreme Court of
the Woodlands, and its swift and strong
limbed law.
Inez was left perfectly pennilesS. She
and her children lived with distant rela-
tive. Several years rolled by. One eve
ming left my Office aud called Gas was my
constant habit to see Inez and her chill
dren.
"Tell me Inez, said care you really
going to marry Lefevrc, the old Million
aire?
~ am" said she.
Inez! !" | asked, " Do you love him ?''
Most de0otedLy," said she with keen,
sarcastic bitterness that was perfectly ap-
/ palling. "Is not Mr. Lefevre good enough
for Inez, the proud and penniless pGuper?''
You are not, said !, I" d pauper, Inez. -
"My children and myself" said she,
eat in poverty the bitter bread of charity
and it chokes my heart. l am made to
feel my dependence, as the chained slave
feels the iron fetter biting in his fostering
flesh. | once had host of friends-Os
car-you alone have been most faithful
when my dark days came If you were a.
rich in gold and silver, as you are in the
treasures of the soul, Raymonds friend
should be my brother, and freely would
depend upon you; but you are almost al
poor as am.
Ny little all,' said I, " shall ever BE-
at your service, Inez.'
/" know it Oscar" said she, " and you
know, although have never said it, thai
feel my thanks. For myself 1 do not
care, for / am reckless but | live in my
! - Raymond's children. To-day, am
Inez, the proud pauper-to-morrow, thou
sands gid my uisery-to-day, the jaws o.
the poOr-house yawn for my little ones-to
morrow, they have home, comfort, luxu
ry, education and high social position. And
yet it is an awful sacrifice un
! sancti6ed by love"
"Then," said l, "make it?"
Oscar said she, "Phantom fears a
, bout my children haunt me daily. l sac
; rifce myself for their sake | wish it wa,
funeral pyre. Don't blame me; bu
those who ruined and killed my protector
and support, made me penniless widow
: and my children dependant orphans. curset
US all with poverty and drove to this hate,
E marriage" And dashir back the viii,
81 luxuriance of her fallen tresses, she tosse
her majestic form, like a billow-beat
i barque in the tempest of her soul. Sud