Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-04-25


expressions; but the.tears did not as usual
trickle down bis manly cheek his counte-
nance burned first with shame, and then
kindled with indignation, he soon walked
up to Tom and fixed his eagle eye upon
him in such way that every lineament of
his resolute heart might be read from it;
the distiller' son shook beneath his gaze as If
he expected the earth to open her mouth and
swallow him alive What, said Arthur
after regarding him for moment IN silence.
4 : What has my father ever done to you Z!
/ Speak coward 1T is ungenerous and
unmanly insyou thus lightly to regard your
word and promise, and at the same time to
4 speak thus Of a person absent, and who has
never injured YOU This was spoken in a
stiirhi esliin voice, ana Tom fglrssIat he was
in the presence Of a superior mind. He knew
that the spirit of Arthur was invincible-
for while he spoke, Toms face grew ashy
pale, and he left without saying word,
though too cowardly to speak in Arthur's
presence, he was secretly resolved upon
vengeance. He knew that intrigue, and
undcrhanded maneuvrengs were now his
D only alternatives, and presented the only
!, opening by which he could have any hope
e of overcoming the now thoroughly aroused
\ spirit of the much injured Arthur.
y He knew that the farm upon which Da-
e vid Bruce lived belonged to his father, and
5 from this he was determined he should be
removed, by which means he hoped forever
to rid himself of Arthur.
: There was yet another, and a stronger
: incentive to this course, which was that he
J loved, as far as his contracted soul was ca
g pable of loving, his fair cousin, Helen, and
/ he feared that Arthur would be more than
a match for him in the contest for her
: heart and hand. In this course he met
g with the hearty cooperation of his father,
e for it was peculiarly fattering to the dis
!, tillers vanity, that his son should win the
Il flower of the mountains as Helen was
IL often called +; and by such an advantageous
'S alliance, he could WELD unbounded infu-
. ence in the mountain region.
! Arthur was not insensible of the conse-
~ quences his remarks might produce; yet
, he was resolved, that although his home
IN might be sacrificed, and his aged father and
! himself driven away from their native land,
: that he would no longer bear the abuse and
- ridicule so unjustly heaped upon him. He
felt deeply mortified and humbled when he
! contrasted his fathers standing in society
y with that of Jacob Tindal. His father he
49, knew to be man of noble and generous
-, impulses, having bat one fault, and that
= the great error of his life-intemperance.
- While the distillcr had not one edeeming
- trait, unless it was his energy-and even
i, this, in him, was far from enviable-as it
li' was turned towards the destruction of his
race. Yet despite all this he saw that his
ny father was neglected and despised, whil'
%" the distiller, whose poisonous beverage haC
degraded his father, and spread destruction
throughout the land, was received and al
% % most idolizcd by all ranks of society. Thes
Vn u. reflections forced upon him the resolve t
sn' leave, nor return again until he would b
'oO' able to purchase the homestead now rente
0"n by his father; he saw, too, that to renal
at the home of his birth would expose b
parent to further temptation. This conslt
'iU' Grafton, in itself, was sufficient to overcon
every weaker scruple. True his your
uu III, heart bled at the thought of bidding adie
nJo, .%n to the grave of his beloved mother-yet
.he .Ie felt that longer stay might dim tt
Vuo brightness of that hallowed spot by
I'eo- drunkard's grave. He returned home tn
iui night with heavy heart, and when t
cen. moon had risen high up in the heavens al
'ln . spread her pale light over earth, he we
"i'n alone to his mothers grave; he knew L
., but this might be his last visit to the sacr
: spot. He stood beside it, his eyes lift
'iets' towards heaven as if to entreat the spi
''0iJ of his mother, from its high abode,
strengthen him in that trying hour. Lo
v whas az and silently he stood-a cloud of de
, , u sorrow rested upon his countenance-I
no l' what emotions passed through the gr
SUI deep of his soul can be known only to Ii
nI0'' before whose eye the secrets of all hea
ey are revealed. You can imagine, my frier
ecteG continued the old man, and he glanced
me- l into the still night, the bitter anguish
Sd" his soul as he wandered alone among
graves, while the winds moaned sol
le p among the trees, and the night birds s.
Il 'no sad requiems to the dead. Overcome
near length with his own reflections, he
upon his knees and in a low, earnest W
Sa'eu 1i poured forth the language of his full he
~ '.l ~li Here upon thy grave, oh sainted mott
'VGie' r renew my vows-that | shall never
"n'0- satisfied until my father is redeemed Fl
n the horrible vice of intemperance, and
no oA l shall forever war against the mon
: ,:.: w"' Alcohol-it by which the fond hopes
~ ,.V'Un, ~ thy plighted heart were blasted-and t
- sne whose insidious influence thy gentle 81
oscu' :M was crushed, and thy head bowed to
, WIN grave in sorrow-it that caused my
: ~. er's strong heart to swerve from its
nea e purpose, and him to become loathed
o'' l cast from society-it that gave to my N
~ =. er the name of a drunkard'S Dife,
'n n'' spread sorrow, shame and ruin over all
Pion fair land. Oh, that it may be speedily
:, forever banished from the abodes of m
80 CON He then arose, and with lighter
nix dall more buoyant step, sought his home.
win The sun rose next morning in un
mingled spendor; there was nota cloud to be
be COM all was bright and lovely. The blu
bent admi ingly from above, and the {
thin me smiling through all her works, ret'
dared the glance, while dame nature, hap
a mere the carols of her twin children, spr
As the robe of unequalled beauty over al
kind of scene
many of Helen was at school that day, fo
trary to first time since she was rescued from
y of the river; she was still pale, but, if pos
the old she seemed more beautiful than ever