The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1855-01-12
Slit nistnriral 5krtrb.
[lSrom Ballou's lictorial.l D,
ahe Wffs's 1ebice.
BY MRS. CAROLINE A. soULE.

7 S"ss""e u,o gray Shs ora winter twln1ht, II
first met the gaze of the illustrious man who
had been condemned to afettered life. And
as the drawbridge' was lowered behind his
slow and weary steps, and the massive doors
swung to again when he had crossed the
threshold, ite felt that he was indeed i'm
INJURED forever, that it was idle to cherish the
painful hope ofescape, thath dungeon was
a living grave. - - ao.,. a p, -
The first night spent in his lonely cell
seemed an eternity in length. In vain did
he toss upon his stone-liEe bed, and strive
to sleep; while his passionate PAGES between
hisnairow walls only tore and bruised hisrfeet
and fatigued his limbs, without bringing on
aught Of that wholesome weainess which
dlms the eye and 'benumbs the feelings.
Never seemed sunlight so beautiful TO him.
not even when abroad of a summers morn
he had watched its golden tides flood the
broad landscape that lay like pictured beau.
ty before vision, as did that first faint
ray that streamed in through the grated
window, and played amid the fiirrows which
anxiety had drawn upon his brow as with
the rude touch Of the torturing iron. Like
the finger of Divinity writing there a choice
and beautiful blessing, seemed that sunbeam.
that one, stray, gold-colored ray from the
fetteress world without The pride and the
majesty of his manhood came back to the
captive, his soul grew large and strong with
in him, his dungeon walls seemed to expand,
It's roof bore not down with that suffocatinc
weight that had been such an agony to bear
his. pallet had u feathery lightness, his pitch
er OF water seemed a crystal spring, his crust
of bread the marrow of life. God was with
him still. His mind and heart, all that makes
the true man, was free as the singing bird of
the forest, and though the door that had
closed so harshly upon him should never
swing open again, though the bolt that had
grated so wildly should never be withdrawn,
he was captive only in name. More like
royalIty, sitting in purple robes, to be min
istered unto, than aught else, seemed he to
the Jsior, when few hours later he appear
ed to replenish the scanty table. He could
not divine the cause of the sudden and NIGH
ty change; he could hardly realize that the
lofty and commanding form which now
seemed so proudly to tower above him, was
the same bowed and trembling one that he
had half dragged thither weary burden but
the night before. lie did not know that God
had spoken to the soul that stood enshrined
IN that human form, and that the breath
which chung to every word was the breath
OF life. Nay, he knew naught Of this but
he felt that there was a majesty about him
as new as it was strange, as sublime as it
was new. sast ~ r... s,... 81. .. ..-
+ Well was it for the illustrious prisoner
that his soul had grown so strong. Never
else could he have endured the severe and
rigorous treatment which was continually inn
posed upon him, Never else could he have en-
dured the separation from his young and beau
tful wife, that faint delicate creature tllatbad
slept in bis bosom like flower on a sun-lit
bank, or a bird in a hidden nest, filing his
heart with the fragrance and music of
SIMMER. Little thought he of the many
dangers and tolls TO which she had subiec
ted herself, in pleading with his stern Judges
for home in that old, stern castle. Little
thought he that she was perlling life to gain
access to him, not only that she might cheer
his lonely hours with the sweet companion
ship of her loving heart, but devise some
stratagem that should carry him once again
out INTO the rude world, out under the blue
sky, and to freedom of limb 40 well as free
dom of soul. .s.re.s. ...e. g. e
But never yet didiron bolts or oaken doors
or grated windows resist forever woman's
will Never yet was heart SO stern, but
that at some moment it would have a kindy
mood. And through months passed on ere,
she gained her way, her patient daily and
nightly toll was at icngtb successful, and
one sunny morn in spring-time, when the
greeting sunbeam had showed broader,
brighter light the door of the dungeon
swang open, and the, companion of his life
and labors, pale and thin with WEAKNESS and
care, but with a spiritual loveliness that
made her seem amost angelic in appearance,
appeared before his astonished sight, and ere
be could press his brow to know whether it
were not the phantasy of a rapturous dream,
she fell on his bosom, wound her soft arms
about bim, and whispered, shine, thine
they could not keep me from thee"
Once immured beside him, the same love
that bad sued 50 long and truly for that sad.
yet blessed privilege, became earnest in en-
deavors 70 set him free. They had friends
enough outside the castle walls 10 bear him
at once to a placeof safety. but within there
were none but cold, callous-bearted guards,
whom she, dared not attempt 10 bribe, lest a
discovery should sentence them TO deeper
and darker cell. '4.a Fy29r 'el .ilsl