Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-02-14
Leaves
FROM LIFE'sTEAR STAINED PAGES.
lcoNcLuDED FROM OUR LAST. |
BY A. L. HICKS.

BY A. L. HICKs
lcoNcLUDED FROM OUR LAST.
But before carrying out the long. cherished
hope Of my heart OF claiming and wedding
my peerless Bride, my FRIENDS insisted that
n public dinner must be given to Archie
Cameron. the successful and victorious can
didate. | was compelled to submit. II was
a brilliant affair. Statesmen, partizans and
Office seekers were there. Professor Walcott
and Jennie were thore also. Wit, Jest, rep
artee, sOngand loiae ran high. Health after
health was drank, but / : touched nop-fair
hands W0fered it, but | remained firm. At
last Jennie Walcott, all radiant with smiles
and beautiful to behold, arose and filed two
goblets to the brim, and taking one in each
hand, approached me, and said "Mr. Cam
eron, you will not, you cannot, you must not
refuse TO drink with me for old friendships
sake" What was / to do An inward
monitor whispered" be firm ; remember
Ellie" Drink with me-" Jennie said, cor
Sforfeit all claim to my friendship Again
fhe s:lc2. amoniter whisperedz"fomember
'arcn 20 sgOmphed, and | drank It is
on established fact that the man who drinks
once, will drink ~again-but dwell upon my
infatuation? On the following morning, with
q clouded mind, and an undefnable fear of
coming evil, | set my face towards my early
home--to visit my parents. They met me
with JOY beaming in their eyes they had
heard of my success and were proud Of their
son FASTENED TO see Ellie she met me
as she had often done in by-gone days-at
the old gate. We seated ourselves beneath n
natural bower Of wild flowers. She sweetly
rested her young head upon my bosom-if
man ever truly loved woman, | was that
man, for / loved, ali, fondly loved Ellie Cla-
vers We talked Of the Past, the Present,
aud Of the Future! / found it no difficult
matter to prevail upon her to name an early
day for our nuptials. / returned to my faith
er's with a joyous heart q few more days
and | would ride upon the top wave Of earth
ly happiness. But alas for earthly bliss i
A change was destined, soon, to come over
the spirit Of my dream. On the following
day i, again, called upon Ellie. Her mother
received me coldly-what did it mean ? ]
inquired for Ellie, and was informed that
che was slightly indisposed. My heart be-
gan to wildly throb, for upon it was stamped
GUILTY GUILTY.! | arose to retire, but
at that moment Ellie eame into the drawing
room-I noticed in her hand a popular Tenn
perance journal. How pale she looked rs
she almost tOttered into q seat-no wonder
she looked pale, for her young heart was
breaking. Her mother soon retired and we
were LETT alone. An embarrassed silence
followed. After n few commonplace remarks,
l Mt length ventured to speak Of our APP
preaching union. She raised her swollen
eyes TO mine, and said THAT never, never
can bel" Why Z" l asked. She placed
the Journal in my hand, pointing at the same
time, to the following paragraph =
" We regret to announce that tie Hon. Ed
qoard B. has been defeated in the 4h
Congressional District. The successful Can
didate Is Archie Cameron, iohose success is
mainly attributed 10 the Low, VILE, DISHONEST
practice Of TREATING"
l dared not raise my head my eyes seemed
Eiyeted to the passage before mel sat
Almost to a faaalk alfHK f ElEiS sI t. I be FfS $eE,
, TOD, and determined, once more. to thrbw
myself upon her generosity. / raised nv
eyes: There she sat, the very picture Of
hopeless despair her pale face was buried
In her hands | saw The silent, tricklinp
tear, tho trembling bloodless lips and culver.
ing form-oh! the fearful agony of a break
ing heart, broken, too, by the fond object
around which its warmest affections are en-
twinedl | tenderly claspsd her cold pas
slve hand in mine, and asked her fshe would.
- 'NS NNNtU Alt HffS OUC IlUlC. y 12-
Archie, i, | can forgive, l do forgive Won
Go now" she said, " and forget me. for
henceforth l must deny myself the sweet
hope Of ever being yours" Rising to her
feet, she pressed my head to her bosom. and
Kissing my brow, she whispered-"farewell
my lost Archie, farewell for ever" and with
q noiseless step, left the room. / knew her
100 well to hope for n change. | seized nv
hat and rushed from the house like a mad
man. ! was a perfect maniac. An evil
spirit whispered" drown your grief be-
meath the mantling bubbles Of the wine Gun"
and | flew to its fatal embrace. Hone was
gone | was confident that Ellie Clayers
would never stoop to marry q degraded, man
despised, God-forsaken drunkard. I knew
she loved me with all her heart, but now,
she was beyond my reach-I had broken nv
promise. Who was to blameY Not + Of
course! Ellie must bear liable logic in
deed! Well, l determined to wreak nv VEN
geance upon her-upon gentle, confding,
loving Ellie. | wrote to her, telling her that
! had ceased to love her, in fact had never
loved. Infatuated man that l was. I was
not q rational being, but q monster, a very
hend, for Alcohol made mo desperate. She
replied oh such a letter here IL Is. blot
ted and bedimmed with burning tears. But
1T matters not if its lines are faded. for thew
are written in great legible characters of fire
In the red volume of life-my heart. / will
read you a few extracts. y y y
"You tell me that you have ceased to love
me. BE it sol | will not upbraid you, Ar.
chic Cameron. | cannot upbraid one | once
so dearly loved | will not upbraid YOU for
the sake OF olysian h~ours--hours which YOU
eap neDer forget. Neither viii Lcomplain,
80 what would it avail? ! can only submis-
sively bow my head and endure the silent
agony of blighted hopes. I will not ween
tor tears | have not-the fiery intensity OF
grief has dried up their fountain. You bid
me Forget yOu-stranCe words! When Won
think Of the PAST | wonder not, that Won
should desire me to forget you y n y
You say that o gulf fixed" lies between
us. | fully agree with you, for it is O gulf
over which the barque of Hope can never
sail, but over whose dark stormy waves the
raven wing Of Despair may forever fit. You
ask me to forget the Past. IiDiu tryl Have
you forgotten long long ago !"-those hap
Ply days, when VIC wandered hand in hand
over the green hills, and eulled sweet flow
ers-you called them the emblems of Love
and Purity Have you forgotten the little
Brook upon whose banks we so often straved.
and sang the quaint old songs of other DAVIS.
songs that will gladden. our hearts no more
Have you forgotten that calm Sabbath even
mgr All well may your heart sink when
you recall TO mind that ~evontful day-tbe
Gay upon which | promised to be yours
Aou were good aud noble then your heart
was pure and g~uileless the mark of the beast
Was not upon your brow, and you spoke the
Language OF truth. But now You are fallen
oh how fallenl They were hapuv davs-