The Panola star. ([Panola] Panola County, Miss.) 1856-1857, 1856-07-02
s / lie CT PIECES.
The First AfIront.
BY GEORGE HAYDN.

ing down to your friend Charles Lang
tons boarding house tonight, to sit an
hour or two with him 2" asked old Mr..
Thornton, a respectable merchant in
Baltimore, of his nephew and partner
i'll business, James Thornton, young
man of some twenty-five or three years
of age, whose heart beat high with
many a generous and manly impulse,
but who was rather too fiery, and
quick of resentment.
=" No, indeed | hay mt the relnotest
idea of SO doing," replied James
Thornton; IN an earnest tone OF voice.
What reason have You for not
complying with yonr promise !''
why do yopj forget that it was
but last night | met him III collpany
with John Wilson, Our late Delegate
to the State Legislature, with whom
| had. the difference at Mrs. uMden'S
party, about week since, and that
he did not candescend even 80 return
a civil nod of the head, to my saluta-
ton" said James Thornton.
Pooh! and is that it, Well, now
| will wager my head that there is
some mistake about it---for Charles
Langton is not the person that would
be guilty of 50 base an action as fight
ing shy" Of an old friend. on I'm
greatly deceived IN him" replied the
old gentleman.
"You are deceived ilen, for such
was evidently his intention; however,
he may put on these stiff airs TO his
/ hearts content, but he will never find
in me the lad that will knuchle to him,
for | anu determined, for the time to
come, to pay him off i'll his own coin
moreover, | shall henceiorward cut
! his acquaintance
This, believe, is the first cause
/ that Charles LangtOn hda ever given
You to be aifronted, is it nol %
''It is,' answered James Thornton.
"Then act not precipitately, for yon
know not OF what extenuatiug expla-
nation his conduct may admit, and in
your present irritatet mood might take
some rash step, which would be to you
ii sonrce of regret during the remain
der of your days"
=" Whatl and am | passively to
submit, whilst he lords ii over me -
All, see, Jimmy, that you are
in no fit state OF mind tonight for
hearkening to advice, but if YOU viii
give me your attention. for u few mo-
ment<, whilst Irelate tale, think |
Shall succeed in convincing YOU that /
am right. Come, what say you :"
Certainly, sir i will lend vii
ling ear to any thing you may have to
say" lie replied
Well" said old Mr. Thorntcn,
after taking pinch OF tie genuine
Congress from his eapaeious box,
there formerly resided III d flourish
ing little village in this State, two
young men, one Damea.Jeseph iia1nP
ton, The other real name | shall think
proper to conceal, but for convenience
sahe, shall call him Thomas Jameson.
There existed no material difference
| in their characters, except that the
latter was possessed Of quick and
headstrong temperament, whilst the
former was slow to anger and iofbear-
ing. When children, they had chased
| the gaudy butterfly from flower to
flower, and gambolled over the grassy
lawn together, in guifelcss harmony !;
hand in hand they had gone through
the ordeal of school discipline, aud
when holiday came, bringing with 1t
the welcome respite from the Irksome-
ness of study had rOamad over the yer
dant hills and valleys, or strayed oil
TO the banks of the trouting stream /;
and side by side they had striyen and
painted in their laudable exertlons to
outstrip each other, and bear OH the
honors of the school.
Equal in birth, fortune and educa-
ton, their friendship, thus contracted
during the balmy days OF childhood,
strengthened as they ripened into man
hood. When business did notrequlre
their attention, they were in manner
inSeparabie.
/ The one withheld no secret from the
other: but on the contrary, with q
noble-hearted confidence, they freely
unbosomed themselves to each other
Their friendship was alloyed by no
selfish motives it was the congenlal
intercourse Of soul, the participation
of each others joys and woes, anu The
mutual exchange of kindred feelings
to which grovelling and mlstfustiul
spirits are strangers.
Living in the same village was :
lovely dark-eyed maiden, the only chile
If Dr. Cutbbert, an old and eminent
physician. Throughout the village
and m its vicinity, Anna Cuthbert was
noted for her gay and alniable dlsposl
t;on her modest unassuming manners
and her numberless charitable deeds
She She was the life and soul of the village g
dance, dam and the untiring attendant 9d.ol o.
the couch of sickness-the deyoIe' ''a !
Iauo J for and the benevolent and socla