Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-09-24

y
hysterical giggle, that gentleman of !
your fortune should be willing to live So
so simply"
my fortune!' repeated Mr.. Banks,
fortune enough. Own this lot and farm
plenty for me-all the resta false report.
No matter thought I'd try my friends
make frnlic of it. No harm done--noI
sham here" striking his hand on bis ex-
pansive chest.
But your carriage?'' gasped Aunt Phil
lis.
Borrowed. 2
Your fine clothes
All borrowed-hey."
Aunt Phillis started up on her feet, quiv-
ering with passion. "You wretch--you
monster" she exclaimed" you deceiver
you jack-daw in peacock's plumes! I'll
prosecute you for an impostor. I'll have
you put in penitentiary- in the pill
lory-transported to Botany Bay. To en-
trap in this vile way my unsuspecting in
nocence. To lure me ON to the brink of
matrimony--to make me the laughing
stock of the whole world"
Uncle Banks put his hands in his pock-
cts and began one of his silent laughs.
g To think of my waiting upon you as
if you were the grand Sultan himself, con-
tinued she, after takinga fresh inspiration.
''Of my tending your old gouty feet-yea,
holding them in my very lap
Hey diddle, the eats in the fiddle,
cried he, getting up aid frisking little,
to show the soundness of his limbs Good
feet as any body's feet No more gout
than you have. Ready for a reel this
minute"
"Take US home directly, unfeeling
wretch" cried the unhappy spinster.-.
"Ill never sleep in this miserable hovel,
I'll perish in the woods first"
Uncle Banks, who had enjoyed sufficient
ly the rage and modification of Aunt Phil
lis, seemed to feel real compassion for the
distress of the weeping Elmira. Poor
girl" said he, kindly patting her on the
shoulder, /" don't take on so-Joe loves
you-he's young and strong be a rich
man yet. Every tree of the West has a
treasure of gold IN it's trunk I'm getting
old-tired of the seas-lost my money
wanted at home-wanted rest-folks heard
I'd got great fortune-it wasn't my fault
didn't mean to make you unhappy
thought you loved Joe-good boy make
you good husband. -
Elmira, who, weary and half stunned,
seemed in passive state, did not answer,
but when Joe, encouraged by his father
ventured to sit down by her and take hel
hand is his, and size l1jlls snattcla q ~
Uncle Banks thought it propitious omen
and drawing the back of his hand across
his eyes, he did not speak for few mo
! ments.
Aunt Phillis, completely exhausted, lean
ed against the wall. Her bonnet, partl
united, on the back of her head her tur
ban, disarranged by the jolting of.the CARR
age and her own wrathful gestures, wa
poked on one side, revealing one or tw
stiff grey locks, while her long dark ringlet.
uncurled by the rain, clung to her cheek
and chin with mournful adhesiveness
The corners of her mouth were drawn dow
into acute angles the corners of her ey,
brows liftedup in corresponding anglesin a
opposite direction her nose looked sharper
9 ed into severer point. Shakespeare kne
nothing of melancholy madness He ha
Notwithstanding the rough appearanc
Of this lodge, in the wilderness of Il
boundless west, where the storm -wrecke
and eccentric mariner had found shelte
;, en- haven of rest, it was comfortable ar
looked even cheerful, illumined as it no
. Q was by the blazingpine knots, which crac
led and corruscated in the vast Gimme
% and filled every nook and crevice wi
= the brightness of MONDAY A good su
statial supper was soon spread before the
/ by the ''maid of all-work," but
= one but Uncle Banks tasted a mors,
He seemed to have lost entirely the fasti
a iousness of his appetite, and eat Of eve
- dish with the keenest relish.
!" y Aunt Phllis did net prowl into t
- woods, as she had threatened, but thr'
;. - herself down on her humble bed in st;
resembling despair. The cup of her wra
;. had foamed over, and she was now drir
- ing in silence the bitter dregs; the veri
: lees Of the wine of life. She felt, as
: may suppose the eronaut feels, who,
: ter rising majestically into the blue c.
- yexity of Heaven, leaving far below
al grossness and opacity of earth, BREATH
mt mt the elasticity of rarer, purer atmosphe
almost hearing the music of the empyre
70 and catching glimpses of the palace of
saf Sun, when, suddenly, the gas explcdcs,
90 90 airy chariot falls, and be comes tumbl
- - headlong from his glorious height, i
- some muddy pool, with bruised frame, b
br ken bones and shaking brains.
= For hours she lay, planning schemes
unexampled vengeance, which for yari
ce' and originality, might have shamed
eir torments of the fabled Tartarus, till an
lte, palling consciousness of her own impoter
mo and the righteousness of her wror
'ne checked the ingenuity of her revenge
Ned She resolved at length to get home
gn- speedily and quietly as possible, to
un- nothing to her brother, or any of her frie
of her appointment, and thus SCI
Ills, herself from the derision which she k
.ad, would be her portion. Elmira's feel
= were not deep, nor her passions strong
the Her character had been moulded by
re-" cumstaDces, and it was easily remoul
oak After the first ebulliton of sorrow and cI
wa rim, convinced that her destiny was Fl
n a she submitted with comparative
tan grace, determining, in her own mind,
the her father should build her fine house
she that the world should never know how
him ceived she had been. Besides, Joe W;
it of really affectionate and kind, she coulC
an. continue sullen and resentful-and il