The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-09
For the National Era
FASHIONABLE FOOTPRINTS.
By MRS. BELL SMITH.
Part v

sad events have their shadows, giving in adj
vance a taste Of the sorrow which will follow.
That spirits of darkling things walk before,
do not deny but, thanks to a kind Father,
they are unseen. Were it otherwise, happiness
would be unknown for where is the moment
OF pleasure which is not pushed on and quick
| ly followed by sorrows, and the inevitable
would be waited for and welcomed in tears
AS the clustering vines and rich fruit grow
dense and ripe in the sunny air above the sleep
| ing death Of the volcano, so our most exquisite
| joys have life over certain destruction. 1t may
| be that some delicate organization--so frai,
so transparent, that the light of heaven shone
through-may have felt the threatening dan
GER seen the sad destiny approach, and known
at the moment that sin to-day already walks
to morrow" But to the human family there
is given no vision of the future, no eye of
prophecy, and we have our pleasures in the
blindness.
Margaret Pinckney was happy as she sat be-
fore the blazing fire in the library, and heard
the storm sobbing round the huge house. She
awaited patiently Alberts return, and, while
waiting, turned the leaves of quaint old vol
ume, entitled the History of Algiers," full
of stories, graphically told, of sea-fghts by
Turks. She paused only to listen, at intervals,
to the wintry storm, as shutter would bang
to, or a tree brush against the house, or hear
the snow beat upon the windows.
The warm, cheerful hearth, where the flames
roared and sputtered around the wood, lighted
up the long rows of books, where slumbered
the kings of thought-ighted up the sunny
landscapes and stately portraits-gilded the
heavy curtains, which swept like rich clouds,
from the high ceiling to the foor-threw a
warm tint upon marble vases and pale busts,
and was 80 contrasted by the burly, buster
ing storm without, that its blessing seemed
pleasant reveries, found only in highest dream
land. Her thoughts went out into the stormy
night, where the viewless trees were tossing
their giant tops in the wind, and the snow was
being whirled down; and one could almost
feel the heavy clouds sweeping over the sky.
No light, save when through the gloom fire
glittered from some distant window; no sound
of life, but when the watchdog barked, or the
cattle. uneasy in the cold, lowed long and sad
ly. The wind came in gusts, with lulls be-
tween, as if troops of viewless couriers were
chasing each other wildly through the dark
night.
Hour after hour wore away until the huge
clock in the court told twelve, and Margaret
was about retiring, when the sharp click of a
horses hoof upon the gravelled avenue met
her ear. She waited, however, in vain, for the
sound of her brothers step, until, alarmed, she
aroused the servants. Albert's horse was found
at the stable door, painting with fatigue, the
saddle turned under him, and the bride torn
from bis head. Search was made upon the
road; Margaret, unmindful of the Indictment
night, accompanying her father and the men.
They discovered Albert lying senseless in the
road.
Delirium followed returning animation, so
that it was impossible to learn from the sufferer
the cause of his unfortunate accident. But
his person they found stripped of all valuabes,
even to his watch, and the natural conclusion
Mr.. Pinckney arrived at was, that his son had
been attacked and robbed. To think and act
made one and the same thing with Mr.. Pinck-
ney. On the day following the affair, while
his sons life trembled upon the edge of the
grave, he was engaged consulting with police
officers and looking narrowly into every cir
cumstance by which he might find clue, and
fasfen the supposed guilt upon the offenders.
He soon satisfied himself that the criminal
was within his grasp; and the affair will long
be remembered in --, as an instance of the
danger and uncertainty of circumstancial evil
dence. A clerk in the bank where Albert OBJ
tanned the money had exhibited much anxiety,
at the time inquired earnestly as to the amount,
and made some remarks, which were well re-
membered afterwards, as exceedingly singular
and suspicious. After he finished his usual
labors for the day-during which his brother
clerks remarked his Hurried manner-he left
the bank and, Mr.. Pinckney, assisted by the
police, discovered, hired horse from livery,
saying that he would not return until the next
day. But after midnight the keeper of the
stable was called up, and found him returned
evidently fatigued with hard riding as both
horse and rider bore marks of the stormy night
and bad roads.
Young Hanson, pale, consumptive man.
had borne heretofore an irreproachable charac
ter-indeed, supported widowed mother from
his limited salary and few men, whatever the
apparent proof might be, would venture to
charge him with so serious crime. But Mr.
Pinckney was one who required, of all men,
evidences of innocence, not guilt; and he had
Hanson arrested. The officers found in his
apartment a sum of money, less than the
amount lost, but far more than the habits and
poverty of the young man entitled him to own
His gnilt seemed proven beyond doubt. In an
swer to questions asked by friends, his only ex
PLANTATION was, that he had received from a
friend the money found with him, which he in
tended giving to his mother; that he had start
ed after dark, purposing to ride to his mothers
house in the country, but was overtaken by the
storm, lost his way, and returned The myste
rious friend and money sounded like a fabrica
ton; and that he should lose his way upon a
road 80 frequently travelled by him, was toe
impossible for belief
For want of bail, he was sent to prison, and
attended by his mother, awaited, in great dis
tress, for condemnation, that seemed already
past. In the mean WHILE Albert slowly return
ed to coneciousness and health but his physi
clans had forbidden conversation tending to ex
cite or annoy him. His life seemed in immi
nent jeopardy from the hurts; and, in the dark
ened room, attended by skillful practitioners
nursed by Margaret, he lay all ignorant of the
strange, violent proceedings, which had follow
ed his own wrong conduct.
The hour of trial came on, and the court was
crowded by citizens, most Of whom syu,pathized
with the young man thus cruelty pressed to the
wall. This sympathy almost disappeared, how
eyer, when the testimony was spread out for the
State, sad nothing appeared in the defence, but
the uniformly good character. While the trial
progressed under the direction of Mr.. Pinckney
who coldly followed up the evidence, so sppa
J rently conclusive, scene occurred at his owl
houss, which gave new coloring to the whole
!; transaction In tie dim-lit chamber, Albert
lay, while Margaret read to himj but while the
sweet voice fell upon his ear, the words came
unheeded, for bis mind sadly questioned the
consequences of his late bad conduct, Sudden
l. l.. IL. L. al h<nl Il hoo otd