The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-03-13
Night of the Unhappy.

midnight, at his window, and looked with
the eye OF long despair up to the immova-
ble, always blooming sky, and down on
the still, pure white earth, on which now
there was no one so joyless and slecpless as
he. Then his grave drew near to him; it
was only concealed by the snow of age,
not by the verdure Of youth and he had
brought out Of the whole rich life nothing
but the errors, sins and sickness of al
cnfeehlc'l body, desolated soul. breath
full of poisons, and an old age full of re-
morse.
His beautiful youthful days came back
to him to-day as spec,res, aud led him far
away back again to the fair morning when
his father first set him out upon the high
way of life, which, to the right, leads upon
the sun-path of virtue, into wide and
quiet land, full of light and harvest and
full Of angels; and which to the left leads
down into the mole-path of vice, into a
black cavern, full Of dripping poisons, full
of scrpcnts ready to dart upon their prey,
and full of dismal, close exl,alaions. Oh
the scrpents hung around his breast, and
the poison drops to his tongue, and he
knew not where he was.
Beside himself, and with unspeakaLle
grief, he cried out to Heaven -" Oh, give
me youth again Oh, Father, set me out
orce more upon the highway, that may
choose the other path! !" But his father
and his youth were past long ago! He
saw ignes Jutui dance over the marshes,
and go out upon the graveyard, anI he
said, "They are my foolish days."
lie saw Il star shoot from heaven, SHIN
| mcr in its fall, ard vanisi, on the earti,.-
"Tl.at is me!' said his bleeding heart, and
the serpent-t;'n. Of remorsc dug deeper in
the wounds. Ills allowing imagination re-
vcaled to him tottcring slcep-walkcrs on
the roof; the tall windmill raised its arms,
threatening TO crush him and mask,
which had been left in the empty charnc-
house, Ivy degrees assumed his own fea.
lures.
Suddenly. in the mi,lSt Of his struggle,
the music of the new year flowed out Of Il
tower near at hand, like the distant soun.
of churcl, anthem. Ills mind became
calmer. lie looked up to the horizon. and
out over the white earth and he thought
on the friends Of his youth, who, now hap
pier and better than he. were teachers on
the earth, fathers of happy chillren. an,
blessed of men, and he sail. "Oh I might
also have sluml'crel, with closed eyes, on
this first night of the year, if I,;,,l wilIe.l
it! Oh, might also have been happy.
you dear parents, had followed your New
Years wishes and Instructions !"
Amidst these f.verisli "reminiscences Of
his youth. It appeared to him as if the
musk, with his features, stood up in the
c!,arnel-house; and, at last. hy means of
that superstition Which on New Years sees
ghosts and future events, it was changed
into living youth.
lie cuul look 1T it no more IIc vee,
his eyes a thousand hot tears streame,
dissolving into the snow, and still he sighed,
but very low, beside himself, and grief
stricken. "Come again, only once, oh youth :;
come again!"
Aud it came again; for he had only
dreamed so bitterly, in tie New Years
midnight. He was still young man
only his wanderings were no dream. But
he thanked God that he, still young. conid
turn back from the dark trace of vice, and
set out again upon the sunny path of vir-
the, which leads into the fair land of har-
vests.
Turn with him, young reader. if thou
standest on his path of error! This fearful
dream will sometime become thy reality !;
but if once thou Shalt cry, full of anguish,
Come back to me, beautiful days of
youth y all, they will come back never
again
Gv Since the introduction Of Texas.
the land suitable for the cultivation of the
cane has been greatly increased. We sup
pose there can be no doubt of the CAPACITY
Of Louisiana and Texas to raise million
of hogsheads Of sugar, without any great
effort. This is equal to thousand million
OF pounds-quite large item in the gene
raj provision Of food.
-s.s<
EV A man was once arrested by a
farmer for stealing ducks. The farmer
said he should know them anywhere, and
went on to describe the peculiarity.-
"Why," said the counsel for the prisoner.
"they can't he such rare breed-I have
some like them in my yard"
That's very likely, SIR" said the far