The Panola star. ([Panola] Panola County, Miss.) 1856-1857, 1856-08-06
S CT PIEC ES
From Ballou's Pictorial.
TIE PRIDE OF PINEyILLE

GONE word more, Augusta! Your
father has this day pointedly insulted me,
by commanding me never again to enter
his house-and even my love for you will
not go beyond the point of self-respcct.
We part then; and as it is always better to
look an evil directly in the face, than to
tamper with it Sideways must tell you
it will probably be forever
These words were spoken by Walter
Langdon; and cruel words as they seemed,
they were not so cruel as the hard and
stern father Of Augusta Wellman had that
morning uttered to the proud and sensi-
tive young man. Irritated beyond
measure at the cool and contcmptuous
expressions Mr.. Wellman had used with
regard to the attachment Of his daughter
for "pOor painter" and his repeated
assurances that he had other prospects
for Augusta, he had left him, half mad
with rage, at the imputations cast upon
him and his poverty. Nor had he for
borne to tell Mr.. Wcllman, what was
really true, that the family of Wellmans
had been paupers on the charity of the
Langdons years ago; and recalling the
thousand anecdotes, which every country
town can furnish, Of families suddenly
grown rich and naughty, he had selected
few Of the most stinging and racy for
the ear of his unwilling listener.
Under Langdon's sarcasm, Mr.. Wellman
could not but vince little. But he did
not repent Of what he had said to him,
for he was bent on uniting Augusta to
the son Of General Everett, the only one
whom he deemed worthy of the fortune
he expected to bestow on his daughter.
Augusta tried in vain to call her pride
TO her aid. She could not thus calmly
give up the hope which had been hers so
long. She wished, in the sincerity of her
heart, to become the loving and happy
wife OF Walter Langdon; to share his
fortunes, be they ever so humble; TO
prove her love 10 him, by giving up all
| others to live and die with him.
But it required a higher kind of hero
ism tc giee him up, That had not enter
cd into her actual expectation yet al
| though ~hc sometimes had a dim, haunt
ing fear Of her fathers growing pride,
and of lis working her some such woe.
But now that the die was cast, and
Walter Was not only commanded to leave
| her. but had himself signed the death
Warrant Of her hopes, she became stupi-
| fed with the weight of her grief. She had
suffered Langdon to depart with those
wild words on his lips, and she had made
| no effort to retain his presence. How in
deed, could she, consistent with the maid
enly delicacy of her nature 2 She had
scarcely even hope that he would seek
her again: for she knew his impetuOus
spirit, and how tauntingly he had given
| back her fathers contempt of the morning.
And now she was TO meet him no more !
| How should she bear it, was her first and
only thought. Should she voluntarily
shut herself up, and pine away her life,
because she had lost her lover? Indeed,
no! She would show the world-shc
would show her proud father-shc would
show Walter Langdon himself, that she
was a girl of spirit, and not a weak, PIN
ing child. crying for the toy which a harsh
nurse had torn from her grasp.
The Christmas festivities had COM
menced ut Pineyille. There was to be a
grand ball in the town hall Miss Some
body or other was going to be married IN
the week. and great levee was expected
to come off. All the young men who had
left Pineyille to find business in the
neighboring city, were coming back to
spend the holidays; and Augusta. herself
had made great preparations for the ,ap-
preaching gaieties of the season.
1t required some heroism in Augusta to
face the destiny which had thus been
carved out for her without her own will ;
but she put on brave will, and threw
herself into the preparations for Christ
mas with such spirit, as came very near
making her suspected, by OVERRIDING the
matter. Her mother and sisters had
some dim suspicion of the fact; but she
would not allow herself to talk the matter
over with them. lest she might yield to
softer feelings than she wished.
ssDid you ever see Miss Wellman look
so perfectly resplendent before?" was
said twenty different times at the Christ
mas ball. 81 thought her an ordinary
looking girl when I was here last year.,
said another, ssbut in my opinion, she is
the belle of the night"
Walter Langdon thought SO too, as ne
leaned, weary and wretched, against the
farthest pillar Of the gay ball-room.-
| oc ho mont rally. and