Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-05-06

I going home? See, it is just sun. down, anC
we have long way to walk.
They rose simultaneously, and tripping
ooWn the road which wound round the side
OF the nil, at short distance below the littl,
grove, they rapidly retraced their stems to the
village. Down the frs. street mast tn. Math
odist and Presbyterian churches, that looL
Tor all the world so prim and square are
bney, and with such sharply defined ansIae
LAS IT they were made out of pasteboard
i uoWn Rast thelittle stone church in the cen
i sfe q. ife graenf still farther down the hill
man esssslo fsuge, - sr
.ueh6 70 watch tsfie foansipe waters as Sn5J
sweptsover the dan---on they went, up the
hstesp fightof stane steps intended as aids &c
the weary Uravufcr-and Astill on and on, un
tilthey paused before large, square, brick
house, oyershadowed by the drooping branch
es of a stately elm They had scarcely spo.
ken all the way. for the darkness was rapid
ly increasing, and they knew that anxious
eyes would be watching for them.
AND they were not mistaken. A tall ven-
cradle looking man sat in the porch, holding
Ia newspaper, but evidently thinking of any
thing else You needed only one glance at
his eyes, still undimmed by age, to know from
whom Adelaide inherited those flashing orbs
OF hers; and like her own raven locks had
once been the heavy mass of hair that was
swept back from his lofty forehead now ii
was thIckly sprinkled with the hoar-frosts OF
many winter
You are late, my children-you ought to
De more careful, Kate; these heavy dews are
dangerous, and for you particularly So"
am perfectly well now, my dear father, y
sne replled, lightly pressing her lips upon
MS Iorehead as she passed him, land better
aoie 20 bear the dews than you are to endure
Gnls cool evening air. Let us go into the par
pr. should have been back long before
tnls tlme, she added with mischievous
glance at her sister, 3" if it had not been for
ADELAIDE. She has been making such terri
Die threats against George, and was Obliged
to plead for and defend him. That detaine
u.s."
Oh, Kate! how can you i-besides. didn't
make the first move towards COMING home
believe you and Theresa would have staid
on the hill, star gazing, all night if it had not
been for me-"
Well, well, girls" said Mr.. Lindsley
laughing, it is not worth quarreling about
as long as you are all back safely. As foi
Adas threats, they wouldn't frighten me
much II was George. Now let US have some
music. have been waiting for it an hour u
Nate seated herself at the piano as usual
Adelaide took her station beside her
Come, Theresa, we are only waiting fol
you."
Theresa, on coming in, had hastily thrown
ner bonnet down and betaken herself to the
! tart hsSl 2nrRar -af the roails.
night" 3 ~
What is the matter, dear, are you sick ?'
asked Mr.. Lindsey. "I like to hear you all
sing together"
mo, sir, not sick. only tired. Do Mt
wait girls. had rather hear YOU than to
sing myself this evening""
!, !he TWO sisters sang very sweetly, and
tnelr voices harmonized perfectly. They
made no pretensions to superior skill. but
they both played and sang we'll enough to
delight their father, and he expected the
evening hour of music as regularly as he did
MS tea. hate's married life had been so
short, that when, after very few months ah.
senee, she returned to the paternal roof pa-
Ter and more quiet it is true, and with the
shadow OF bitter grief Yelling the brightness
OF her eye. but if possible more gentle and
lovely than ever-her father could scarcely
realize he had once given her to another
ana now that the lapse of year had chas-
tened and subdued the first anguish of her
bereavement, and he saw her as in other
days. joining Adelaide in the household tasks.
ana gong about her old, familiar employ
ments as steadily and almost as cheertuily as
OF yore, he nearly forgot that she had ever
left him.
Ihefesa Gordon sat quietly in her dark
corner until the sisters had sang two or three
songs ana then, stealing softly out of the
room' she went up stairs. As the light of the
nan lamp tell upon her features, YOU would
nave seen that her face was very pale-there
was strange, almost fierce light in her
eye, ana her lips were compressed FIRMLY
ohe mad not waited to obtain a light. hut 90
ing directly to her own apartment, she flung
open the lattice and leaned out of tile window
How softly the moonbeams fell around her
and how the little white summer house. with
its wealth of roses and honey-suckles. CLEAN.
ed IN the silvery light! But she did not heed
them-she felt as if she were suffocating
/ and she lay there, silent and motionless un.
on the wlndow-seat, until her long, rich curls
were damp with the night dews. Then when
the music ceased, and she knew by the sound
| OF hight footsteps and the hum of voices. that
the group in the parlor would soon discover
her absence, she stole down the staircase as
quickly as she had ascended it, and giided
uHperCeIVeu 10 ner seat again.
Little did Kate Warren think. as she laid
her head upon the pillow that nj ght that a
carelessly uttered, trivial remark of hers that
day, was to be the means of blending dark
thread with the web of Adelaide's destiny
Little did Adelaide think that she had, in
deed, to use Hates words, "given a rival
hlnt on which to act" But we must go back
little.
Some six years previous to the time when
our story commences, Mr.. Lindsley had re-
ceived letter from Mr. Gordon, an early
friend of his residing at the South, begging
him to receive under his roof. for the next
few years his only child, Theresa. and his
ward, George Tilden.
DO not refuse me this favor. nv dear
friend" wrote Mr. Gordon INV wife's
health has long been declining. and two
months ago we laid her in the grave. NV
home is desolate-how desolate, YOU, who
knew my Mary SO well, can imagine better
than l can tell you; but that alone would
not induce me to leave it, Business of the
utmost Importance calls me to Europe: and
VIII detaln me there for two or three years ::
nave no near relations to whose care | can
meanwhile, commit my ehildren-children
say for George is as dear to me as a son-and
among all my friends, know of no one but
yourseif-th Oldest and longest tried-with
whom | would be willing to leave them
Say yes, and we will be with you in month.
Under your wife's gentle guidance. | feel
that my Theresa's charter will be moulded
Alright and shall wish to place in your