The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-05-07
CAROLINA SPARTAN.
From Blackwood's Magazine.
HESTER BENFIELD.
CHAPTER II.-CoNCLUDEp.


Old Miss Morris is dead, and Frank Ben
field, now in the army, has left England
with his regiment to join the brave men
doing battle with the Sikhs in India. And
how has Hester borne this parting from
her soni Alasl alas she is much changed
Long had Frank mourned over blight
which seemed to have fallen on his mothers
lore for him, for the cause OF which he and
the true old friend, now no more, had
sought in vain. Severe in look, and cold
in manner; suspicious at one moment, re-
pentent at the next; captious, or painfully
humble by turns il was difficult to recognise
in Doctor Thornton's wife the Hester Of
other days. Her husband did not, perhaps,
remark DISSERTATIONS so much as others,
for time seemed TO have rather increased
than lessened her devotion to him; but he
even was grieved occasionally by her
doubts, bitterly expressed, of his affection;
and when, in his own gentle true hearted
way, he would kindly soothe her, and di.
rect her thoughts to the fountain which
calms the most turbulent feelings of frail
humanity, she would weep upon his breast,
and tell him that his love was her chief
happiness.
To poor Frank, on his return from school
for the holidays, the change was sad; he
who had been for SO long his mothers dar-
ling, to find himself now supplanted in her
affections, as he believed, 10y his little sister,
for whom his mothers passionate attach
ment amounted almost to idolalry.
Nothing the boy could do appeared TO
please her; accused harshly Of duplici,y, OF
untruthinlness, where no grounds existed
for the accusations, his stepfaiher would
mildly interfere, and point out to Hester
her injustice; then, perhaps, remorsefuI and
ashamed of her conduct, she would entreat
her sons forgiveness; but this. he had ob.
served. was during the earlier phase of the
change. Gradually her demeanor towards
him and all, save the favored two, her bus.
band and her daughter. became colder aud
more impenetrable. Water could he struck
no longer from the rock, and barrier
arose, between the mother and son especial
ly, which caused him to be happiest when
freed from the chilling influence of her
presence.
Ten long years had Hester kept her
dread secret, hidden in the deepest recesses
Of her heart-this secret which had turned
all that had before been sweetest TO her in
life to gall. George Asleigh had kept his
word, and since last they had met and
parted she had neither seen nor heard of
him. Little did she dream that the Lord
Redland, whose acts Of benevolence the pa.
pers so often related. and of whom the
world spoke so highly, was the one man
who had caused this embiltering of her ex-
istence.
He, in the mean time, had Withdrawn TO
the country, and devoted himself to the i'm.
provement Of those about him. Ii was the
first pursuit which in any way rewarded his
efforts; and during the time thus passed in
ameliorating the condition of his tenantry,
he experienced feelings of contentment to
which he long had been stranger.
Colonel Allenby-now general holding
high military appointment in India, which,
when offered to him, he could not refuse, as
1t gave him an opportunity of seeing active
service-had been obliged to leave Lady
Helen, and his sweet daughter Alice, 10
proceed eastward. Lady Helen, still proud,
perhaps more so than ever, and in her ma
tured beauty almost magnificent, saw him
depart with deep anxiety aud sincere regret;
but there was something of the Spartan in
her character, which perhaps made his SOL
dier-heart love her oil the more; for with
the field Of honor spread before him, had
power been given her to solve the future,
even though the path upon which he was
about TO enter should lead to death, hers
would not have been the lips TO bid him
stay. Not so the gentle loving Alice of if
teen summers. How tearfuly did she nes,
tie in his breast, and pray that God would
preserve her noble father from every dan
ger! He had called her his little dove, and
as such, when far away, he thought upon
her-his dear and only child.
And Alice would sit at home, and long
ing'y think il she could but obtain one of
those mystic fairy glasses, which enable
their happy possessors to peer through
space, how she would watch his footsteps
All. Alice, well is it for us all that many
things are hidden from our view. Could
your sensitive nature have borne TO follow
hlm IN that long and dreary march beneath
mat burning Indian sun-to look upon him
IN that bloody pass, where lie bleaching
sun the bones of our murdered men-bad
you seen him unhorsed, surrounded. and
that dark sinewy arm uplfted to hew him
down, would not your heart have sickened
and your vision failed to distinguish longer
amidst that fearful scene, the father You
loved so dearlyi And yet moments long.
or gaze would have shown him TO YOU,
though faint and bleeding, rescued by a
gallant youth, who, at imminent peril TO
himself, bears him onward to a place Of
safety.