Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-06-02
EDGEFIELD SIC, JUNE 2, 1858.

"It is thus that she supports an aged mother
and some worthless brothers and sisters, re-
turned the Judge; "although she is herself the
personation of all virtue and goodness, IN her
nresent occupation she must fall at last!'
AS LIE spoke, Marie glided with unspeakable
Grace. into the centre of the hall, and resting
her fragrant basket on stand of mottled mar
ble held up in each hand magnificent bouquet,
and repeated, with still wilder pathos and fer
Yor her musical song in praise Of the blooming
merchandise. Every beholder seemed equally
astonished as we'll by her fascinating beauty as
by the bewildering sweetness of her voice, 40
that you might have heard the dropping OF q
pin on the floor when she iterated, with tones
Of unutterable sadness, the closing line
"Come, who will buy my flowers, the fairest
of the year 2"
Tie words sounded like the wall of some
breaking heart, the imploring cry of an infinite
sorrow, or the chaunt Of an angel at the portals
Of Paradise.
But Immediately the wicked spirit Of the
genteel loafers and gamblers broke loose from
the spell Of holy enchantment which had held
them at first, and they swarmed around her,
with unsecmly jests and deceittnl eulogles OF
her marvellous beauty.
She shrank from them with bushes of maiden
modesty, and seizing her burden of perfumes
and brilliant colors, turned to the Judge and
Colonel with the eager inquiry" don't You
want some of my flowers for your children =.
eyes, my dear child, 7 will buy them all"
answered the Carolnan, with streaming eyes,
How much are they worth 2"
Five dollars" she replied, with look OF
mingled delight and wonder.
Here, will give you ten," he snid, present
ing gold eagle. ,.,,
aT6snk you, sir" she faltered, with still
greater anazement in those large, mystic blue
eyes. -,
{" You shall Lave ten such pieces if you will
take me to your home, and let ne see your
mother" added the Colonel, III tones unspeaka-
bly, earnest and tender.
The cerucan eyes diated to their utmost ex-
tension, but shouts of laughter from the we'll
dressed barbarians in the saloon told that the
wisper had been overheard; and Marie, snatch
ing the golden eagle, and at the same instant
emptying her ba:ket of bouquets on the mar
bic floor fled from the hall with the speed OF
frightened fawn.
The Judge and Colonel then parted, and the
latter urged his steps towards the old Catholic
cemetery, to weep over the beloved dust OF his
only daughter, the flower idol of bis happy
home, banished long years ago-murdered, as
it were, so he now felt, by his cruel family
pride 1t is vain to attempt description OF
that mournful meeting between the living and
the dead. The highest heaYen of JOY and the
lowest hell of human woe alike elude the touches
of pen and pencil. One might as well seek to
paint the immeIlsity of space, OF draw chart
of eternal duration; for all the most powerful
passions have certain character OF inhntude
which battles the weakness Of words, and beats
down even the soaring wings Of imagination.
After the storm of his agony had spent its
fury, the flther noticed, with extreme surprise,
that tke.fomb his-+ehtld dfwass Wreathed WITH
most beautiful flowers, all bright and fresh from
the garden, and which, consequently, lad oeen
hung there during the morning. hat KIND
hand can have done this 2" he murmured, with
increasing wonder. @ My poor Maria has been
buried these fourteen years, and neither she
nor her husband had one friend in this great
metropolis, where the lurid feet of death tread
so closely on the hurrying heels Of life! Ah
see all the older graves are bare and naked,
while only the recent marbles is clothed with
blooms of green and gold will return at the
dawn of tomorrow, and wait for the solution
of the mystery" And with this determination,
lie walked slowly back to the hotel.
The next day, with the first iaint streaks OF
rosy light, Colonel Nloulton was again at the
old cemetery. lie concealed himself behind a
monument, and fixed his eyes on the tomb OF
his daughter.
In Short time, several weeping friends of
the pale sleepers, whom the music of tue morn
ing air should never waken more, began to
enter and strew flowers over the dust that had
lately died but no one sc. much as sprinkled
rose-leaf on the ancient mossy graves OF the
ashes so long forgotten.
"Ah, me !" sighed the Carolinian, " such is
life, and such is death! A brief bate, a sure
defeat, wild cry, a few tears, and then tue
great Lethean river rusheS over US, onwards,
forever and ever, and blots out even the fond
est marks of memory from the most faithful
hearts %
At last, just as the sun emerged above the
line of the horizon, the Colonel, with utter
amazement, saw the flower girl OF the previous
day advance to the tomb of his Maria, and after
adjoining it with her brightest bouquets, drop
on her knees before it, as if in prayer.
At first, the lips of the maiden moved trem-
uously large tears rolled down her pale checks,
and her breath issued in heart-breaking slghs.
linen SHE DeCsline inoIe aie iAioiS i'"P'~'o,'>',
her voice uttered musical murinurs, and, ut
length. she walled aloud" Oh mother OF
mine in heaven, dost thou see the sorrows OF
thy unhappy CHILD? Pray the Saviour Of the
world to deliver me from life of sin and shame,
or take me home to thy bosom"
She gaye a startled scream, as a pair OF ten
der arms encircled her waist, and the weeping
Carolinian pressed his granddaughter to his
throbbing heart.
Mutual explanations followed confirming the
fact beyond the possibility of doubt: Marie
had but lately learned her parentage from the
disclosure of her pretended mother, the widow
Merlin, while in state Of intoxlcatlon' Inc
latter acknowledged the truth to Colonel Moul,
ton, and explained everything else that seemed
mysterious, stating that she had carried the
infant to her house when the parents were first
laid upon their beds by the pcstlence, and
hoped afterwards to render the singular beauty
of the child source of profit.
The gloom has passed away from the brow
of the bcreavcd Colonel, and the beautiful Ma
rie is the wife of celebrated Southern lawyer,
with,a blue eyed babe of her own; yet still She
loves flowers, the faircst Of the year.
4 STRANGE ADMIssIoN.-We perceive that
at the discussions in the Tract Society touching
slavery Rev. Mr. Williams Of Baltimore,
so;d: aThc South acknowledges that slavery
MIGHT be q sin, but do not wish the North to
;nterfercn Another clerical delegate from the
! g. ,,;J e Tho Sonth felt the evil of