Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-04-28
An 0riginal Storg.
For the Edse6eld Advertiser.
THEDOMESTIC SERPENT T.
CHAPTER E R /.
By JENNY WOoDBINB.

go Beneath the rose, which fairest glows, -
: { a. q . "a serpent lies concealed" -
Oh Inez, the ewerld is bright, and beautiful =
sasasfs H6AoR, sha4 4kaaie
Not Saatss.ss Inez. Nj fancy paints glow
ing pictures Of future happiness"
= I" But Truth will discolor them. Once too
had such yisions-aow the mask has fallen from
my eyes, as it will from yours. have extin-
guished the lamp of romance, and view things
by common daylight. Water seems clear, and
beautiful when viewed by the naked eye-you
thirst to taste it. Take mycroscope-look at
the same thing, and the filth and corruption
will sicken you. Thus it is with life. Within
the bed Of roses which seems fairest serpent
lies hidden--a hideous thing coiled, and ready
to strike. The world is but den of serpents.
We have the parlor serpent; the domestic SER
pent; the bosom serpent, and the serpent at
large. You will be stung on every side, Marcia
Wilton; for in your silly confidence, you are
far more blind than the beggar who asked aims
of you last evening. Let me prove it to you :
What do you think of Clara Ware?"
"She is clever, true hearted girl.'
"The parlor serpent. Lizzie Clayton?'
80 Lizzie is constancy ITSELF She is my
bosom friend"
"Bo,om serpent rather. Benedict Arnold was
a traitor to his country. She is a traitor to
everything that trusts in he-. Oscar Rayton 81
"CleYer, witty, brilliant-another friend OF
NINE"
"For heavens sake never utter that odiouS
syllable in my hearing. Friend! friend! 1had
rather be seized with deafness than hear that
word again. have lived in the world twenty
five years with my eyes wids open, and never
yet discovered that article, friend. limitations
I have seen-gross counterfeits-plenty Of them,
even as have seen miserable dsubs, and heard
them called exquisite paintings Oscar Rayton
is the serpent at large"
"Incz, why are your eyes so constituted that
you can see only the deformed leg"
"Tut! child, 50 to-there's no other leg tc
see."
The two ladies sat in superb dressing room
waiting for the arrival Of the carriage which
was to convey them to Mrs. Rayton's magnif
cent party. In ten minutes after the above
conversation they *ere in that brilliant hall
"the observed of all observers" There was :
strange resemblance between them, and YET
they were very unlike in their beauty. Marci;
Wilton, attired in a pink silk of some light, del
icate texture, with her soft, dark eyes, rosy lips
and short, crispy curls, won vast deal Of ad
miration; but Inez Lowell was cmphatically
the 'qucen' of the throng. She was truly {
magnificent woman. Her form was fully de-
reloped, her stature rather above the ordinary
height Of women.
She wore heavy black velvet dress, whicl
well suited her queen-like style Of beauty
Her arms, and shoulders, white as Parian mar
bic, were bare but covered with costly jewels
In her hair, which was black as eboa darkness
and wound in turban folds around high, pal'
forehead, she wore crimson Dahlias, which
formed happy contrast to the jetty locks will
which they were intertwined Her face was
colorleas, but her lips-stranso fact-Werc al
most tho color of the Dahllas she wore. Hel
: eyes shsmed the night for blackness, and ou
sparkled tho diamonds in her bosom. Ther
I her step her queen-like step, SO full Of digni
4 ty-hsr eyes beaming with the suppressed fire.
ssof her nature Truly did young Maitland say