The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-04-14

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up to her side.
| am very well, brother she replied,
looking into his face with n smile Of sis
tcrly regard. But have concluded to-
stay at home this svcning. Fin going to
keep YOU company
Are You, indeed? Right glad am of
IL. though am sorry you have dep ivcL
yourself Of The pleasure of this ball, w!iic.,
! believe, is to bc very brilliant one.
was just going out, because j: is SO dull at
home wien YOU are all away"
Il am not particularly dcsirous Of going
to the ball. So little so, that the thought
cf your being left here all alone had sufli,
cient influence over me to keep me away
Indeed ! Well, must say YOU are kind
Edward returned, with feeling The self
sacrificing act Of his sister had touched him
srr>ibly.
10th Helen and her brother played we'll
She upon the harp and piano, and he upon
| The fate and violin. Doth were fond OF
music, and practi;cd and played frequently
together. Part Of the evening WAS spent
III this way, much to The satisfaction Of
each. Then Az hour passct.;u reading and
conversation, after which, music was again
resorted to. Thus lapseI The time pleas
antly until the hour for re-; ing came, when
| ,hey separated, both with AZ. internal feeling
of pleasure more delightful than they had
experienced Cor long time. 1t was nearly
:hrce O'clock before S[r. and Mrs. Lindley,
and the daughter who had accompanied
them to the ball, came home. Hours be-
fore, the senses Of both Edward aud Helen
had been locked in forgctfulness.
Time passed on. Edward Ln,lley grew
up an'! became 4 man Of sound principles
"a blessing to his family and society. lie
SAW his sisters well married; and he HIM
self, finally, led 10 the altar a lovely mai.
den. She made linn 4 truly happy hus-
bard. On the night OF his wedding, as he
sat beside Helen, lie paused for some time,
in the midst Of a pleasant conversation,
tl,"ughtfnly. at last he said,
DO you rcmcmber, sister, the night YOU
stayed home from the ball to keep me COM
panya'
'Ihat was many years ago. Yes, re.
member it very well, now you have recalled
it 10 my mind
Il have often since thought, Iielcn,' he
said, Will: a serious air, that by the simple
act of thus remaining at home for my sake,
you were the means Of saving me from
tlcsirlct;on.'
How so 2 asked the sister
was just then beginning TO form an
intimate association with young mcn Of MY
own age, nearly all of whom have Since
turned Oh. badly. did not care a great
Deal "boat their company still, ! liked So
c'ety, aH'l used to be with item frequently
Especially wien you and Mary went out
in the evening. On the night Of the ball
to Which you were going, these young men
had supper, and was to have been with
them. did not wish particularly to Join
them, but preferred doing so to remaining
at home alone. 10 find you, as did, SO
unexpectedly, in the parlor, was an agree
able surprise indeed. I stayed at home
with Il new pleasure, which was heightened
by the thonght, that it was Your love for
me that had made You deny yourself for
my qualification. We read together on
that evening, we played together, we talked
Of many things. In your mind l had
never before seen so much to inspire nv
own with high and pure thoughts. l re-
mcnbrred the conversation Of the young
men with whom had been associalinr, and
in which had taken pleasure, with some
thing like disgust. 1t was low, sensual,
and too much Of it vile and demoralizinc.
Never, from that hour, did join lhea.-
Their way, even in the early stage Of lifr's
journey, ] saw to be downward, and down.
ward it has ever since been tending. How
often since have thought of that point in
time, so fiAlfraught with good and evil it,
iluences! /! Those few hours spent with you
seemed TO take scales from my eyes. I
SAW with new vision. thought and felt
differently. Had you gone TO the ball, and
| to meet those young men, no one can
tell what might not have been the conse
quences. Sensual indulgenccs, carricl to
excess, amid songs and sentiments calcula-
ted to awaken evil instead Of good feelings,
might have stamped upon my young and
delicate mind bias to low affections that
never would have been craIicatcd. That
was the great starting point in lfe-tLe pc
Rod when was coming into state of
nationality and freedom. The good pre-
vailed over the evil, and 10y the agency Of
my sister, as an angel sent by the Author
Of all benefits to save me-
Like Helen Tinflley lot ayor, oI1o, 80;