Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-04-12

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well, Nellie, we will try to persuade
him to take such course; but come up
stairs at once and make your toilet. Bless
me! just look at your hair come along,
Nellie And, so saying, the two maidens
left the apartment and assembled to the Sec
ond floor Of the little cottage.
Mr.. and Mrs. Vincent, the parents Of
Charles, Nellie and the fairy, Lucille, were
both we'll advanced in years at the time
when our story opens. Mr.. Vincent did
not maTy-a great mistake, too often made
until his fortieth year; and, at that time
of life, sought and won the hand of child
less widow of near thirty. three years of age.
1t is neither the province nor the intention
of the writer to essay anything like an ar.
|gument upon the Importance of early mar
riages but he leaves it to the judgment
and common sense of the reader, whether
it is not better to marry at such an age as
will secure to us the pleasure of having our
children all educated and settled in life
before old age, with its infrmities, are upon
us.
The Vincents were not wealchy, neither
were they poor; but had managed to pur
chase a very snug cottage in Cedarville and
to afford Charles and Nellie first class ed
ucation. The intelligence and refinement
of the family had won for them the respect
and esteem of the villagers and Charles
and Nellie moved in the highest circles of
society .
1t has been very beautifully said:
''The beautiful are never desolate,
For some one always loves them" .
and this may account for the fact of Mel.
lies having been so continuedly idolized
by the good people of yCedarville even from
early childhood. Be this as it may, she
was always invited to the select parties of
the wealthiest classes, and was frequently
called upon by the elite and fashionable of
the village. -.....
About year prior to the time our story
opens there came handsome stranger to
Cedarville making enquiries for the Vincent
family, with the head of which he had i'm
portant business to transact. The day af-
ter his arrival he called upon old Mr.. Vim
cent; communicated the very pleasing in
telligence that he had in his possession five
thousand dollars, subject to the old mans
order, and produced copy of his (the
stranger's) fathers will, by way of explana-
ton. In reply to the enquiries of Mr..
Vincent, as to the why and wherefore of
the unexpected legacy, Mr.. Benson-such
was the strangers name-informed him
that his fathers life was, many years be-
fore, saved by Mr.. Vincent, during the ex-
plosion of a steamer upon the Mississippi
river. Mr.. Vincent Immediately recalled
the whole affair; mentioned the exact time
of the disaster; thanked the stranger very
warmly, but would not accept the -lega-
cy. After some persuasion, however, he
finally agreed to become possessor of the
amount; for, though but a triaing sum to
many, it was quite little fortune to one as
old and feeble as Mr.. Vincent.
After some general conversation, and an
invitation from Vincent to dine with the
family the next day, Mr.. Benson left the
cottage and repaired to his quarters at the
village hotel. AS he walked leisurely a.
long, admiring the appearance of the place,
and favorably struck with the politeuess of
its citizens, who should suddenly turn the
corner but the fair Nellie Vincent, herself.
Yes, there she was, right before him and,
oh how surprisingly beautiful she looked,
as she blushingly smiled upon him in re-
turn for his involuntary bow. Nellie pass
ed on, but the stranger was spell-bound,
and watched her until her beauteous form
disappeared around the corner; then with
wildly beating heart, he went on his way
sad, solitary and alone.
All! strange, mysterious love thou
comest unsought, unasked! Thou comest
where and when we least expect thee; when
the laugh and the song are quivering upon
the lip, and the heart is as happy and free as
the summer-bird in the hower-time Thou
comest when all the faculties are enlisted
in secular concerns; when the knee is bow
ed before the great Eternal-when the
thoughts are all of heaven and the glory
there. Thou contest to the wise and the
ignorant; to the philosopher, the statesman,
the poet, the lowly and the king; and thy
sceptre passes over every heart-whether
pulsating beneath the purple of royalty, the
broadcloth of the gentleman or the rags of
the beggar-and all are thy subjects, all
are thy slaves Thou comest, not as the
sunlight climbeth up the rugged mountain
side until it glorifes its summit with
crown of fire; but like the fash of light
ming darting through the midnight sky and
crushing all before it!
Joseph Benson went to his room in the
hotel far different man than when he left
Mr.. Vincent. In the brief space of half an
hour, all his feelings, plans and purposes
were materially changed@ Instead ofyearn-
ing after the sunny skies and classic soil of
almighty Rome to which gorgeous cline
it had been his intention to go, as soon as
the spring-time came, he now yearned after
a cozy seat close, oh! very close, beside
her, whose eyes were bluer than the skies of
sunny Italy; whose cheeks were far lovelier
than the roses of Florence, and whose voice
was more lullingly sweet than the sound of
the gondolier upon the hushed and night.
imprisoned waters of beautiful Venice.
Was there any place in all the wide world
half so beautiful as his own sunny South ?
was there ever so charming little place as
Cedarville? Verify, no! Strange, that he