The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1862-12-03
THE YELLOW JASMINE.
TALE OF SOUTHERN cHrvALRY

TALE OF SOUTHERN cHIvALRY.
School hours were through for the day; nv
pupil. were our,ing Old Pointer in the sand al
the door OF one Ot the negro cabins; l stood At
the window for little while looking out long
Ingy towards the sea in the distance and then
came back 10 my little sewing chair and 81,
down TO rock aud hnk.
had needed . time TO think ever since tn.
night before About midnight-perhaps be-
tween ,w.ive and oue-I had been a~akened by
some slight noise, and had stolen to INV window
o loos out and listen. monoti. ons level oi
aid like AL aLcient sea beach, surrounded Mr.
Bakers dwelling almost destitute of verdure
aud dry AID soft that il looked like aour un.
de- the fl moon, and over The sand, ia and out
of the shadows under The lev eversreens, oaks
and !eioS pines, some twelve Or fifteen human
figures were moving sbout-close coated figures
snh liz le shining caps and heavy besds
knew what il meant and was not alarmed Thro'
all The eleven months of nv residence in the
SJuta, and especially during the autumn sn
cary winter. while the shadow OF the coming
storms va. fast CLOSING in over the doomed land,
this whole region had been nefvousIy on it,
guard against the danger OF servie insurr &C lions
All ia. men ransining Ia the vicinity had been
organized into activ. vigilance committe, Sand
W'Sti DtlOft L tau seen tuttfl Al Hignt, out
trolling - going their rounds over the dffrrehr
pia tations to inspect the neg'O quarters aad
10 oyerawe any dangerous movement What
did no ice now Usual Was the marked air
Ut excitement among the nen. They talked to.
g.ther in taeir low tones longer aud with more
gesture than usual as they met under the tres
aud they moved about more eagerly, and watch
ed and listened more intenuy. Presently two
men met at the corner near NV room. ! heard
The word abolitiohist uttered in q smo,her.d
hiss. They moved forward still talking ear
uestiy, and ~ they passed under my ~ndo~
thought heard one say, being . lady, you
know"
Nv excited attention could catch no more, IN
I'll when they separated one OF them threx sack
TO his compsnion the 6uxl remark, swell, Ba.
kers r. spohsible any Ow."
Ny Thoughts that night we're haunted by
vague uneas.ness. / vent down early the nex'
morning TO the breakfast room, and, a. entered
the room the sharp voice OF Mre Baker reached
the through the open door.
| Thomas" said she, "it is not safe. Dom
you know YOU responsible for what is done
here! xt thing you'll be arrested yourself /,
| sou don't have"
An audible " hush" stopped her, and look,
cier than ever greeted me a. appeared at th,
door.
The family were al huddled around her arm
chair, nervous and gloomy. | learned that ru
more of another plot had been brought down %,
express the night before from another tosI
seventeen miles ssas in the interior. the ne
groes of which hsi lately had some communca
ton With those OF our neighborhocd.
All day the loneliness and the uncertain peri
of my position had hauDte me, AMI nov, At tn,
| SrSf mn nfi ielsura - ba fbi,k
all over. | was very inexperienced II ha'
been INV first adventure, when, a year before
had lett nv mo, her alone ia the little parsonage
which vas still allowed her after nv father
death, 10 help as | might toward eking out ou
sinai! income in this foreign like region, hun
dreds of miles away. l had stood at my DO un
| til every Northern resident Rad gone home
Then II last had told nv employer that mus
60. Il vas come six weeks before, and that gen
leman had surprised me at the time by smpl
replying that as my engagement had been mad
for a year. l could not OF course expect to re
csive any part Of nv salary until the close Q
that time. | had been reared amoug the Berk
shire hills, and astOnisaed him in turn BY an
swerng that would stay until then
Nov, when | sat down 10 review that decii
ion, began by resolutely setting al bay the il
finite longing for NV home, nv own dear, ssk
happy New England. aud resolving to coeside
only what vas best. Ny mother vas poor
was her only helper. How could 20 back
h-r burden instead Of q helper? But ther
what if anything should happen to her onl
; ctid? Wha. il the impending storm .houl
ourst suddenly and nv retreat be cat OF, 90
the last Of he- d-solated household be LETT il
prisoned among strangers and enemies! No,
could not take the respousibty-I must 8
, home.
Poverty-that poverty which stimulates a.
degrades not--teaches us very early our graz
lesson. II teaches u, by the necessity for CO.
stans practice, to keep the souls world fresh al
, blooming, and sunny, let the world without lo'
er aud darken 20 it will. 1t Tad taught me Il
( lesson and put it in practice nov. This ev
uing vas my own, to morrow would be tin
\ enough for business-and had one more thir
to do. one more picture to lay BY in memory b
, fore left the South forever | must see the "
!. low jasmine in boom.
- ran down on The instant to find some o,
> VINO would 60 With me TO The only one kne
: OF within saiking distance. Mrs Baker sat b
/. fore her sewing machine With her oldes, dsug
=, ter.
"Julis, said she, when explained nv q
rand. go up to my room, dear, and bring q
' another spool I'm sorry, Mis- Carr. We all ha
o pen TO be engaged just nov. Poesibl, old s
Is rAh might serve you As q guide If you are IN
s ious 20 60" And che vanished abruptly throu,
the hall door.
had reached the door of old Szrsh's cab
: before the s,rangeness Of this proposal had f
ly dawDed upon me. For months I had {,
y that the local proprieties required me TO have
=" Intercourse With the servants whasever-nev
: 70 talk With them, aud Eever TO BE seen vi
! them alone But this one-thi. grim, cunnin
: 'aciturn old Sa-sh-was the one Of oil moet ~
u ,-cted and the most watched However q
proposal Vas hers-the straight forward cou.
70 almost ai~ays best. l be.itsted OILY for . q
nsns.
To my surprise, Sarah vas unsilling to &
" Bad road, misess-bsd, heavy road Gin
late, NOS sondo~n. Disess Gurus place o
ish, missus-yes, missus Ladiee reoss 20
y ~, dat . .sv d-y do-su't-no missus."
st enced her With . word or TOO, and ve start
e of
Z II vas certainly loneeeus rosd-the old 70
leading through light pine wood, and seross