Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-09-22

OF Mr.. Vance being marrying mall
He had presided so long over his goods I
and wares in his little brown store, with
out ever entering into the mrth- gather
ings of the young people, that he was
looked upon as one of the old folks. In
fact, this character seemed to suit him, for
he never kept holiday in the grove with
tho girls and boys, but remained at homo,
dispensing tea and sugar with the old Ia
dies, whom he would occasionally join in
a cup Of their favorite beverage.
Such were the offers made TO 'Retta
Bowman. 1t was aserions matter TO de-
eide; but it didn't take SO very long for
'Retta to arrive at a concasion. Mr..
Vance was strange lover be called her
" Margaret" and never took the trouble to
say pery pleasant things. His was a sort
of Z" take me.if you choose kind of court
ship; then he was little man, and small
men don't look well in crowd besides,
he was so old togyish-and 'Retta eleva-
ted her nasal organ at the thought Of what
voluminous word she had Nsed. It was
quite apparent Mr.. Vance would not be
successful. On the other chance, her mind
ran as follows: "Charlie's a Young man,
good looking, tall, wears whiskers- (alas !
and was woman-kind a1Ways as it now
is O-cals me Dear 'Retta," and pays
me SO many kind attentions then he
owns good house and wagon and team
since his fathers death, and as to being
steady, all young men are wild till they
marry" And SO the evidences was summed
up and a verdict rendered in favor of Char
lie Goodwin-a very bad ain for poor
'Retta, as it afterwards proved. However,
they were married, and Mr. Vance, bent
on making a bridal present, whispered to
| himself, :" III be just as strange as she is
an odd gift too" So he went to see her
one e#ening, aud after making her promise,
with her hand on the Bible, neper to part
with his bridal gift, he produced a box
about one foot long, laid it in her lap
muttering, An odd gift, Margaret" She
removed the cover of the box, and found
within small but elegantly const<scted
coffin ! A note from the giver stated that
his hopes were buried therein, and on the
lid of the coffin was this inscription writ
ten OF. "a silver plate, !" TT17seas your hope
dies, bury 1t here" The coffin was sealed,
and so 'Retta, remembering that she had
much to hope for, laid the gift away.
Five years rolled away, and 'Retta was
alone in the world-all save two helpless
prattling babes. Alone, and homeless and
friendess. Her husband had sunk into
the vortex of dissipation petty gambling
soon wasted his home, and visit to race
course terminated his earthly career
Bleeding and dying from his fall, he was
borne home, just to confess his errors
and receive the full, free pardon of the
being he had wronged, but who had ut
; tered no complaint against him. He lin
gered. but few hours and died. 'Retta
had buried him deceutly and to pay for
, this, sold all the furniture she could spare
from her scanty supply; and then rising
g, from her sorrow to full sense of her des-
olate condition, she endeavored to procure
. work, whereby to feed her babes and her
'' self. Scanty enough was the supply for
> almost every body did their, own work, and
= those who hired their sewing done, die
y not like to give it to gamblers wife, fol
- fear of encouraging vice. So these very
= godly people sent all their patronage t.
= Miss Skinner, rich old maid who hirec
! sewing girls-who was herself the yer,
- quintescence Of sanctity, and held yiiciou
- associations at the farthest possible dis
- tance. sfa 5 e#
y So time wore away slowly, drearily We
4 never did 'Re:ta Goodwin pause in her en-
~ deavors to combat the tide that bore he
oe downward. Winter came-stern, relent
~ less winter-dreary, cold, and cheerless.-
One morning towards the last of Novem-
:, Der, 'Retta arose from her trouble
"a "a sleep to gaze out en- the white covere,
Il earth. CHASTITY as the sculptured marbl
" did the snow lay over the tombs of th
dead and the houses of the living Of al
70 dreary things in nature, to the poor
- storm is the dreariest; of all heart
-, aching sights, to the needy the vast vino
o. ing-sheet of winter, glaring pitilessly int
10 their weary eyes, is the most incensolabl
ar the most unutterably melancholy. n
be path-no landmark-no guide-post-n
cheerful looking haven to reach-no notl
n ing but snow dreary, cold ,pitifess, NOR
ha etonous waste belew-a dim, cherries
- damp, mist above-gray clouds snd sti
10 more snow, dreary, stealthy snow, stealin
- in each falling fake the few last treasure
= grains of hope from the human heart
.r 'Retta felt all this and more as she gaze
-, cut of the window but what. she fe
,no when she turned and losked within, no o,
"a but HIM and her heart knows. Her on
80 room was little shed kitchen, from Il
md walls Of which nearly all the pasteril
had fallen. The contents of the roo