Shreveport semi-weekly news. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-06-20
BY VERNON MALONE.

situate upon the banks OF the darkly
flowing Chattahoochie, which ever
rolls its turbid food impetously to
mingle with the placid Flint, their
lived two brothers, whose names
were Adrian and Thornton Shelby
They were twins in birth. and each
the counterpart ''presentment OF the
ether in form and feature. though
with thu strange psychological freak
tor which We are at a loss to account.
they were as dissimilar in tempera-
,nent as if they had sprung from diff
ferent parentage, and represented the
type of manhood peculiar to countries
widely separated by space and cline.
Thesetwo brothers W re handsome
almost to n fault. and it seemed i'm
possible that the combined charms of
their little muscular and yet graceful
forms and white trowed dark-eyed
aristocratic faces should fail to win
sor them reciprocal regard, from
any maidens whatever upon whom
their favor should center. and more
particularly as they were not lacking
intellectual gifts or the advantages
of education and foreign travel
This however. they had not put to
the test. up to the time Of arriving at
twenty-threc years Of age, at least.
not in any way that effected their life
long happiness. though they had e.-
psrienced the ephemeral tancies,
which are to youth. what butterflies
are to the flowers. About this period
the personagcs were assembled to-
sether, in whose breasts were cnGen-
dered thu various and succeeding the
places of passion, which not unfrc-
quently eliminate in some dreadful
tragedy.
Adrian and Thornton Sehlbv were
the sons Of Il planter. whose wealth
almost beyond his computation
His estates spread over half a county.
and his slaves were numbered by
hundreds. The bales of tleecy cotton
that were gathered from his fertile
acres would have freighted a staunch
ship with goodly cargo. and the
books of the safest banks would have
given evidence in figures. which mar
shaled themselves into columns of
six, of deposits that would yield a fair
inheritance tor his numerous offspring,
had they been his all of worldly
store.
With such vast possessions, as
matter Of course the Shelby family
had all that could be provided in the
way ofmagnifcence in home, raiusent
aud fair. and general surroundings.
Besides the considerable retinue en-
ployed in the immediate personal and
household service, there had belong
ed to their establishment since n
couple of years tutsr for their
younger boys, whose name was Eus-
tace Benton. The Shelby family We're
not the kind of people to have ordi-
narliy much consideration for any zone
who stood in the position of their
hireling. but this admirable young
man, without any assumption Of man
ner, had commanded their respect,
and forced even the naughty lady of
the house to yield to him the same
measure of politeness awarded to her
most favored guest. Adrian and
Thornton sure Of their worldly
superiority, could afford to meet
young Benton on equal ground, and
with a toucs of generosity natural
to youth, they had acknowledged that
il many respects, both in learning
and accomplishments, as we'll as in
those athletic feats upon which both
p-ided themselves, that he had tn.
advantage over them. They learned
to appeal to him as an umpire in the
disputes or contests which contin-
ually arose between them, and made
him referee upon all knotty or
tangled questions which occurred,
altogether leading with him a friend
ly life, which afforded much pleasure
to each ofthe three.
When Mrs. Shelby's eldest daugh-
ter, arriving at the age Of ten years,
was declared ready for promotion
from the nursery to the school-room,
necessity existed for a govc,ness,
which want they endeavored to, sup
ply by writing to the lady by whom
Mrs. Shelby's own education had
been conducted. and asking her to
forward the article desired. A reply
announcing the speedy arrival Of
Miss Madelaine Hall, who was per
fectly well qualified to fill the re-
sponsible position. prepared them to
meet an austere and pedantic New
England spinster, whom the lady
mother much feared would bore her
with an excess of knowledge
No one. however, gave themselves
any serious concern about the mat
ter, and the afternoon which wit
messed the arrival of the new teach
or, for whom the driver had been
instructed to have the carriage in
waiting ut the railroad depot, found
the father and mother, and their two