The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-06-12

fore the war.---Ihe Institution
that stood iu the Way OF Genuine
CIVIIIzatIOn----why! the War, was n
Necessity---InterestIn Reminiscent
ees. s.uE
| MON, ..EYours a Ronie''-d Monthly Magazine
Ilu6iiShed in Nes0 York, ~. p
Some ten years ago it was my fortune
to pass few years at the South, as
teacher in girls school, in IA little vii
lage, not hundred miles from the Mis-
| sissippi.
Those scenes are ended forever: yet
we shall come to look back with in
creduIous wonder at customs and ideas
so strange, so absurd yet SO darkly
| tragic.
A long, sandy street, ending in sort
of common; in tile centre OF this, u
rt-house; around it, Il few shops for
| dry goods and tumble-down taverni
two or three short streets, wandering
off toward some uuoccupied lots; along
these streets, houses scattered-a few
hogs---the most. barn-like structures
| painted white, mounted on piles two
/ or three feet from the ground, and each
| fianked by huge red brick chimneys; al
together, this is picture not very pre-
possessing, yet really fiattering to
| Yaninu. -, 49,,
1t was a hot September day, when one
car-there was but one beside the bag
gage-car-worked its slow way, through
miles of corn and cotton fields, to the
| little brick-boX of a station-house, and
platform crowded with schoolgirls,
eager to welcome MIR. Burton aud his
| corps of teachers" us he used to call
us. He, kind soul, effervescing with
excitement, shook hands right and left,
with white and black; and seizing me,
unfortunately the only stranger, intro
duced iudiScrilninately; while among
the other teachers, for Il while, kisses
and embraces were rapturous and in
cesSHnt. . -IE. .-s s.H.5 u .r. ..ssyL
This "Excelsior Institute' was the
pride of the whole county, exalting
far above its neighbors in fashion and
culture the favored village where 1t
stood. The.villagers felt this, and were
quite willing 10 take to their homes
such teachers and pupils as they had
room for, In this way, I became
guest in several families, and constant
and genuine was the kindness l re-
ceived-kindness which all the terrible
events OF the last four years can never
Danish from my grateful memory.
Mr.. Burton was as careful for our
comfort as If we had been ''corpsr of
sisters. He took infinite pains to pro-
vide US with comfortable homes; and it
was with face radiant with satisfac-
ton that he told me the result of his
efforts for me. / was to go to Mrs. Ash
ley's-''a splendid place, a fine new
uOuSG-d
great people in YHnina. He certainly
could not have placed me more advan-
tageOusly for appreciating the oddities
and incongruities of a Southern village
mend1e. .n..r ..., .rE1
Mrs. Ashley, the nominal mistress OF
the house. of which the real manager
was an llpcommonly ugly negress,
called "Dell," was rich widow of
about forty. L was told that she had
once been noted beauty, but, except
that her daughters were uncommonky
handsome, should scarcely have be-
lieved in her former attractions. Mar
ried ut sixteen, living on one spot
ever since, it would seem that ihe
years could have left few tokens of
their passage; but what had not been
done by time and care, her mode oflife,
powder and cosmetics, rich food and no
exercise, had accomplished; and now,
with her huggard face, sallOw complex
ion, and her huttered, uncertain man
ner, she looked at least sixty.
Our family consisted, besides Mrs.
Ashley. of her three daughters, two or
three boarders, and Il dOZen or more
servants. Annie was the eldest daugh-
ter, and she was just seventeen. A
| pleasant cordial face she had; and her
| little figure, from the white throat TO
the tiny foot, was perfect. She was an
amiable girl, indeed she exemplifed
most of the passive virtues: but il
"idleness be the parent of vice." as the
COPY books have it, should dread to
know poor Annie's fdte. Her dainty
feet, thrustinto shoes notmates, ragged
| and shapeless, her pretty figure mutf1ed
| in come old soiled wrapper, the lazy
little puss would lounge about, day
after day, smilingly serene, watching
| the occupations OF others, hearing them
! talk, or taking interminable siestas.
q Not thus Cassia She reminded one
of II hot-house plant forced into an un-
| seasonaDle bloom. Though only fif-
| teen, beaux and. balls were an old story
to her. Knowing her, it was inpossi-
| BILE not to speculatef as to what she
might have been, with her genius and
her strange weird beauty. But un-
| trained, or else misguided, shooting up
| into iIer early wOmanhood, with her
| child's mind and her woman's heart,
she was u bundle of contradictions; vi.
olent in her likes and dislkes, rash yet
| obstinate, giving way to wild fits OF
temper, yet perfectly capable OF self
| control; ut once attractive and repel-
lent; and withal, poor child, not uncOn-
sciouS of her faults, and seldom happy.
| Every thing about her was peculiar;
the hickering hame-like color in her
| cheeks, the short dark hair which, run
ming her long fingers through the shin
| ing locks, she used to push with quick
| Impatient motion from her foreheud;
her large Dlue eyes, etBeE duu OElllldul,
and with a strange far oh look the
swift smiles parting the red lips,
and showing the glitter of teeth, small,
sharp, almost fierce; the figure tall,
angular, yet graceful; her very walk
is elastic, not springing, but as If el-
fort was necessary to touch the ground,
instead OF floating on air; the curious
turn of het neck as If listeningi the
wonderful mobility OF her featureSi all
gave the Impression of some beautiful,
wild creatures will-o-the- wisp incaT-
nate, a changeling, u fantastic mystery.
[ remember her going to bed supper
less one night, in a tit OF vexalion, and
| waking about midnight, with the de-
mand that a hot supper should be
| brought to her. Her mother, morally
afraid of Cassia's gusts OTpassion, dared
not refuse; and the maids We're reused
| from, their sleep; but when the smoking
coffee and cakes were ready, my lady,
| scornfully surveying them, ordered
| them out of her sight, without a touch
| or u taste; and having thus sufficiently
| testified her disple1sure with the house
| hold in general, Went quietly to sleep
again. Yet when in the morning she
came smiling down stairs, the viSenish
| performance seemed wholly forgotleni
| and no reminder of her sin nor warn
| ing of her danger, came to the poor girl
| from any source.
Lutte Kate, the third daughter, with
\ her clear blue eyes and glittering tangle
] of yellow curls, was as pretty in her
way as either OF the others, and as much
spoiled, tyrannizing already over every
\ soul on the place, except CasSia. In
| deed between these two latter our fami-
| ly reunions, at the table and elsewhere,
| were not SO attractive as TO tempt one
| to IiuUer long. When little Kate woke
1 = II. inn fT