The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-12-25
CHAPTER H..
FOUR YEARS LATER.

It was Christmas Eve at the "Old Court
once more, but circumstances had sadly
changed during the four years which had
elapsed, since we saw the happy party as
semabled there, under the auApplees Of the
HoBptratfg yfd lyrd - = Z
Since that time his soul had been sum
monesd away from this earth, and sorely
missed at Christmas time: amongst all, that
wide circle Of. friends and relations, to whom
he had endeared himself BY the kindness Of
his heart and temper, there was one poor
widowed soul who felt that each recurrence
of the hpiy feast was only to be kept row
for her as celebrating the arrival at another
milestone towards the ".house not made
with hands" WHITTIER what she most cher
isthed in this world had gone before her to.
his home. Lady Hautain was what the
world calls broken-heaIted; bAtis was mere.
" figure Of speeGh hat her at
fsestie9s he'd q Iesa y is ~ world, I'D
balra,i 81 ~ fortAe woQAa eart aaen 3
her EerneA l]Ig!k eAiIRA Aler sqtroa &
'stta S s. treasu4et1or q ttme1 lle
Fi5le s5ae Isl p Saiisd1not reBine. org
|. .'cdR SseKfgd 4!g4 kompanioin had she in her
sorrow 1ro ilaIaIs her BY Her side, to read
with her, pqaS l19th her, and hope with her.
Lady Hautain' hoped ere'long to pass peace
ably to the fair land of promise, which she
now seemed to realize even in her day
dreams.
There was one thorn, however, that she
prayed, ifit were Gods will, to see remov-
ed from her breast before she died; and to
be permitted to stretch her feeble hands in
blessing over. the head Of her, beloved
nephew Stephen, was the one hope Of her
life. He was now Lord Hautain, that is,
| if he were still alive; but no word or tiding
of him had reached the "0ld Court" since
the Christmas Eve Of 1860, when he re-
ceiyed at Angels hands the stroke which
had blasted his life
Reginald, his elder brothef, had died
from the effects of an accident in the hunt
ing-feld one year after the old lord depart
ed this life, SO that at his decease Stephen
had become Lord Hautain. But these
events had occurred two long years ago,
and nothing had been heard Of the missing
heir. It was about four o'clock in the af-
ternoon on Christmas Eve, as I said before,
when the widowed Lady sHautain and her
now constant companion, whom Twill only
designate for the present by her Christian
name of "Angelica," Or "Angel,' sat to-
gether in the drawing-room at the "Old
Court" both dressed in deep mourning
both musing sadly over their retrospective
gaze into the past.
"Angel,"s Said the elder lady at last,
operhaps I ought not to say SO to you, but
/ begin to give up hope We must have
hoard something during these two years
if-if he had been alive" she added, while
sobs choked her further utterance. "Oh!
how have prayed to see him once again, :
she went on after a pause; "then | could
saw indeed with truth, Lord, now lettest
thou thy servant depart in peace: :"
!. "Oh, spare me, spare me, dear Lady
Hautain p said the young girl at her side,
down whose colorless check the tears re-
fused to flow, and on whose pallid lips the
words tremblcd like leaves at the approach
Of q storm; "therc is sting and q reproach
to me in every word you say, and | would
give all that remains Of my wretched, vast
ed life to call Steenie back from his grave,
for you say he is dead ]! You say, 1t he