Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-05-24

soldier alluded to in the Surgeons letter,
could not have been her Edgar, because to
her mind, it appeared utterly impossible
that he could have recovered from his
wound, inflicted by Barney, Joined the
army and done battle for his country all in
the space of few weeks. The tragedy
with Barney occurred in the latter part of
February. The wounded soldier was ad.
mitted on the last of the following month
into the hospital at Norfolk. Then, too, it
was not at all probable that Edgar, being a
Virginian, would voluntarily enlist in, or
be assigned to South Carolina regiment.
Evidently the dead soldier was some other
Edgar Houston, if indeed such really was
his name. Such, at least, were Minnie's
hopeful conclusions as she laid aside the
letter, and entered upon the duties of the
day with unusual liveliness and spirit.
Hope deferred, however, maketh the
heart sick, it is said; and, as week after
week elapsed, and month after month went
by, bringing no tidings whatever of her
missing lover, poor MinDie's hope began to
wither upon her sadly disappointed heart,
until, finally, she settled down into the
firm conviction that, after all, the dead SOL
dier was no other than her own Edgar He
could not have joined the army before he
had recovered from the wound from Bar
ney's pistol, and yet the Houston, alluded
to by the Surgeon in his letter, had been
wounded by shell two weeks even before
he was brought to the hospital, which, if it
really was her lover, would make it appear
that he had received a dangerous wound,
recovered, Joined the army, passed through
an engagement, received another wound,
which he neglected for two weeks, was
taken to hospital, remained four days,
died and was buried-and all this in three
weeks time! Of course, the whole thing
was simply impossible, and upon its un-
reasonableness had Minnie erected the
foundation Of her hope. But now, anoth-
er train of thought was started, and the
whole affair, viewed from another stand
point, assumed an air of terrible prob.
ability.
Suppose, thought she, that Edgar was
not wounded in his encounter with poor
Barney, that never-to. o.be forgotten Februa-
ry night? The supposition that be carried
away in his body, the bullet that could not
be found, was, after all, buta suggestion of
the baronet. Who knew it be really so e?
Nobody had seen or heard anything of him
since the two pistol shots startled the fami.
ly. 1t was only supposition after ALL
Well, suppose he was not wounded p
What then? Simply this, that in that
case, there was ample time, in the space of
a month, for him to have Joined the army,
met the enemy in battle and died from a
wound received in the engagement.
yes, yes,' said Minnie, bowing her head
down upon the little work table, as these
thoughts cast their sombre shadows over
her distracted heart, Il see it all now =
This ring, too placed by my own hands
upon his finger, that far away July morn.
ing how could it have been found in
possession of stranger? Alas the wound
ed soldier could have been none other than
my poor, dear, wroDged and unfortunate
Edgarn
That was enough !! That conviction gil.
ded, like molten lead, away down into the
bleeding, feverish depths of the poor suffer-
ing heart, and blighted every trace of ver-
dure and beauty there Henceforth there
was no summer days in the year for her,
with blithesome song of bird or beauteous
sight of flower; henceforth, there was no
parenthesis of light to come down between
the dark shadows that lay all along her life.
path, nor balmy ray of sunshine to dissipate
the e.ernal winter of her heart.
wAh, wha, is life when the weary heart
Is desolatc and lonc?-
When the spirits lot is gded wne,
And the hearts sweet hope Is gone"
Day after day, in that dark, dull, desert
ed house, without friend and companion,
but poor old Dinah, Minnie glided about
like some beautiful but restless spirit. The
beautiful love-light of the eye was all gone
the delicate rose tint of the once round
cheek was fading day by day; the dear,
sweet, silvery laugh was hushed ; the dulcet
voice that awoke the echoes many day all
over the old building, with those sprightlY
and bewitching little Spanish airs, that poor
.old Uncle Adam loved so much to hear,
was silenced now. The pale, white, anx-
ious little face pressed against the window.
panes, with the dark, pensive eyes gazing
so longingly out upon the road, was all the
villagers saw now, of the once gay and hap
py hearted maiden.
sDe dear Lord, help usp poor old Dinsh
would exclaim, as she unobservedly watched
her beloved young mistress, 'whorrah dis,
now? De poor chile grow so tin and pale,
and seem so kline O. bunker like, dat my
poor ole hart mos broke, wen l look 'pon
UNI De dere Lord spare ole maumma life
to shum all right aein, an see Mass Edgar
cum back
Ah that was it!-that was what poor
Minnie's heart louged after Edgar back
again, and the renewal of the old love that
made the past so gloriously beautiful. The
little boy that played with her in the long
hours of the sunny past-that grew up be-
side her in the golden days Of happy girl
bool ,bo. GlIoJ Tho hnddino hours of ear