The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1866-04-11

marvellous change that few years had
marked upon. bis appearance. We were
Of nearly the same age but as we sa,
thus together, an observer would have
credited him with a seniority Of at least
fifteen years. His face was wrnkled TO
degree seldom seen except in very old
men. His hair hung upon bis shoulders
in long gray locks, hard lines were drawn
| about the mouth, and his whole coun.
tenance indicated An austeri,y and harsh
ness, which was entirely foreign to his
nature while the lustre OF his piercing
gray eyes told that this metamorphosis
had not been wrought by time alone.
Determined to learn something of this
miraculous change and suspec,iug the
cause said suddenly.
"Tom, you have not vet. told me wha,
has become Of your old fame, Lizzie
Cutter"
At the mention Of her name he started
suddenly, clu,ching in his fs, the Ia bic,
while the veins in his temples and fore
head swellsd to such an extent that |
thought they must burst He recovered
himself however, and said tremulouslv {:
"Iou are the only man this side the
grave ,na, dares mention that lame to
me with ,mpunity. I can realize IN g mo
Tive tina, prompted the question. aad for
the sake Ct those brighter davs long
since fed. by the memory Of our friend
ship in youth | will tell you ali you ssek
to know. But no, here, not here, come
TO nv room, and this friendly curiosity
once satisfied, never recall the subject
while you live"
Alter walking in silence few minutes
we reached his residence, and after see
ing me seated he leaned upon the back
Of an Arm chair and commenced imme,
dratev as follows
"Yon knew Lizzie Cutter in her youth.
and you knew a'so OF the love between
us, ami the glorious realization that our
Young hearts dreamed Of Nv friend
Van it was only a dream. fond, foolish,
miserable, but still bright and glorious
dream. The Weakening from it was to
ma worse. infinitely worse than death to
her. nothing. / caDnot tell yon how
loved her, how she and she alone, became
tie one object that worshipped with an
almost sacriligious alteration. Were I 10
attempt to detail my feelings toward her,
YOU would call me rhspsodized fool -
And so I was. Heavens and earth (he
cried pacing the floor violently what de
wi was it that cozsned me thus at hood
man blind whv idolatry the most com ,
plete, the most hideous that this broad
earth has ever known. was pure and tame
beside the worship that offered up 10
this woman.
had no hope. no ambition, no though, ,
by day or night. sleeping or waking but
had its source in her! II she had bid me
commit the dirsst deed that ever black
ened human annals. ] believe I should
have done 1t. ay, and g'oried in it If bu,
We had smiled upon me. But no such
thought came 10 me then. To me she
". as gui's'sss, as gentle, as pure as tn
white robsd angels OF finnocsncs-and We,
this woman, gifted by nature with beauty
and intellect, bearing in sver7 lineamen,
OF her face the semblsncs OF truth, whis
psring to me in honisd accents soft words
oflors; this woman | say, good, gentle
pure and truthful as thought her
deceived me Robbed me 10 obs .ho,,
moment Of Faith. Hope and Charity
plucked from out my bosom svsry hop,
she lad implanted there, and trampIed
them under her dainty feet with as liul.
remorss as she would have crushed a leaf
Oh il was a goodly deed.
And for what was this done, you ask
ay, for wha,i for that which makes m os
mon and women devils inc,rnste-fo
that which has exalted treacbery, robbery
sy, and even murder TO be commsudabl,
xiriuss-flibIy gold
She had been moved with "traitorou.
glits,' aud for this psItry, earthly ,in.s
she