The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-10-31

IclG Is JiSG UnaU lOVe MISS 4IanSnam,
like her compa ION, detest the heir,
and pity that Ginning young Lang
ham, who should have been the mas
ter of the old place. He is all that
the lord of such heritage ought to
be-manly, courteous, gentle, kind
and intelligent
Margery does not share my horror
Of O'Halloran. She began by laugh
ing at him; she now laughs with him,
and actually declares that his eyes are
very fine, and that he is handsomer
than Anthony Langham!
If it were any other girl but Mar
gerry, should say she saw him through
Il golden glamour.
OCTOBER 28.-We are to have a
large party here on Halloween, tie
31st. Miss Langham likes keeping
up Old customs, and we are to have
all the weird rites Of the charmed
evening carried ont.
She has presented Margery and me
with new dresses for the occasion
Very pretty ones they are.
My beautiful sister has evidently
won the hearts of both our kinsmen.
Anthony Langham loves her, 1 can
see, though he is kept from her by
the constant watchfulness of Mr.
o Halloran; so, to console himself,
he takes refuge with me and admires
her to me, and listens. to nv sisterly
praises with pleased smiles.
Happy .Margery! If she marries
! him, she will be truly fortunate. 1
told her so this evening, as we were
dressing for dinner, but she only
laughed and said:
''What should we live on, Sophy?
He has only his wits for dower.''
\ nobler Inheritance, in my mind,
than Maldon itself.
Ah! how the wind howls and means
through the trees. The night is full
of noises. Surely L heard a bolt
opened down stairs. If it should be
robbersl
[ have listened, for some time, with
beating heart, but there has been
no repetition of the grating sound;
1t must have been my fancy or the
wind.
[ will close my book, say my
prayers ard go to bed; it is silly to
write SO late, with my fire just ont
and my room gloomy from the feeble
light of my candles. 1t makes me
nervous and fanciful; SO good night,
nay diary.
NOVEMBER IL resume my diary
tonight, because | dare not enter in
it, by day, the events of the past
twenty-fonr hours. Margery might
glance accidentally over my shoulder,
| or wonder what moved me so much.
and ask questions impossible to an
swer.
My hand shakes visibly as 1 write.
Alas! / half regretted that nv diary
was SO barren of incident; that the
days were so monotonous and u1l-
marked by any landmarks of memory.
l. have incident enough now to record.
to my sorrow.
Halloween came. y large party as
sembled in the stately saloon, opened
for the first time in forty years. We
had grand dinner in the banquet
/ ing-room, at which Miss Langham
did not preside, the rector taking her
/ place; and, after dinner, we Joined
her III the drawing room, and began,
under her direction, the magic rites
I OF the evening
We burned nuts together (having
named them first) and read a laugh
ing angnry from their explosion or
quiet combustion. We felt (blind-
folded@ for cups holding earth, water,
emptiness, and one Il pocket pistol,
these symbols being prophetic of onr
future husbands professions; and
MIR. O'Halloran loudly exclaimed
against the truth Of the oracles, when
Margery put her little hands into the
/ empty basin, which forcboded single
life
The fun of the evening moved even
Miss Langham to merry smiles. II
must have seemed as if a glimpse Of
! her youth had revisited her. During
q paEse she said:
"Ihere are some Halloween rites
more trying to the nerves than these,
sowing hemp-seed, for example,"
"What is that?'' we asked, simul-
taneonsly.
"The lady who questions fate, she
replied, 'takes some hemp seed; !;
goes, at midnight, to the church.
yard, and sows it around the belfrv-
tower from whence peal the marriage
bells, and says:
Henp-secds, I SOW you
Hcmp-sceds, NOV you;
And he that shall marry me,
Come after me and harrow Ce