Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-09-30
: ,.,nod &c sho onovarod. "No lam

. ! have no other name, was the re-
: Another enigma. I could not let her
go.
III YOU stay with Inc, Alice | said,
taking her hand in mine, - hope some
dav to win Your confidence and know
what sad story has blightcd your youth.
Ibelieve YOU when YOU tell Inc there is
no sin connected with it; and If you
;,re willing to come tomorrow for II
short visit, we can see if we suit each
other for longer companionship.
Il will come, she said, with a trcmh-
linz voice, and. bending down, she left
q kiss and a hot tear upon my wlthered
hand, and was gone.
am afraid my readers would set Inc
down for an absurdly romantic old wo-
man ii. told them all the stories |
framed that night for my heroine The
pale. pure face with its delicate features,
golden hair. and large, childlile eyes,
fairly haunted me. The tiny hands had
evidently never known labor the sweet,
clear voice was modulated by the edu
cation Of lady; the graceful little fig
ure, with its modest bearing, had no
cringing in its attitude. at least there
was new interest for my lonely Ike; !;
and if my new study proved an impos-
tor there was no one bnt myself to be
injured, no children to be trained in
error, no voupg mind to receive poison
Gus doctrine and in View OF all these
negatives | lelt satisfied with my ac-
QUESTION
Looking back now, with the love OF
nv protege making the music OF my
lie, / find it difficult to recall the i'm
pressions Of the, first few days; but a
few words about myself may show the
reader what ,nv companion was.
As I have said, / Was past seventy
years OF age; but had been. until with
in few months in the possession OF
every faculty, and unusually active and
energetic for my years. Possessed Of
wealth, l had tried, with sincerity. to
remember that | was the Lords stew
ard: and if my maine but seldom fig
ured upon the pompous lists Of pubic
charities, | trust that the courts and al
levs where my face was cordially well
coined, the children snatched from low
haunts OF misery, the industrious sup
piled with work, the dying from whose
bed the sting OF want was swept away,
the aged whose helpless hands were
filled, the erring who found an avenue
opened for honorable labor, will bear
me witness that have earnestly en-
deavored to be a inst almoner Six
months previous to the day when my
advertisement appeared, my physician
had passed my doom Of future helpless
ness. A severe cold, contracted by
some unconscious exposure, had settled
in my limbs and produced such results
as left me, for the remainder Of my life,
hopelessly crippled.
My nurse, strong, good-hearted wo-
man. fully capable Of lifting, dressing
and tending Inc, at once accepted the
post Of permanent attendant, with some
Of the housekeeping cares. I had SER
wants for every lower branch in the do
inestic department, but I pined for a
friend. There were plenty to call upon
me, to send me dainty dishes, perfumcd
notes or choice flowers; but none upon
whom L could call for constant attend
ance. Ny relatives all resided at dis
tance, and there was not one among them
for whose perpetual society felt any
desire.
In this lonely. helpless life, my com
panion came to cheer and comfort me.
/ cannot tell the thousand loving yraces
by which she Won love and commanded
my esteem. The yearning childlike
pity lor my age and hclplcssncss cx-
pressed itself i'll every tone Of her sweet
voice, in her quick gentle movements
round my chair. her ready .comprchen-
sion Of every want, her tender touch
and almost reverential respect. There
was no thought OF my wealth or posi-
bic generosity IN her heart, only such
protecting yet deferent;al affection a.:
helpless age calls for from fresh, pure
hearted youth.
She read beautifully, with an evident
cultivation Of her clear voice; and
when III some stirring passage have
marked her large eyes her checks glow,
and her voice rise into clear, clarion
like tones OF enthusiasm, have forgot
ten all suffering 10 go hand in hand with
her to the pleasant lands of ideality
and romance. Love for literature, elo.
cution and poetry had beeh one of the
ruling passions OF my life, and it soon
became one of the delights of my iln-
prisonment to open for Alice the por
tails of history, imagination science and
the classics, and watch the eager en-
thusiasm with which she entered the
enchanted realms. I smile now to think
OF the hours we passed over our favor
ite authors; she seated on low chair
at my side, nv hand often resting on
the glossy braids Of her golden hair,
while my pain and her SORROWS foated
off into u misty background to give
place to the spirit Of our volume. Her
sweet voice, rising in passionate cadences
of fancied woe, sinking to loves tender
est in;onations, marching forward to
martial strain in steady, measured tones,
or wailing with despairing grief, carried
my old heart far back TO the days when
this was to me also an inner'l life. rest
ing place from hard realities or every
day monotones
She grew happier, too, in our daily
intercourse. The heavy grief in her