Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-02-26
CHAPTERII.
,"'Twere idle toremember now,
Had the heart, my thwarted schemes

."'Twere idle to. remember now, =
49, Had the heart, my thwarted schemes;
I bear beneath this altered brow
The ashes of thousand dreams;
oi Some wrought of wild Ambitions fingers
Some colored of Loves pencil wel.n'- Willis
Morning broke in brightness and beauty
No storm clouds hung dark and suflen = tht
sky, no keen blast chilled the opening hoart:
Of the spring flowers. Sunshine lay warm OF
the. broad fields Of the Shaker settlement, anef
shot tremblingly through the boughs of the
orchard trees, and soft wind sweeping. W
from the south famed the brown cheek OF th-
plough-bey and made pleasant music among
the green foliage.
At day. break Mary Reed was astir. Her
first thought was of the strangers she had
taken in the evening previous, and she stole
noiselessly into their chamber. just as she
crossed the threshold, q lowgroan fell upon
her ear, and the woman started wildly in some
painful dream. Richard" she muttered
Richard--you need not say q word-l--l
know all Leave mc-leave me-let me
rest - Then the emaciated arms which she
had been wreathing aloft, dropped heavily on
Tue CONeIIe'J nei iiPS SlS" StotH W 'He'i Soh4
preston, ard her sleep became little more
quiet. The Shakeress withdrew in silence.
but as soon as the morning meal was over
and her most pressing duties performed, she
went back to the room occupied by her
guests. AS she entered, she saw that the
woman had risen and was standing by the
window. Beneath her was the Shaker vii
lage, with its neat and substantial houses, its
wel.kept' walks, its trim-fenccs and its white
church, without spire or pretension Of any
kind, but somewhat apart from the rest, and
surrounded by simple paling and smooth
green. sward. Beyond these, her eye could
trace the sivery windings Of mountain streams,
the outline Of noble forests and many rood
Of fertile land, while farther Oft, rose range on
range hills, some brown, and aeckered with
white groups Of sheep and cattle that seemed
like specks in the dim distance some purple,
and some blue as the sky which bent over
them, and crowned with snow.
Then you arc up" said Mary, moving to
the woman's side.
les,n she answered :" ! couldnt-lie any
longer, but Bessie, poor child, sleeps soundIy
yet"
"And how do you like here 2" continued
the Shakcrcs;.
"oh, the prospect is lovely rojoincd the
woman, "and it looks very peaceful, too."
aYea," said Mary and now you can put
on your own clothes and 60 on, or Keep ours
and be one Of us. Do you really think OF
joining our Society 2''
81 wish to remain that is, for the present,
was the quick reply; "but know nothing
of your requirements; never heard of you
till a month ag,."
"You would understand our faith better by
talking with some Of the Elders and reading
our Sacred Roll, said Mary.
"No, no, never could have patience with
dogmas OF any kind rejoincd her compan-
ion, impatently 8. but what are your GUS
toms? Can you tell me in few words p
"Oh yea" said the SLakeress; "we don't
conform to tic fasbions r pleasures Of the
worlds people; we work diligently; we
neither marry nor are given in marriage"
ella !" interrupted the stranger 4" that is
best of all; it is just what | want to hear.
Listen a moment misplaced love has been
the bane Of my lie." She paused, and a
deeper shadow settled over her face but after
a brief hcsitancy, she went on: 81 know by
bitter experience that an unhappy marriage
is living dea;h From such fate mean
to shield my Bessie. Look at herr' and she
hurried TO the low bed, where the child still
lay asleep. "She will grow up beauty"
added her mother, land if she is no. kept in
scclusion, she will be much sought after. She
NAV be wooed and won by somebody as laS-
cinating and false as her father-may suffer
as have. If she becomes -Shakeress, she
will not be exposed to these influences; that
thought is sufficient 10 bring me to quick
decision and then we are homeless, friendless
what could We do alone? Yes. lam ready
to Join your Society any day, any hour"
SWell," said Mary, 81 will make your
wish known to the Elders. What is your
name ?"
The woma6 started nervously.
"Cal me Margaret Percival," she at length
said 81 have cast off his name with my old
garments"
. Sand the child?" queried Mary.
"She shall layit aside, too," replied the
woman "her father is very fond of her, and
should be by any means find out where we
are, he would move Heaven and earth to car
ry her back. 1t will be safer to drop even her
pet name Bessie; she must be Elizabeth Per
cival, henceforth."
At this iuncture the child awoke and gazed
with an air OF bewiderment around the
chamber. Her eyes filled with tears as the
events of the previous day and night came
crowding thick and fas! upon her, but she
would not let them fall when she saw how
haggard her mother looked in the morning
lie lit. Her simple toilet was soon made, and
she went down stairs with quick, firm step.
After breakfast one of tho Shaker sisters took
her out to SEQ the poultry and various other
wonders, so that two or three hours passed
less drearily than she had feared. But in the
afternoon, a great trial came. She was sit
ting with her mother in the room where they
had slept, when an Ederess stole softly in.
"Margaret Percival, suppose" she said
noddng to the stranger, swell, | am Sarah
Wells-we don't say Mr., Mrs. and Miss, like
the worlds people, as you perhaps, have al
ready noticed. Mary Reed told me you had
a complete Shaker suit with The exception OF
a cap, and so l brought you three OF. four
you'll find one to fit you among them"
ooh mother" cried Bessie, "you can't
wear thosey they wouldn't half cover your
beautiful hair"
"If you mean to stay with u.s." interposed
the Elderess, you must conform to our Gus
toms. Your hair must be cut off; it might
ministerto pride to keep it long,"
Margaret Percivafs wan che. grew Grim
son, and there was q Grange tremor in her
frame. as she renovl. er comb and shook
down her glossy tresses.
81 never was handsome" she murmured,
family, but fused to be proud Of my hair, and
he, Richard, when we were happy, used to be
proud Of it, too. But that is all over;
might as well part.withit." - :.
Still she sat drawing its shining lengths
.l..L Ln- th;n fnuera hnldinf, IL nm to look