The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-12-22
End Of a Weary Life.


Deen u weary one, aud, maybe,
harder than he could bear, for
TO those who know him there were
Il lew hints ofa brief death strug-
gle that was Dot natural. George
R--was born in Kentucky, and
came to Cooper county, Missouri,
at tho ago Of lG. This was 1913.
soon his parents died, and no was
lett alonc and pennilcss. In 1856
he went to California, ontcrod the
mines with the zcst Ola boy, work.
ca hard, was successful, bought
land near Sacramento City, and
soon became q rich man and pros
porous man. In 1858 hc met the
woman who, through no falt ofhis,
was TO exert such II sad influence
upon all his after life. This wo
man was snid to be beautiful, nc
complished, pure and loveaulo.
lt-------mot her, was fascinated.
proposed, and, as u result, an en-
gagcmcnt followed. Tho wedding
day had been suggested, if it had
not been decided upon, and for
one brief month the sun of hap
plness shono out solacingly before
the clouds closed over it forever.
Preceding tho wedding, it became
necessary for R----to return to
the mines to arrange some bust.
ness thcro claiming his immediate
attention. lIo wont, became in
volvcd in Il quarrel with Il man he
had never seen, was attacked, and,
to save his own life, killed his
antagonist. Tho dead man was
his intcndcd's brother. IIc did
not know it thcn, nor until his
trial was over, nor until after he
went again TO Sacramento to SEQ
all that he had over known or
loved. 1t is not necessary to de-
pIct tho intcrvicw-the terrible
remorsc on the ono side, Tho frcn-
ziod reproach and regrets on the
other. At last the sister grow
frightfully calm--so calm, indeed,
TINT she told Of her brother; how
no had left home ut tho first news
Of tho gold discovery ;how ho bad
not written how wild stories had
como back ofhis rcckIcssncss and
his dissipation; and at last tho
dreadful day when he lay dead at
the feet Of her lover. I,-'s
grief was no less bittcr than that
oftho stricken sister, and 50 when
she said to him, II will love YOU
Till die, but | will never marry
you on this earth, because my
brothers blood is on your head"
nc sold out everything he owned
in California, and came back to
Missonri, first pledging to each
other to correspond as regularly
as tho condition Of tho mails
then permitted. Sho wrote
once, and no more. Tn IL
month following her first letter
sho, too, had gone to join her
brothcrin the eternal world. This
second blow fell heavier than"thc
first, for the poor man had some
hope while the woman lived. Now
he was alone forever. Presently
tho warcnmc, and R--cnlisted
in the Confederate army. In tho
hot charge made upon tho grave
yard fort, at the battle Of Helena,
Ark, a minnie bullet passed.
through both Of RS checks and
cut his tongue evenly Off about
midway in its length. After that
he never spoke an intelligibIc word
again. Indeed, he cared very it,
tic to speak. Ia subsequent bat
tics he tried hard to throw his life
away, and was noted in his com
mand for the most reckless
audacity.
At Jenkins ferry, ii seemed rs
if he would get what he most de-
sired, for he was badly shot in tho
head, the skull being fractured,
and brain exposed. lie recovered
in so much that the wound healed,
but the poor tried man had con.
vulsions until he died. 1t is sup
posed that these commissions i'm
paired his mind to Il certain OK
tent, for he frequently declared he
saw the face nf the woman whom
ho onccd Ioved--thc face Of tho
woman whose memory never left
him long during all the bittcr and
sorrowful years Of life.
Kansas city Times.
l.