The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-05-12

the Nile, who qualfed pearls from her
gemmcd goblet and triumphcd over
tho hearts of two of Earth's mightiest
warriors. Nina Di Rasclli-the mag
nifcent Cumaean sybil Of Rome, with
her oriental bcauty-thc proud and
naughty, but idolizcd wife of Romo's
Ricnzi, her last and noblcst Tribune.
Still farther on and side by side, hung
Mary of Scotland, the most beautiful,
the most illustiious and the most i'll
fatcd of her ill~fatcd race, and Anne
Bolcyn, the unhappy successor of the
"spotlcss Arragoncse infanta" in the
affections Of the periidious King Hen
ry Of the house Of Tudor. Josephine,
Of whom Napoleon said, "shc wins
hearts while | conquer empires" look
cd sadly forth from the wall, upon
Marie Antoincttc, Austria's illustri-
Gus princess and Frances most unfor-
tunate queen.
But we must not linger too long
here, wo must tell of those who in
habitcd the house and particularly
of two fair maidens who camo often
to look upon these lovely women that
flourished years ago. General St.
Clair, once q veteran soldier, after
wards, star politician, had sought
this shado-c cmbowcrcd nook, to spend
the few remaining years of his dcclin-
ing life-bringing with him, his only
child, a maiden SO fair and stately as
to fill the minds of the simple coun-
try folks with awe and wonder, and
nephew as handsome as the Apollo
Bclvidcre. General st. Clair had, in
early life, woocd and won lady,
whose heart had never acknowledged
him as its king. Motives of interest
had induced her parents to persuade
her into a marriage which was dis
tasteful to erfeelings. Her husband
sought in vain to win her love, he
lavishcd upon her souls wealth of
affection, robcd her in garments like
a queens, dccllod her white brow
with pearls from Bahrcin and dia.
monds from Golconda, but unfortu-
nately for him,it was not his delightful
privilege to call the warm blush to her
check nor the tender lovc-light to her
eye. After two years of heart-sick-
ness she died, when the little Lconara
was but Two weeks old, and went to
rejoin her only love, who had found
grave in the "briny sea, whore pearls
lie deep" She manifested but little
affection for the snowdrop that lay
upon her bosom but one brief fort
night. Those who watched beside her
are said to have heard her murmur
once, as if in sleep, "she too, is ia.
ted" Perhaps this unhappy mother,
who was approaching so near to the
dark bourne from which no traveller
returns, had looked into tho dread
arcana Of the future and had seen
there, the coming fate Of the frail
babe whose life had cost her, her own.
After her death, Lconora was commit
ted to the care of her grandparents
and General St. Clair again entered
the great arena of public life.
Years passed, the fragile infant
grew to glorious womanhood, refined,
accomplished, brilliant, but cold and
stately as an iceburg in the Artic
ocean. Men worshippcd her from
afar, as they wo,shippcd the glittcring
stars that shone in the blue
vault of heaven, SO infinitely above
their reach. There were two only,
dared to approach her, her cousin
Percy, who was also her fathers ward,
the only son of deceased brother
and, save the General and his daugh-
ter, the only remaining scion of long
and noble line of ancestors. The 9TH
er was Eugene Trcvclyan, travelled
and polished gentleman, in his thirty
fifth year, and warm friend and ad-
mirer of General St. Clair's. This
man had travelled much in Europe
and America, some in Asia; he had
seen the Persian Peri and the Turk
ish E1ouri the ark-browcd Spanish
donnas; the golden.haircd danes of
Albion's beautcous isle; the gay Par
isian bellies tho Grecian and Italian
women, whose beauty is so renowned
in song and story, but never in his
life had he beheld so fair creature
as Leonora St. Clair. In England,
oven peeresses of the realm had con-
descended to smile upon the princely
American and wherever he went he
won golden opinions and bright smiles
were showcred upon him, but that
proud knee bowed to none, that proud
heart acknowledged no queen until
the frozen beauty of Lconora St.
Clair, dawned upon him, in it's calm,
clear radiance like thing of light.
She was then with her father and cous-
in in Southern city, bright and
shining star in the galaxy of beauty
with train of satellites forever in the
distance. Her complexion was as white
as Carrara marble and without blcm-
ish. No roses ever bloomcd upon her
cheek tho lily was queen-triumphant
there. Her forehead was Madonna-like
in it's purity the brows, highly arched
and delicately pencilled tho lashcs,
long and sweeping; the nosc,an cxqui-
site Grecian ; the mouth, small ,and the
teeth, seemed like line of pearls
between rows of corals the ears were
i 4