The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-06-17
HoYT & CO., Proprietors
Se1ettea gtory.
A Startling Narrative Of Real Life.
BY ANNIE ROBERTS.

i
schoolmates Of mine; for in those days
we Southerners used to form parties, and
q number of US leave our homes, and 60
together to the far North to be educated.
4 great mistake [ have since thought ;
for Ishave had occasion, often, to regret
not having received instruction in my
swn State.
At the time of which l write, was at
the house Of my most intimate friend,
Sue Long.
She was lovely in disposition, not re-
markably beautiful; but l never saw any
one with so sweet face.
Her skin was purely white, and her
eyes dark gray that many mistook for
black, because Of the long dark lashes
yelling them. /.
She had always beautiful color and
looked healthy; yet, don't know why,
she never seemed strong to me.
At school, / have seen her tremble and
grow pale at little incidents that scarcely
affected me- That very nervous weak
ness, so opposed to my strength of nerve,
endeared her to me, and / came to watch
over her as if she were a younger sister.
I had been spending the winter with
her, and it had been such happy one.~
One evening she came into my room
Just as I was getting ready for party !;
she held a note in her hand, and her face
was so ghastly that thought she was ill.
She seemed perfectly unneryed, and with;
cut word dropped in chair, near the
bureau, where was standing.
t'Sue, what is the matter" | said at
last.
She put her bands to her face, and wept
aloud but calming herself, she sobbed ::
"Oh, Lucy, poor Lily is dead "
I uttered an exclamation Of horror.
at can't be 1t can't be! We only saw
her this morning, and she was perfectly
we'll"
~Yos, but few minutes after we left
she was taken ill, and died about an hour
ago. Read the note"
[ took it and read short statement of
what she had told me.
We wept together; for Lilly was our
schoolmate and dear friend.
She was the only daughter of one of
the wealthiest men in Columbus; her dis
DO6ltlOn bO klIO anu auitaOiO, Ihoo oho
was petted aud caressed by all.
/ had never lost friend before, nor
had Sue; and we felt this bereavement
most terribly.
put off my party dress with the
saddest heart had ever known, and Ia
ter in the evening we went around to the
house of mourning,
She had been laid out in the parlor,
and there We went to look at her.
Two evenings before, we had danced on
the spot where the still form of the dead
now lay.
"Sweet flower! cut off while you yet
tbudded new 7"
She was the most life.like corpse have
ever seen. A smile rested on her coun-
tenance and her skin still retained o
slight roseate hue.
We sat up with her several nights.
On Friday she was to be buried; but her
fathers griet was SO heart-rending, and
she still remained 80 life-like, that at his
earnest request she was kept some days
longer.
At first we had many friends to share
our nightly vlgils; but the last night all
were tired out, and only two others be-
side Sue and myself remained.
We were much fatigued and very sad
for the next day Lilly was to be consign-
ed to the tomb, and we had hoped we
hardly knew what.
Two hours passed slowly. There were
Two parlors, with folding-doors between
them. They were handsomely furnished;
the most luxurious velvet carpet, chairs,
sofas, and mirrors of rare value. The
body was in the front parlor, resting on
bier, in the middle of the room, length
wise between one of the mirrors and the
folding-doors. On each side of this mir.
.ror were candles. We sat in the adjoin-
ing room, and several times during the
night, two of us, together, went in and
snuffed the candles.
About twelve o'clock this night, the
other two girls complained of headache,
and laid down to get a little sleep, 80 on
ly Sue and were left.
Some hours afterwards, Sue said to me,
wearily:
81 feel perfect horror creeping over
me. The sight Of poor Lily inspires me
with terror"
eyes," I replied, 81 feel wretchedly,
too; but attribute it to loss of sleep,
and our long and tedious watch over our
friend"
AS Sue passed me to go into the next
room to snuff tie candles, she hesitated,
as if about to ask me to accompany her.
Would that l had But was reclining
in my chair, and, in halfdreamy state,
watching her as she unfolded the doors
and entered the next room. As [ sat l
could see everything. There were six
candles, l think. She went from one TO
the other, leaving the two on the mirror
stand, at the head of the dead body, for
the last.
She trembed SO, that she could scarce
ly accomplish her task.
I saw her resolutey turn her head away