The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-03-26
[puBLIsHID By REouEsr.1
THE GOLD-BUG
~ BY EDGAR Al. POE.

mad
He hath been bitten by the Tarantula.
Al in The Wrong.
Many years ago, contracted. an init
macy with Mr. VIM. Legrand. He was
of an ancient Huguenot family, and had
once been wealthy; but series of mis-
fortunes had reduced him to want. To
avoid the modification consequent upon
his disasters, he left New Orleans, the
city of his forefathers, and took up his
residence at Sullivan's Island near
Charleston, South Carolina.
The Island is a very singular one. 1t
consists of little else than the sea sand,
and lie about three miles long. Its
breadth at no point exceed quarter of
mile 1t is separated from the main
land by scarcely perceptible creek,
oezing its way through wilderness of
reeds aud slime, favorite resort of the
marsh-hcn. The vegetation, as nigh. be
supposed, is scant, or at least, dwarfsh.
No trees of any magnitude are to be seen.
Near the western extremity, where Fort
Moultrie stands, and where are some mis-
erable frame buildings, tenanted. during
summer, by the tugitives from Charles
ton dust and fever, may be found, in
deed, the brstly palmetto; but the
whole island, with the exception of this
western point, and line of hard, white
beach on the sea-coast, is covered with
dense underground of the sweet myrtle,
so much priced by the horticulturists of
England. The shrub here often atttaiin5
the height Of fifteen or twenty feet, and
forms an almost impenetrabe coppice,
burtheuing the air with its fragrance.
In the inmost r.cesscs of this coppice.
not far from the eastern or more remote
end of the island, Legrand had built
himself a small hut, which he occupied
when | first, by mere accident, made his
aequaintance, This soon ripened into
friendship-ior there was much in the
recluse to excite interest and esteem
found him well educated, with unusual
powers of mind, but infected with mis-.
anthropy, and subject to pervcrse moods
OF alternate enthusiasm and melancholy
lie had with him many books, but rarely
employed them. His chief umusements
were cunning and fishing, or sauntering
along the beach aud through the myr-
Ties, In quest of shells or chronological
specimens his collection of the latter
might have been envied by Swammer-
damn. In these excursions he was usu-
ally accompanied by au old negro, called
Jupiter, who had been manumtted be-
fore the reverses of tho family, but who
could be induced, neither by threats nor
by promises, to abandon what he consid-
cred his right of attendance upon the
footsteps of his young "Nlassa Will"
1t is not probable that the relatives of
Legrand, conceiving him to be somewhat
unsettled in intellect, had contrived to
instil this obstinacy into Jupiter, with
view to the supervision and guardianship
of the wanderer.
The winte. in the latitude of Suli-
vans island are seldom very severe, aud
in the fall of the year it is rare event
indeed when fire is considered necessa-
ry. About the middle of October,
IS, there occurred, however, day
of remarkable chilliness Just before
sunset | scrambled my way through the
ever-greens to the hut of my friend,
whom had not visited for several weeks
-my residence being, ut that time, in
Charleston, distance of niue miles from
the island, while the facilities of passage
and re-passage were far behind those of
the present day. Upon reaching the hut
L raped, as my custom, and getting no
reply, sought for the key where | knew
j. was secretcd, unlocked the door and
went in. A fine FIRE was blazing upon
the hearth. 1t was a novelty, and by no
means an ungratetul one, / threw off
an overcoa took an armchair by the
cracking logs, aud awaited patiently the
arrival Of my host.
Soon after dark they arrived, and gave
me most cordial welcome. Jupiter
grinning from ear to ear, hustled about
to prepare some mnrsh-heus for supper
Legrand was in one of his its-how else
shall | term them l--of enthusiasm He
had found ah unknown bivalve, forming
new genius, and more than this, he