The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-10-05


Alas poor Ellen, how unconscious
of the woof Of misery which is being
woven for you. Whyf Obi why not
lay aside your holy principles and true
maiden modesty, fatter and caress Egg
bort Seymour, and thus save thyself
from the lowering clouds which are
bursting over your head !?
Mrs. Morris soon entered EIlen's
room, with flush Of excitement on her
face, aud seating herself on On easy
chair said,
"sit neaar me, Ellen, I have some
thing to toll you. You know-no, you
do not know, for I have never told you,
but it is go. When your father died
Mr.. Seymour held mortgage on the
whole Of our city property, and it has
only been through his indulgence and
Kindness that l have kept it, or been
able to keep up our style of living, and
Egbert Seymour told me plainly that I
could no longer be indulged-unless-
unless
"Unless what, mother" ?" said Ellen,
awed by the stern expression Of her
oountenance.
"Unless / promised that you should
marry him."
"But you did not, could not make
him such promise, mother"
"Ellen, it was alone the hope of your
marrying rich, and thus save us from
disgrace of poverty, that induced me to
take you from your wild mountain
home, yet I did not dream, or even dare
to hope for such splendid offer as
that Of Egbert Seymour. Yes, I have
promished that you shall marry him."
"Ellen shrieked, and would have fall
len on the floor, if her mother had not
caught her. She placed her on couch
and bathed her paid brow until con.
sciousuess was restored then said
"Ellen you are sentimental fool
ish girl, but now you must lay i. all
aside. You, aud you alone, can keep
US from shame aud beggary. I will
not ask you if you will--the fatcs have
dccreed, and have promised that you
shall marry Egbcrt Seymour, and that
within the next ten days."
We will not tell the sad tale of the
days and nights of anguish spent by
the despairiug girl. Alone with her
God, her oniy player was to avert her
doom--and from him her thoughts nat-
urally tn'o"I to her dear god mother
aud, Oh how ardcntly she wished to
be viii, her-but she was great way
off, and she knew that she could not es-
cape irNm her own mother.
Mrs. Morris, ambitious, unnatural
Ill l. l.,u,.ht
agony, was hurrying tho preparations
for the marriage. Mantua makers we're
consulted and employed, silks, laccs,
flowers and jewels were bought in pro
fusion, and without Ellen's appreciation
being cvcn once asked, complete bri.
dial outfit was prepared.
Powcilcss to resist her mothers COM
mands or wishes, when the appointed
evenir: came, Ellen passivcly submitted
to be attired in an elegant satin dress,
trimmed with the costliest poiut lace,
and caught with orange blossoms, and
to have the rich flowing veil thrown
over her face, from which every drop
Of blood had rcccdcd.
Her features rigid, motionlcss, and
almost as inficxible as death, she ap
peared moro like a marble statue than
a living being, as shc stood before the
minister who was to seal with holy
words her misely-she moved not on
ly cold shuddcr ran over her, as he
said, "What God hath Joined together
let no man put asundcr."
Egbert Seymour had played we'll his
trump, and won the hand of Elleu,
though he had failed to gain either
her heart or love for this he did not
care-he knew not love, or the desire Of
being loved-he had triumphed and that
was pleasure to him. But he could not
enjoy the triumph long after the mar
riage. The excitement and novelty
over, the pleasure died, and he poor,
misguided, pleasure seeking man turned
to the haunts of vice for it, and the
sources from which his vanity had so
long fed, to find something new to salts
fy its insatiate greed.
And Ellen, cast aside as child would
cast it's broken, worthless toy, uneared
for, unthought of, was left almost alone
in a home Of elegant misery. All that
wealth could buy was hers but what
was that to heart bereft Of hope and
happiness. Her senses seemed locked
in a sleep of apathy-her soul to be
feeding on her vitals, and it was hard
to recognize in her pale, careworn, sor-
rowful face, the lovely mountain girl.
A year passed by. Again light,
shone from tho soft eye, and smile
played over the palo face of Ellen. A
little heart beat against her own, tiny
form nestled in her arms, and on her
beautiful blue eyed babe she lavished
the whole wealth Of her affections. In
it, and for it alone she lived. But this
joy-this happiness Vas transient. The
delicate babe, child of her sorrows, lived
only few months to gladden. her heart,
ere God claimed il as his own.
Ellen felt that it had been sent only
as bright beam to draw her moro
closely to heaven and though she strovc
to bo resigned to the will Of her heav-
enly father, her grief for her little dar-
ling caused tho tell-tale flush, which
bod hoen for somo time nlavinD on her