The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-03-26
i published by REauEsT.l
THE GOLD-BUG.
II BY EDGAR A. POE.

What hol what ho! this fellow is dancing
mad
He hath been bitten by tis Tarantula.
All in the Wrong.
Many years ago, I 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 very singular one. 1t
consists of little else than the sea SAID,
and is about three miles long. Its
breadth at no point exceed quarter of
mile. 1t is separated from the main
land by scarcely perceptible creek,
oozing its way through wilderness of
reeds aud slime, favorite resort of the
marsh-hen. The vegetation, as might be
supposed, is scant, or at least5 dwarfsh.
No trees of any magnitude are to be seen.
Near the western extremity, where Fort
Moultrle stands, and where are some mis-
erable frame buildings, tenauted. during
summer, by the tugitives from Charles
ton dust and fever, may be found, in
deed, the bristly 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 attains
the height of fifteen or twenty feet, and
forms an almost impenetrable coppice,
burthening the air with its fragrance
In the inmost rscesscs of this coppice.
not far from the eastern or more remote
end of the island, Legrand had built
himself small hut, which he occupied
when | first, by mere accident, made his
acqnaintance. This soon ripened into
friendship-for there was much in the
recluse to excite interest and esteem. |
found him we'll 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 amuscments
were cunning and fishing, or sauntering
along the beach and 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 an old negro, called
Jupiter, who had been manumitted 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 "Massa 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 a fire is considered necessa-
ry, About the middle of October,
19-, there occurred, however, day
of remarkable chillness. 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, at that time, in
Charleston, distance OF nine 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
II was secretcd, unlocked the door and
went in. A fine fire was blazing upon
the hearth. 1t was novelty, and by no
means an ungrateiul one. ] threw off
au overcoa took an armchair hy -,
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 mursh-hcns for supper
Legrand was in one OF his fts-how else
shall term them l---of enthusiasm. He
had found All unknown bivalve, forming
new genius, and more than this, he