The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-01-14
IA ES OF THE BORDERS
ne AVENcER; or THE LEGEND OF MARY
LEE.
By ALExAHDKR LEIGHTON.

SIP old legend dessribeth to us "Th
Casale," large residence, which, som
centuries ago, graced, with its high tower.
the slanks of the river Amman, perhaps on
of tlSe finest of the Scotch rivers, if all th
eleH.ents Of beauty are taken into account
''Tbs Castle" stood towards the Solway
and WAS the seat OF family that had rise
to SHINE distinction as commoners, from tb
possession Of considerable wealth, acquire,
by IN ancestor, who had got possession 0
aont lucrative mOnOpolies from the first 0
tie yameses- The family name was Ash
ley.lef English origin but the more earl,
meftbers having intermarried with daught
ers!Yf Scotland, and their fortunes havin.
fOIfished, for the first time, on her theI
pody uncultivated soil, they gradual,
carrie to lose every quality and mark cf ID,
cOdntry from which they originated excep
the name,
Robert Ashley, the proprietor of thi,
residence at the time our story commences
was widOwer, having an o4y son alive
the heir-expectant Of his father, and the
proprietor, in anticipation, of all the right
of the property. The young man, whose
name was also Robert, was posses sed OF
hltth feelings Of love and poetry but, as is
often the case, be allowed these to outstep
ths bounds of mOrals-living luxurious
lis2 of pleasure, suited to his strong sus-
capabilities, but altogether unsancti6ed by
single restraint, which the greatest liber-
tines often offer, as sacrifice to offended
yi;tue. he had been a follower of gipsies,
aha got from them the gypsy name Of Rob
AIRY, pronounced Robin-a- Rec. The only
p.tlliation his most partial friend could offer
ftf his eXtravagatd conduct, was, that bis
alpOurs, of which ne had many. were NOT
the result of a grOvelling propensity of lust,
cultivated for its own sake, and unredeem-
e1 by any concomitant affections of the
fSart. His intrigues, though all ending in
| Qualifications of gross passion, began in the
excitement of love not that love, the influ-
eace Of which tends to elevate and refine
tAe other sentiments; but still love which,
II the world, very often passes for it's more
Fllre ally-using the same language, exhib-
lsFng the same external marks, and, unfor
tanately, so completely personating it, as to
seceive the cOnfding hearts of the objects
% whom it is directed The easily lighted,
tickle, heartlesS, and seducing passion, was
lhe bane Of The young man-springing up,
With sudden violence, on the first eontem-
4lation Of beauty-rendering him uneasy
4all it was communicated and miserable till
II was gratifed-too often by the ruin Of
bis victim. A fine form and expressive
fountenance, command Of the language Of
the heart, and riches, rendered him one o.
che most dangerous companions of the fan
sex Of his time /; yet paradoAical as it may
libe, his character for success In rendering
Imiserable that sex whose happiness ough
Ito be the pride and satisfaction of him whit
has arrogated to himself the title Of lord o
1.-THE creation, instead of keeping victims Ou
isof his way, seemed to lure them into hi
power at least, there could be no doub
1 that the gentleman gypsy Robin-aRse ha'
always more admirers than any other yOun
man on the north of the Solway. So
seems to be, that vice is sometimes Ordain
ed to be fed to repletiOn, producing in th
end the ruin of its powers and properties
\ which, otherwise, might be exercised 70
n greater evil.
VI On the lands pertaining to ''The Castle,
\ there was the little port, which we mu;
4 disguise under the name of FGrhaver
where resided Gilbert Lee, a fisherman
whose boat was often required by Robi
for pleasure excursions on the Solway
Gilbert had daughter, Mary, whose youth
being eight years younger than Ashley
had, for a time, protected her from th
dangerous attention Of the young lairC
This Mary Lee was peculiar girl; she va
accounted the handsomest in Fairhaven
and her father bad only one fault to imput
| to her-a most unforgiving spirit. Kin
and atfectionate to all who exhibited thos
: qualities to her, Mary seldom forgot or 70
gave an injury or an insult and SO strOnl
> ly marked was her character in this respec
that her school antipathies remained vii
her, and increased as she grew up
kindness or Cancellation having the effect
) modifying or modifying the determinatio
b, aud bitterness Of her hatreds. So says OIL
CHI onicle, and SO is it often in the worlt
that the most opposite feelings and passion
like the nerves of the human systeI
which, operating equally on the gall-bla
der and the heart, are bound up in the san
Sleath-may be found in the same indivi
usl acting with equal and antagonistic force
and realizing species of manlcheisn whiC
has perplexed optimist moralists from Il
beginning Of the world. AS the good
strong, so often is the evil, in the same j
dividual and it would have been hard
n say whether Mary Lees loves we're stron
Y er or weaker than her hatreds
80 Mary" her father would say, i"
will be happy or miserable man WI
K gets We for his lot on earth he will (
either the sweet honey O yer young a
Ioving heart, or the sting which, as in
bee, receives its poison from that very h
ey itsep so do we see a sweet things m
{ productive O. sourness than the bltt
which we avoid, and darkness is ne'er
, visible as when licht is its nearest neil
w bor, aud hands the candle to its i'll favol
face"
Now, Mary understood, perhaps, rut
tie of her fathers quaint remarks, and
y tie did she know Of the possession of q u
ties which were destined to stand out
lion such prominent and startling relief fr