Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-09-05
ELYIE viz KELLER'S PRIDE.

dank grass lay trodden and bruised
upon tie ground for want of cutting;
the trees were as motionless as statues
carved out OF some; not a breath,
not qqiver Of air to waken the
leaves from their slumbers. The
birds silent as though dead.
Nothing seemed glad or happy,
saveth mide-'nouthed poppies daring
their scarlet lips to meet the kisses OF
the fiery sui., and the monotonous
hissng Of the loousts al else was
still-still as the grave, within as
well as without.
The broad, low-roofed stone mansion
gave no sign from its many gabled
windows.
Nothing was audible but the weari-
some tick.tick Of the old fashioned
clock in its niche in the lover hall.
The house in its mournful !oneli.
aass ssaned deserted, besslt Of all
.hss had been dear ard ksown it o'
cid, for it had once known the patter
Of pair Of little childish feet-once
echoed to the merry ring of4a child's
sweet laugh.
But now years had passed. The
child had growu INTO woman, who
stood waiting for her father. todie.
In one of the upper rooms, Joyce
Keller lay, white and motionless wait
ing for the death-angel to bring him
his release,
There stood about his bed, his
daughter, bis only child, Elvie, a
man young in. years, with q sad,
sweet. foreign face, lit up now, how
ever with a glow Of something that
looked strangely like joy. and, third
the dying man. $ own dear wife.
Twenty years ago, that very day.
Joyce Keller had brought her home
lovely, beloved, but anloving.
Sweet sixteen, in very truth, was
Alice Keller then.
Neverwas golden hair more golden
blue eyes bluer, or bright smiles
brighter than his child wife's and he
loved her with all the might and
strength of his homely nature, for hei
beauty, her grace, her sweetness, and
for the reasal that few men could
look upen l.er rose 'rf loveiinessand
not desire it.
She Was POOR. he was ricis hel
parents were ambitious, she was their
all: so she married him at lheir bid
ding-a man old enough to have been
her father, and for whom she enter
tanned no feeling but one OF supreme
Indifference.
As years wore on, it changed intoa
quiet sort Of endurance, but every
now aad then il seemed as though
the simple sight of her husband
would drive Alice Keller to despera-
ton.
In her daughter she found not con-
ISOLATION, but relief, for into the child's
ever-willing ears she poured the story
of her sufferings and her wrongs.
His fearful jealousy, his painful
watching of ler every LOOK and
movement, Jared and hacked her
free, untramuelled spirit.
She lchged to be away, rid of his
presence, out Of his sight.
But Joyce Keller had won MS VIE,
and he meant to keep her. all to him
self too.
Their establishment in town was
. only thrown open at rare and stated
intervals, ans Of intimate friends the
poor girl hal none her hnsba"1's $
indomitablo lealousiy kept every one
away.
He knew = did not possess Alice's
love, and he was determined that she
should be spared the opportunity Of
bestowing it upon another.
1t was only when his daughter was
growing a large girl, that his wife
succeeded in persuading him that
Elvie." must have society" Then he
relented a little.
She was allowed to mingle with
those OF her own age to certain de-
gree, and, OF course, the intercourse
was mutual.
So, when. at the age Of seventeen,
her debut was decided upon, in the
shape Of grand fete at oaklands,
for ELVES birthday came in August,
as if by the nature of the month to
indicate the girls sweet, warm, vivid
character, her .fatLcr made, no ohjec-
tion-in fact, rather entered into the
spirit of the thing, and pr nounced
Blvie in her white tulle and scarlet
roses very queen in her dark re-
splendent beauty.
She inherited her fathers dark
tints, all save the deep violet eyes;
those were Alice's over again.
Who would believe exclaimed
Joyce Keller, as he gazed at them,
"that they were mother and daugh-
ter; If anything, Alice, with her wa
wing golden hair and rose-like colour,
is the younger-loolling of the two.
NV EIvie is stately, but she is very
sweet" murmured the old. man 10
y