Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-10-23
An 0riqimal Sturg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer
THE WHITED SEPULCHRE.
BY CLAUDE FORESTER.
CHAPTER I

"To die now, mother Ito lie down under
sky so beautifully blue, and in the cool shad'
ows of this grand old forest Ito feel re-
freshing unconsciousness gently folding itself
about ones senses and somni6c influences
stealing over the worn and weary heart! !!
And the voice was tremulous with emotion,
and the eyes, which we're lifted so yearningly
up from this smitten earth, were swimming in
tears. 1t was pretty face, too, over which
these shadows were passing; face to remem-
Der and think pleasant things about, as one
sits by the freside and looks into the past,
through the kindling fame upon the hearth
a face like unto those we meet with in our
visits to dreamland and miss so sadly in our
waking hours. And yet, after all, it was only
the face ofLizzie Gray, the printers daughter
Old Donald Gray, however, had made up
his last "form" long ago, and the old high
stool, at the cease" in Bronson's printing office,
had been thrown aside as a superauous piece
of Office furniture by the young jonrneyman,
who so indiferently filled the place of the old
typo.
AS has been intimated, Donald Gray was
dead and-I might almost say, as conse-
quence-his aged wife and beautiful daughter
were reduced to state of unpleasant depend
ence, if not actual poverty. The fact Of the
matter, however, was, that the unpleasantness
of the survivors, condition resulted more from
the life, than the death of Donald. He was
not an idle man seldom or never INDUCED
in the ruinous vice of drinking, and was no
lover of gaming; but Donald was bad man.
ager. and-what was worse-a self-willed, ob-
stinate, dogmatic old man, who would listen
to the advice of none. What became of the
money earned during his life was mys-
terry to every body. His household expenses
amounted to a mere trife, and he was seldom
known to be lavish with his funds among his
friends. Whenever approached on the sub
iect by his wife and daughter, he would evade
every attempt to solve the mystery but inva-
riabl gave them to understand that what, to
them, appeared meanness now, would ulti
mately be viewed in quite another light And
so it was that the family subssted, year in and
year out, on plain hog and hominy and wore
cheap caicoes and homespun while old Don
aid kept hard at work in Bronsons large
printing establishment in the capacity of fore
man over near seventy hands. Everybody
said that the situation was lucrative one
everybody said Donald was miser or spend
thrift, to allow his family to make such a
plain appearance and to want many OF the
actual necessaries of life; but it had no effect
whatever upon Donald, who was satisfied, in
his own mind, that "the old 'oman and Liz
zie" had plenty to eat-if it auas coarse and
plain; and comfortable suit upon their
backs-if it was sevenpence calico and un-
bleached homespun. He had said so all his
life; he died thinking so.
After his death, however, people began to
talk and think, too and, somehow or other,
the verdict Of his townsmen was, by no means,
Aattering to Donald's memory. The idea of
dying without preliminary arrangements on
his part What business has any man to re-
turn from his work in apparent health and
entertain visitor half the night, and then
allow himself to be found dead in his bed the
next morning? 1t was shameful piece OF
business! So people said, anyhow.
And people were perfectly correct in their
conclusions; for Donald Gray should have so
managed his affairs, while alive, that some
provision would have been made for his bu-
rial, when dead. As it was, his distressed
wife and daughter were actually compelled to
take up collection in Bronson's printing Of
flee, to defray the funeral expenses.
When the meal, hominy and bacon next
gave out, "the old 'oman and Lizzie" were
without the means of replenishing the pantry
for Donald bought by the week only, and
now Donald was defunct. Their credit was
good-in the grocer's estimation, at least-tor
everybody expressed themselves perfectly per-
suaded that the eccentric printer must have
left money somewhere which would ultimate
ly turn up.
1t didn't "turn up" however, and creditors
concluded to wait for the ultimately" no
longer. Mrs. Gray's only resort was to bor-
row money and mortgage the property; and,
at the time our story opens, Jacob Mason, the
half brother of old Donald Gray, held a
mortgage over the head of Mrs. Gray, which
threatened to deprive her Of home, as it had
already deprived her of a moments peace OF
mind.
This Mr.. Mason, by the way, was Chris
tian gentleman of exalted piety, and holding
high official position in the church. If
such had not been his character, the supposi.
ton is, that position of this nature would
not have been assigned him. Wemerely take
the sincerity of his piety for granted from the
very fact of his position. 1t may not be a
safe rule; but, somehow or other, the inference
is perfectly natural, and must be allowed
At all events, it would be uncharitable to de-
eide otherwise without good and sufficient rea'
sons.
With these parenthetical paragraphs, we
return to our story-to the streaming eyes
the sad u.terances and pretty face Of Lizzie
Gray.
"Where did you learn all that nonsense
Lizze?" asked Mrs. Gray, as the couple
emerged from the footpath in the woods into
the main road "Dou't you know that it is
neither an evidence of common sense nor re-
ligion to repine and murmur because of the
experiences of our lives? |. don't help mat
tiers any. For my own part, I shouldn't like
to lie down any where and die just now; and
out here in the woods would be the very last