The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-09-03

ISAluioo1 ShSSGNC 'sshA 9sSy So SoAo 90
black velvet. He looked at her,
and loved her.. and in AN instant
his oath recurred to him. "He had
vowed never to marry while he re
mained upon earth" s1
The thought soon became tortore
but for that VOW heaven seemed
to. open itself before him. Why
had he taken it? Why had bis
dead wife demanded it? He almost
hated her for the act. He despised
himself for his cowardice. Yet he
dared not break an oath.
Meanwhile he haunted the steps
of the young beauty and made mad
love to her. Soon he discovered
that she returned his love, aud then
he told her all his miserable story.
She wept, but the dread of the oath
was upon her also. Love they
might, but they could never marry.
Here was a tragedy indeed.
The daughters cheek paled the
lover wore a look of misery; papa,
the pastor, noticed nothing, and
smiled upon them as usual; and
suns arose and set, and summer
flew by on airy wings, and the dead
woman lay in her grave at Green
wood; and her widower hated her
memory because of the promise she
had forced from him.
You all know what and where
the Mammoth Cave is-the Nam
moth Cave of Kentucky-where
the guides keep travelera from los
ing their way; carry blazing torches
which reveal strange stalactite- hung
chambers aud mysterious corridors
that seem to have been cut by some
giant tools from the firm rock.
Hither it pleased the Rev. Mr..
Bray ore day to take his guest, aud
with them went Rhoda, his daugh-
ter. The girl had never visited
the cave. She was full of curiosity.
The guides, with their torches,
walked before. The three visitors
followed. Rhoda clung to Stewards
arm.
Som etimes, in the obscurity, he
placed his hand upon the hand that
rested there. . They paused in great
chambers, where their voices sound
ed strangely hollow. They crept
through narrow passages into grand
and wonderful places that sparkle'l
rs though hung with jewels. AT
last they paused.
'No lady. has ever been any far.
ther," said the. principal guide.
"Indeed, few Of the guides know the
way beyond this spot. We are
very far below the EARTH 2
He mentioned the distance. It
was something astaundiag. 1t
struck Mr.: Bray as a text for q SER
mon. E-..ila#a III
'"My dear, children he began,
''think of that. We are no longer
upon earth; none of us are any
longer upon earth. Awful Thought!
No longer upon eartl'!"
Then Stewart seized Rhoda's
hand.
"My darling be said; ''listen !;
do you hear? My VOW holds me
no longer. I am free here. I only
swore not to marry as long as Twas
upon earth. We are as much be-
meath it as though we were in our
graves. 4t..
''It is true,'' said Rhoda.
Then they both clasped the old
pastors arms and besought him to
marry them. He had no idea of
the motive, but he rather liked the
sensational.
He had married people in odd
places before-in a boat, steeple,
in graveyard. he agreed The
guides stood by as witnesses, and
the words were soon said. Rhoda
was Stewards wife.
"And I have kept my oath," be
whispered, and he kissed her. 81
never married upon EARTH
AS he uttered these words one
of the guides shrieked aloud and
fed, dropping the torch. The
other, with an oath, followed snit.
There stood amidst the group tall,
ghostly figure-a woman in her
shroud. She stretched forth her
bony finger and pointed to the
bridegroom.
"You never married upon earth,'
she said, "and you shall never live
there. Follow me-" and she van
ished in the shadows of the cave.
An hour after the guides, attend
ed by a strong body of believers
and misbelievers, and fortified by
plenty Of whisky, veutured into
the cave again. They found the
Rev. Silas Bray, more dead than
alive, and took him home; but
Rhoda and Stewart were never seer
on earth again. And there are
Mammoth Cave guides to this houl
who believe that sometimes, at
certain day of the year, there il
likelihood of meeting two ghostly
figures wandering hand in hand
who ask yan the Wav to earth ir