Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-05-21
gu Original Storg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
HOLLINGWOOD HOUSE.
BY MRS. HENRY DEAS.
CHAPTER VII.

Nv readers must now kindly accompany
me, after lapse of FIVE years, to the country
seat of Col. Stephen Hollingwood, fine old
family estate, situated within few miles OF
Greenville, South Carolina.
Hollingwood House was, at the time OF
which I write, one of the handsomest and
most commodous residences in the upper por-
tion of the State The original structure was
of brick, square and plain, with mulioned
windows, and stone porch, with fiuted
columns, and headstone steps in front. 10
this had been added, at later date, wooden
wing on either side, painted white, with light
piazzas and bay-windows, and glass doors
opening from the ground floor upon the lawn.
In the centre of the house, on the lower story,
we're the parlor, library, and servants hall ;
in the west wing was the dining-room, the
pleasantest and most cheerful apartment of
all. and, on that account used, also, as the
family sitting-room the corresponding room
in the opposite wing, had been fitted up as a
conservatory, and stocked with choice and
beautiful plants In the rear of this was
long gallery adorned with family portraits, of
which there was large and unusually excel
lent collection, as we'll as various other pic
lures of merit. The house stood in the mid
die of smoothly.shaven lawn, over which
we're scattered groups of stately and venera-
BILE trees, and broad gravel walk, with rows
of alternate red and white roses bordering it
on either side, led from the gate to the front
entrance, the carriage drive sweeping around
it in a circle, bordered with an arbor-vite
hedge Small beds of flowers were tastetully
dispersed amid the green grass, and every
thing on the premises, both within and with
out, bore evidence of the most constant atten-
tion and scrupulous care.
The inhabitants of this handsome residence,
however, at the period of my story, consisted
only of the owner COL Holliugwood, an old
and feeble gentleman of near eighty years Of
age, and his granddaughter Ellinor, stately
young beauty of nineteen. This pair, so
strongly contrasted, yet linked together by
the closest ties of duty and affection, were the
sole remaining representatives of what had
formerly been one of the largest and most in
fuential families in Carolina.
Elinor Hollingwood had lost her parents
in early childhood; she had neither brothers
nor sisters, and on the death of her father,
who had been the Colonels favorite son, she
became the object of the old mans tenderest
care and solicitude He absolutely doated
upon her, and would have considered millions
we'll spent, if he had them, in ministerlng to
her comfort and pleasure. He lavished large
sums upon her education, providing her with
the best of instructors at home, for he could
not bear to send her away to school; her
wardrobe was furnished as abundantly, if not
quite as expensively, as that of princess, and
her library stocked with every variety of at
tractive literature; in fact nothing was left
undone to make her happy, for, as he often
said, she led but lonely life, and needed all
the pleasure he could give her to make it en-
durable.
Ifher life was lonely, she did not repine at
it, or feel the want of companionship. With
a mind early trained to self:culture, she found
occupation for large portion of her time in
her books, her music, her drawing and paint
ing; she was, besides, good needlewoman,
and could make useful articles, (fancy work
she detested) with neatness and skill she read
aloud to her grandfather, cultivated her flow
ers, superintended the household affairs (this,
of course, when she came to years Of discre-
tion) and, in addition to these various occu-
pations, took a walk or ride on horseback
every day so that really she had no idle
hours in which to lament her seclusion from
the world, or indulge in wishes for gayer
life In fact, she had no such longings-for
Ellinor wasa peculiar girl, quite removed from
the common order of modern young lady.
and not to be judged according to ther STAN
dard.
think, before 1 60 farther, I must sketch
her portrait for you. 1 have said that she
was beauty, but must retract that asser-
ton. She was tall and slender brunette,
with queenlike head, crowned with heavy
braids of raven hair, magnificent dark eyes,
a graceful form, and a walk that Juno might
have enved; but beyond this, she possessed
no special attraction of face or manner. Her
nose and mouth we're in no way remarkable i;
her chin, well.rounded, indicative of 6rmness,
and lacking that essentially feminine adorn-
ment, dimple her whole countenance demo.
ted strength, not sweetness, and when in re-
pose was grave, almost severe, in its express
sion. But when she smiled, charm broke
over it, as of sudden warm ray of sunshine
glancing on the surface Of a cold and quiet
lake, illumining the still water with thousand
sparkling scintillations, and varying, dancing
lights.
Pity it was her smiles were so rare! Very
few there were who were fortunate enough to
be the recipients of them. 1t was reported
in the country around that Miss Hollingwcod,
the heress, was so dreadfully stiff and proud
that there was no pleasure in trying to talk to
her; she seemed to find ordinary conversation
an effort, and to have no idea in common
with any one else. Proud she certainly was,
in no small degree; but much of the cold
formality of her manner, which met with
such universal disapprobation, might be at
tributed to the seclusion in which her life had
been passed. and which had imbued her with
sort of shyness in the presence Of strangers,
not easy to be overcome. Her acquaintance
we're not many, her friends very few; but
those who really knew her, asserted that be.