The farmers' vindicator., 1874-09-18
For the Farmers Vindicator.]
Am Incident Of the Old North State
Half "a Century Ago.
BY GETTY GRANGER.


How often do we hear the remark
when relating any strange incident,
"Ah that is felton, when in truth,
if the heart,secrets Of the world were
laid bare, there would be tales and ad.
ventures quite as romantic and start
ling as ever adorned the pages of Scott,
Bulwer, or Cooper; and the old adage,
Truth is stronger than felton," com
pletely verified But such is not the
case. Pride keeps down many sigh,
and lips smile while the the heart
moans in anguish, and the body wastes
away, and death closes the drama.
Died Of a lingering disease is the
verdictof the world, whilst mercenary
parents, or the fickleness Of human
nature, is more often the real cause.
Sometimes, however, the victim has
his pride aroused, and determines to
rise above his troubles, and doing SO,
goes manfully out into the world bat
ling with a brave heart, and such
trust in Providence as is sure to bring
reward; if not such happiness as he
once wished, at least consciousness of
having discharged his duty, bringing
peace and contentment on earth, and
a hope Of frest hereafter which shall be
eternal.
Such a character was the hero of
this incident. AS some of the parties
are still living, fictitious names and
places win be used, but the tale is DER
true, having been told to the writer
by a friend Of the hero. 1t will now
be necessary to take our readers back
some forty or fifty years.
On a warm spring day ymight be seen
small sailing vessel bound for town on
the coast of one Of the Southern States,
which we will call Alton. It glided |
slowly along as scarcely ripple could
be seen on the waters, while lounging
under an awning were two men en-
gagged in conversation. They were al
most antipodal in appearance, and had
evidently moved in different circles of
society, though to an observer would
have appeared as mutual friends. One
of them was a rough old sailor, in his
coarse weather-beaten garb, with un-
kempt hair, presenting striking con-
trast to the fair, curly hair and grace
full form of the young man who sat by
his side, who could not have been more
than twenty years of age. He had a
sad look which spoke of trouble of
some kind, and this proved to have
been the cord which drew the two men
as soldiers are proverbially
kind-hearted sympathetic beings. The |
old sailor seeing the young passenger |
musing alone 50 much, took a fancy to
him, and on the present occasion drew
his history out. His name was Van
lear, and a foreigner by birth. He
was left au orphan at a tender age;
any near relations he had /
to eudear. him to his native
land, and like many thousands came
to our goodly land to seek a fortune,
or living. He was an accomplished
and hoped by his profession
to add something to his exhausted
means, but his youthful handsome face
really had prevented his obtaining
rupils, though he was not vain enough
.r 'pect the cause.
5 .er a weary search for employ
nent in all the Eastern cities, and ex-
hausting all his funds, he was forced to
embark on this small sailing vessel to
ook for business elsewhere. The
'ailor advised him to stop at Alton,
hen a fiOurishing village principally
ettIed up by wealthy and aristOcratic