The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-04-06
@riainal Sturg.
BERKELEY HALL
BY "LA CAROLINE"
CHAPTER XIV.

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"'Tis the place. and all around it as Of old, the
0reary CLEANS about the mocrland flying over
Locksley Hall"
The day after Christmas Mrs. Mahaur
and Marion were again alone at Berkley
Egall. Harry had reluctantly, and only
in compliance with the urgent and affec-
tomato entreaties Of his mother and sister,
left them that morning to make a visit to
his promised bride, Jessie Ferguson
The young man had laughingly declared
that he found it very hard to obey so
many mistresses. His mother had insis-
ted on his going to Charleston, and his
imperative betrothed had commanded
him to remain at Berkley. Just like
Jessie! She wrote:
CHARLESTON, Dec. 20, 1865.
70 Capt. Harry Maham, Commander Of
Post at Berkley Hall:
SOLDIER OF LOVE AND DUTY-You
are hereby commanded to provision and
garrison CASTLE Berkley; said Castle be-
ing threatened with assault in the coming
Christmas festivities by the powerful
army of sad "reminiscences. Love, hope,
cheerfulness, and above all others, noble
selfdenial, you will find valiant soldiers
and potent auxiliaries during the siege.
By command of
JESSIE, REG.
Of the Pierced Heart.
Seriously, Harry" continued the
varm-hearted girl in her letter, "if you
come to me I cannot bid you welcome.
You must not neglect higher duty for
our qualification. You must remain at
3erkley to make glad the Christmas for
your loved ones there, and I must stay
here to brighten my bereaved Uncle's
now desolate home. The old house is
often dreary; our ears are weary in vain
listening to hear the music of Annie's
low, sweet laugh, and our eyes ache with
longing to see her gentle face, so win
come in it's tender beauty. Our work,
Harry-yours and mine-is one, labor
Of love, and in its performance you and
will be very happy; thus it is heart
meets heart"
Mrs. Maham was pleased with the un-
aelfsbness of Harry's little sweetheart,
and accepted the offered sacrifice for
Christmas day, for she judged by her
own generous impulses that in so doing
she would confer happiness on her "Boy"
and his Jessie. But she firmly refused
more than one day, insisting upon rival
ing their loved Jessie in her "soft endear-
ments in kind strife"
And SO Harry was obliged pesforce to
leave Berkley Hall the day after Christ
mas, the bearer of many messages of
love to his little Jessie, who had sought
to rule with loves sweet tyranny.
Late in the afternoon of that same
day the mother and daughter occupied
The once richly furnished and luxurious
parlor st Berkley Hall. Now the win
dows were curtainless, and the floor bare
and cold, except in front Of the chimney,
where bright-colored rug gave comfort
10 the feet and a CHEEKY home look to the
scantily furnished room. Plundered
homes were too common in our beauti-
full South for US to dwell long on the
unpleasant theme, but we will simply
observe that command of Federals,
composed almost entirely of negro troops,
together with the disafected slaves, had
robbed the Mahams of all of the luxuries
and most of the comforts and convenien-
ces left at the Hall, where Mrs. Maham
and her daughter had fled theft home as
refugees.
The lofty ceiling with. the bare walls,
the undraped windows and the carpetless
floors would have been insupportable in
its dreariness, had it not been relieved
by the blazing Christmas fire on the
hearth, and the bright beams of sunlight
with which the departing god of day was
flooding the room, and deepening into
golden auburn the rich, dark hair Of
Marion Maham, who sat on low seat in
front of the fire, her arm resting upon a
lounge on which her mother reclined.
On her lap lay volume of Meredith's
"Lucille." The book was favorite of
hers. The womanly self.abnegation, and
the lofty but sweetly ysfeminine heroism
of "Lucille" had always fascinated her.
But that afternoon she did not read-her
head rested upon her hand, and her heart
was bowed in sad thought. Could the
tender mother have caught glimpse of
her child's sweet, pale face, she would
have been startled by the mingled ex-
preston of grief and conflict which had
marred its usually calm and intellectual
beauty.
But the mother, too, INDUCED in reve-
ries, and judging from the pensive smile
which fingered around her still sweetly
expressive mouth, we would say hers
we're pleasant thoughts. Memory, faith
f,l to her allotted work, had been peo-
n,;np the wife's and mothers visions
with images of the dear ones, not lost,
only gone before! She had been muE-
muring ir joyous accents: GLOW grows
in paradise my store~ Grief, anxiety
and repeated illness had placed Mrs.
Mabam on the invalid role for life. She
knew, and rejoiced in knowing, that she
would soon receive the gracious mandate,
-, For Harry and Marion she