The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-04-13

forget her country, on whose altar she
has placed her heart with devotee's
passion? Would, my Marion, that I
could restore the fair beauty of your
land, the happiness of your people !
But the past must remain thing of the
past, and in that valor which is born of
christian endurance and belongs only to
noble natures, must our whole people
find redress for their sorrows and their
wrongs, for are we not one people, and
will not, in some not far distant day, the
whole body suffer for the blow dealt upon
one, even one of its members? God
speed the day when the good and true
through the length and breadth of this
great country, united in one holy brother
hood, taking for their motto, in omnibus
charities shall raise once more the watch
words Liberty and Patriotism Then
may we look for the promised blessing
happiness. Happy is that people that
is in such a case, yea, happy is that
people whose God is the Lord"
1t was long past midnight before HUI
bert's eyes were closed in sleep, and even
his dreams were shadows of his waking
thoughts, clothed in fancy's vain but
brilliant hues, or in the dark shades of
dull dependency.
At first his dreams were all of music
and of mirth. He walked through bril-
liant saloons, filled with throngs of happy
faces. He listened with rapture to the
soft music which echoed through those
halls of pleasure, ever and anon the ten
der melodies, interrupted by merry,
girlish laugh, whose trilling, gushing
notes became q quick and lively inter-
lude. Ever and anon by his side, her
white hand resting lightly on his arm,
was the gentle Southern girl into whose
willing ear he whispered loves soft moth
ings. There, too, he saw friends and
kindred whose faces beamed with kind
ness. The loved and lost had returned
to earth again, wearing the forms and
features of times children, upon whose
fair but fading beauty We read inscribed
the touching words, passing away, pass
ing away" In Walters warm grasp, his
hand rested, and Annie's sweet, low voice
breathed affectionate congratulations
Mrs. Maham shone as when he had first
known her in her summer beauty, and
the good Colonel was again the genial
host of the gay assembly.
But suddenly the scene changed. In
an old, old church, beside the altar rails
stood young couple to plight their troth
and receive the lnuptial blessing. The
altar was lighted by numerous tapers,
whose dull and glimmering light only
served to make more sombre the deep,
deep darkness of the other parts of the
church in which there was no light at all.
The darkness so deep and black, was that
of starless midnight, and all along the
narrow aisles were low echoes of unearth-
ly sounds. The dull light of the tapers
revealed the earnest faces of the youth
full pair, beaming with love and hope.
The beautiful marriage ceremony of the
Episcopal Church was nearly concluded.
The mutual and solemn VOWS so sweet
to the listening ears of love had been
spoken. In the usual short, deep pause
which followed the minister's asking for
the ring, the air seemed to be buzzing
with strange sounds which dulled the
sense of hearing, and misty visions made
the sight dim and wavering. The cere-
mony continued, and Hubert, holding
the glittering pledge of love and trust in
his hand, proceeded to repeat slowly and
distinctly the words, "With this ring I
thee we'd" but ere the ring had touched
the maiden's finger, there was quick
flash of glittering steel-a phantom sword
cut in twain the golden circle, and q
stern voice exclaimed: 'The blood of
heroes forbid that the daughter of q
Maham should wed her country's foe p
Under the influence of those sepulchral
tones, the blood of Hubert Gray seemed
to freeze in his veins. As the cruel words
echoed from the dark walls and sank in
low whispers along the deep aisles, the
hand of his bride slipped from his arm,
and vainly did Hubert seek to grasp it.
vainly, too, did he essay through the
increasing darkness to recognize the fea-
lures of the shadowy form from which
the voice had proceeded. The bride, the
minister, the lights passed away into i'm
penetrable gloom, and Hubert with a
violent start, awoke pressing his finger
and thumb closely and painfully together
to secure the half of the severed ring
which had been left him, and murmuring
audibly: "It could have been none other,
it was, it was the hand of the old hero,
Hezekiah Maham, that severed the gol-
den circle which would have bound in
dissolubly my love to my lifeT
With a violent and painful effort, HUI
bert cast off the terrible nightmare which
had disturbed his slumbers, and spring
ing from his bed, he exclaimed: "What
horrible dream! But, in the language
of Hamlet, "a dream is itself but g
shadow and shall I, a soldier, be scared
even by such ghostly shadows as have
darkened the visions of this troubled
nightl If ever 1 am fortunate enough
to be guest at Berkley Hall again, ]
will plead for another chamber, for this