Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-05-09
CHAPTER XVII.

Having seen Mary established In her new
home, and waiting to render such assistance
to her friend-Mrs. Stanley-as she might re-.
qure in the performance Of her private hos
pitsl duties, We will le.ve her, for the present.
and return to Mosslands, to see how matters
have progressed there since her departure.
Shortly after she had left, Maurice had
contracted the illness of which Mrs. Bland
ing wrote to inform her, and was, for short
time, an extreme sufferer; all the old pain in
his side returning with its original violence,
and con6uing him entirely to his bed. Poor
Mrs. Blanding found him most refractory
subject to manage. He rebelled against all
her dictates, sneered at her advice, and was
so frightfully cross and il.tempered that he
drove her, as she pathetically expressed it,
we'll nigh distracted. She conscientiously per-
severed, however, in the path of duty, and
continued to bestow her patient attention up.
on him, Notwithstanding his rebufs; and be-
ing quite unable to help himself, he was
forced, though much against his will, to &C.
cept her ministrations, which it must be own.
ed he did with the very worst possible grace.
1t may be imagined that Adelia did not
find this state Of affairs particularly enter
tanning. She vowed that Mosslands was the
dullest and most depressing spot on earth,
and 6nally, after protracted struggle with
herself, she decided to return to her mother,
from whom she had been absent, except at
occasional brief intervals, for more than six
years Having formed this laudable reaolu-
ton, she packed her trunks, with many in
ward sighs and complaints, and took leave of
Mosslands and its inmates, none Of whom felt
any very keen regret at seeing her depart.
1t chanced that on the very day that old
John drove her down to the railroad station,
certain letter was lying in the post Office,
directed to Mary Eustace, Of which that sable
functionary took possession, and carried it
home to Mass Maurice" its rightful reel P.
lent not being within reach. Maurice at
once recognized Colonel Dacre's handwriting,
and the sight of it excited considerable Gu
riosity within his breast. More than curosi-
ty burning desire seized him to possess him
self of its contents. Mary was away, and
never would know. He could forward it to
her afterwards in fresh envelope, copying
the address in his cousins hand 1t was not
very honorable impulse, certainly; but l
regret to say that he obeyed it, aud, without
much deliberation, quietly broke the seal.
1t contained startling news: The writer
was prisoner in Fort Delaware, and still in
very weak condition from his wounds His
letter, having been subject to inspection, was
necessarily brief, and guarded in its express
sion 1t ran thus:
"MY DEAR MARY: You will see by the
date of this that am prisoner, having fall.
en- into the hands of the u. S. troops after
the fatal little skirmish Of September 18th.
| was badly hurt on that occasion, receiving
bullet in my shoulder and another in my
right leg but though l have suffered much,
| am now, | think, slow y recovering. l am
attended by the surgeon in charge here, who
is skillful and attentive. Of course | have
no idea how long | shall be here, but suppose
| must cultivate patience as we'll as / can. |
am still very weak, so you must pardon this