Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-10-26
For the Chronicle.
BLIGHTED HOPES.

Being now old, and making my
way slowly but surely to that
"bourne" of silence which awaits
all humanity. a few thoughts of
early life scattered by the wayside
may be productive of some good.
l was once young, buOyant and ar
dent, and had placed my affections
on a bright, lovely girl by the name
of Louisa Hart. Miss Lou, as she
was universally called, was an adj
opted child of Mr.. Banks, and living
at the time in which our story opens
in Logan county, Kentucky. Miss
Lou. had the misfortune when quite
a babe to lose both father and
mother, and Mr.. Banks, with a
heart as big as his house, took the
little waif to his home, and said
to her, "You shall get be some
bOdy's darling.'" Mr.. Banks and
his wife both loved her, and watched
OveT her youthful life with as much
care and sOlicitude as if she had
been their own offspring. Mr..
Banks had an only son, by the name
of Jared, who was ever kind and
indulgent to Lou.
At the time of LOUIS adoption
into the family of Mr.. Banks she
was about four years old, and Jared
was about eight. Jared in some re-
spects was a kind-hearted boy, but
subject ut times to ungovernable fits
of temper. This had its origin, no
doubt, i'm his being the only child
and the pet of the household. My
own age was about the same as that
of Jared, and we had formed some
what of an intimacy a short time
prior to our attaining our majority,
at camp-meetings, festivities and
other places of amusement, though
we lived some fifteen or twenty
miles apart. | liked Jared Banks
for his wild, reckless and seemingly
independent manner of life. He
had a vague, indefinite charm for
me. In all of our social intercourse
he seemed to expect that | should
yield the leadership to him unre-
sistirgly and unheSitatingly. Why
l did this | know not, save this,
that our Utmost unfathomable
natures are yet unsolved by
the scientist. He claimed to
lead, and | accorded him the lead
ership. He ruled and governed his
fathers premises, and tacitly claimed
the same right thus to rule others.
1t was in the latter part Of the
year 1850 that | attended a camp
meeting which was held about four
miles from Jared's home, and l ex-
pected to go home with him at the
close of our days services, provided
he invited me, and | felt sure that
he would do this, as he had always
manifested a desire that | should
visit him, but up to this time l had
never awaited myself of his appa-
rentlv kind invitations. | had been
at the camp ground but a short time
before / met up with him, and he
seemed really glad to see me, and
promptly invited me to 90 with
him home i'm the evening, and | as
promptly gave my consent. Now,
mark YOU, / had never as yet had
fine Measure of meeting with Louisa
Hart. though her praise was on
every lip.
After the benediction was pro-
nounced Jared came to me and in
formed me that he came to church
with n Young lady in buggy, and
that. if I preferred, he would yield
his seat to me, and that ne Would
ride nv horse. 1 told him that II
II afforded the young lady one
tenth of the pleasure thus TO nave
NV company that it would rendeT
to me to have hers, gladly would 1