The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-08-12
law and respected no private rights.

with only the; conversation usually in
duIged by them at table. The dishe!
were cleaned, the "tallow-dip," the only
substitute for @ lamp, vas lighted, ane
after the customary family devotions
which we're never omitted, the couple re
tired. But with what different feelings
did each seek the couch of repose? The
husband-an invalid, but through many
years of suffering, patient and uncom
planning, conscious of never having done
his fellow.man a wrong, seeking the
quiet repose of the righteous; the NO
man-guileless us a child, who woule
instinctively shrink from the least wrong
full deed, her mind racked with the feal
that she had committed an act no
wrongful in itself, but which might bring
upon her untold misery, if not poverty
to herself and husband.
Fear and hope alternating in hel
breast, she passed o sleepless, restless
night, and arose the next morning with
haggard face and troubled expression
which her husband, had his duties kep!
him in the house that morning, would
have easily detected. But fortunately
he made no discovery, and after the rou
tine of the mornings work had been
performed by the tireless woman, she
made pretext for calling upon neigh
Dor, and with beating heart hastily re.
paired to the man who had entrusted hel
with the money.
With language eloquent in its sim.
plicity, she recited the whole story. She
told how implicitly, in the effort to
render him q service, she had kept the
secret from every human being, not e1-
cepting her husband; the anxiety the
trust had imposed upon her for so long a
time; with tears streaming down her
cheeks, which had previously known no
furrows, she related all that occurred be-
tween her and the pretended official ;
how she hesitated, and how at last, as
she supposed i'm obedience to the require.
ments of her coGntry, she reluctantly
gave up theeiaoney. she had acted
wrongfully ahes spleadea ignorance. and
fear, induced by the novelty Of the situ-
alton. She saw, when too late, what
would have been ::the proper course for
her topursue, "but; she: concluded, "as
the agent twould have taken It from you
any way, I hope my offense is not so
great at last. MySonscience is clear that
Z did not diyulge the secret ofa having
the money in my possession, and il,
through fear and Grembling, and under
compulsion, I surrendered tito the Gov.
ernment, as was demanded, I trust you
will show the pityI crave"
Z But the man 6smoney was not of a
forgiving nature. With stern counte-
nance he heard her simple story, and
replied that she should have known bet.
ter; that there was no such officer EN-.
powered to impress money from citizens,
and that in strict justice to himself he
must require her to refund every cent
of it.
Fortunately, the woman was prepared
for the worst; : and fortunately, Though
a life of toll and care, she had learned
"to suffer and grow strong" But to re-
place this sum of eight hundred dollars
in coin, at that time, would have2been
difficult, even with men Of financial re.
sources; to her it seemed an 'irnpossi-
bility. To break the secret to her hus-
band at this stage, she feared, would en-
tail the bitterest consequences. Though
q kind husband, he was Of irascible
temper, and this last stroke of misfor-
tune, added to reverses which he had
patiently borne, might, in the evening
of her life, bring untold vials Of his
wrath upon her head /; or what she most
feared-true and devoted wife as she was
1t might hasten the climax of an
aggravating disease and cause the death
Of him whom she had promised "to nurse
through Sickness" cherish, love and
obey, until death did them part.
In tEis dilemma her only ssource of
relief came. The man whom shs. at
tempted to serye-the man who imposed
the task upon ,her-he who seemed in
strumental in filling her cup of sorrow
to the brim-made o proposition, the
only, "feasible plan," as he said. that
presented itself, and one which, 10 any
bnt q guileless, confding woman would
have seemed to have been 'cut and
dried" for the occasion. Itwas proposed
that if she did not have the moley to
replace the forfeited sum Immediately,
she should become his debtor to that
amount, and pay it in installments as
she could. But the currency Of that
period could not be received. Only
specie would suffice. And it was stipu.
lated that as her husband had been thus
far kept in ignorance Of the transaction,
as q matter Of policy it would now be best
to admit no one into the secret.
Only too glad to know the worst, the
woman took the only alternative. She
returned to her home, and as best she
could, set about the new burden imposed
upon her. Though our story cosers a
period Of many years, but little more re-
mains to be told. Schooled in adversely
from child, self-imposed lessons Of the
most rigid economy did not 60 SO hard
with her. A little saved here, and a
little there, the deprivation of articles of
dress, and the many little economies
which one can practice when a motive
prompts, enabled her year by year to re-
duce the debt, the last cent of which was
discharged fourteen years after the I'm.
fortunate transaction with the bogus
Government agent, and only few days
before the death of her husband, to
whom she ever proved faithful and de-
voted wife. He never knew the secret OF
his wife's burden. While it is pleasant
to know that he left his widow q compe.
tency, it would be a satisfaction also to
know whether or not the man to whom
she refunded the amount derived any
benefit therefrom, and also whether or
not the pretended Government agent
ever received portion as bis share.
EVERYTHING BUT HONOR" IA
worthy Southerner was speaking of the
distress through which his State had
passed: eve lost everything in the world
but honor" he said. "Why, sir, there
was Col. Carter, of Gainesville, rs high
toned gentleman as you ever saw
He'd lost everything in the world but his
honor. Now, old Grant sent Yankee
Postmaster to Gainesville, and one day