Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-05-04
your insolent sneering and mean conduct.

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will not apologize for that"
"sEdward,' said i, you wrong me. Yo,
encroach too far-by Heaven too far-th
crushed worm will turn. Andyet, l cannot
cannot make up my mind to fire at my OLE
companion.'
"'Damn it, said Edward, with sneer
afraid
s'This was enough.
"sTake your stand, said I sternly, 'and yo1
shall see.'
''The ground was measured we took oul
places, back to back the word was given
Wheel and fire !'-I obeyed mechanically
raised my pistol am sure took no aim -
but my hand was firm 1 fired, and the next mo
ment beheld Edward spring from the ground
quiver and fall The ball had entered his side
1 went up to him. He had just time to faltel
out
"'I am dying-I have brought this on my
SELF Charles-my dear Charles-make yOul
escape
''He gasped, and died. I stood over him til
was urged off. l saw his body conveyed tc
the next inn, when the seconds thought me
riding off with speed. 1 secreted myself to
give one last look at the remains of my friend
But self-preservation impelled me, and 1 went
away travelled through the country Wis
tied every place of note; have been in every
metropolis in the United States; have lcen
in the best and gayest society; have entered
into scenes of high dissipation have made
one of every festive celebration of any impor.
tance but never can forget my friends last
look; the impression will never wear off ; in
the festal hour, the figure Of Edward G.
bleeding, with his countenance of agony, will
rise before me- l hear his last words I be-
hold him stiffening in death. He is with me
when alone; he is with me in my dreams;
fly to the company and amusement, but he is
with me there he follows me with equal step
I cannot fly from myself, and his image is a
portion of my being-no-no-no-1 never
shall forget him.
He stopped, and leaned his head on the
table.
"Now," said he, "now, can you wonder at
my department ?"
1 was too much affected to reply. He con-
tinued-
II lead wretched, wandering, unsettled
life. have no spirits to enjoy anything.
feel an unwllingness to engage in any active
employment; and take morbid satisfaction
in resigning myself with perfect inertness to
the vagaries of my own gloomy fancy. My
mind cannot exert itself, even upon the sub
iects of which it was most fond, and with
which it has been most familiar. l am in a
mental lethargy. My mind has lost its grasp.
read without pleasure think without i'm
prOvement. My nerves are unStrung, and
sometimes think my memory fails-on all sub
iects but one-one, stamped with indelible,
burning characters, on my heart and brain.
1 ought to return home-to my parents
my profession. But as yet cannot"
He ceased. 1 sat few minutes; 1 could
not conceal my agitation. I was grieved to
see him thus, but knew that the voice of con-
ISOLATION or any cold reasoning would only
prove offensive to him in his present state OF
mind. I took out my watch it was near ten.
pleaded that had some papers to attend to
before l went to bed and rose to depart. He
took my hand.
farewell" ;" said he, eff can, will make
up my mind to return home in the next packet. "
1 whispered something Of the soothing in
home, and friends most dear to the wounded
heart. He sighed, and wrung my hand.
Farewell" said he, "come and see me Oft
en-. Do not wait for the ceremony of return
of visits Between you and me that ceremo-
ny may now, think, be well spared
II bade him good night, and departed. I
saw him but twice afterward. He engaged a
passage to the East Indies, and from thence he
was to return to his native land. By this
time / hope he is with his family, and happier
than he was when took leave of him on board
the "Achilles, " bound for Canton.
THE BLACKSMITH.
Young Joe, the blacksmith, was a sturdy
felow-rather tall, broad shouldered, arms
big with muscle, and good natured lace,
we'll worth seeing, if only for the bath of good
humOr it gave you.
Everybody liked him and his forge was the
resort for village idlers, who loved to watch
him strike the shining sparks from the glow
ing iron, and listen to his CHEEKY vOice-for
something of singer was Joe.
There was an hour in the day, from three
to four in the afternoon, when Joe would have
none of them Why? Because the child Mel
dearly loved by the blacksmith-always spent
that hour with him.
AS Joe worked, she was wont to stand, with
hands behind her back, watching him in al
old-fashioned way, quiet and talkative by
turns. Sometimes she asked strange questions
that puzzled him.
'sJoe % she would commence.
''Well, cherub ?''
''Doesn It the fire burn beautiful, Joe ?"
eyes, dear"
''What makes it, Joe %
''The wind from the bellows, cherub."
s'What makes the wind from the bellows
do it, Joe %
''My working of 'em, dear"
''I don't mean that ; but what should make
the wind do it even then 20
Much puzzled, and being no scientist, he
would answer:
''Joe's not wise enough to tell you that,
cherubn' and then finding him puzzled by her
snno
these, were won't to widen with astonish-
ment, for she thought Joe knew very nearly
everything.
When she was leaving, it was her habit to
put her arms around his neck and kiss him; :;
and they loved each other very, very much.
But the time goes by for young and old. 1t
seemed but a little while till Nellie became al
most a woman, and it was no longer proper
for her to go TO Joes forge; but to be sure he
could go to her.
And now, not to linger by the way, Joe had
learned to love her with all the love of man
hood, and she returned his love. They would
have been very happy but for Nellie's father
The old man would have her look higher than
a blacksmith So when Richard Ross-young
handsome and rich-came to the cottage, the
old man smiled and encouraged him.
This Richard Ross was not worthy OF Mel
lie. For all his riches, his heart was merest
dross beside the pure gold of Joes. When
he passed the shop the sturdy smith brought
his hammer down like an angry giant; for,
you see, this Richard Ross was stealing his
life away.
eyes, stealing his life away. Joe's ruddy
face grew pale if the torture continued long,
death would be the end You may judge from
this how much he loved her.
Still he went to see her. If he fonnd Rich
ard Ross there, he left hastily, and, rushing
hack to the force worked like mad till mid