Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-05-04
CHE Sturg Tenet.
TILE FRIENDS.
Forget thee in the banquet halls,
Goask my fellow-men;
Or ask the tear that secret falls,
%l,aa t1,a,,

At lively, pleasant party, toward the close
of the fall of IS, I was introduced to Charles
N. 1t was in the house of an intimate
friend of mine, some little distance out of
town. We had ball in the evening, and, l
recollect, were uncOmmonly gay. never was
in better spirits than in moving through CO.
tilion with the pretty Miss T; we both be-
trayed our ignorance of one part of the figure
There is something very agreeable, at times,
in these mutual mistakes. When we had sat
down after the first cotilion, my wandering at
tention was arrested by a young gentleman
whose entrance I had not observed He was
apparently about twenty-seven years of age
his figure was thin, but fine; his features were
regular, his eyes dark and expressive, and but
for the gloom that rested on his pale cOunte-
nance when I first beheld him, l should have
called him eminently handsome. But in that
gloom there was SO much of mental suffering,
and so much of absolute wretchedneSS-suCh
an absence of all hope, and such shade of
settled deSpair-that you became uneasy While
YOU contemplated it, and turned away as from
in inspirer of painful thoughts. | felt the
melancholy to be contagious, and began to chat
and laugh with group near me, to draw or
my attention from that gloomy brow and COM
pressed and sunken lip but in vain. My eyes
involuntarily returned, as under the influence
of fascination ;even, while talked with some
appearance of earnestnesS to the lady who sat
next to me, could not avoid giving stealthy
glance at the young stranger. There he sat as
| first remarked him-near window, and
somewhat retired from the rest of the compa-
ny his head resting on his hand, which he
now and then passed through his rich, dark
hair-from habit, as it were, for he was evil
IDENTIFY in revery, far from the present scene
and its hilarity. The bright eyes of beautiful
women, sparkling with animation and joyous
excitement, attracted him not The soft, halt
wanton whisper, and the louder tone of festal
mirth, were equally unheeded. A lady was
called upon to entertain the company with
music. was delighted to see her sit down to
the harp-that loveliest of instruments--it
shows off a fine voice and a fine arm so well.
She commenced sweet and plaintive air. 1t
was an Old-fashioned strain that | was fond OF
when boy. The deep swell of the music ap-
peared to have powerful effect upon the young
stranger. He started from his revery, reused
himself. and seemed determined to make up
for his former unsociability by striving to be
agreeable. never saw a more sudden change
in an individual. / would scarcely have re-
cognized him, so altered WAS his countenance
and manner. He began gay conversation
with a smiling, rosy-lipped little girl, he had
not before condescended to notice offered her
fair harper. l observed him. 1t appeared to
me that his gayety was unnatural-unhealthy-
forced. 1t was not the free flow of heartfelt
JOY. Probably it appeared the more so to me
from contrastingi it with the gloomy expression
that first caught my notice. His department
was now elegant and graceful ana his atten-
tions were evidently by no means unacceptable
to the lovely creature who was hanging on his
arm, nor to those who joined her for share Of
the handsome young gentleman's conversation.
This person had deeply interested me, and
when the music was over desired my friend
to introduce me. He Immediately complied :;
and the stranger was introduced to me as
Charles N, an English gentleman, who
had just arrived from tour through our coun-
try. Young men are soon acquainted, espe-
cially where there is cOngenlallty OF Sentl-
ment and feeling; and it was not long before
we were engaged in an Interesting CONVERSE
tion. His language was correct and polished,
his address easy and gentlemanly he had trav-
eled over the greater part of Europe, and his
mind was we'll stored with information ; lils
observations displayed a knowledge OF the
world, and, on literary subjects, a refined ele-
gance of taste. was much pleased with him,
for he was decidedly superior man. When
he grew animated on some subject that partlc-
ularly interested him, and his eyes kindled,
and his countenance shOne with transient
enthusiasm, l thought him one of the most
captivating beings l ever beheld. But then,
there was that return Of melancholy depres-
sion and when he had been wrought up to an
excitement on any favorite etfusion of poetry
or romance, his countenance would settle down
into an expression of eNhaustion-a repoSe OF
gloom, which seemed natural to it, and the ne
cessary reaction of an unusual excitement ;
then, by painful effort, he would endeavor to
keep up his share of the spirit of the CONVEX
sation and beam forth with some brilliant
stroke of wit OF lively sarcasm, and be mirth-
full for moment and 1 could perceive that
he possessed keen sense of the ridiculous,
and that, at a time when his mind was treer
and his heart calmer, he must have been
most entertaining companion. / was con-
vinced that there was some hidden grief that
lay, like an incubus on his soul, and shut out
all enjoyment. / felt powerful sympathy for
him-a desire to alleviate his melancholy, not
mmingled with curiosity as to the cause. |
kept near him during the remainder of the
evening exerted myself to appear cheerful
| endeavored to lead him into conversation on
topics in which thought he would feel an in
terest. and to prevent the mind from reverting
upon itself, and feeding upon its own dark
thoughts | tried to draw him into the dance
but without effect. 81 will enjoy it more by
looking on he said, with faint smile-"l
am afraid,'' added he, ''my dancing days are
Il lind III m a