Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-10-26
CHE gtarp Teller.
At FIFTY.

Uuf S1V&g SVtAAtA.
AT FIFTY.
Yes, fifty a great age-people seem to thinl
tits a half century. have felt it as lool
back upon the years l have felt it as LOOKED
before me in the glass l have felt it in tn
society of Belle and her mates have felt i
when people treated me with cool politenes
due their own self-respect, and that done, hav'
fed to the charms of little Belle and Alice
and if had any common sense should no
have felt it with the regret I did.
But hated all along to be growing towart
fifty. hated to see that could not take Int
old rambles and rides of my youth unless
fatigued; that instead of thrilling freshly II
every nerve to the beauty Of sunset and scener!
as used to do, quiyered only in remember
ing how used to thrill.
And then, too, dreaded to be old, think.
ing of some day-some day-Maskelyn shoulC
see me, and pass by without knowing me
or, if knowing me, only to suffer mortal shocs
at the sight and never thinking that Maske
lyn also was growing old. All, perhaps
should have dreaded It all the more if had
thought the years we're sitting lines in the
smooth olive of that face, were dimming the
fire of those great eyes, were whitening the
darkness of the locks that fell across that
brow of his, were impairing the music OF that
voice. I never did think it. To me ne had a
sort of immortality. And now-now am
fifty years old, as I was yesterday but 1t Is
not bitter any more, as it was Yesterday VIII
that old bitterness of vanished strength and
interest for / love life. l feel the blood
bounding warmly in my veins, death seems
farther away than ever-it is only bitter now
because have nothing but this old face, this
old heart, these used-up fifty years, to give
Maskelyn. 1t is better too lest people should
smile at Maskelyn.
Twas sitting in the porch, thinking of my
wears. that lay. After all, it seemed but the
day before that had set there with the de.
licious odor of the honeysuckles blowing all
about me in the dusk, as Maskelyn sat at my
side, and the very air we breathed fanned 70
and fro in the fragrance full OF the dark sWeet
mystery of love. It seemed as it all the world
had been made just to come to blossom Ill that
evening, stars and winds and vaults OF heaven,
the evening that he first said that he loved me,
although our lives had grown together so for
wears that we had each known that the thought
of the other without speaking, and knew that
there was no other on earth that could ever
come as close to either of US as the other did.
But this crowded the whole with certainty,
and we looked in each others faces IN the
CLEAN of the starlight as if we were the only
two people on the planet. Alas, we were not
For Maskelyn was still very young, and as
the traveller for commercial house he had his
way to make. 1t was the morning after that
night in the air and the dew of the honeysuckle
odor that he left the ring on my finger, ana
went off on one of his journeys. He was to 60
down the river to New Orleans before he re-
L.. 4oo u, &ho or Poanfnn0n
at St. Louisiana it was thirty years before
heard from him how it happened. But the
world is full of tongues, and heard it, all the
same, on the four winds that blow no one
knows whittier.
There had taken passage on that fatal steam
or wealthy planter of Louisiana, with his
wife, an invalid French lady, and their daugh-
ter, Adele. She was lovely little thing, this
Adele, and she sang like bird. Maskelyn
heard her singing one evening, and passion
ately fond of music, he soon made her acqualn-
tance, and was singing with her. She was as
childlike too, as she was young and pretty
she had soon confded to him all her affairs,
and he, secure in his plighted love, and never
dreaming of misconstruction or trouble, be-
came her hourly associate, and took pleasure
in her innocent cOmpaniOnshlp.
One afternoon they sat in their accustomed
book In their occupation and their talk they
had taken no notice of the excitement of the
people about them, and if they knew they were
racing the Charon, so they had been doing for
half the week, and thought nothing of it.
And all at once shrek of countless voices
rent the air, there was shock and an explo-
sion as if the bottomless pit had broken
through the bed of the river. The air was
full of flying beams and falling men and
women the river was full of them, and they
were among them ALL af1oat but alive.
AtlOat in the branches of huge tree that
was sailing and swirling down the river, and
in no immediate danger Of destruction, but ex-
hausted and unable to do more than keep the
breath they had for awhile. If others had
been saved, they had reached one OF the banks,
or they had been picked up by the Charons
boats. The quick Southern dusk was upon
them before Adele had done more than open
her eyes and shut them again. Neither he nor
she had been seriously hurt, but they were alb
solutely alone in the thick night and the rushing
river. What else could they do than comfort
one another, poor children, sitting side by
side in the cradle made of big branches, and
trembling at all the dark, unknown tumult
of the torrent, till suddenly with shock that
might have wrecked them had not thell
clothes been caught on the branches they were
anchored on mud-Spit, and the stream was
sweeping by
The morning dawned redly over the sea-like
river. Flat boat and raft and steamer went
along but no one saw the signals, or seeing
no one needed them. Another weary night
famished and faint, but keeping each others
courage up; and at noon Of the next day they
were taken off. But in the two days and
nights Maskelyn had learned that she loved
him. And when, in turn, she learned that
her love was in vain, it was only by the force
of arms that he hindered her from seeking the
watery death from which he had rescued her
The poor little passionate tropical creature!
He saw her, however, no more for a month
after the time that he left her at her fathers
door in New Orleans, where he found the
black-robed parents, who had themselves beer
saved, but who had thought their child lost
received her as one raised from the grave, and
would have given Maskelyn their all as hel
preserver. But Maskelyn did not present HIM
self there again and it was not until his return
from through the neighboring region tina,
Adele's father was able to find him and ask Il
he would save his daughtera second time from
death. And he found her on the brink of mad
ness.
Compelled by their kindness and their grief
he could do nothing but remain, and add his ef
forts to theirs. 1t was superb nome; "ealtl
and art and climate could hardly do more tt
make it perfect. Perhaps the sense of its eas
and luxury were delicious to the tired and pen
niless young man. And then there was alway
flowers, music, painting, servants moving lik
shadows, cardinal warmth and blessing ant
the lovely young creature whose trouble in hi
presence was beginning to tighten. All, yes
you see am excusing askelyn-trying tt
make YOU excuse him. But it was all to b.