The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-09-01
A Memory.
BY EURos.


lima. The evening wind, soft ant
balmy, gently stirred the leave:
of the forest through which i wa
passing. The tall pines seemed
whispering some tale OF sorrow
and n feeling of sadness was i'm
parted to the traveller. In fancy
L began to picture q maiden fair
seeking some lonely spot in this
deep and sombre shade, where un'
seen she might indulge her griel
for a departed lover, who had per.
haps offered his life q sacrifice or
the altar of his country. While In.
dulging in this fancy, 1 assembled g
gently rising slope, whence could
be seen at a short distance a white
marble shaft, the solemn pines
standing rs sentinels, with here
and there q weeping-willow, water
oak, or other forest tree; the grass
tinged by autumn, rose bushes
with q few half shattered roses,
winter-pinks, and q few evergreens
scattered p~icturesquely all added
to the loneliness of the spot. Truly,
thought /, yopder is n fit resting.
place for innocent beauty or youth
~ W.. Souto hOV pass SttCli u
spot without stopping, so leaving
the road, I followed a narrow foot.
path till l came to the grave.
Sacred to the Memory of
MARGARET HARRISON,
Aged 20 years.
This was all, and yet the simple
inscription told Of q great sorrow
more eloquently, and stirred the
heart to Il greater depth than a
lengthy panegyric would have
done.
Instead of this being the retreat
of a young girl, as I had conject-
urcd, it was rather where the young
lover might come and be once
again with his buried love. Dis
mounting, / sat down on a moss
covered stone beneath q large and
spreading oak that had wjthstood
the storms of centuries, and I won.
dered why it was that this young
girl was resting here alone: why
she had not been laid to rest in
the church yard beside her kindred.
Perhaps q noble youth wooed and
won this girl, sleeping 80 peace
fully beneath these pines, and ere
their happiness was complete, the
Death Angel came suddenly and
robbed him Of the charms of exist
ence. Very likely there are two
brave young hearts in that grave.
Conjecturing thus on what might
be the history connected with this
sad, lonely, yet lovely place, I was
startled from my revery by a foot
fall q short distance from me.
Looking up I perceived the figure
OF what at first sight appeared to
be an old man. but as he drew
nearer I saw that he was not more
than forty-fve. AS he approached
the grave, for an instant he stood
erect, and 1 saw that he had a tall
commanding figure. His hair was
rather long, and originally a jet
black, but now deeply mixed with
gray, a brilliant black eye, though
emitting a softened light as if its
owner had been chastened by
much sorrow. The clean shaved
face and broad intellectual fore
head bore the unmistakable signs
of atfliction.
My thought was, here's II once
fiery and imperious nature subdued
and chastened by Il great sorrow.
He stood erect a few moments,
with folded arms, gazing intently
at the tomb before him, while a
wistful longing look came into his
eye, and the tears gathered and
rolled slowly down his cheek, then
he threw himself on the mound,
and buried his face in the grass.
For a time all was silent except
an occasional sob shook his frame.
My own feelings were stirred al
most beyond control, and I dared
not move lest ! betray my presence,
ooh, my God! My God! What
had l done that Thou shouldst so
atfiict me! Why dids't thou take
from me her whose presence filed
my heart with JOY, whose compan-
ionship was elysium? Was this
great sorrow needed to make me
thine? Oh, God! Let her come
back 10 me if only for one moment,
Let me but feefher presence once
more Oh, Margie, Margie, come
to me once more! Oh, my lost, lost
lovew
L telI tluG my prostitute WAS ul-
most sacrilege. ], a total stranger,
had no right to intrude on such
grief as 1 here witnessed. Twas
too sacred however much my
sympathles might be excited; there
fore / rose from my hiding place
and stealthily left. Mounting my
horse I slowly left the place behind,
meditating on the scene I had just
witnessed. My desire to learn the
history of this stranger and the
young girl whose early death had
caused him such sorrow was strong,
and J. determined to do so if posi-
BILE. 1 had not ridden far till l no.
ticed about one hundred and fifty
or two hundred yards from the
road a neat white cottage almost
hidden by the abundance of shrub
berry, The space in front contain
ing six or seven acres, was most
beautifully laid out in @ grove.
The arrangement of the trees
seemed q studied disorder. This
grove composed of the different
forest trees added much to the
beauty and home-like appearance
Of the place. 1t said these people
live here, they don't simply stay.
The yard or about an acre was
filled with shrubs, rose bushes,
flower beds arranged with the same
studied negligence as the grove In