Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-02-28

q sting IN the QUICK, reSUOreu lily SeA9es,
and flung the coin back in his face.
''You may insult but you cannot degrade
me-" cried, 4 hot, moist, prckly sensation
springing to my eyes what your mean
ing is cannot tell only know that, be
ingyours, it must be spiteful and malicious
But Before the seven days of which you talk
are over will repay your alfront with in
teresr And in the meantime will say in
the spirit of tii'inaon, it is pity you are not
good enough to spit en-"
Niy outLurst awed the throng that had
gathered about uG, and strobe avTay l.:
the midst Of dead silence, the picture, as
IN eyewitness aftcrward told me, of fury
ilcarnate. Peters tongue, however, was
rot long still.
''Ha, ha!' he cried mockingly ere had
gone 50 yards; $50 the beggar would ride
on horseback, would he? Pride goes be-
fore fall The pauper who refuses'alms
today may tomorrow dispute with the dogs
for a bone. Even Highlander may find
it hard to feed on his PRIDE"
l turned quickly on my heel, under
frantic impulse to 60 back and rend my
tormcntor on the spot. Perhaps it was the
vision of jecring faces that deferred me,
for the crowd were chiefly his friends, or
it may have been an acute sense Of my
physical disability, but only called out in
a frenzy of passion: ''They laugh best who
laugh last. I'll silence your tinker tongue
yet" and held ON my way, my rage so fu-
rious that passersby stared at me, my
brain throbbing with the fellest purposes
of revenge.
Poor fool! One brief moments preset
encc, one glimpse of the future, and the
kneen edged sword that fate held ilnmi-
rent over my head would very speedily
have checked my passion and turned my
mind to other things than petty aims OF
vengeance. etsuch foreknowledge would
not have diminished my sense of wrong.
Ny enemy's evil influence was predomi-
nant, and, little as guessed, it was to
shape my whole subsequent career.
On reaching my rooms found letter
from home awaiting me. The superscrip-
tion was my fathers, circumstance that at
another time and in n calmer mood would
Immediately have struck me as peculiar,
since my mother was the invariable CORE
spondeut at kilburnie. But just then
had not eyes to observe. One thing and
thing alone saw and thought of-the de-
tested object of my wrath. He loomed upon
my distracted mind like a portentous fate,
shutting ont all else. Instead of making
haste TO learn the news, crushed the letter
in my band and strobe about the apart
ment, darkeninS it with violent language.
At length tore the envelope and read
the letter. The effect was as if ferercd
man were to plunge into an icy food and
have all his flaming currents chilled in an
instant. seemed to have passed in mo-
mcnt from one dreadful state of existence
into another still more dreadful. l had
leaped, in the words Of our poet, from hell
heat to arctic cold," from the region of an
ger into that Of despair, and for awhile ]
was par:.lyZcd. Al firstI read incredulous-
", thinking that fury must lave disordered
my brain. Holding my head in my hand, !
read again, and yet again, hoping to prove
the first Interpretation wrong. But re-
perusal only brought out the fatal truth
the more clearly Then thought that my
father must have been mad when he wrote,
but that hypothesis also had to be aban-
doned. The letter indeed was mercilessly
sane and explicit.
1t was voluminous document, covering
full half dozen sheets Of large, closely
written letter paper. That might the bet
ter understand the crisis which had come
upon Us and the course Of events leading
up TO it, my father related the history of all
the preceding generations of our house
Ny ancestors, according to the partial his
torian, were men of rare virtues and splen-
did accomplishments, brave, generous and
we'll favored. aiming ever at keeping their
honor bright and their hall full OF good
cheer for their friends. Their hospitality
shone conspicuous il ages more princely
than ours, and, said my father with Il pride
that had its touch of pathos, mo man Of
them was ever known TO do what did not
become Kilgour of Kilburnie." But be
was constrained to add, Though | am
afraid they were not always is wise as Solo
mon"
The eulogy was the preface to very bit.
ter tale. Bog and crag and moorland but
III fit people with chivalrous spirit and Il
lavish hand The Kilgours having ex.
hausted the treasury in keeping open
house began to borrow. Then bit by bit
the estate passed away. till only remnant
remained. when came into possession
of it," wrote my father, with stroke of
sardonic humor, ''it was like succeeding to
all almshouse." Then he went Oh to tell OF
the incessant attacks of harpies-Israelitish
usurcrs aided by constituencies lawyers
and how these harpies were now CLOSING
in like ravenous beasts of prey bowling for
blood. Wherefore it comes" continued
the letter, that things are pressing hard
on us at this present writing, and / and
your mother are sore distressed" There
was, however, chance of keeping the foe
beyond the gates" by temporizing until
such time rs !, the sole hope of the fam
lily, should he able to come to the rescue.
The manner in which I was to bring relief
was by beating the harpies at their own
game In other words, / was to retrieve
our fallen fortunes by turning lawyer
forthwith.
"After much meditation" pursued my
father, "the law commends itself to me as
a high and honorable profession. A law
yer in our family would faiSly set US on
our feet again. Lawyers are all rogues,
Andrew, as l know to my cost, but you
might get long enough spoon to sup with
tie best Of them. Once started, once ris-
ing, none knows where you might stop.
to court and make Il great name and get
influence, and then we could cock our bon
nets and whistle with the highest of them"
This was bad enough and hopeless enough,
but the pinch was yet to come. That my
progress might be facilitated, was to be-
gin my LEGAL career in the Office of Thomas
Clcphanc in Dundee-that is to say, was
to put myself completely and uncondition-
ally in my cnemy's power. My father
thanked heaven that had an opportunity
of making so good start. ~ will write
to your uncle Immediately" he said, land
it lies secure in my mind that evil admit
you or favorable terms. Delay not, my
son. Let our straits be q spur to your reso.
luton. We look to you to save us, and !
am sure we do not look IN vain. have
dim memory Of hearing you once say that
your cousin, who will naturally be your
uncles partner and successor, is your fel'
low student at the university. Cultivate
his good will, and by the grace of God he
may bcfriend yOu..'