Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-04-02
CHAPTER XIX.

The rigid muscle set-the steel pre-
pared,
And the thought hopeful of our full
success.
The gods befriend and aid us, as we
serve,
And battle for the right"
The day dawned beautifully and
brightly. The sun rose without
cloud darkening his upward progress,
and the richly valiegated woods glad
dened in his beams. The air was
balmy, and the wind silent. The
quiet, slumberous day of the intense
summer, unbroken by warning or
discordant sounds, and alive only in
the cheering scream Of the bird, and
the drowsy hum Of the insect. SEEM
ed but indifferently to accord with the
bitter and gloomy purposes OF man.
1t was the day Of purposed execu-
ton. How little did the spirit OF the
unconscious and thoughtless nature
harmonic with that, having an Inn.
mortal hope and destiny, yet so Dent
upon earthly strife, so busy with its
foolish passions. Alas! that man
should take so few lessons from the
sweet ministers Of God-the bird and
the flower-sent for his pleasure and
his profit, and which, ministertng In
nocently, by song and sweet, to his
happiness, should yet so commonly
fail to teach him innocence.
A sad scene was going on In the
cell of the destined victim. His
daughter kneeled beside him at day
light in his prison. She had cheered
his solitude with the sunshine OF her
own sweet and gentle thoughts-she
had whispered hope in his ears when
he himself refused hope. She had
forgotten her own griefs while min
istering to his-and this is the reward
which virtue always brings to duty:
How happy she was thus to minister!
how pointless was the shaft OF fate
to him, while thus he listened to,
and felt her tribute ministry! In that
hour, If he did not hope, he at least
felt free from all the humiliating
emotions of despair. What II the
doom came-what If he suffered the
cruel indignity and the painful death
had he not heard-did he not feel'
deep in his soul, the prevailing force
Of those prayers which the lips OF
his innocent child sent up Tor MIN
momently to Heaven?
yet, do not fiatter yourself too
much, my daughter" he said to her,
in reply to one of her uttered antici-
pations Of relief from Singleton. You
must not persuade me, at least
must be prepared, and though shall
certainly contribute all in my power
to cooperate with Robert in any ef-
fort which he shall make, must not
the less prepare to encounter the last
trial as unavoidable. Robert will do
what he can, / feel satisfied. But
what Of that? His force is small, in
ferior to that which guards me, and
desperation only may avail In what
he attempts"
And he will be desperate, father;
he will not strike feebly, or heart
lessly, or hopelessly. Oh no! know
he will not. He is resolved with all
his resolve, and you know his spir,
1t. He does not say-he will not tell
me what he intends; but his eyes are
so earnest, and he looks! Could you
but have seen him father, when he
promised me to save you, your hope
would be like mine; you would not,
you could not doubt that he would
do it." ,,, .,o. ~
will try"
"And If Robert tries, father
He interrupted her sanguinr speech
and the implied tribute to her lover,
folding his arms about her neck, as
she knelt beside him, and placing his
lips upon her forehead.
you are a good, devoted girl, and
Robert may we'll love you my child.
Tell me Katharine-it will do me
good to know that his affections are
yours, and that you have not been
unmindful Of his worth"
How could I-how? Have we not
known him long enough. my father?"
God bless you, Kate-God bless
you! This, If l perish, would still be
a redeeming pleasure, as should
then know him to be we'll re-
warded, and be sure that leave you
with a protector. Your loves, my
child, are hallowed with my blessings,
with the prayers for your good OF
one who, in few hours, may be In
the presence of God himself"
She clung to him like a despair
ing infant.
"Speak not thus, my father-let
me hope-do not make me doubt
that you will be saved-that the bit
ter cup will pass by u.s."
"Hope-hope on, my child-it Is
your duty. Hope is one Of life's best
allies-the first to come, the last 10
desert US. But I need not tell you to
hope. You cannot help it. Hope and
virtue are twins. and inseparable; the
one never flies until the other de-
serts the heart. There is no despair
for the good"
Il believe it trust-and you. too,
hope, my father, If this be true. /
feel in my soul, even as II, at this
moment, / beheld 1t with my eyes
A good spirit at my heart-God
spirits there to assure me OF my
hope"
Thus cheered and cheering, the
two, interrupted only occasionally by
the entrance of the coloners sister
conversed together from daylight un-
til the approaching noon. But, as
the hour drew nigh assigned for the
execution-when the danger to as
sumo, as It were, a bodily form
and pressure; the thoughts came
thick to the mind the doubts grew
strong and oppressive about the heart
the fears seized upon the flickering
fancies; and imagination. painting In
vivid colors the dreadful circum-
stances of the approaching time. tC
the minds eye of the maiden, greatly
served to overthrow all the stabil-
ity Of her resolve-all the fine sooth-
ing of her hope. She moaned aloud
as she clung now to the neck OF heI
father. In that moment, the nature
of the man grew active, and the con-
trast between the two would claim
the art of the painter to embody tC
the eve: and the strong imagination
only, could depict it to the mind OF
one not beholding 1t. He, who had
wept with her before, was now erect
and strong. 1t was not nope ina
strengthened, 1t was the courage and
high resolve of fine moral character
strong in conscious integrity-stronl
in resolve-that lifted up spirit anc
form alike, defyingly, in the face. OF
death. 1t is a noble picture, thai
of a brave man looking out upon dan
ger. and fearlessly preparing for 1t:
approach. 1t is painfully sweet pic
ture, that of the frail woman
storm-beaten, storm broken, like
flower stricken to the earth, and II
its weakness. compelled to rest upoI
its bosom; but still smiling. still
cheering, still giving forth love ant
worship, even as the flowers give
forth perfume, and ready to share
the fate which it breads, but whict
It has not the strength to avert.
Such was the picture in the dun
geon of Colonel Walton. The mascu
line spirit was already composed foI
the final trial-the last struggle o
life with its uncompromising enemy
The man was prepared to meet deatf
with unshrinking resolution: the gen
tleman, with grace and dignity: ant
III 1ttn