Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-08
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A Romance of the American Revolution
By w, GILMORE SIMMS

drew nigh, and, for a moment, the
pleasurable emotion with which HI
met the son of his sister, and one who
had long been a very great favorite
with himself, drove away many Of the
troublesome thoughts which had beer
busy with his mind.
"Ah, Robert!-my dear boy! when
did you arrive, and how?"
ION horseback. sir. reached Dor
chester yesterday"
Indeed? so long-and only now a
visitor Of The Oaks?' You surely
mean to lodge with us, Robert?"
Thank you, uncle; but that I dare
not do. l should not feel myself al
together safe here"
Not safe in my house! What mean
you, nephew? Whence the danger
what have you to fear?"
Nothing to fear, if I avoid the dan
ger. You forget, sir, that l have not
the security OF British favor-I have
not the talisman of Clinton's protec-
tion-and If suspected to be Major
Singleton. l should risk the rope as a
rebel"
True, true-but how left you things
at Santee? What are the prospects
of a CROP"
such as the storm leaves us, good
uncle. The Tories have been sowing
fire in my fields, and left it to ripen
in lieu Of corn and provender."
God bless me, Robert!-how was
that?"
"They suspected me, hearing that
was from homemade free with my
plate, burnt the mansion, barn, and
few other of the buildings, drove the
negroes into the swamp, and sent their
horses first, and then the fire, into
the cornfields. They have done some
business there after their usual fash
ion."
hands upon his brows, speechless for
a time, but looking his deep interest
in the narrative he had heard, proba-
bly, with more eanestness, as he
darkly saw the destiny Of his own fine
dwelling and plantation in it. His
nephew surveyed him with exemplary
composure before he continued the
dialogue.
Yes; it was fortunate that poor
Emily came away in season. A week
later, and heaven only knows what
might have been her sufferings at the
hands Of the wretches,"' ---.-.- --..-.-.-
And where is this to end. Robert?
What is to be done? Are we to have
no relief from congress?-will Wash
ington do nothing for us?"
Can you do nothing for Washing
ton? Methinks, uncle. Hercules might
give you some advice quite as fitting
as that he gave to the wagner. There
Is no helping ones neighbor to free
dom. Men must make themselves
free-they must have the will for 1t.
The laws and the strong arm, unless
they grow out of their own will, new
er yet gave, and never will give, any
people their liberty. Have you not
thought of this before. good uncle?"
why, what would you have US do?
what can we do, hemmed in as we
are. wanting arms and ammunition,
and with a superior force watching
u.s."
"Do?-ay, you may well ask what
can you do. What has anybody ever
yet done, that set forth by asking such
a question? But come, we will to sup
per first; there stands our summoner.
We will try aunt Barbara's coffee, Of
which l have an old memory, and af-
ter that we will talk Of what we can
do in this matter. Coffee is a good
stimulant, that wonderfully helps ones
courage"
Following the black, who had thrice
summoned them without receiving any
attention. they descended to the sup
per table, spread out after the south
ern fashion, with the hundred dain-
ties of the region-rice waft1es and
johnny cake, hominy, and those deli
cacies of the pantry in the shape OF
sweetmeats and preserves, which
speak OF a wholesome household econ
omy, the fashion of which is not yet
gone from the same neighborhood.
There, presiding in all the dignity of
starched Golf, ruff, and wimple, sat
stiftly the antique person Of Miss Bar
bara Walton, the maiden sister of the
coat. turned up at the sleeves, and
with hands that were not idle, our old
acquaintance, Humphries, listening
patiently, all the while, to a bitter
diminished and daily diminishing
number of her brothers best cows, the
loss of which could molly be ascribed
to the Tories. Beside him sat the fair
which Humphries made, while equal
ly desirous to do the supper justice,
and to appear attentive to the ancient
lady. And there. reclining on sofa
al some nllle ulSldHCS lIOlll Tue ldDlSi
lay the attenuated figure of Emily
Singleton-pale as a white rose, and
as if her thoughts were fast claiming
kindred with heaven, almost as silent
as one Major Singleton had a seal
assigned him fronting his cousin; and
the little chit chat which followed his
and his uncle's entrance was duly sus-
pended with the progress Of the re-
past. To travellers who had toiled sc
much during the day as Singleton anc
his lieutenant. the supper was an item
Of Importance, and we need not say
that it received full justice at theii
hands. 1t was only when reused into
consciousness by the very absence OF
| all speech around them, that the SOL
diers looked up. in Il brief pause II
| their progress, and found that they
alone had been busy. This fact offer
ed no stop. however. to their contin'
ued industry-tO that of Humphries
at least.
| "Them are mighty nice aff1eS now