Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-09-23
Snatched From
The Burning
An Old Time Romance
By F. A. Mitchell

She says that 1t may save many a
girl who is disposed to turn aside
warnings Of those who are older than
she from yielding to love which
they can see Is not for her good and
may be for her ruin.
1t is an old fashioned story. for 1t
occurred In an old fashioned time and
In an old fashioned country. The state
where I was born-Georgia-was then
a slave state, and conditions were
adapted to that institution. There were
three distinct classes-the planters. the
poor whites and the negroes. My par
ents sprang from the poor white class.
but my father was very industrious
man for one living in an enervating
climate and accumulated enough means
to buy small plantation and few
negroes. Consequently l grew up be-
tween two classes. We were above
the poor whites, but were not received
by the planters.
It was said that at seventeen / was
beauty. Alas. no one would think 1t
to see me now, shriveled old woman
with thin snow white hair. They did
not tell me so. and was unconscious
of my good looks. Social life In those
days was very different from what 1t
is now. suppose human nature Is
always the same, but 1t seems to me
now that good persons-I refer to the
higher classes-were better than now
and the bad were worse. This was
especially so with our young men
Many Of them-most Of them, should
say-were imbued with noble sent,
ments. With them to be gentleman
was to be honorable. But there were
bad ones, who were especially un
scrupulous In their deali lgs with wo
men-men who regarded 1t the part Of
a gentleman to make conquest even
to the ruin Of the object Of his atten
tions. The atmosphere Of that period
has completely passed away. the good
and the bad having been fused be
tween the two. There are now few, II
any, young men with the noble I'M
pulses Of the typical gentleman Of that
day, nor are there any such evil char
acters as were portrayed by the novel
lists Of that period.
It fell to my lot to be caught between
two men who were representatives of
these two classes. They were both
gentlemen, the one Of a kindly nature,
who would consider that mean or
dishonorable act would not only dis
grace him. but his family even back
to generations long dead; the other
without any conscience whatever
When 1 was fifteen years old my
father one day sent me with note to
Colonel Carroll, one Of the wealthiest
and most respected planters Of our re-
gion. On the veranda sat youth Of
about twenty ut table with books
before him. He was Courtney Car.
roll, q recent graduate Of the Univer-
sity of Virginia. AS | ascended the
steps he looked up at me and l saw
admiration in his eyes He rose and
advanced to meet me, and I handed
him the note. He called negro. told
him to take 1t to his father. and select
ing a comfortable chair handed 1t to
me. He refralned from his books while
/ waited, seeming to consider 1t in
cumbent upon him to entertain me
while waited for an answer to the
note. Colonel Carroll brought 1t out to
me himself and apOlogized for not
sending one Of his negroes with it.
courteously thanking me for consent
ing to be Its bearer.
Naturally l, girl still in short dress
es, was much impressed with SO much
consideration from such high grade
persons. How remarkable that one
whose father had but recently emerg'
ed from the poor white class should
be an object Of attention from those
who owned thousand slaves.
When was seventeen years old !
met another of the aristocrats OF that
day. who turned out to be the re-
verse of a Carroll. was leaning on
the fence of my fathers plantation
one day when gay party of hunters
came galloping by. They disappeared
down the road. and presently q young
man. also In the scarlet coat OF a
huptsman. came along and, refining
ND before me. asked me If had seen
the others. told MIN they had just
passed and II he rode on he would
soon overtake them. But II was evil
dent from the way his eyes were fixed
on me that he was disposed to turn
from the game he was pursuing to
different kind remember that my
eyes dropped before his gnze and
felt a warmth in my cheeks
This young man was Harry Du Bois.
who had by the death OF bis rather
Just come into possession OF a large
nlantation He asked me q number OF
questions. evidently for excuses to talk
with me Instead of riding on. and
presently, OH pretense Of tightening his
saddle girth. lie d!smounted and stood
near me on the other side Of the fence
chatting glibly and paying me 'compli'
ments. This was the first time any one
had told me that was beautiful. ana
II gave me thrill shall never forget
II was the second time had noticed
admiration in young gentlemans
eyes, but young Carroll had not paio
me n single compliment
Since my visit to the Carroll plantn'
ton Courtney had dominated my
thoughts, hut now he was superseded
by Harry Du Bois The former seem
ed cold beside the latter. Besides. Car
roll did not seek me, while Du Bols
rode by our little plantation frequently
and, II l was within hearing. would al
ways stop to chat These meetings
were at once noticed by my dear par
ents, and l remember with pain their
roubled looks whenever had been
talking with Du Bois. Then riother
spoke to me about the matter. telling
me that when a gentleman became de-
voted to d girl beneath him In station
only trouble would come OF It But
turned a deaf ear to what she said, 30
infatuated was I with the man who
was charming me as a snake Will
charm a bird.
can only refer without PARTICULARS
ing to the courtship. have wondered
since that at 80 tender an age l should
have resisted one 50 persuasive. Per
haps this was due to the influence OF
my mother, who. II she could not In
duce me to break with my lover, at
least convinced me that II he was SIN