Year: 1859

2 the work of packing was going on, how vivid


ly did the transaction of the night before flash
Y across the mind of Ida Strickland! But the
e deed was done-the article was written in his
! own hand, and she had it in her possession
This was quite qualification to her. Yet the
7 idea of having mutilated his person, would
} have pleased but few save the author of it.


On the other hand, Samuel was in high
spirits at the Thoughts of conveying back to
! her native place, one of the fairest daughters
t of South Carolina, who had been led astray
by the wiles of the tempter. What happy
9 meeting, thought he, will crown my second
l visit to my friends.


Q Bright We're the anticipations of the enthtl-


siastic artist as lie thought of the beautiful
{ scenery that had dazzlel his imagination
when he roved through the fowery fields and
along the meanderng fivulets where the
song of birds made the morning ring with their
sweet melody; while he imagined the odotlr
OF the flowers, was yet sweet in the same se-


questered spots where he had spent so many
happy hours in retirement, he forgot every
thing to dwell in pleasing revery on scenes so
captivating to the youthful and ardent lover
OF nature. The past, the present-uncon-


nected with his images Of the natural gran
deur of South Carolina, held no resting nook


in his mind. In the human composition


there is more or less a spirit of romance
which being part and parcel of our nature


give aglowing tinge to natural objects that fasc-
nate every sense, and fills the mind with pleas


ing fancies. This spirit of romance hears in


the roar of the cataract, the sweetest kind of
enchanting musie and sees in the varied


tints of the rainbow, the most exquisite beau-
ty the waters utter q language perfectly in
teligible to his enraptured senses, and the


dense foliage of the forest, vaTigated by the
hand ofAutumn, forms one of the most beau
tiful pictures imaginable.


Samuel was unusually endowed with this


love of the beautiful his Imagination was
one Of no ordinary character; possessing


both taste and talent for painting, and hay
ing cultivated the art to an extraordinary de-
| gree of perfection in person of his years, he
: longed for an opportunity to display Ills ac-
} quirements. That his visit to his uncle would
, give him that opportunity, as well as the fur
ther cultivation Of his friendship were among


the brightest of his fancies.


, This visit might, perchance, be the means
of his raising the much desired funds to con
sumate his long desired tour through Europe
, thus giving him chance to study some of the


master paintings Of Italy, an opportunity he
had longcd for.


While many bright pictures of the future
was dazzling the imagination of the young
artist, the mind of Rosa Willis was differently
imployed. She fancied to herself the scene
that would occur upon meeting her guardian


and relative, and deeply did she regret the


false step she had by raslness so prematurely


taken. AT times she would revolve the sub
ject of her return in her mind, with many con
lectures as to the nanncrin which she would


be received, and doubts of almost an insur-
mountable character would frequently pre-
sent themselves. To disipate these, She lad


used every effort in her power to argue her
self into the belief that a full exposure of her
elopenlent had been made Perhaps to hide
his modification, as much as possible her
NfeNA
partnre-or at farthest-he may only have
committed the secret to Mr.. Watson and his
family, who would undoubtedly keep it lock-
ed within their own breasts.


/ Unconsciously would the bitter tear start
from her dark eye at the recollection of the
past, as if casting a shadow over her fll-
,ture, broodCd gloomily and heavily over her
thoughts. She could scarcely reconcile her
self to the idea Of meeting one to whom she
had done such injustice, and whose happiness
she knew must have been placed in jeopardy
by her conduct. But before she could form
any resolution upon the subject, the voice of
Ida admonshed her that the stage was wait
ing.


The preliminarics being arranged, they
We're soon safely esconced in what might be
termed slight improvement on the old
fashioned diligence, rolling away at an am
bling trot TO the sunny South.


The tedium of a stage travel is of two little


interest to need even passing notice---roll,
roll; tumble and toss, exchange mails eyery
few miles by the way of yarfety-was all that
wore away the tedious time, until the weary
travellers arrived at Charleston, the first
place that Rosa and Roger had stopped at on
the night of the elopement.


Here things began to wear a familiar look.
the strange ground had been passed, and the
houses where Ida had frequently visited, and
the stores at which she had spent many q
dollar maRe- stopping, awole sensations of a
peculiar, and, in no wise, pleasing character.


As the stage rolled along to its stopping
place, it passed the very inn at which they
had spent the first night in the history of her
misfortunes


A slight tremor ran over the nerves of Rosa
as she recalled the recollections of that night
of awful anxiety; anxiety which was but the
prelude to scenes of horror and suffering both
of body and mind, which she was destin ed to
endure.


Unconscious OF having done anything wrong,
at that time, her only trouble was to max g
her escape from her guardian, to what, she
believed, would be her eternal happiness she
thought Of nothing but eluding The pursuit of
those she fancied, might obey the mandate of
her best friend How differently did she look
upon the matter now 4!


With the bitter and whitening testimony Of
experience, on her side, she saw and appre-