Year: 1874

Sydney felt more languid and depressed
that evening than he had done for some time
past. His interview with Russell had brought
troubling considerations into his mind, which
at present, he was i'll able to bear. The per
plexities in which he was involved, brought
very seriously to his remembrance the weak
ness and folly on his own part which had LED
to them and he sighed bitterly as his past
life. with all its sins and errors, rose up before
him. AS have said, he had not, naturally
an evil disposition. He had some good quail
ties and generous emotions; but he was fatally
weak, and prone to surrender himself to the
guidance of stronger wills than his own, as
we'll as to his own inclinations, when they
pointed in direction his conscience told him
was wrong one, simply because he had not
the moral force to resist the temptation. Tie
could not put away from him the gilded fruit
he coveted, even though he knew it was bitter
at the core He could not say "no, " when Sc
ductive voice urged him into downward
path, though he was not too blind to see
pitfall ready to receive him at the bottom
because it was so much easier to do as people
wished than to take the trouble to oppose
them. And now, what had this weakness led
him to? He found himself surrounded with
difficulties, from which there was no probable
mode of escape; so artfully had the meshes
been woven around him that every fresh effort
on his part, seemed only to bind him more Sc,
curely in them his honor was in peril his
fair name in danger of being sullied before
the world; ruin seemed to yawn blankly in
his path, and the prospect filed him with un.
speakablc dismay. Too late, he recognized
the dangers into which he had suffered him
self to be led ; too late, his eyes began to be
opened to the true character Of the man to
whose evil influence he owed much of the mis-
cry he now felt, and he wondered that he
could ever have considered him his FRIEND
In his easy, selfish, pleasure.seeking mode OF
life, he had never paused to consider the char
acters of the associates with whom he was
thrown he looked only upon the surface, and
if they were agreeable and congenial to bis
fancy, he cared not what hidden corruption
might be below; he plucked flowers careless
ly as he went, and often felt the prick Of an
unsuspected thorn.


Perhaps his home-training had been, in a
measure, to blame for this. His mother was
a woman of the world, not wanting in aAec-
tion for her family, but too much engrossed
by the claims of society to be able to attend
diligently to the requirements of home. His
father, a man of learning, was devoted to lite
rary and scientific pursuits, and spent the
greater portion Of his tim n the library, or
in the companonShip of those who could
sympathize with his tastes, and appreciate his
efforts, in the line of study and research which
comprised the most important aim of his exis-
tence. How could parents, so untitled by
their several vocations for the cultivation OF
domestic graces and virtues, act as proper
guides to wayward boy? They were fond
and proud of him, knew that he was clever
and admired, and saw no fault in his deport-
ment, or any lack of gentlemanly breeding
and refinement in his manner; his will never
came in contact with their own; his errors
did not fall under their jurisdiction, while he
was in the hands Of attendants and teachers,
and as long as the latter made no complaint,
they thought all was going we'll. And so
time passed, and he went to school, and
formed his own associates, and met them when
and where he pleased, and let them work Oh
him for good or for evil, as the case might be
and too often the evil predominated, and his
unworthicst impulses were fostered, and the
germ of all that was best and noblest in his
nature was crushed down and blighted by
neglect and ridicule, until it ceased its feeble
struggles for the mastery.


At last there came day when the fathers
anxieties were aroused Charlie was in dis
grace for school-boy escapade, and a formal
complaint Of his conduct was sent home
This led to further investigation, and dis
closures were made of his past tolies, reckless
acts of willful disobedience and rebellion, and
the names Of those who had been prominent
leaders in various affrays in which he had
taken part and Mr.. Sydney resolved to re-
move his son from the evil influences which
surrounded him, and send him as far as posi-.
bic from home, that with the breakingup of
unfavorable associations, the breakingup OF
bad habits might also ensae But this result
was more easily contemplated than achieved


hy
the slowly progressing work Of years. Charles
career in Europe, though outwardly as salts
factory as that of the majority of youths Sent
abroad for education, was not one of mora
Improvement, though the strictness Of disci
plne had, for time, q salutary influence over
him, inasmuch as it withdrew him from some
Of the temptations to which he had been ex
posed at home, and allowed him less opportu
nifty for self.indulgence. But rs he grew
older, and these wholesome restraints were cas
off, old habits cropped out again, and witt
even more disastrous results than before
Then soon after his return to Carolina, he los
both his parents, within few weeks of eac(
other, and the severance of these near tie:
seemed to weaken the impulse of improve
ment and sclf-restraint, which his reunion
with them had temporarily awakened in hi:
heart With the unfettered control of for
tune considerable enough to warrant his in
diligence in the pleasures which enticed him
and to excite the cupidity Of those less favoret
in pecuniary way, he was easily led from