VOL. 1.
(IREENSHORO, N. C., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1875.
NO. 2.
POETRY.
To the Secretary.
JIake thou the recoril —
Our Masoii-life there:
ilakc til. uihe record triili/,
With close and anxious care :
The labors on the busy stage,—
At every step, -from age to age!
IMake thou the record plainly,—
How oft does error lurk!
Herein onr children mainly
Will rc:id their falher’s work;
Ilerein will tr.ice v itli joy or gloom
Our pathway to the closing tomb.
Make thou the record kindly,—
Omit the cruel words;
The Ma-on-.pirit blindly
A gentle shroud alibrds:
Oh, let thy record grandly prove
Freemasonry's a thing of Lore.
Make thou the record swiftly,—
Time’s scythe is sweeping fast;
Our life dissolving deftly
Will soon, ah, he soon past:
Oh, may a generous eye o’erlook
Our record in the Heavenly Book!
The Stolen Curl.
Upon the shores of Lake Ponchartrain
and on the Southern border of the State
of Mississippi, a long row of elegant villas,
,of ware-houses, and here and there a pub
lic building or private institution, form
the lovely and quiet town of Pass Christ
ian, noted by its balmy elimate, the beau
ty of its situation, its handsome residences,
aud the wealth and refinement of, its citi
zens.
To the young ladies’ accademies and
military institutions of Pass Christian,
many of the wealthy planters were wont
to send their daughters and sons to be
educated; and as the pupils of the repre
sentative institutions would meet in their
daily promenades, many admiring glances
would be exchanged between them, and
longings felt to become acquainted.
Among the fair pupils of the Lake Ac-
cademy none were more beautiful than
Ptose Vernor, the sole heiress to all her
doting father’s cotton estates situated
upon the mississippi river. A shower of
golden curls fell upon her shoulders.
Blue, dreamy eyes, a bright, smiling fane,
and a graceful form, added to a disposition
of the truest womanly sweetness, made
the young girl of fifteen particularly at
tractive to all who knew her.
Many a handsome cadet from the mil-
atary academy had fallen in love with the
bewitching beauty at the first glance
from her heaven lit eyes, but to none
did she show a preference when meeting
at the soirees and receptions given by
the different schools.
One of Bosa’s greatest, though silent
admirers, was Edward Griffith, the son
of a Mississippi planter, whose estate lay
adjoining that of Mr. Vernor, but betw'een
Mr. Veruor and Col. Griffith there existed
great bitterness, and for years the fami
lies had not spoken, though meeting con
stantly in social intercourse at the neigh
boring planters.
The feud commenced long years before
when Mr. Vernor and Col. Griffith were
rivals for the hand of Edward’s mother.
Col. Griffith had won hei heart and baud,
and married her ; and his success so en
raged Mr. Vernor that he challenged his
successful rival; a duel followed, and in
this encounter Col. Griffith came off vie-
torious. severely wounding his adversary.
Since that day neither had spoken to
the other, and all inteichange of friendly
intercourse between even the negroes
upon the plantations was forbidden.
Meeting once at Pass Christian
though Rosa could not but see that Ed
ward Griffith admired her, and that he
felt that she was not indifferent to his
gaze, both were governed by the remem
berance of the feud existing between their
parents and gave no sign of the recogni
tion of the others feelings.
^ ^ ^
Towards the close of a Summer’s day,
in the year that this story opens, the fair
pupils of the Institute had gone down
the long pier leading to the lake, to the
bath-house of the institution, Soo.a a
merry party of damsels were spla-shiug
about in the water, riding the breakers,
and chasing each other about in glee.
It was a pretty sight, dressed as they
were in their various colored bathing
suits; and a handsome youth of twenty-
one, clad in the stylish uniform of the
Pass Christian Military Acoademy, paus
ed and gaztd upon the lovely scene.
Suddenly a shriek was heard, and a
dark lorm was borne away by the tide,
out of the reach of aiJ from her compan
ions. With a speed of a deer the young
cadet sped down the pier, reached the
bath-house, and regardless of the cries of
the frightened girls, bounded headlong
into the water. Vigorously did he breast
the Waves, and soon overtook the fair girl,
who was nobly struggling to sustain her
self above the waters, for she was a fair
swimmer.
Soon he came nearer; and seeing help
was at hand her courage forsook her, and
she sank beneath the waters, while
shrieks of distress from the shore showed
her that her companions believed her
forever lost. With a deep dive the youth
succeeded in catching hold of the drown
ing girl, an'l with renewed strength start
ed shoreward.
Bravely did he struggle, and at last he
felt that he would reach the shore, for
when almost at the bath-house two of the
professors of the institute, alarmed at the
cries of distress, had run . down to the
scene, and swimming out a few yards,
had relieved the tired youth of his pre
cious burden.
Without a word the young man turned
once more away, and to the surprise of all
commenced to swim down the coast. In
vain did they call for him from the shore;
on he swam, and night coming rapidly on,
he was no longer visible.
After continuing slowly, and with
strong and steady stroke down the coast,
the cadet swam towards a pier that pro
jected some distance into the lake, and
drew himself, greatiy fatigued, from the
water. Looking around him to see that
he was not watched, he walked rapidly
up the pier, and struck off across the
fields for the Acoademy. Arriving, there,
he sought his room, and reached it un
perceived when he hastily changed his
clothing.
Before descending to the study hall
to join his fellow students, he drew from
the pocket of the saturated jacket he had
just thrown aside, a long, golden curl,
dampened by the water.
T could not resist the temptation to
sever this beautiful -'Url from its golden
mates; she will miss it, and yet she will
never know who it was that saved her
life.’
And carefully drying the tress of hair
the cadet placed it securely away.
A great excitement was created at Pass
Christian by the saving from a watery
grave of the beautiful Rosa Vernor, and
by the strange conduct of her noble pre
server, whoever he might be; for it was
impossible to discover his name, and all
that could be ascertained was, that he
was a cadet from the Military Acoademy.
This much the young girls had noticed
as he sprang from the pier, and Rosa
having become unconcious, could not de
scribe his features.
The missing curl was commented upon,
and the faces of all the pupils of the Lake
Institute, and the citizens, who evinced a
deep interest in the mysterious affair, but
still an expression of innocence rested
upon every student’s face and gave no
clue.
Mr. Vernor came to the Pass, and in
vain did he visit the Academy.and en
deavor to find out the brave youth who
had rescued his daughter from death; it
was useless, and after a time it was
thought over as only a thing of the past.
-It » *
Three years have passed since the inei-
cidents mentioned above, and from the
shores of the sunny gulf the scene
changes to the banks of the Mississippi
river.
Riding slowly along the road are two
persons, a lady and gentleman upon
horseback. Earnestly they are convers
ing together, and then the maiden draws
rein ; and rests her gloved hand upon her
eompanion’s arm.
‘Edward, here you must leave me.
and forever. It is hard to give you up
but my father will never forgive me and
forget the past, not even for my sake,
dearly as he loves,me. I cannot again
meet you. This morning he discovered
onr secret interviews, and forbade me
ever to see you and upon your return
home you will find a bitter letter from
him demanding my letters. You know
how dearly I love you, and yet you know
we must part. Good-bye, Edward, and
that Heaven may protect you will ever be
my prayer.
And bright diamond tears rolled down
the beautiful face of Rosa Vernor, and
fell upon the roadside.
‘I will not urge you to disobey your father,
Rosa. I liave ever loved you since a little girl
I used to see you dashing about oil your little
pony.—Wiieii at tlie Pass, at school, I loved
you more dearly; and how I blessed kind fate
that threw iis together, nutrimmeled by the
presence of our parents, when you came up the
river a 3’ear ago on board tlie steamer. Then
I felt that you controlled my life’s happi
ness. and dearlj' have I enjoyed our stolen in
terviews. Mow all is over, and we must part,
I will do as j'our father asks me in hi.s letter-
return all you have sent me. Rosa, mj’' own
darling, good-bye!’
Tims tlie lovers parted; and while Rosa
returned to her father’s plantation a mile down
the river, Edward Griffith leaped his horse
into a cotton field that bordered the river
bank, and darted ;iway in the direction of liis
own home ; forpleatli had lain his father in his
grave and he w'as master and owner of the
large estate.
iVrriving at h ’s door a negro messenger from
the Vernor plantation awaited his arrival, and
presented him-with a letter. Entering liis
library he broke tlie seal, and his brow dark
ened as he read the contents.
‘For her sake I will return lier letters—
every little memento of her love: j'es, all!’
A few minutes after, the ebony Messenger
rode away bearing in his hands a small pack
age ;iddressed to William Vernor Esq., Sunny
Side Plantation.’
Mr. Vernor was pacing the verandah that
encirc-cd his handsome residence. A stern
haughty man, his brow w'as darkly clouded ami
Ins eyes wore an angry expression as ever and
anon he glanced down the avenue, aS if ill ex
pectancy.
TIa! at last! T hope he has not dared to re-
fu.se my demand; ifso ’’
Aud he grasped the packagelieldoutto him
by the negro boj'
Breaking the seal he glanced over the con
tents. The frown darkened, when his face
suddenly pal ed. The letters and love trinkets
fell to the floor, as he exclaimed, ‘what does
this mean
In his hand he held a silken curl flashing
like golden strands in the light of the setting
sun.
Upon the card attached he read:—
“Rescued from the waves. Pass Christian
June 15,1850.”
One moment he glanced at the card, his face
changing with the emotions tliat swept over
him, and then he called out to tlie retreating
messenger, “Robert, come here !”
The negro again advanced.
“Mount your horse, and return at once, and
quickly, to Griffitli Manor. Present my best
■withes to Mr. Griffith,_and say that I request
the pleasure of seeing him immediately at Sun
ny Side Phintatioi}.”
“Yes, sir,”
And while the messenger started away at
full speed, Mr. Vernor continued liis walk up
and down the verandah.
.In hour had not passed When Edward Grif-
fi'th rode np to the door, dismounted, and as
cended the broad steps, wearing upon his face
a puzzled expression at his strange and unex
pected summons to Sunny Side.
Advancing towards liim, Mr. Vernor extend
ed his hand, while he said, in a flrm voice.
“Edward Griffith, I never believed thatj-ou;of
one of your race, wouUI ever be invited to
cross my threshold. Your package sent me
this evening told me who it was that saved my
daughter’s life three jmars ago ; heufce I bury
the iiatchet and otfer my hand. You are a 110-
ble young man, and I believe will acce])t ii."
T'hus tlie feud was settled, all animosilies
buried, and the two families united by- the
strongest ties ; for Edu ard and Rosa married
soon after, and all this hfippiness came about
through the romance of the stolen curl.