Newspapers / The Torchlight (Oxford, N.C.) / March 17, 1874, edition 1 / Page 1
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i ! ?3 '5 -7- TO "' W tv." - t , Iffl I III - 1 - - m l l l a 4 a v a I l a B . ;- : ,.- :: - .'.v.-.. , . ' ; - : : U ;m ' . .; ' . : . " ' ' . " " "" l llk , '- ' j ' DAVIS: & ROBINSON, 'Pyop'rs.'i r 1 Variety is the Spice of Life J .that Gives it all its.Flayor. f, . T . u f , U . , . i( r'!i : $L60 pe"rrjtDfldTance. . " i ii ' i :. ' j " : . ' 1 l -.a , i i. IJI 1 I 1 . ',' 1 : 1 i - - ! : ; . . : : . , . . ... - . . . r " " . . . ": : z : ' . For the Torch-Light. Scraps fron.nyUnpHstedHaniiscripts. Impromptu line to at lady on the eve of t he ch-il commotion through which .we 3ifes in the flight of coming years, ,Thine. anxious "eyes svuTuscd vith tears, May trace thy country's woes History's page perpjjaoce may tell ' . Of heroes brave that nobly fell, In conflict erce .with foes. 4 A'flroTKtory's'peani Ioucf may swell , ? The praises high of tlwse that fell ; $?y" CnfA inothefs'heartnvill bl'cetl tf ; The hearthstone where the heroes stood In youthful gayety and boyhood, : r' Their feet- no moretwill tread. Tbp' in each morning, sacrifice,. '"'A mother songs of praise may rise, . , -Z And fervent he her pra3'er ; r The saddening "thought j her heart will ,Ahd ionlier cheetin paleness tell, , Her much lov'd.boy's not there. f Tho' deep her sorrows, and her tears, ller mind may run to other years, And catch a gleam of light ; . Tho' low beneath some forest pine, Tlie fallen soldier may recline, , She taught his heart aright. ' " '. '' ' i Oxford. "i - FoY the Torch-Light. THE BROKEN VOW. A Story of the Olden Time. BY. JAMES A. DAVIS, Of Flat Riyer, North Carolina. CHAPTER H. Life, spirit, vivacity, were all. fled, from the t home of! -Edward ; lie coiitinue(l; melaiiclioly, and' his depression - spread- a r gloom over ovcrv countenance. No longer Yid the sports of the field yield hinr &iy amusement, even the playiul nkss of his 'sister called not forth a (nile. Mary bccupied . 'every idea, Jary ; filled' eyery scene, his sighs, 'his hopes his wishes', were breath ed alone for, her.-; Often with the inconsistency of a lover; was he for hastening to the t college, but aj moment s 'reneotiOn restored him to his duty, and was obliged to be contented with the full consolation that their. correspondence procur- 'Oh, Mary !'? lie woul d exclaim, -seen hut to be admired, known but to be adored- j Should the spaii bf my - existence" linger into years, never :,,willf thy. tenderness, thy nmocencei thy virtue, be ef-aced- froni ihy Imeriibi'yi T will cherish them deep in my heart in pleasant ' contemplation for tlie few months, yt. to rcbme, when I shll Jiaye .the fleaj opportunity ,of gaui on yQur.exquisite. Deauty i4Btit, alasl the future, whatf a mystejr is Icpntajhed therein. The brilliant anticipations T6f man are $ Blackeijed in.'dispair By the terrors ofisappomtmerit Time demolish es the bright jair castles. we have: -Elected forb fate'alnidst unehduraMe envelopes all i hx .impenetrable- anextricahle4 darjaiess.( ,- j-t;- " r I TheVydinpumfullyvwliistled through thb iBterihg ivy. Arid the spiiy" heads tHedofty cypresaf wayeji ia sad- accordance Lwith tEe. urease loffower? perfumed the air; no feathered warblers strained their little 'throats. : The owl; dis mally hooted from "the5 branches and every surrbu lift irig, ob j ect was stamped .to desolation. There is to a contemplative mind something uncommoiilv " soothing in V! t lie autumn of the year. A gloomy Btillness'-; which steals upon the senses, carries our, thoughts far be-' yond the perishable possessions of ttyist world.! ; liitjie discolored and falling "Jeays oi' thedoftiest trees of the forest- we may trace thei de-( cay of powesj of honors and boasted-triumphs. The fading blossoms of the field whisper to the ear of beauty, how transient and short lived is their pride.: E very; indi vidual blade of. 'grass; every' iota of vegetation proclaims the insig nificance of man and,the goodness of our .'creator. ! . j t V 1 ! Edward's heart beat highi with the expectation of soon seeing, his affianced bride, as her father and mother had already rej aired thith er, to bring her home to spend the vacation w But, ah ! Edward, your doomis i sealed. i y i.' ' A few weeks previous to the commencement a cousin ! of 'Mary the son of the brother of Air.' IIow ardton, had arrived in Xew .York, and hearing that she was there at tending college, he called to see her. On meeting him all thoughts of Edward fled froni her mind, and: very soon, they had arranged things so as to marry at th 6 vaca tion. Her parents arrived in time to witness the: marriage, which was celebrated witli all the splen dor and magnificence for which the great r metropolis is historical.-j--They resolved to go on a bridal tour to Europe.. Mary sat down and penned a few lines to Edwarld. The missive. rah ihus : :- 1 'Edward : xyS,J S."- ..dJ. V.. I can no longer call you dear for I liaye married Eugeuq" IloVardtoii and to-morrow we start ou a liridal toiu: to Europe. I hope an all wise Providence will enable you to become " reconciled and to banish all thoughts of me from your mind. I am aware that I have broken my vow, but I trust It will be for the best; I shall think of the -'days Ave have spent together as numbered . with the thiugs of the , past and sliall remember them as sucli and such only. . Good-bye. . .Your fi-iend, ', . ' '; :i Mary. , Edward was seated in his read ing .room when ' the. letter was handed him. ; He recognized the liand , at a glance. t He eagerly broke the seal and read. ; 'He tot tered, he would have fallen had not the servant' rushed forward and supported him in his arms. He had not fainted but a sensa tion even worse had suspended his fapultiesv:;His eyes were fixed on heaven-while broken arid con sed sighs - burst frbm' ; h4SbosomV f Heayen h.asctidrieyliejsacn ficl'VateHas eEahle har to our. union," repeat ed "thejamic7distracted.in,1 "Ph;t I womaa, ! yomlh Ifale deceitfiif sex"; -he; contmue.- "LadenTmthjdeath ypu tempt us to destruction p "But fdr-you- ihno-j j cerice would have reigned) hut for you:uBorrowwb "never) perdition lurks beneath the mask of your matchless7 beauty, ' and poison'moredeadlyiKantheyeri mous adder hangs ilround;ypu.', 1 W.QK i xuiiied inan what'a part in life is youre.SoiTow is 'visible' in yoiir looks and actions,' and it will eventually carry you to tne grave. Iiife' is exposed to' a thousand casualties ; a thousands dangers ; a thousand troubles'; our best laid schemes are , frequently rendered ahortiye, but yet we i must remem ber the being who leads us'in safe ty, upon SyhosO rod bur (.health, oitr happiness pur very ' existence hangs f , We must remember 'that misfortune acquaints; i us with our p vn infirmities j that the intri cate path, of adversity is tlie ordeal of virtue. . .. , j : . After the marriage" the 'pror, ceeded on ? their tour to Europe, and' there .remained until spring, and then returned tblvew York and took up' their' aboue;. in d fine' mansion. Six i months had not: elapseU before Mary, began to re erret her choice.'" The!." man who she had taken for pe'rfectidn turn ed out the ; reverse., JHe; began drinking ah d card ' play in g. Her tearfuh supplications 4 proved, inef ficent to reformation. In ; two years -hp had spent xis entire, for tune. And one day while Mary sat at her sewing i he was brought home mortally wounded, lie did not survive but a short time. Hy ing he left behind a poor widowed woman upon whom, affliction had exercised her severest jfacilities. the rose had faded from her cheeks. LLIer eyes had lost their brilliant lustre. , bhe repaired to her, lath er's house andspent .the remaind er of her days in j obscurity. Of ten with a bleeding heart did she enumerate the events1 of her ? life, and thought : of the man she had so greatly Tonged. : Time is the only specific tolipal the anguish of a sorrowing heart, for sublunary misery sbrinks before , it, as does the foggy vapor at the! rays of the all cheering sun. By it iremem brance is weakened ; by. it 'our feelings , become j insensibly less accute, and , pain ; and uneasiness gradually . diminish. In the mo ments of . affliction the dictates of reason j the maxims of philosophy,, are alike inefficacious,! for time the balm of despair, the medium of woes, can alone yield us comfort; and. soothe our i murmurs . into peace Upon .the ; little hill before described , are two t graves. .Hie flowers' of. spring burst up and decorate ; them. . . The . burning heat of summer warms the hallow ed earth. The houghs i of the great oaks majestically -waving to and fro seem; to murmur, ' farewell." Side hyr i side p are ; implanted a couple . of .tombstones, i, inscribed jippnj.eacji is the; epitaph : :n .. . : "THE .VICTIMS pP SORROW' - tHad the whiskeiy cuo!e,, never began, j we f m;ght ha,ye lived on iri; iriprahce and died without the knowledge; of : the' 1 impbrfiant fact that 'fed-rum" was murder spell ed backwards., i. J5M 'Husband- X must -have sotne' cliaiigej,'' tc&;l!YTell stajr at hbriae and take care of the child- 1 Mr . rehthat "will be change enourh., ,'Er;Wliat : wa' Herpds great 'grandfather f shpe too; I:cahno;lsayj4l)Ut;hete xriakeF loliodvTmdi to this day; one truth- wheri he saH;s; People For the Torch-LigJii. 1 HASDI' GEAS.''- ' , , - -, - -fc. ' . V Messrs Editors.;?. v:: celebration in 'Memphis" , called Maidi Gras : 1:: propose- noticing a tew thipgs mentioned , by the writer, who certainly , knows how tOriandlQ ,ithq quilLHe says "This happy lay of joy and glad hesafsmoothed the wrinkfes from many an .anxious brow; : and ma de me operat a respite If Mardi Gras reallv exerts such a wonderful influence in I brighten ing', up. a the j countenance , and smoothing ..the wrinkles ,pn the brow of time-worn facesand mak ing them sweeter arid niore attrac tive,' dbn'tybureckoii sdfrie friends of Mardi Gras -might; ; be ' found among the,-:: wrinkled and ..rather ancient looking . bachelors . and widowers (JL won't . say anything about any' other class, of persons) in our midst ? If it ' rcallv makes a decided imj)rovement .in the apr pearance of time-worn, neglected faces, some who are making inef fectual efforts to make an impres sion, might be benefited by either getting in the' Mardi Gras region, or getting up a masquerade face-, improver.here.tr..-. ! ; . 1 b ,l The writer proceeds thus : . "The devil himself could not find a flaw iipoh which he cbiild concoct an indictriierit ' against the celebra tion." Perhaps his satanic majes ty; could not find it in his heart to interpose obstacles in the way of a riiatter so much .in consonance with his views of propriety." It Mardi Gras so hiueh improved the morals Of 'Memphis that nothing of an immoral nature. wa3 left, on that occasion j on which to haiig an "indictment!J,, such celebrations ought to be highly prized by the people, forrariyj)retty well con vinced Tthat an, indictment upon good evidence cbuhhbe gotten u in Alefriphis, or 'liTother cities of its size- on an v other- day 'If JNlardi Uras revelry has the won derful power f of quelling the dis orders of cities, and inaugurating: a festive scene of pure delights who does hot' feel like joining- iri;the exclamation "hurra for ' Mardi Gras!,f ' ' "in . 1 "i:-V -u After speaking of the 'failure of his satanic'magesty, who "appear ed in the garb of hn anel of liht, among the' sons' 1 of" God, ; accusing Job the patient,'.' to bring the cel ebration into disrepute by exciting a disturbance', - he ' makes : a lick at puritariibalelfrighf ebushess. Hear hirii : .-"He hi&d thoroughly innocciilated the souls'ofsbme with his'owri 5 ideas' that 'they 'regard an unusually r broad a sfpile-upoh5 ;the face as a sure' pronbsid of inevi table1 'perditibrii?! 'e se'ein 'to be Meinphis"1 I should prised to find; hirii d fat jovial ;sort luxury, ofjmari a0I8iile-H.haking laugh witrrhis ' numerbus'friends. A kin d.friend recentlv sent me a,copyf of the.Memphis Doite -jawrfV their naife' : s thb peal containing a bug- 4and inter-! artile is lonff cnouirhj will close) oariTif oynnnt rt,!Thh'n1ni!MiflTifln ! corrpuing innuence pi care m-j ruuuu me . oiner evening aq visit ive, ginng the yearv heart the two f Mis Sxpitha ' iiAiter I con- in tne midst ot trouDie-f; versing.aynue-, Aliss osan-xcus- a sxrong auvpcaie. lur we'eaenm? hatbry. joys bf life J ! " Jf : Ifehbuld go to Meinphis"1 I should nokhb jsur- the ' name of Whether or not Jbe.carriesrhi3 fun ouhralscf to7ie"prQpre6 with a fittle mantle" of charityjvith which to covef-the foibles: of ftieir 'r?ei:h- hors, "aribThot'he reaqy 4. like the byaskmg t$ ifnotrvYxbhc; to com- mingle in i scenes ; of an immoral nature hnd tendencyas well as neisriiDoi-sf Amicus. ; AIT TJ1TTOLCC1IE ' OtTEST.7-' 1 4t O ur young friend Kkrkcr went ed herself awhile aild went up s la ir. rresenuj; jrarijer . inougni he Hcar .Jipr ;corning &nd slipped behind the eugjes ted. that the' other Miss;, Smith ihoulcTtell Miss Susan h'e had er!iei Al'But it wasn'fSusanj'it was oll Mr rmith hi , Ins slippersr -As I hef entered ho looked. , around andr aid. to; his aaugnter ; f h ,. u 4w'-. - ' "Ah ! So Parker's gne.. (ood riddance P vas just coining 'dovn to keep my eyeon hiri.I hope he hasnt- proposed to yu' X didn't want any such lailt6rnjaWed, red headed idiot varbundll herev" ? He hasn't got the'sense bfa ruta-baga turnip, or money enough toibuy a clean shirt, i. He , getsone ' my daughtei-s" Pll fehak;ehelitp out bfihirir if I; catch, himhere' aain, mind nieV'- ;-3f: Just as he concluedfi Susan came, downer and s no perceiving Parker, she said:A t Thank gppdriesshe'e' gone. That mn 13 enough :tQ!profpke a saint, I was afully afraid He was ffoins: to stay . and spend1- tie evening. Alary Jane, If hopeySi didn't ask him to, come again ?.fJ. y-sf. Tlieri Parker didnt.'deth er ' to stay or .bblt whihl Mary look ed like stewanted drop ;into the cellars Butlfkhallyvialk ed out, apd rushed tcf - the entry, seized, his. hat, shot dpivii the front steps ant went hbme jneditating tlpori the emptiness 'bfSmaiiliap piriess?;; i '-'and the unprtairitv - of Sriiith: He has nbt alledjmce, arid, his lif erfthusf ar l&s ,been un- . molested by the headif the Smith ' Here is a litany whlchaltnough riot orthodox will pa anion (0in- ! I j From' tailors' hilbdoctors pills, western chills, and jCfer;-! liverus 'V l: r . lVom;waht of ld; wiyesf; that scold, maidens old," ana byshaipers 'sold'-deliver ns;li" VT$ ? yj Frpm:i seedy:'fe,:oprptcsted notes, sinldng boatslf ahd A illegal yptes-liyer M-I;i;,u;: ' . J Frorii creaking dBors; jtjtyife that 'snores'jcon ana arv orooa storesinrotect tw ' ;!From modest-gir Isvith waving SJurls, and Tteeth of :peard-i;cyer inind. . iT S.il Un--,' jFroiri stirimg- flies, coal,. bl4ck eyesV bakersi jpiesrid fables cries-deliver us.iErc?wnW . . ,XS?Perspns snhgcrihirig.for, this or ariy"ptherpaper; find-if like .tritriinpny,; tKey take it for bettor., or; worse ' . ' -- - ' ! -'::: : i ! : " ' ! ' ! . 1 . . :
The Torchlight (Oxford, N.C.)
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March 17, 1874, edition 1
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