Winyah Observer : volume 09, number 508 - 02-02-1850

              I Waterman &.Tarbox, Proprietors.
Devoted to News, General Intelligence, Miscellany, &c.
B. H. Wilsoa Edioft*
i Vol,. IX.
Georgetown, S. C, Saturday, February 2, 185Q.
iNo: 50ft
TbeWeddrDgGaroirot.
A TAI.E OF TBVTn,
Thi.s wns the ()ark, the dangerous part ofi er scandalous nor improper.   Sir Peler ( her life.    She looked at her wailing in- j had his rcwarti—she made hint an escel
j fant—^she saw it press lli^'^unfeeled, the | lent wife, and he made for her an excel
i flaccid, milliless bosom, and she   wished I lent wil
Revenge, when opportunity permits the full indulgence of its. energies, in man becomes ferocity, in woman ma¬ lignity. The fonntr, courage niay over cujne, pnlienCe support, or submission »tihdue—bul dealh only can relieve us from the virulence ofihe latter. Re¬ lieve us,'did I say ? No. tbe breath of lhat.b^neltll passion settle; like, a black tnisi iiptm Ihe griive of ihe victitn,. and blasts Ihe few flowers that may, attempt ,to flouiisli around .it. That person is brave; who can sconsciencinusly say, thai he fears thcresentnienl of no man— Jbut he is a fool who dares that of a woman.
... Beaulyrthiiu art n dangerous but   a
blight mnolle—there is fire, .too,  in the
vWi^btness; for sometinici, like lhe shin
of Dejanira, thouart latal to the wearer
.'¦(Hiietimes, like a flower that is withered
•ip'by the sun, destructive to the gazer!
Of thisquulily so important for (>oi>d  or
*1or (BvilrAnn Willdns had almost more
than   mortal's   share;   She   wos   the
"iJaiiBhter of low, almott vagabond par-'
eots; of her father the knew little—he
diaappeared When «he had attained her
: tenth }*ear, overwhelmed no doubt, in
, •cine of thoae  gullies of wretchedness
•that perforate lhe heart of this melropo-
,Ils he was heard'of no more.'. Hermolh-
; -er, a practical political «conomis, she, in
. the iteighborha'ud of i'aildington, verified,
one of its principal dogmas—(he turning
into the uimoat pr'ifil their rcsidum, tke
^ caput mortuum of therswmaierial—she
'gained her livelihootl by sifting the cin-
I ders—a dirty, but certainly an honorable
. employ—and, thanks lo tho carelessnens
ofour melro|io!itnn menials, not alto-
' gether  unprofitalile, as many a silver
sptKin and fork rewarded Mrs. Wilkins'
iiiquisilorial reiiearches.    Till Ann was
fotirtccn, she ithook ber elbows on the
dimly field in unison with her mother, and
looking at llicm, I assure the render, that
, lhe did it wilh infinitely more grace than
.ever was possessed   by lhe Marquis  of
.'¦K—^, though lhe ivoricf fell from  under
hia aristocratic ntaiinsi vibrations, and
''ishes from liei*s.    Yes, she was a boau-
. (y—tall, round, glowing, with eyes  ihal
" could madden, and lips thai could smile
•way madness.   At fourteen her com-
ponions began In treat her as a woman,
. she no longer sifted shoeless and slock-
ingleas—sho gave herself airs, nnd begged
petiple to behave genteelly—had aumart
•   drew, clean white cotlon stockings, and
prelty sandaled shoes fur Sundays—that
W"''*f"o'—nevermind—whyshould we
speak of heir foot, when no many, even
then, were thinking of her hand ?
it dead How she lived ihrough these three years of rags nnd wretchedness she 'never could tell; she was not yel nine¬ teen when her misery'seemed to have at¬ tained its horiible climax. Herjinsbaiid lay ill, in the last stage of a rapid decline. While the man was dying, two parishes.
At the age of ihirty.fiv'e behold Lady | Ann Rankles, just clear o( her first year I of widowhood, resplendent in beauty, stepping inlo her well appointed car¬ riage, in order lo make one at a dinner party in Brunswick Square. Her host¬ ess was also a widow, the relict of a Col-
each of which was disputing, who should 1 oiiel Canderson, of the Honorable East nol be encumbered  wiih his bones, re-1 India Company's service; rich, avari
fused relief, Things were in this state, when Ann, taking lhe child in her hand, proceeded through lhe crowds of ihe weli-fej and gay, lo seek redress at the hands ofthe magistrate, against lhe inhu- manity of the.overseer. The day was bright and sunny, she was thrust hither and thither hy belter-dressed people, she saw shops oterloatJed with the delicate viands—her child cried for them—Ihal irritated her, she was herself very, very hungry. Ye, who have never hungered be merciful in your condemnation. On that day at that inomeiit her heart hard¬ ened : she, wbo bad, ihrough all misery, never yet been selfish, now entered her soul. She said to herself, 'Yes, he w*ill die,' and she was glad, "and were I quit of this wimpering brat. I am not twenty my beauty may relurn—I can shift for myself, «*ere I bul quit of him!" It .W.IS a diabolical, thought.    She wns in
a crowded thoroughfare—she did not at-   wick Square—-to her toady, and made
tcmpt*lo lose him,—no, I will never be¬ lieve it,| I aai myself a father,—but she was carclesss, abstracted and reckless. That nii;ht she was a widow and child¬ less.
Then people were kind to her. The overseers took blame to themselves— magnanimous souls I They had no idea that the case was one of extremity. However, they were pious folks ; their pews at lhe parish church were decora- led wilh crimson curtains moving upon bright brass roils, consequcnlly ihey lold the widow that "God willed everything for the besi," and bade her take comfort, bul .ehe could not;—her lillle Alfred!
cious, fond of play—past forty, and not very remarkable for personal charms. She was one of those of whose intimacy —it is Ihe moral we wish lo inculcate—¦ we should beware.. "I never forget my friends, and never forgive my enemies," was continually in her moulh, and at leasl, the lalier pari in her heart. For Ihe first clause of her creed, I never knew that her friends were very grateful how she acted upon her second, will shortly be shown. To apply her apho¬ rism to herself, I know* no one of whose actions so much forgelfuiness ought to have been wished or of whom, as Chris¬ tians, we should have more lo forgive.
Let us now suppose Mrs. Colonel Can¬ derson lo jiave filled her two drawing rooms with her evening party, in aildi- tion to her dinner-guests; that she has 'eft the task of m.iking ihem "comforta¬ ble"—a w*ord not yet exploded inBruns-j
were not of frequent occurrence,, or she I lent aad;iDD6it!jadi'ice. Ci^ie the mont- would have sunk under ihcin. They i ey to a charity, bul take care that it bo were gradually brought on by seeing j to lhe Foundling Hospital f" children of about the age of lhe one she | Hiid sentence of dealh been, sudifealjr had lost, weep. Miserable as all this was, I passed' upon Lady Rankles, she eould hot she had her consolalion, and that was,. ¦ have been more hoaror-struck. Sho in repentance aat^ prayer. It made Iter I knetv that none pi3ssessed( the fatal secret think of heaven oftener than olherwise ! but ibis dreadful allusion! fronii this she would have done, and bfldilaol been I wery dreadful woman's lips, accideni.il for tliis, earlh would perhaps have held I as il seemed, to be, was like the blast too much sovereignty over hai*. | of  lightning.    Yet  v/ith a  wonderful
This lovely being is now playfng whist | eflbrt, she preventeti herself feeanifaint- against her hostess. The stakes are | ing; an.tl though deadly pale, siia ralher high—Mrs, Canderson is nolori-« bowed her bead as in subnassioni teia ously avaricious. It is a short whist, a | chastisement from Heaven, and scarce-- terrible provocation of short tempers. | 'y a thouglit of her mortal tormentor. She and her nartner are really playing | said with humility, " Mrs. Canderson, I admirably—yel they rectiminale, Mrs. 1 w-iU flaiylor whatever you please^" Cs m'onfey and good humor ate fast go- j The hostess, again mantling her fac» ing—there—the latter is entirety gone—j wilh artificial siniles said, "Well thea that last hand did the business. I in dillerence to your scruples, that I rc-
" Mr. Obit,"  says Mrs.   Canderson,. | ally respect, I will meet you with consid-
flinging down her loss wilh much asper¬ ity, " I ihink ifyou cannot handle parch¬ ment betler than you do pasteboard, you ought not, in conscience, to undertake any man's law business. You will par¬ don me, sir, but 1 never saw any one play worse."
" Madam," said the lawyer, bowinjf sarcaslically, "the blame of my loss this E evening lies between three parlies, my
eraiion for acquiescence—tet the stakes be but five guineas, i am a plain hon- _ est wotiMiQ, •¦Ihat Ttever firgei mt^ I friends or forgive my enemies,'and if¬ you are going to give so largely to a eiiariiy, 1 sincsrely wish you may doublo your gains. And, in the zeal for the good ofthe poor, she commenced playing bv placing her large white handkerchief oi» lhe table, and drooping two of the four*
j self dame Fortune, and my partner. Of j kings into her lap. Her opponet saw it. the three I really can exhonerale only | Ladies cheat at cards sometimes, myself." Mrs Canderson was going to | The young/Jand beatiful—blesi thwr reply, butseeing a tiller upon the coun- (, bright   eyes!—do it daringly and des-
herselfso al her whist table, for she has got a shriveled, adult, roguish lawer for her parter, and Lady Rankles for an op¬ ponent.   Mrs. Canderson is all smiles.
perately, wilh a frankness that ia quile charming. Oh! they avow it, nnd laugh at yoa. An excellent joke, if it diil not cost us poor "masculine humaDs"
tenaiices oflhe slanders by, she felt Ihat to encounter the lawyer ot polite viiu- per&live tilting, would be only kicking against lhe pricks; she, so like nil cow-
bul'lhev are glittering and false as sum' ll "f^' 'P''^'^' '""i""'''"""! "''"' I'"'J''"!! ?"'' '" ™™""'' '''=''' "^ """"'>••    ^1
mer ice'.   The appearance, lhe all beau-   "[ T'^ ^Z    ' '"* ^T' 'i T        ^'-   I f'^l'"'"'' "''° ""¦" P^'P"""* "'*'"°'''* tiful appearance-ofLady Rankles, was,   "^'^.^ '•"'""c m mind, and the meek m   for heaven, cheat piously and secretly.
carnage. Jin order that they may put two shillingij
"Lady  Rankles,"  said  the  hostess, | in ihe plate al the door of tho chapel oc
wilh a most ominous emphasis on the 1 church, when they have a charity scr-
word lady!" I have lost to you just fif-1 mon,   instead  of  one.   These devout
ty-three sovereigns this evening." j ones do it secretly, because ihey knowr
"If it gives you pain, my dear Mrs.   what they are when speaking of their
she replied mildly, " I am   good deeds, "not to let the right band
will not. I hold the remembrance of her as a devoted lover does lhe minia¬ ture ofhis aiSanced in his bosom, not to beoblrudedon the inquisitive, the cold or the worldly. There is nolhing like training, after all—for who could ever imagined that Ihosc long, while, and del-
Whelher llie parish aulhorilies were j icate fingers,  that so agitate the bosom
very assiduous in the*r search after the lost liule pauper, we know nol—he was never found; bul this we know*, when Mr. Bloater, lhe overseer, met Mr. Scrimp, the vestry clerk and attorney, •.hat evening in llie well furnished aparl- ments of the master of Ihe workhouse.
ihev congratulated each other and the j fall, that even  a summer ot loveliness
parish over an excellent bottle of port, at the expense of said parish, attheir good luck in getting rid, in one da}*, of two such incumbrances as the father and the son. God hart, no doubl' taken' them' bolh—BO they pronounced il aGod-'send.' Lei us pass rapidly over the. next fif¬ leen year's of Ann's life.    The house-
of the beholders, once agitated the cinder sieve ' The expression of her counle¬ nance is that of a subdued joyousness. Once, or pel haps twice, in the course of a day, a little absence of manner, and swimming of the eyes in tears that she could not repress, yet would nol let ihem
There m.   a great affinity   lielween .••rone con»<ras;s.   A young'baker not | keeper of Sir Peter Rankles, a middle yJtout a(his lime not more ihart eigh- j aged balchelor, heard of her story,'so he
t«el> years ofage^ saw and loved. They both were powdered profv,.sely-i here was «»ympalhy in Ihat—Ihe only .difl'erence _"«ii« in the color. Owing lo our excel- lent piKir laws, and the excellent state of
took Ann upon trial, as his housemaid. Her beauiy relurned, if possible, with in¬ creased splendor.   Sir Peter, afler wcll' salirfying himself with her looks, wLshed next to be satisfied with her story.   He
morals of our poor, the cfl'ect of these I then gave her his countenance, because eicellent poor laws, these two minors I he liked her so well; afterward an edu- eoinniitted<lheg-eat mistake—marriage cation; as he said Ihal he intended her ...-Hhd Ann Wilkins as was, and Ann 1 lo succeed his housekeeper; he was his J .Buntasis—lou«ctliePaddinglon;)atoi»   own steward.   So she was taught mu-
sweet as hers was sometimes overcast wilh a passing cloud; yel did it not, on that account, seem lhe less trancendent. Bul she had some dreadful hours,of solitude. There, there was the throbbing ofa riven heart, the wild tossing ofthe arms, the wringing of the hands—" My Alfred, my lillle angel!" and in the darkness ofthe night, and in lhe world of dreams, sleeping or tvaking, the icy hands of retribution lay heavy on her heart, and then the childless mother felt the horror of living liighlened by lhe dread of death. How often "did she scan over every moment of that fatal inorning how fearfully exact was every face pain-     ,   „,    , ,     . ,
ted   to  her,   that she had  met in that   shuffle the car_ds wilh eagtsrness,
Canderson,'
^as, al a little mJre than the- age of dt* fteen a mother.   Start not!   This is an runexaggerated fact.   The beautiful Cin¬ derella; ere she was oul of her infancy, w.as fast sinking down into the sickly, . aj^ the dowdy, ilirty molher uf low life. Then came the parish  medipal atten¬ dance, and the begrudged relief, and the , obtained gin, when fpod  itself was at¬ tainable ; the lowering look the heavy "cun*, andthe heavier blow of the boy huiband, I. His time Was out, and his em. ployment precarious.   What God had iutended Ann to be it would be impiety
«ic, dancing, French and Italian, in or¬ der to be better able to check the bakers' and butchers' bills. The old housekeep¬ er opened his eyes, she, however, shut them again in quiet satisfaction, upon being pensioned out of office in excellent slyle. People began to surmise; Sir Peter grew angry, and talked ofhis diiin- Ifirestedness. Now it was vycll known that everybody who knew Sir Peter, and every boily who knew Ann did not want the baronet to marry the widow of the journeyman bakes,.so Ihey went tbe very best way about efTecting the match.
really very sorry for it.
" Gives ine pain, indeed ! I should not Slave ihought of it—I believe I had got just as much pain at losing Ihis money as you have sorrow at winning it." . '¦ Never said a truer word, by Japres," said a voice from the crowd that usually surrounded Lady Rankles whenever she went in public. This was wormwood and bitter aloes lo Mrs.C, she took how- ever.no notice ofit. "Bul perhaps her ladyship will have the goodness to give me my revenge at eearte ?"
" Why, really, 1 had almost made a vow never again to play al that hateful game. You always beat me at it; and it is lale; but as I see you have set your mind upon it, we will have a game or Iwo."
" Then,l assure you il must be for very high stakes, or I shall hold you craven; come, you have won between fifty and sixly pounds of me, and you limit the games lo three; you must say tweniy pounds a game."
" Oh, no, no!"
"Ten?"
(o preaume, bijt what she was—what They said, '' that it was improper and man'had made her—even the evil one | scandilous,". and they dared hint to do tumelTiauit hnyp k\i pity to bebold>iU/hcdidit-i-opl^toprovcitwasQeiih'
walk; and how strained every nerve that seemed to cut into her heart, to find out tho exculpation for what she wished, but could not call her passive crime! The fact ever came painted to her in pictures of fire upon her brain, that when she missed the little hungry Bobber from her side, she did not look back unlil she knew, that looking back was fruitless. She would repeat to herself, until it waa uttered in screams—"Oh! God, 1 did nol walk faster—I did not walk faster." " The flattering unction" would not lie upon her soul—and the horrible word infanticide would quiver upon her lips,— Then when her compunction was of a more lender nalure, how would she weep weep, weep, for uncounted hours, utter¬ ing only these wortis, " My poor, poor, hungry Alfred!"   But tJiese paroxysms
know what the left doeth." So praise. worthy an end sanctifiesjlho means. La¬ dies cheat nl cards—sometimes.
Lady Rankles soon lost all that he had won, and a few pounds over. Play 'had ceased in the other quarters of tho room. Many had already left, and al¬ most all that remained had collected around the two antagonists. The loser rose—lhe winner grew angry, and again began to bo sarcastic. She still kept her seat and continued shuffling tha cards. Lady Rankles' patience and for*- bearance were fast given away to tlis attacks of the other; at lenghth after one moi crude than the rest, she saiil with great dignity: "Mrs. Canderson, while 1 held any of your money, I per- milted you to get il back in your own manner; bul 1 can go no farther. I cannot risk my own money with a lady, who, every deal, by accident of courae, drops one or two cards into her lap."
" Woman," saicl the tigeress, " it is false!"
"It is true!" said her ladyship, and approaching her opponent, endeavored to remove lhe handkerchief that lay partly on the edge of the table and part¬ ly on her lap. Somelhing like a scufflo ensued. Mrs. Canderson arose from her ences that would walk through fire and j chair, and beside it lay three oflhe kings.
nd the   hostess began to eagerness, it would go against my
'' No, indeed conscience."
" Ah, conscience; tvell more consci
water wiihout a' muscle quivering, are^ll over nerve when they come lo the card table. Do not think ihat I mean to be personal, Lady Rankles." ,
"I fervently hope not. It really does go against my conscience, and I had al¬ ready made up my mind to give the sum that I hav3 won lo-night lo some chari¬ ty. So, you see, if you win this back of me, you are winning from the poor and unfortunate; really I am loathe to play.
" Well, as you please. Lady Rankles," said Mrs. Canderson, with a fiendish mal¬ ignity ;   " but in relurn for your very
There was a deep silence for half a min' uie. At length Mrs. Canderson camo * up to Lady Rankles, and whispering in her ear, these words.—"Card dropping is not, after all, so bad as child drop¬ ping!''
Tt was then that Lady Rankles ap¬ peared to be the guilty party. She stag¬ gered to her chair, and seemed ready lo faint. Mrs. Canderson was a great gen¬ eral ; she knew that her reputation was al stake, and, before surprise had time to give way to indignation, she ran up to her ladyship, wiped the perspiration
pleasant nnd moral refusal lo oblige me, | from her brow, kissed her on the cheek permit me to give you a piece of excel-' (conc/«de(<ij»,oiirBM:(.) -
S^SSS^S'
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