greeted by the severe majesty of blankverse; anon, the song condescends to put on the trammels of rhyme. We hear not only brief and fervid odes, but long epics whoserecitation wears out the night; and we are fortunate in being able to state a fact in regard to the origin of these latter prodigious compositions, which is capable of casting much light upon a critical question of no little importance. Close your mouths henceforward, ye clamorous opposers of Hedelin and Heyne! The Iliad, that noblest compound of rhapsodies, never could have sprung from one unaided author, for no single Homer is found adequate to compose so much as a corn-song. Verse after verse is added by the inspiration of innumerable successive poets. In some future day, a Pisistratus will doubtless arise to combine and arrange the precious fragments in one grand, symmetrical, immortal, whole. As Sidney and Howard stopped to listen, the melodious choir were singing lines something like the following: Old Bob Hateful he was a devil, When the last dying note of the chorus had floated away in the distance, there was a dead silence around the corn-pile. In fact, before the two or three previous lines were sung, the white visitors had been discovered by a portion of the assemblage, who immediately dropped their voices. "Whe-ew !" said an old fellow whose curly grey locks glistened in the moonbeam, "Hush boys-hush boys!" "Who's that?" asked one of those a little further off. Priam-for the first speaker was no other than Mr. Newlove's lately engaged servant -answered in a low impressive tone, "Don't you see? It's Master Howard Astiville. Let's strike up something else quick boys;-it makes no odds what." On the instant the negroes at one side of the corn-heap dashed into that spasmodic melody which accompanies the words "Pickin' up de cotton; pickin' up de cotton! Heigho---Heigho! Picken' up de cotton, &c. The other division of the assembly sang "with taste" the pathetic strain "An' thar I spied an old grey goose, A-smilin' at the gander." Had it been broad day, Sidney would have been able to perceive that her companion's face was flushed with anger. Too much absorbed, however, in observing the novel and picturesque scene before her, to divide her attention with aught else, she looked not at Howard nor addressed to him any remark for a space of some minutes. Curiosity being at length amply gratified, the lady and gentleman left the yard. Sidney then thought to inquire of Howard whether he could account for the sudden change of the song at their approach. "And do you not know?" said Young Astiville, turning towards her. "Really," she answered, "I cannot imagine the reason. If they intended to compliment us, I think they displayed little judgment, for the first song certainly appeared to have much more character than any that succeeded it." Haven't you heard of the grave at the fourth corner?" 66 Yes, something, I remember that Mr. Somers"-here she hesitated. "You refer to that evening when he uttered such audacious insolence in your parhe said, for neither father nor mother will lor. Let me know precisely what it was tell me.' "" Sidney noticed his kindling ire and was unwilling to supply it with fuel. "It is not well," she answered to recur to an incident so unpleasant, and which, I have no doubt, has since been regretted by all parties who were engaged in it." "If I had been present that evening," have escaped so easily. Let him never said Howard," Richard Somers should not repeat the infamous slanders he spoke then, shall learn the foundation upon which his or dearly shall he rue the hour. But you frantic malice built I know not what impudent accusation. Robert Astiville, as you have probably heard, was the first of took up a body of land adjoining one our family that settled in this State. which had been patented some score of years previous by Roland Compton. It chanced, as he was engaged with a chain and compass in running out his lines, that He he found himself oppressed with thirst near | "And was Giles buried by the cornerstone?" "Yes, so it is said; and the negroes (who are strongly affected by such circumstances) have invested the spot with many superstitious and ghostly fancies. To this cause is in a great measure to be attributed the difficulty of at this day discovering the exact locality." "Then," observed Sidney, musing, "you think that the corner which we thought was found near the sulphur spring, must be given up." "I fear it must, indeed," replied Howard, yet it ought to be remembered that this story of the grave is a mere tradition and has no positive evidence to support it. At any rate, however, there is nothing to shake our confidence in the Lower Branch, being the division line between the patents." "Yet you have not told me why the blacks interrupted their singing upon our arrival just now." "What?" said Howard. "Did you not hear them speak of a certain Bob Hateful-” "And was that your-" "My great grandfather's father you mean? Yes, such is the epithet with which the negro vocabulary has honored him. The poet who, about a century ago, composed that elegant elegiac, made the line run, 'Old Bob Astiville,' but the living Astiville's having, very naturally, no desire that their name should be handed down to posterity in such a fashion, remonstrated, and so energetically, that the sable songsters expunged it and substituted another. They have also sense enough to know that the song, albeit thus modified, cannot be particularly agreeable to any member of the Astiville family. Hence their disorder this evening upon discovering whom they had for a listener." "I do not wonder," said Sidney, "that your family should prefer having so painful an incident in their history forgotten." Nor are "And forgotten it would have been long ago," rejoined Howard, "but for the perverse memory of the negroes. they content with the tragedy as it really occurred. Each generation seems to consider it a duty to embellish the tradition with added circumstances of horror. According to the belief now current, Robert Astiville was not merely a man of impetuous hard-hearted cruelty to Apollyon himself." temper, but a perfect demon-a rival in "Did Giles leave any descendants ?" inquired Sidney. ticular who I know is descended from him. Yes. There is one old woman in parHer name is Naomi. Though now free, from her mouth that I first heard the tale of she once belonged to my father, and it was her ancestor's death. I was not more than ten or twelve years old, and as you may suppose, the account delivered by her with bitter emphasis, made a profound impression upon my mind. I remember that the old woman, to account for the sudden fit of passion of which Giles was the victim, assured me that there was an evil spirit who haunted our race, occasionally taking full as an indelible stigma upon the name of a gentleman? His being a lawyer makes his conduct appear all the worse. Accustomed throughout his whole life to sift and weigh evidence, it is impossible that he could have failed to observe how entirely groundless was the charge which he took upon himself to utter." possession of some member of it, and lead- | unjustifiable than to parade a hasty suspiing him into all sorts of atrocious acts. cion as truth, and to endeavor to affix it And she referred me for confirmation of the doctrine to those passages in the New Testament which speak of persons who were possessed with devils. With an upraised finger and gleaming eye, she added, that it was very probable that this fiendish attendant of the Astiville family would some day enter into me. Of course, a child of the tender age of which I was, could not hear these frightful tales without shuddering. My parents perceiving the terror which oppressed me, and after some investigation discovering the cause, were very angry. The consequence was, that the old hag was whipped, and I fear that she regards me, though only an involuntary agent in her punishment, with as rancorous a detestation as she does the memory of old Bob Hateful himself." " Sidney and Howard strolled along in silence for a little distance. At length the latter remarked: "It was, indeed, very wrong," mur mured Sidney. If "And now," rejoined Howard, vehemently, "Tell me what has been the effect of the calumny. You know exactly what Somers said that evening-I do not. you are unwilling to inform me what the imputations were which he cast forth so recklessly let me hear, at least, whether they produced the result intended. parent's honor is as dear to me as my own. If you see cause to believe my father a villain, you are welcome to esteem Howard Astiville ten times more a villain !" A "Trust me," replied the young lady, "I never had reason to entertain the slightest doubt of your father's integrity. Let the assertions which Mr. Somers uttered, in a moment of irritation, sink into oblivion. They are already as if never spoken-except so far as the recollection of them affects Mr. Somers' own reputation. "There's an old negro, named Priamand, by the way, I saw him at the shucking yonder who is Naomi's husband. He is at present hired to Sylvester Newlove, and he it was, probably, or his wife, who gave Somers the information about the Grave, which was used to such effect in Court. I will not pretend to reproach Somers for anything he said before the jury;-there he only acted according to his trade. But what I do blame him for is, that he should afterwards have so shamefully garbled and distorted his negro tradition, for the purpose of lowering my father in Mr. Everlyn's opinion, and in Howard took up the word immediately. yours. That was a trick of mean, despica-"Somers ought, in truth, to be ashamed ble malice, to which I would not have of his conduct-but, I presume, his only thought that even Richard Somers would care is to make himself agreeable to Miss descend." Newlove?" Sidney was struck by this observation. In a quick voice she said: "Can it be that Mr. Somers understood the matter as you have explained it ?" "Surely! How can it be else? The account which I have given you is the negro account, and it is the one which Somers must have received. Or, if any other tale was told him, it certainly could not have been more unfavorable to our family. This is the darkest one that has ever been propagated. But, giving him the credit of ignorance, what can you imagine more' Sidney stopped, confused and blushing; for these last words had escaped her unintentionally. They expressed rather a painful conviction, than an opinion which she desired other persons to adopt. Sidney felt her embarrassment increase, but it was necessary to give some reply. So, after the pause of a few seconds, she said: "I hope, however, that Miss Newlove cannot possess so exacting a disposition as to require, from her advocate, the forfeiture of his honor." "I should have been inclined to believe so too," returned Howard. "I had a good look at the young lady a few days since, and, really, if she were not a New Yorker's daughter, one might conjecture her to be quite an amiable sort of person. Of course no less partial spectator than Richard Somers, would reckon her very beautiful;-still there's something engaging about her. Spenser has a couplet, which, I think, describes pretty well the impression likely to be made on one who saw her for the first time. The poet, in mentioning some plain, unpretending damsel, says: Yet was she fair, and in her countenance Dwelt simple truth, in seemly fashion.'" "Very pretty lines, indeed," said Sidney, "and I am sure that any one who deserves to have them applied to her, need not complain that Dame Nature has been niggardly in the bestowment of charms." "Miss Emma Newlove is well enough," answered the gentleman, "though a little too meek, and quiet, and die-away for my notion." "Why, I thought you had never conversed with her, Mr. Astiville ?" "So I have not-I only infer the char- "If I did entertain such a belief," said acter from the face. My opinion may be Sidney, "it would only be a ground for symwrong. Perhaps, with all that mild sin-pathy and fellow-being. You know Evercere look, she is, in reality, a termagant stone lies under a doom. But let us keep and a scold. If this be the case, I trust a bold heart, and destiny may do its that Somers is the man who is destined to become her husband-no fate can be too bad for him." "But suppose she is of a temper altogether different?” "Why, then," added Howard, " may she have the good sense to choose a husband somewhere else than in Redland. She ought to know that there are ladies here, too fair to be rivalled by Yankee beauty, and sufficiently numerous to engross the entire devotion of all the sons of the South. Stay !-let me think better of it. Yes, we'll be generous, the little puritan maidens shall have leave to gather the crumbs. Let them take the lawyer, and welcome! It will be a happy riddance to you, Cousin Sidney, will it not? why waste time in making provision for Miss Newlove? She is sufficiently old to help herself. Though philanthropy is a good thing, I don't see that we ought to be particularly solicitous respecting this young lady. For my own part, my thoughts are not disposed to wander so far. You tell me that Somers' falsehoods have made no impression on your mind." But "What falsehoods ?" asked Sidney, suddenly. worst." "I have need, in truth, Cousin Sidney, to summon all my powers. Think what a fiend it is that haunts me-not a tempter who seeks to beguile me to my ruin, but an irresistible despot, who will never condescend to address his victim in any language but that of stern command. Imagine him tossing me about at his own will and plea sure. See me writhing as hopelessly as Laocoon, enveloped in the folds of the serpent. Am I not to be pitied? Perhaps, however, there is a way to exorcise and banish the fiend. If you, Cousin Sidney, were gifted with the power to relieve me from this horrible fate, would you not exert it?" "Certainly. It would be inhuman to rerefuse; but, unfortunately, I am no Merlin." "Oh," resumed Howard, "I ask not the forbidden aid of sorcery. The fiend is too mighty to be thus conquered. He can be driven out only by a power, of a nature directly opposite to his own. He is dark, loathsome, devilish. I must, then, look to one who is pure, benign, and lovely. And if the being who possesses these qualities, in their extent, will not assist me, I must abandon all hope. What say you now, Cousin Sidney?" "I have to reply that I still think your safety depends upon yourself alone. But, since you make such an angel of me, I must, in return for the compliment, render all the service I can. Evil spirits were expelled, in ancient times, by the influence of music. We are nearly at the house, I perceive, and the piano is in tolerable tune. I will play to you, until the unwelcome demon, if he have any ears to stun, shall be ready to cry mercy.'" "Thanks, my gentle David," said Howard, leading his companion towards the steps. "And do you, great King Saul, be on your good behavior. Cast no javelins at my head-I beseech you." To be Continued. |
