Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-10-23

> was still as kind, and in his eyes as beau
tIful, as when, bestowing ON him he
Y hand, she blushed her vows at the altar
and he was still as happy, as generous ant
3. free. Nine fair children sat around thei
e domestic hearth, and one, the youngiD,
'r OF the flock, smiled upon lis mothers knee
Peter had never known sorrow; he wa
blest in his wife, in his children, in hi
flocks. He had become richer thai
bis fathers. He was beloved by his neigh
: bors, the tillers of his ground and hi
= herdsmen; yea, no man envied his pros
:, Perity,-but IA blight passed over the har
, vest of joys, and gall was rained into The
! cup of bis felicity.
1t was christmas day, and more mel
; ancholy looking sun never rose on the 95th
OF December. One vast sable cloud, like
universal pail, overspread the heavens.
For weeks the ground had been covered
: with clear, dazzling snow and as through
tout the day, the rain continued its unwea-
: rled and monotonous drizzle, the earth
assumed a character and appearance mel
, ancholy and troubled as the heavens
) Like a mastiff that has lost its master, the
wind howled dolefully down the glens,
and was re-echoed from the caves of the
, mountains, as the lamentations of le-
4 gion of invisible spirits. TIE frowning,
} snow clad precipices were instinct with
motion, as avalanche upon avalanche the
larger burylng the less, crowded down
ward in their tremendous Journey 10 the
plain. The simple mountain rills had as.
sumed the majesty of rivers, the broader
streams were swollen into wide torrents,
and gushing forth as cataract in fury and
IN foam, enveloped the valleys in an an
CRY flood. But at Marchaw the. FIRE bla.
zed bllhely; the kitchen groaned beneath
the preparations for a joyous feast; and
glad faces glided from room to room.
/ Peter Elliot kept christmas, not so much
because it was christmas, as in honor of
its being the birth day of Thomas, his
first born, who that day entered his nine
teenth year. With a fathers love, his
heart yearned for all his children, but
Thomas was the pride ofhis eyes. Cards
of apology had not then found their way
among our border hills; and AS all knew
that, although Peter admitted no spirits
within his threshold, nor drunkard al
Fn's liable, he was nevertheless, no niggard
III MS ~pitally, his invitations were ac-
fcepted wltheal ceremony. The guests
: were assembled; and the kitchen being
the only apartment in the building large
enough to contain them, the cloth was
-|sPread upon long, clear, oaken table,
stretching from England into Scotland
On the English end of the board were
I placed Ponderons plum pudding, stud
Ided with temptation, and a smoking sir
loin; on Scotland, savory and well sea.
soned haggis, with sleeps head and
Itrotters; while the intermediate space was
filled with the good things of this life
common to both kingdoms and to the sea-
sons. +"
The guests from the north and from the
south were arranged promiscuously.-
Every seat was flled-save one. The
chair by Peters right hand remained un-
Occupied. He had raised his hand be-
fore his eyes and besought blessing on
what was placed before them, and was
Ipreparing'to carve for his visitors, when
his eyes fell upon the vacant chair. The
knife dropped from his hand. Anxiety
flashed across his countenance, like an ar
row from an unseen hand.
"Janet, where is Thomas?" he enqui-
red, shave none o ye seen him?" And
without waiting an answer, he continued.
show is it possible he car, be absent at IA
time like this? and on such day too ex.
J cuse me minute, friends, till ! just step
out and see if can find him. Since ev.
er kept this day, as many o We ken, he
has always been at my right hand in that
: very chair, and | Gamma think O. begin
ming our dinner while see it empty"
/, "lf the filling of the chair be ALL said
a pert young sheep farmer, named John
son, 81 will step into it till master Thomas
r arrives ....
aye are not father, young man," said
: Peter, and walked out Of the room.
Minute succeeded minute, but Peter
}, returned not. The guests became angry
7 peevlsh and gloomy, while an excellen
+ dinner continued spelling before them
!, Mrs. Elliot, whose good nature was the
: most prominent feature in her character
stroye by every possible effort to beguils
the unpleasant impressions she perceived
K gathering upon their countenances.
!. "Peter is Just as bad as him." she re
marked, "to have gone to seek him whel
!. he kenned the dinner wouldna keep.
+ am sure Thomas kenned it would be rea
e dy at one O'Clock, to a minute. 1t is sd,
e unthinking and unfriendly like to keel
s folk waiting" And endeavoring to smil
upon a beautiful black haired girl Of Sc
d venteen, who sat by her elbow, she con
a tinued in an anxious whisper, ''did ye Sc