Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-03-01
FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1889.

nedIcI w tue IhTW>HOuse. ARdlu eoHe
scattered shots were fired, and now Has.
,ings thought no distinguished the voice of
an officer giving orders. Hero the tumult
approached close to him, and it flashed
upon his mind, tina, the smugglets should
retreat, and he be found in their head.
quarters, his position as a gentleman and
a naval officer would be very disagreeable.
He therefore forced open the window.
leapt out at a venture. und fell among q
crowd ofpeople, sprainiug his leg so VIC
lently as to give tiw severe pain. There
were many voices loud around him, and
Glamour and curses expressed the astonlsh
ment that his fall had occasioned. But he
had presence Of mind to ask for help in the
gypsy speech, and the consequence was,
that one Of his former companions recog.
Missed him, and called another to his assis
lance. Between them they lifted Hastings
up, and carried him offat full speed through
the retreatng hu'ly burly. The kings
mon still hung upon their rear, and pro-
vented them from from relaxing in their
pace. But most Of the loaded horses had
gone on before. and the remainder now
dispersed in different directions az the
roads opened on either hand. Still body
Of moro than a dozen men held together
about Hastings. and twice his benrcrs
were relieved. The pain now became SO
sharp that he begged they would leave
him at the first house. Two or three Of
the leaders consulted for q moment. and
then they all went on again in silence for q
quarter Of an hour I. was now twilight.
and Hastings could zee that they stopped
a, small gate. which they opened, and
followed short brick paved path up TO
the door Of a respectable house. They
seated him on the bricks at tho door. with
his back against the door post, knocked
violently 10 rouse the inmates ard then all
ran off
Their alarm succeeded, and ia a few
minutes a servant came TO the door and
opened it, accompanied by her master,
wrapped only in dressing gown. When
he saw man lying at the door in a weak
light Of dawn, no inquired who he was,
and what was the matter. Hastings told
his name, and said that he was a friend OF
Sir Charles Harcourt, had met with an
accident, and was in go much pain he
would beg to be taken into the house, and
TO be allowed to reserve his story for
another time.
| The gentleman said that his name was
Musgrave. and that he was tho clergyman
o! the parish, and promised to do all in his
power to relieve the suferings Of the
stranger. He helped to carry him in and
lay him on bed, and, on hearing Of the
injury TO the limb, sent for the nearest sur.
geon. He, on his arrival, pronounced that
the recovery was likely to require several
days, during which the patient must remain
where he then was. Ho also ordered the
proper applications. After he was gone
Mr.. Musgrave earnestly assured his new
guest that he was most happy to have an
opportunity Of assisting any human being
in distress, and that he need DO under nc
uneasness us to remaining there 90 long al
1t should be convenient to him. Hastings
was now little more at ease, and could
thank him for bis kindness. which BIO gladly
accepted,
cAvPTER II.
Mr.. Musgrave was an unmarried clergy
man, whose whole look end manner bore
the impress of devotion. Delicacy, purity
gcnteness, fervour, were combined in hi
countenance with shade of pcnsive me Ian
choly. A thin ascetic. looking face, higt
narrow forehead, slight and bending
figure, and demeanour of the most careful
politeness over these was thrown an air o
abstraction, which kept him apart from init
macy with any circle Of Society. The Bible
was the world he lived in, and from It h,
, looked out into the actual world as we lool
from the earth into the dun atmosphere, o.
from an island over the sea.
Hastings felt himself, he knew not why
, rebuked in the presence of Musgrave, al
, though the clergyman spoke to him bu
little, and that with the most courteous ant
even friendly good will. But, while tn
= traveller felt that his host had no sympa
! thy with his pursuits or character, he per
o celved in him an elevation and self-denla
. which made it impossible to regard him a
Y an inferior, insenslble TO some higher kin
d OF excellence. He did not attempt to spea
J., on religious, or, as Hastings would hav
J., termed it, professional topics. But it wa
a obvious hat nothing local and temporar
|. interested him strongly, and yet that hi
|. mind was most FULLY strained by perpetus
" thoughts of momentous importance.
4 1t was, of course, by his care that, on
q small table beside the bed, there was
a Bible laid. When, some hours after tn
d arrival Of Hastings, he came to pay h
II guest a visit, he laid another volume 5esid
IF the Scriptures, which, on subsequent exau
: inaion, appeared to be a prayer book an
after he was gone, servant, who came
u, with some refreshments added a thir
y ~ book, which the patient found to he vo
:, ume of hymns. Ia WEAKNESS and stles
i" ness he took up this, and opened it at II
IN following verses. which he read throug
>. and which seemd to him so strange that
10 then went through them second tim
But the impression which they made .
t. him was that of perplexing aud enticlr
m riddle, rather than Of any definite meanil
IN which he could fully grasp.
st
10 L.