The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-06-26

who could hardly lisp the words.
stole down after him, creeping Under certain
shrubs which grow in that place, and none but dev-
lis know with what terror |, a full grown man,
tracked the footsteps of that baby as he approach
ed the waters brink. | was close upon him, had
sunk upon my knee aud raised my hand thrust HIM
in, when he saw my shadow in the stream and
turned him round.
His mothers ghost was looking from his eyes.
The sun burst forth from behind cloud, it sho C
in the bright sky the gistcning earth, enchanted ell
water, the sparkling drops of rain upon the leaves.
There were eyes in every thing The whole great
universe of light there TO see the murder done
know not what he said he came of bold and
manly blood and child as he was, he did not crouch
or lawn upon me. heard him cry that he would
try to love me--not that he did-and then saw
him running back towards the house. The next
saw was my own sword naked in my hand, and he
lying at my feet stark dead--dabbled here and
there with blood, but otherwise not different from
what had seen him in his seep--in the same at
ttude too, with his cheek resting upon his little
hand.
| took him in my arms--and laid him very gen
ty now that he was dead-in thiclet My wife
was from home that day and the next. Our bed
room window, the only sleeping on that side OF the
house, was but few feet from the ground, and |
resolved to descend from it at night and bury him
in the garden. | had no thought that had failed
in my design, no thought that the water would he
dragged and nothing found, that the mon
ey must now lay waste since | must encour-
age the idea that the child was lost or stolen.-
All my thoughts were bound up and knoted to-
gether in one absorbing necessity Of hiding what
had done.
How felt when they came to tell me that the
child was missing, when ordered scouts in all di-
rections, when grasped and trembled at every APP
proach no tongue can tell or mind of man conceNcs
buried him that night. When | parted the
boughs and looked into the dark thcket, there was
glow-worm shining like the visible spirit of God
his grave when mad placed him there, and still it
cleaned upon his breast an eye of fire looking
up to Heaven application to the stars that watch
ed me at my work.
| had to meet my wife, and break the news, and
give her hope that the child would soon be found
All tits did-with some appearance, | suppose,
of being sincere, for | was the object of no sus-
picion. This done, sat at the bedroom window
all day long, and watched the spot where the dread
iul secret lay,
1t was in a piece Of ground which had been dug
mp to be newly turfed and which had chosen ON
that account as the traces of my spade were less
likely to attract attention. The man who laid
down the grass must have thought me mad. !
called to them continually to expedite their work,
ran out and worked beside them, trod down the
turf with my feet, and hurried them with frantic
eagcrness- They finished their task before night,
and then | thought myself comparatively safe.
| slept--not as men do who wake refreshed and
cheerful, but did sleep, passing from vague shad-
owy dreams of being hunted down, to visions of
the pot grass, lhroug which now hand and
now foot and now the head itself was starting
out. AT this point always woke to make sure that
it was not really So That done crept to bed u
gain, aud thus spent the night in fits and starts,
getting up and lying down full twenty times, and
dreaming the same dream over and over again
which was far worse than lying awake, for every
Once thought that the child was alive ana that
had never tried TO kill him. TO wake from that
dream was the most dreadful agony Of all.
The next day sat at the window, again new
er once taking my eyes from the place, which, al
though it was covered by the grass was as plant
me-,s shape its size, lis delph, It's Jagged sides,
and alias it, it had been open 10 the light OF day.
When servant walked across it, felt as II he
must sink in when he had passed looked to see
that his feet had not worn the edges, lf Il bird
lighted there, was in terror lest dy some tremcn-
duous inteiposition it should be Instrumental in the
discovery if breath of mir sighed across it, TO
me it whispered murder There was not sigh
or sound, how ordinary, mean, or unimporlani
socvcr, but was iraught with fear. And in this
state of caselcss watching spent three days.
On the ionrth there came 10 the gate one who
had served with me abroad, accompanied with
brother officer of his whom had never seen.
felt that could not bear to be out Of sight OF the
place. II was summer evening, and babe my
people take table and flask of wine into the
garden. Then | sat down pih my choir upon
tie grare, and being assured that nobody could
disturb it now, wilhou, my knowledge, tried to
drink and talk.
They hoped that my wife was wcll-that she
was not Obliged 10 keep her chamber and they
had not heightened her away. What could do
but tell them with faultering tongue about the
down-ooking man, and kept his eyes upon the
ground while was speaking Even that terrified
me | could not divesi myself of the idea that he
saw something there which caused him TO suspect
the truth, asked hurriedy if he supposed that
and stopped, "That the child had been muir
dcrcd 90 said he, looking mildly at me- sob, no
what could man gain by numbering poor child ~
| could have told him what man gained by such
a deed, no one better, but l held my peace, and
shivercd as with an aguc.
Mistaking my emotion, they were endeavoring
TO cheer me with the hope that the boy would GER
ta'nly be iound--grcat cheer that was for me-when
we heard low, deep howl, and presently there
sprung over the wall two great dogs, who boun-
ding into The garden, repeated the baying sound
we had heard before.
',Bood-hounds - cried my visitors.
What need to tell me that ] had never seen
one of that kind in all my life, but knew what
they were, and for what purpose they had come.
grasped the elbows of my chair, and neither spoke
nor moved
''lhey are of the genuine breed" said the man
whom had known abroad" and being out for
exercise have no donb escaped from their keeper
What noble animals they are !
Both he and his friend turned to look at the dogs
who, with their noses 10 the ground, moved rest
lcssly about, running TO aud fro, and up and down.
and across, and round in circles, careerlng about
like wild things, and all this time taking no notice
of us, but ever and again lifting their heads and
repeating the yell we had heard already then drob-
ping their again, and tracking earnestly here
and there. They now began 10 snuff the earth
more eagerly than they had done yet, and although
hoy ctiiI In,t