Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-01-13

With his heart Knocking at his bosom C sick.
ness he rushed headlong through the drifts, with
II giants strength aud fell down half dead with
Joy and terror beside the body of Hannah Lee.
But he soon recovered from that fit, aud lifting
the cold corpse in his arms, he kissed her lips,
and her checks, and her forehead, and her closed
eyes, till, as he kept gazing on her face in utter
despair, her head fell back on his shoulder, and Il
long deep sigh came from her nmost bosom.
She is yet alive, thank God p and as that ex-
preston left his lips tor the first time that night,
he felt pang of reInorse. said o God, that
thou hadst tnrsnken us i am not worthy TO he |
saved: but let not this m den perish, for the sake
ot her parents, who have no 9th child The |
distracted youth prayed to God with the same
rarnesluess us if he had been beseeching fellow
creature in whose hand The power of lie
and death. The presence ofthe Great Being was
felt by him in the dark and bowling wild, and |
strength was impaired to him to dcliverer-
lie bore along the fair child in his arms even rs
! if she had been u lamb The snow.drift blew not
the wind fell dead-a sort of gnmer like that
of an upbreaking and dsparting storm, gathered!
about him his dogs barked and jumped, and bur
rowe,l Oyiully in tho snow-aud the youth SIT ong
in sudden hope, exclaimed, with the blessing of
Gld, who has not deserted us in sore distress,
will ! carry thee, Hannah, in my arms, and lay
thee down alive in the house of thy father AT
this moment there were no stars in heaven, bui
she opened her dun blue eyes upon him in whose
bosom she was unconsciously lying, and said, az
in n dream, Send the riband that ties up my hair,
aS keepsake 10 William Grieve.' 'She thinks
that she is now on her deatl-bed, aud forgets
not the son of her master. 1t is the voice of God
that tells me she will not now die and that, under
His grace, shall be her deliverer'
The short lived rage of the storm was soon
over, and " illam cou d attend to the beloved be-
ing on his bosom. The warmth of his heart
seemed to inuse life into hers and as he gently
placed her ieet on the snow, till he mu lied her up
in his plaid, as well rs in her own she made an
effort to stand. aud with extreme perpleXity and
brwilderInent, family inquired, where she was,
and what fearful misfortune had befaen them
She was, however, too weak to walk ; and US ner
young naser carried her along, she murtnured,
% William! what if my father be in the moor
For il you, who need care SO little about me, have
come hither, rs | suppose, to my life, you
may he sure that my father sat not within doors
during the Storm. AS she spoke, it was calm be-
low but the wind was still alive in the upper mir,
and cloud. ia *, mist, and sleet, were all driving
about in the sky. Out shone for n moment the
pad aud ghasily moon, through rent in the
gloom, and by that uncertain light, came siagger
ing forward the figure of man. Father Fa-
ther,' cried Hannah aud his gray hairs were al
ready on her cheek. The barking of the dogs
aud the shouting of the young shepherd hal
struck his ear, AS the sleep Of death was stealing
over him, and with the last effort Of bennmbed
nature, he had reused himself from that fatal tor
por and pressed through the snow wreath that
had separated him from his child. As yet they
knew not OF the danger each had endured, but
each Judged of the others suffering from their
own, and father and daughter regarded one anoth.
er us creatures rescued and hardly yet rescued
from death.
But few minures ago, and the three human
beings who loved each other well, and now
feared not to cross The moor in safety, were, As
they thought on their death beds deli vernnce now
sllone upon them and like gentle fire, disprllng
that pleasant but deadly drowsness and the old
man was soon ALE to assist " am Greve in
leading Hannah alcng through the snow. Her
color aud her warmth returned, and her lover
for so might he well he called elt her heart zen.
tly beating against his side. Filled as that heart
was with gratitude to God, joy in her devprance,
love To her father, and pures affection for her mas
tfrs sou, never before had the innocent maiden
known what was happiness and never more was
she tn forget it. The night was now almost calm,
and last returning TO lis former beauty when the
party The first twinkle OF the fine through the
low window of the cottage of the Moor They
soon were at the garden gate and TO relieve the
heart OF the wife aud mnthpr within, they talked
loudly and cheeriully naming each other iamll-
Inrly, and laughing between. like persons who had
known neither danger or distress
No voice answered from within-no footsteu
came to the door, which stood open as when the
father had left it IN his fear; and now he thou hi
with Fight that his wife feeble Ms she was, had
been unable To support tn loneliness, and had
followed ont into the night, never TO he brought
home alive. As they bore Hannah into the house
this fear gave way to worse, for there upon the
hard cay flnor lay the mother upon her face, as
1t murdered by some savage blow She was H.
The same deadly swoon into which she had fallen
on her husbands departure three hours before. -
The old man raised her up, and her pm SO wa
still so was her heather lace pale aud sumken
and her body co rs ice. / have recovered ,
daughter, said the old man, 'bnt | have lost I
wife; and he carried her with groan, to the bed
on which he laid her lifeess body. The sigh
was too much for Hannah, worn out as she was
and who had hitherto been abe 10 support her
sclfn the delightful expectation OF gl,Iening le
mothers heart 10y her safe arrival. She, too. now
swooned, and rs she WAS placed on ih bed hesd,
her mother, il seemed indeed thnt DEATH hisappoin
ed of his prey on the wild moor had seized il il
the cottage and by lie firesde. The husband mel
down 10y the bedside, aud held his wile's icy han,
in his, while " illiam Grievr, appalled, aud awe
stricken, hung over his Hannah. aud inward i'm
rlored God that the nights wild adventure NIGH
not have so gh,Sy an end. Bur iiannahs youn,
hearI soJn began once more 10 beat and as sooi
as she came TO her recollection she rose up witt
n face whiler than ashes and free from all smile
as II none had ever played there, aud Joined he
father and young master in their efforts TO res
tore her mother To lie.
II WIS The mercy of God that had struck he
down 10 the earth, nsensibIe to the shocking wind
and the fears that would have otherwise killed lle
ihtee hours ol tiia VIA storm had passed owe
her head, and she heard nothing more Than it Sh
had been asleep in hreathless night of the sum
mer dew. Not even dream had touched he
brain, aud when she opened her eyes which II
she thought had been but Il moment shut, she ha
scarcely time to recall to her recollection the in
age of .lrr husband rushing out into the storm
aud Of daughter therein lost, ill she behehl III,
very husband kneeing tendery 10y her bedsid
and that very daughter smoothing the pillow o
r which hernchng temples recned. But she knee
from The white steadiast countenances before h'
Tint here had been tribualion aud develanc