The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-07-19
MIDDLEBURY VT. JULY 10, 1912.

had given his heart and promised his hand
to Lucy, and she owned she loved hm-him
who was not worthy of her love. He said
too, something of my having hitherto been a
kind father and a kind man; and he would
not believe that the first case ofmy doing a
wrong, would be to the orphan girl, whom
Providence had placed under our roof
Ma.am you will wonder that hardened my
heart to all this. but you know that an ger is
said to be short madness, and so it is; aud be-
sides, there is nothing makes US so deaf to
reason and true feelings as the singing sense
we are willfully doing wrong. was harsh,
and John lost his temper; and poor Lucy
cried, was too frightened to speak; and it en-
ded with my telling Lucy she should not stay
another day in my house, and John, that if
he did not obey me, my curse should be up
on him.
1.-The next morning, they had both clear
ed out, and every body thought they had
gone off to be married; and so believed
till night, when John came in like distrac-
ted man, and said he had been all day see-
king Lucy, in vain-that the only friend
she had in the city knew nothing of her
and when answered, so much the better,
he accused me of cruelty; and then followed
high words, such as should never pass be-
tween father and son and it ended in my
turning him from my door. do not won
der you turn away but hear me out. Sat-
urday night, three days after, John came
home an altered man. He was as humble.
as if he only had been wrong. He begged
my pardon, and promised to obey me in all
things. but marrying Amy Bunce Il give
up Lucv, father he said, 'but | cannot
marry any body else.' | forgive him
from the bottom of my heart forgave him
and longed to ask him to forgive me
but had not come to that yet. asked
him what had brought him back to duty
He put into my hands letter he had recei-
we'd from Lucy. She had persevered in
not seeing him-but such letter, ladies !
! If ministers could speak so to the heart,
there would be no sin left in the world
She said they had deserved to suffer, for
carrying matters too far without my knowl-
edge. She spoke of me as the kindest of
fathers and the kindest of masters. Then
she spoke of the duty child owed a parent
said she should never have any peace of
mind till she heard we were reconciled !;
and told him it would be in vain for him to
seek for her for she had solemnly resolved
never to see him again. The paper was
blistered with tears from top to bottom but
saving and excepting that ma'am, there
was nothing from which you could guess
what it cost her to write the letter.
81 could not stand it. My heart melted
within me. found her that very night,
and without loss of time, brought her back
to my house; and them" he added, walk
ing hastily to the farther extremity Of the
shop, and throwing open door that led
into back parlor. "there, ma'am, is the
long and short Of it,"
And there was one of the most touching
scenes of human life. My pretty, dutliul
friend had become a wife and mother, her
infant in her arms and her husband sitting
beside her, watching the first limitations of
intelligence and love in its bright little face.
Such should be the summer of happiness,
when the spring is conaecrated to virtue.