Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1842-10-28
From The "Factory Girl"
THE WOMAN'S REVENGE.

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Some time during the year 1890, a cru
ell and unaccountabe murder was committee
near the beautiful village of Willamstowr
in Vermont, the horrible incidents of whicl
are still fresh in the minds of the resident.
OF that peaceful valley Ii was one of those
strange and unaccountable acts of demouisn
which reflect, in the blacklist shades, the
mysterious principles of evil in man-tha
clog to his highest and hottest aim, an APP
proving conscience. No clue to the murder
err could be iound--no evidence which could
direct the anxious seekers of undiscovered
guilt. The crime was not forgotten but as
years rolled by and the murderer was still
unknown the memory of the deed became
more indistinct, until il was rarely alluded
to except as an unparalleled case of mystery
and bloodshed In the year 1910 the red
arm OF justice fell upOn-the memory only,
of It's victim, who had scarcely found the
quiet of the grave, ere the astounding secret
was made public, connected with tale OF
ialsehood and ylllainy, too common in the
history of the fashionable and dissolute.
decrepd old woman had lived for years
IN hut some miles from the village in a
romantic mountain pass called 1.-THE Gulf"
"a generation having sprung up around her
which forgot to inquire Of the female hermit
the story of her early days. Whether she
had ever revealed il or not since her res
idence in WilIamstown, is not known She
lived on the fruits of her industry, cultyat-
ing 4 small garden, telling fortunes for the
giddy and weak-headed and spinning. A
settled expression of melancholy told that
she had freely trod that thorny path upon
Ile's highway, which beginning in sanguiue
hope, ends in disappointed affection, slight
ed confidence and broken heart When
her sympathy was excited by some tale of
bighted love, she would manifest violence
OF passion peculiar to the most ierocious of
her sex-yet no one suspected "Aunt Ruth, 1"
as she was familarly termed, of being a
shrew. Though possessed of astonishing
decision OF character, she was seldom moved
to anger, and for the last ten years oc her
life she had seemed unusually tranquil In
the winter of lS39-40, she BEGAN to feel the
ravages of 10 years upon her hardy frame
her gait was slow, and her form began to
bend towards its future resting place, as
though anxious to escape from the thraldom
of old age. In the month of March, there
occurred one Of those mountain storms that
block up the roads and passes through and
over the hills with huge masses of snow, oft
en- rendering them impossible for weeks
Du'''lS Tie prevalence of the story much
anxiety was felt for Aunt Kuth-aiter sixty
hours had passed in an incessant hurricane,
the neighbors braved the snow to get to her
cottage-their worst fears were realized -
The old woman had persisted in her bed
whether from paralysis, cold, or other disease
was not known-but there she lay in her
bed ; stark and stiff in the wlntry atmos-
phere of the Gulf Several days elapsed be-
fore the funeral ceremonies could be per-
formed. When disposal of her effects took
place, package of manuscripts was found
in an old drawer, which excited the curiosi-
ty of the neiehbors. They tore off the en-
vellope, and on the inner wrapper was writ
ten in quaint, school-boy hand, the follow
ing direction
''This roll contains secret which must
"be revealed only to Squire Pride let
"the finders deliver it to him immediate
ely, or they shall feel to their latest hour
"the curse Of
Ruin THE SoRcEREss.
1t needed no further threat TO ensure
prompt delivery. The worthy Squire re-
ceived the mysterious package, retired 10 hi:
office, and read, to his utter astonishment
the following story of
WON Ans II EV T. n & E.
My life is fast drawing to a close, and
have a sorrowful tale to tell 1t is too lat,
to dwell upon the details of my life and guilt
and must hasten to disclose a secret which
will pile curses upon my memory, and re
proaches upon my sex. was born in 1854
of wealthy aud respectable parents, whose
characters suffered but one reproach durin!
long and chequered life-they were To
ries in the Revolution. The enthusiasm O
my grlhood, and the love of contradiction
so natural to my sex, had created in m
mind a strong Partially for the patriot caus
and became the creator of many frey dis
putes in my fathers home, owing to m
strong thirst for rebellion. When the rev
olution ceased, | was in my seventeenth year
and possessed a tolerable share of what tn
world calls attractions. To natural regular
ity Of features, had given to me, cheer
full disposition, and an education of superio
order. 1t was during this dangerous epoc
of my life that | became acquainted wit
Hervey Brydone, British officer, who ha
been taken prisoner, and detained by hi
wounds until the war had ceased. He wa
a young man of handsome address and ha
a more winning tongue than usually falls t
the lot of young men. He was attracted b
my girlish vivacity and beauty; he strove t
win my love and succeeded. had neve
before known the power of that passion
which now seemed the very essence Of IN