Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-08-30

and if her heart had whispered that she could ever
be iailhess to his ashes, she would have shuddered
with superstious horror at the thought The pos
sbty of breaking that solemn promise had never
occurred to her-but time teaches many strange
lessons.
Peyton fingered in the neighborhood constant
visitor at Wycombe, but his attentions were not
sufficiently marked to attract the observation of
Others Her own family were too DESTROYS of the
match to hazard the final success of the lover by
abiding in any manner to his passion for her.
Peyton won his own way slowly but sure
ly The fair widow began unonsciously to regret
the vow which had seconded to Heaven with the
spirit of her dead husband. At lcangth he spoke
OF love, and she listened with trembling to the
out-roring of spirit which was too noble to be
trifed with, and too highly appreciated to be Civ
en- up without pang.
He drew from her quivering lips the history of
her vow, and Invested Of every superstition HIMSELF
he could not conceive that few words uttered in
moment Of excited and agonized feeling should
stand between him and his hopes of happiness. He
did not understand the impossible and imaginative
temperament of the being who listened to his rea-
sonng, willing, nay, anxious to be convinced a.
gainst the evidence of her own feelings.
Her parents agreed with her lover in his views
of the case--and urged all sides, her own heart
traitor, Ellen yielded to their wishes and betroth-
cd herself to Peyton.
As the day appointed for her marriage drew near
the words of her appeared to be ever ringing
in her With restless and fearful spirit she
saw the hour approach which was to witness her
second espousals.
Preparations were made for a splendid bridal
All the members of her family assembled beneath
the paternal roof, and every effort made to di
vert her mind from dwelling on the fantasy thai
possessed it.
The appointed evening arrived and the ceremo
ny which made her the bride Of another, was per
1t was near midnight when Ellen found hersel
standing on the porco in the bright moonlight
with Peyton beside her. The gay throng within
were still dancing, and the sound of merry voices
mingled with the bursts of music that swept by oil
the dewy and fragrant air. Ellen started as Pey
ton spoke beside her, and for the first time for sew
cral hours the recollection of her fatal VOW intru
ded Oh her mind.
"What a glorious night" she remarked. 1"
never saw the moon shine with greater spendor.
May it be happy omen to us, my dear Ellen,
replied Peyton-and as he spoke he turned to
white rose bush which had wreathed itself aroun
one of its half blown flowers.
While he was thus employed, Ellen was gain
abstractly on the fantastic shadows made by tn
trees in the yard, Suddely she grasped the railin
for support, and looked with eyes fascinated wit
terror on white shade which seemed to rise froI
an open space on which the moons radlence wa
poured without obstruction from the surroundin
shrubbery. The shadow arose slowly, and graz
ually assumed the waving outline of human for
wrapped in the garments Of the tomb. 1t approach
ed the spot on which she STOOD and the features
Henry Sinclair wearing look of sad reproac
were distinctly visible to her as the shade glide
between herself and her newly welded lord.
With faint cry she would have fallen had NJ
Peyton turned and sprang forward in time TO n
ceive her senseless form in his arms.
Long, long was it before she recovered from hi
deathlike swoon. She then related what she ha
seen, and chung to the belief in the reality of Il
spectral visitation with such tenacity, that reason
ing and soothing failed to calm her mind. Belo
another day had dawned she was raving in the d.
rium of a brain fever, and in one week from h
ill onened marriage she was laid beside him who's
spirit she believed had summoned her to join hi
+ The incidents on which the foregoing tale
} founded are literally true. That the supernatur
visitation was the offspring of an overweight il
r aginalon and superstltous mind, a real case
2 monomana, there can be but little doubt. The vag
$ res of an excited Imagination producing re
ults on Mormons and Millerites quite as ineXpc
bic to sober the catastrophe of The Brok
Vow.