Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-11-29

made his bands do some dreadful deed, had notthe
stranger interposed
In few minutes the frolick, of the'party was up
on its old footing. The young man sat down up
on one OF the benches with the boy at his side aud
WhIle the rest were loudly talking and laughing,
'hey TWO cohVersed together. !he stranger learn
Ell from Charles all the particulars of his simple
story, how his father had died years since-how
his mother worked hard for bare living-and
how he himself for many dreary months, had been
he servant OF haYAhearted, avaricious master.
More and more Interested, drawing the child to
his side, the young man listened TO his plainly told
Ihlst0ry-and thus an hour passed away.
1t was now past midnight The young man
told Charles that on the morrow he would take
steps to relieve him from his servitude--that for
the present night the landlord would probably
| give him a lodging at the inn-and little persuad-
| ing did the host need for that
AS he retired to sleep very pleasant thoughts
! filled the mind of the young mal-thoughts OF
worthy action performed-thouShts too' newly
awakened ones; of walking III steaulef anu wiser
path than formerly.
That roof then sheltered two beings that night
one of them innocent and sinless of Wrong-the
other-oh to that other, what evil had not been
present, either in action, or to ms desires!
Who was the stranger2 To those that from ties
OF relationship or otherwise, fell an interest IN MN,
the answer to that question was not pleasant to
dwell upon. His nameYas Langdon-parentless
II dissipatl@G5TTs n; TssksAs-a Brawler-one whose
too freuurnt comimniols were rowdies, blackegs
and swlndIerS The n. 7. police officers were not
altogether strangers to his cOunenance; and GER
tam reporters who notced the proceedings there,
had more than once received fee for leaving out
his name ON the disgraceful notoriety of their
columns. He had been bred to the profession Of
medicine; besides he had Il very respectable in
come, and his house was in very pleasant street
t,o IL, ,,Ft nn pifV Tfh
however did Mr. John Langdon spend ut his do
nestle hearth, aud the elderly lady who oficiated
as his housekeeper, was by no means surprised to
i have him gone for a week or month at a time,
she knowing nothing Of his whereabouts
u Living as he did, the young man was an unhap-
ply being 1t was not that his associations were be-
low his own capScitY-.for Langdon, though sens
ibe aud we'll bred, by no means talented or re-
fned-but that he lived without any steady pur-
pose that be had no one attract him to his home
that he too easily allowed himself to be tempted
which caused his life to be, of late, one continual
scene Of dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction he
sought to drive away, (ah, foolish youth! y by the
brandy bottle, and by mixing in all kinds of par
ties where the object was pleasure. On the pres
ent occasion, he bal left the city few days be-
fore, and was passing his time at a place near the
} village where Charles and his mother lived. He
fell in during the day. with those who were his
companions in the tavern spree, and thus it hap.
, pened they were all together. Langon hesitated
: not TO make himself at home with any associate
that happened to suit his fancy.
The next morning the poor widow rose from
her sIecpless cot from that lucky trait in our ma
ture which makes one extreme follow another, sht
set abont her toll with lightened heart. Ellis
the farmer rose too, short as the nights WERE al
t hoiir before day for his God was gain and prime
article in his creed was to get as much as possible
| from those around him. He reused up all hi
people, and fudng that Charles had not got hom
the preceding night muttered threats against him
and calling messenger, to whom he limited tina
any minutes whlAl- be s!aid beyond an exceedn,
; short period, would be subtracted from his break
fast time, despatched him to the widows to fnt
: what her son was about.
What WAS he about? He had beautiful dream
) and thus it was seeming.
: With one Of tie brightest and earliest rays O
the warm sun. gentle angel entered the apart
7 ment, and lowered over him, and looked dowr
with a pleasant snile, aud blessed him. And tn
child thought his henetaetor, the young man, wa
nigh, sleeping also.
, Noi~elessIy taking stand by the bed, the ange
bent over the boys face, aud whispered strang
words into his ear 1t seemed like soft and delicat
= music So the angel, pausing moment, and smi
o linz another and douhly sweet smile, and drink
ing in the scene with his large soft eyes, bent owe
again to the boys lips, and touched them with
kiss, as the laugud wind touches a flower. H
e seemed to be going now, and yet he fingered
n Twice or thrice he bent over the brow of tn
h Young man and went not Now the angel wa
If troubled; for he would have pressed the youn
IS mans lips with kiss, as he did the child's but
: spirit from heayen who touches anything tainte
= by evil thourbts does it at the risk of having hi
n bosom pierced with pain with harbed arrow
IS At that moment very pale bright ray of sunigt
y daried through the window and settled on tn
v young mans features. Then the beautiful spir
'd knew that permission was granted hun; so h
" touched the young man face with his, and silent
Sc " and swiftly walled himself away on the unsee
Is air.
!" In the course of the day Ellis was called upo
q, by young Lnngi0n, and Hever perhaps in his lii
~ was the farmer puz ed more than at the youn
m mans propoSalS-hIs desire to provide for til
in widows family, IL hpdy that could do him no pc
mo cuniary good, and bls willingness to disburse mr.
h. ney for that purpose In that department of f
vi liS's structure where the mind was, or ought
g. have been situated there never had entered tn
ne slightest thought asslmating to those which actl
49, ated the young man IN bis benevolent movement
he Yet Ellis was eanlgh4eember and an officer
- The widow, too, was then tailed upon, not on
on that day, but the next and the next.
rs 1t needs not that SHOULD partcuIarlze the su
ny sequent events Of Iangdon's and the boys histo
MS how the reformation ofthe pro1gate might da
to begin from that time, how he gradually severe
ne, the guilty lies that so long CALLED hm-how he
I'M IN jooyed his home again; how the friendship
'u5 Charles and himself grew not slack with time
1n and how, when in the course of seasons he bee al
ue head OF family of his own, he would shudder
y. the remembrance of his early dangers and his
I'M capeS. Often in the hustle of day aud the slIenc
Oh OF night, would he bless the ulterancee OF tho
=, words, MY mother oflen prayed me not to drin'
IIni' Loved reader know YOU the moral interview