Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-06-27

youth, his passions and desires were uncon-
strained and uncontrolled exercising his
will and pleasure at all times and upon all
occasions.
He early became enamored of young
lady, whose beauty Of person and amiabiity
of manner had won the better feelings of
his heart, and with all his faults he could
not but appreciate her worth and oveiness.
She, in the mean time, was drinking
draught after draught from the goblet of
Love, little dreaming that there was coiled
in theI bottom of the cup poisonous and
deadly serpent, that would strike death to her
hearts best hopes, aud embitter the close of
! life, which had opened with so much sweet
ness and promise, with sorrow and trouble
and grief; that would strew her path with
thorns, which had in early life been spread
with flowers. He paid his addresses to her,
was accepted and married For time, the
sun of prosperity and happiness shone forth
upon them with much splendor and prom
! Use, but black and threatening cloud, hidden
in the long, dim distance of time, was slow
| ly rising, and darkening the sky of their life.
| His love it might have been said was lost at
his marriage. His youthful associates and
practices, instead of being diminished, were
now increased, and but short time had
elapsed ere his dislike for home, and the So
cety of her whom he had sworn to love and
protect became too evident TO be misunder-
stood. She now found that he in whom
she had garnered her bosoms best af1ec-
tons, was utterly unworthy Of them. 1t is
to be supposed that knowledge Of her real
condition coming as it did, at time when
the tide of prosperity was at its utmost
height would in no wise affect her. The
tender flower bent beneath the chilling
storm. His recklessness, and gambing-ta-
bic associates, drew from him all the money
that he could command, and he made repeat
ed calls upon his father, till he had nearly
ruined him, when assistance was denied him
from that quarter, and feeling no inclination
to abandon his present mode of life, the
whole bent of his mind was now given to
contrive some means by which he could be
supported After endeayoring to practice
several schemes of fraud and crime to sup
ply his wants, he with number of his asso-
ciates hit upon the expedient of forming a
band of robbers. In this a large number
were ready to cooperate, and as he pos
sessed stout, robust frame, a strong con-
stitution, together with resolute and fear
less spirit, he was chosen as the leader OF
About the time this association was form
ed, his wife gave birth TO a daughter, which
awakened in the mind Of its mother a hope
that it would be the means of creating in
him desire for home, and love for the
society of virtuous friends, and retaining
him from his downward course. But those
hopes like all others which she had cherish.
ed, were doomed to wither and fade before
her eyes. He now informed her that it was
his intention to remove TO distant village
but for what purpose he did not state, and
as soon as she was able to endure the ia.
tigue of journey, she was removed TO the
cabin on the mountain. Under the pretence
of establishing himself in business at a dis
lance, he left their relatives and friends with
out any knowledge of their whereabouts
Here she lived, shut out from the world
with no society but that of her infant child
with such of her husbands time as was no
devoted to his daily routine Of wickedness
Her time was mostly occupied in watching
over her child, and providing for the want:
of her husband. The remainder was giver
to weeping over her unhappy fate. Day al
ter day thus passed on-the same feeling!
were realized from the rising to the setting
of the sun, and the same pillow was nightly
believed with the tears of this broken-heart
ed being. But for her child, she would
have many times wished that she was The
occupant of that receptacle for all beings
the silent tomb.
She had been alone with the child fo
nearly week, and within that time, thu
sound of human voice had not greeted he
ear, when the evening, Just after the sun hat
set, and nature was hushed in the stillnes
of night and threatening storm was rising
in the western horizon, she heard his foot
steps at the door. As he entered, she gave
a terrible shrek, and endeavored to raist
herself from the stool on which she was sit
ting, but her strength failed her, and she fel
back into her seat, covering her face will
both her hands, to hide from her eyes tn,
horrible spectacle before her. She sat thu
for a moment and then rose to administer t.
his wants His clothes were almost LITERAL,
torn from his body, his face cut in severa
places, and the blood was oozing out of hi
wound, and running down over his body.
glance sufiiced TO show that he was intoxi
Gated She assisted him to bed, dressed HI
wounds in the best possible manner, ant
then set down to watch by his pillow, alon
as it were in the mountain wilderness-th
darkness of night lowering over her, tn
wind sweeping iearfuIly by the cabin, AM
at every gust, increasing with demon-lik
fury, and mingled with large quantities Q
rain--rendering her home gloomy and dis
NAL without, while trouble and sorrow ha
nrnclaimed themselves nlasters mithin Th