Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-05-16


some slight alteration, and securing il with
the greatest care, keep it sacred, let its con-
tents remain q secret to the world When
my daughter arrives at her eighteenth birth
day, give her this for perusal, and then you
will know all, and she will be old enough to
act for herself, guided by reason and discre-
ton Here is a bracelet, the gift of an idol
lied brother--keep this for her, and let her
bear the name of Aline Annetta Wilson. |
wish her to bear the name of Wilson until
she arrives at an age TO take her own with
safety. If she should live to claim her law
ful name, and the honors of her birth right
she will be amply able to reward you for all
your care. Point out my lowly resting place
to her, and let her often visit it, but not as
the grave of her mother
She imprinted another fond kiss upon the
fair brow of her beautiful infant, which smi-
ling looked up into the emacaed face of
its mother. That smile, so like its father,
overpowered her, and she sank back in a
state Of nsensiblity upon the pillow. A
few days more she was not an inhabitant of
earth. They buried her beneath tall shade
tree. at the foot oft the rocky cliff and when
the Spring time came, they planted choice
and fragrant flowers around her grave, and
enclosed them with neat white fence.
which had occupied the old fisherman many
a long winters evening.
Annette grew beautiful and interesting be-
meath the broad shade Of the deep forest
sportive as the mountain fawn, mingline her
childish laugh and song with the ocean
roar, aud hooking echo. Sometimes the
fisherman would take her in his boat, over
the smooth, sparkling waters, TO beautiful
romantic isle, and wreathe her fair childish
brow with the choicest flowers and Irvine a
fairy garland to the memory of the departed
dead, which she would place fresh and fair
at the head Of the mound in
her artless innocence, that beneath its YER
dant turf, slumbered the mother that joyful
ly gave her birth. Annetta was happy in
her childhood, for she was the idoized pet
of her foster parents, scarcely ever seeing
other faces except occasionally misguided
huntsman or siraying traveller.
As she advanced in years, strange mys-
ferrous enchantment seemed to linger around
the lonely grave. She would sit for hours
on the rough slab at the head of the mound,
and sing some plaintivc native air, taught
her by the foresters while she pIucked from
the fragrant shrubs, fresh flowers to strew
around the little hllock. Sometimes she
would awake from her deep, deep imagin-
ngs, and look around as though a familiar
voice accosed her, or friendly step ap-
preached her. She would look upon the
costly bracelet and wonder who the giver
could be, for Mrs Wilson had told her il
was presented TO her in her infancy by a
friend who had since died. And this, tho'i
Annetta, may be her grave. Yes, it may be
the grave of my natural mother, for love il
strangely, londIy, devotedly. There is an
draws forth the long pent up affections o.
my soul from their deepest reccsses. | of
ten fancy that a form more fair and beauti.
full than aught Of earth. is with me in my
wanderngs hence, and am not lonely
o, love TO linger here, and strew these
bright, fresh flowers around the graye-for
then fancy that she smiles upon me more
fondy, and blesscs me, as only fond, doat
ing mother can know that have had q
mother young and beautiful. and of con
scious birth. | feel it-that the lovely i'm
age which haunts my dreamy slumbers, anc
fits across my waking imaginings, is the
mother of my being-my soul confirms it,
how sweet, how pure, how ardent is thai
love that untes u.s. | would not have the
charm, the mysterious spell broken-i
cheers the wildness of this uncnltured for
est-it throws halo over the rough, rugged
scenes which surround me, and is the foun
tain from which derive happiness, in the
lonely dreariness of my situation. | am moi
Il cannot be the daughter of the cottagers
they are old and in6rm-I am young-toC
young to be their child-aDd how unlike
them am in every thing they treat mt
with too much Difference aud respect for {
parent to treat a child These sparkling
diamonds which compose this costly brace
let, confirm il too-'tis gift too magnfi
cent to be from u relative oftheirs-this soft
Glossy, brown hair, so curiously entwineC
around them, bears no resemblance to thu
coarse ietty hair of Wilson-and how ad
mirably it compares with mine. i low
them, revere them as the protectors OF m,
childhood, but cannot love them as the pa
rents of my being O that the mystery wa
solved. And she laid her beautiful face up
on the cold rough slab, and wept until itwa
nearly deluged by her tears.
She arose calm and tranquil, for her guar
ulan anger was dIouhu nei WIZ" ho' 81,
whisperings of love, and she was comforted
She had fingered long by the loved grave
and deep twilight had gathered her gra
mantle around the gloomy forest, an
shrouded from her view the rocky cliff, an
ocean wave, ere she regained the cottage.
My child, said the foster mother, | wa
just going in search of you where have 20
been till this late hour, and what has haE
pened to you she continued with astonist