The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-07-28

"eauS'rohg ana wiul youth, his passions and desires
were unconstrained and uncontrolled, exercising his
Will and pleasure at all times and upon all occasions
lie early became enamored Of young lady whose
beauty ofperson amiability Of manner, had won the
better feelings Of his heart and with all his faults he
could not but appreciate her worth and loveIiness-
She nthe meantime drinking draught after
draught from the goblet of Love- little dreaming that
there was coled in the bottom of the cup a poison
Gus and deadly serpent, that would strike death to
her hearts best hopes and embuer the close Of ife
which had opened with so much sweetness and prom
Use, with sorrow, and trouble and grief; that would
Jstrew her path with horns, which had in early life
been spread with flowers. He paid his addresses to
her, was accepted and married For fine the sum
ofprosperity and happiness shone forth upon them
with much spendor and happiness, but a black and
threatening cloud, hidden in the long, dim distance
oftme, was slowly rising, and darkening the sky Of
their life. His love it might have been said was lost
at his marriage. Ills youthful associates and practi
ces instead of being diminished were now increased
and but ere short time had elapsed his dislike for
home, and the society 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 gar
nered up her bosoms best affections, was utterly UNI
worthy of them. 1t is to be supposed that a knowl-
edge of her real condition coming as it did, at time
when the tide OF prosperity its utmost height
would in no wise affect her. The tender flower bent
beneath the chilling storm. His recklossness, and
gambling-tabe associates, drew from him all the mon
ey that he could command and he made repeated
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 lifehe whole bent of his mind was given to
contrive some means by which he could be support
ed. After endeavoring to practice several schemes
offraud and crime to supply his wants he with mum
Der of his associates hit upon the expedent of form
ing band of robbers. In this a large number were
ready to cooperate, and he poss essed q stout ro-
bust frame strong constitution together with res
oute and fearless spirit he chosen the leader of
the band.
About the time that the association was formed
his wife gave birth to a daughter which awakened in
the mind Of its mother hope that it would be the
means Of creating in him adesire for home, and
love for the society Of vruous friends land recaimng
him from his downward course. But these hopes
ike all others which che had cherished, were doomeu
to wither. He now informed her that II was his in
tention to remove to distant village but for what
purpose he did not state, and soon she was a.
BILE endure the fatigue of journey she was remov-
ed to the cabin the mountain Under the pretence
Of establishing himself in business at distance, he
left her relatives ond friends without any knowledge
Of their whereabouts. Here she lived shut out from
the world with society but that Of her infant child,
with such of her husband time not devoted
tohis routine Of wickedness. Her time was mostly
occupied in watching her child and providing for
! the waits of her husband. The remainder was CIV
en- to weeping over her unhappy fate. Day after day
| thus passed on-,he same feelings were realized
frem the rlsngto the setting Of the sun, and the same
pillow was nightly believed with tears Of this broken
| hearted being Bun for her child, sho would many
times have wished that she the occupant
Of that receptacle for oil beingsthe silent tomb.
She had been alone with the child for nearly a
! week, and within that time, the sound Of human
voice had greeted her ear, when the evening, just
! after the had set and nature was hushed in the
! stiffness of night, and threatening storm was rising
in the western horizons she heard his footsteps at the
door, As he entered, she gave terrible shriek, and
endeavored to raise herself from the stool which
she was sitting but her strength failed her and she
fell back into her seat covering her face with both
hands to hide from her eyes the horrible spectacle
before her. She sat thus for moment and then
to administer to his wants. His clothes almost
| literally torn from his body. his face cut in several
places and the blood was oozng out of his wounds
and running over his body. glance suficed to
show that he was intoxicated She assisted him to
bed dressed his wounds in the best possible manner,
and then set down to watch by his pillow, alone as
it were in the mountain wilderness-the darkness OF
night lowering over her. the wind sweeping fearfully
by the cabin, and at every gust increasing with dem
on like fury and mingled with large quantities OF ram
rendering her home gloomy and dismal without,
while trouble and sorrow had proclaimed themselves
masters within. The night passed slowly away,
morning at length dawned, followed by the rising sun
which as it broke through the clouds, greeted hel
sleepless eyes with its radiant BEAMS and showed
that the storm Of the preceding night had passed a
way, had given promise of being succeeded by
pleasant day. But there no evidence OF change
in her circumstances. The lowering sky that nae
been gathering over her head grew darker and darke
and the storm that had just begun to rage around her
would in all probability. rage on with increasing VIC
lence till it should sweep her from the shores o