Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-04-04
THE FREELY;
DR., JUSTICE TRIUMPHANT

A poor woman named Mary was sitting one
evening near her window, her pensiye looks wan
derng over the beautiful orchard which surroun-
ded her cottage. 1t was during the intense heat
of summer. She had worked all day, and when
the sun began to sink had gathered into one heap
the fragrant hay which had been mown in the
morning from her orchard The last rays of the
setting sun cast their purple tints on the horizon:
the bright moonbcams streamed through the cab
in window, trelsed with vine branches, and the
circular forms of the panes were distinctly mark
ed on the white floor of the room Little Fer
dinand, six years of age, was leaning on the WIN
dow seat beside his mother His sweet counte-
nance bore the appearance of health and inno-
cence The moonlight played among his long
curling hair, and shone on the white collar ofhs
shirt and scarlet jacket
Poor Mary had set down to rest herself but
her heart was sorrowful, and her mental suffer-
ings were more overwhelming than the fatigues
of the day She sat down to supper: bowl of
milk was on the table, but she could scarcely
taste it. Little Ferdinand was also sad, and sat
motionless; for he saw his mother plunged in
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and like her was unable to eat.
The cause of their grief we shall now relate.
Mary had lately became widow. John, her
husband had died in the spring. He was one of
the worthiest young men in the village, and thro'
hard work had succeeded in laying by some of
his earnings. He had purchased the cottage and
orchard of which we spoke; but this acquisition
had obliged him to contract some debts. He had
also planted fruit trees, which already produced
excellent fruit Although Mary was an orphan,
without fortune, he had married her for the good
education she had received. She had also dis
tingulshed herself above the other young girls of
the village by her pety and gentleness, her dill
gence at work, and irreproachabe morals The
husband and wife lived in the most perfect har~
mony, when an epidemic ravaged the country;
and John, attacked by the contagious malady,
was carried off in few days, His poor Mary
had lavshed the most tender cares on him, and
scarcely were his eyes closed ere she herself was
attacked with the same fever which had brought
him to the grave, She was near following him.
and recovered but slowly.
Her own and her husbands illness had thrown
her considerably in arrears, and to add to her
msforunes she suddenly saw herself menaced
with the loss of her little cottage. John had for
length oft worked for a rich farmer in the
neghborhood The latter, touched with his f.
deity and ZEAL and DESTROYS to reward him, ad-
vanced him the sum of eight hundred francs, to
helppurehase cottage and small garden-John
was 10 pay it back by hundred francs year,
half in money and half in.daily labor
He had been very exact in paying his benefac-
tor, and when death took him from his wife and
son, his debts amounted to no more than hun
dred francs. Mary was we'll aware of all these
circumstances; but the farmer dying himself a
victim to the same epidemic, his daughter and
son-in-law inherited his property. Among his
papers was the bill for eight hundred francs, sign.
ed in Johns handwriting. This acknowledge
ment fell into the hands Of his SUCCESSORS who
never having heard any mention ofthe affair, ex
acted from Mary the reimbursement of the whole
sum. The poor widow in CONSERVATION affirm
ed, and called God to witness, that her HUSBAND
had paid his debt, with the exception of hun
dred francs. But she had no proof she was treated
as an impudent liar, and the young farmer sum
moned her before the court Mary was sentenced
to pay the entire sum, which was declared due
The poor woman possessed nothing but her cot
tage and orchard: no other resource remained
but to sell them, She threw herself at the far
mer's feet, and conjured him to have compassion
on her. The little orphan Ferdinand joined with
his mother, and weeping embraced the knees o
this harsh and cruel man. All was in vain. The
forced sale was to take place in the morning. i