Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-06-27

y e From the Saturday american,
THE WIDOWS DAUGHTER.

der me! do not, as you value your soul5 salVa-
ton" And she lifted her hands in duplication,
as fire shot from the eyes of her Infatuated and
drunken husband
'Inhocent, are YOU" cried the scottish and be-
wildered man. "There, take that, Mrs. limo
cent" and he eveled furious blow at the
head of his innocent wife, who turning on one
side to avoid the attack, which would have doubt
less deprived her of life, the recling inebriate
stumbled and fell PROSTATE on his face while his
wife escaped uninjured, but appalled, and petriii-
ed with fear, wringing her hands in anguish and
imploring for mercy, as she shrunk into one cor
ner of the room, trembling, pale and sobbing
GLOW came that hat here then, you wicked
Jade! Whose hat is it! Tell me, or I'll kill
you, if ] have to hang thousand times for it,"
cried the frantic drunkard, as he gathered him
self up from his PROSTATE position; and" with a
heavy blugeon once more approached the form Of
his terrified wife, a..t
at is your own hat, Jacob~t is, indeed it is
--ook at it and convince yourself" cried the
sobbng, imploring wife.
$50 you take me for fool, do you, you lump
of sin; but I'll cure you of these tricks" cried
her husband, who rushing upon her, with well
directed blow struck her to the ground, as she
vainly besought his mercy. The blood flowed CO.
piously from her wounded head, as she lay
stretched, insensble on the floor, her brutal hus-
band gasping over her, the beautiful, fragile, ten
der, delicate and devoted Hannah Bradey----tbe
widows only child, who,when she gave away her
beloved daughter to the man who protested to
love her, enjoined him with deep pathos, "to use
her gently, for she was delicate, and had heart
of bleeding sensibty;" and, Jacob, said that
poor mother, very solemnly, "the least i'll usage
would kill her"
"Father, what have you done?" cried beau
tifu black eyed girl of fourteen, who now rushed
into the room, attracted by the screams Of her
poor mother, as she entered the house from
school.
co. father! you have murdered poor motherr
cried Jane Bradley, as she ran weeping to raise
the bleeding head of the unhappy wife; at Che
same time the entrance of servant maid bro't
timely assistance. BY their united aid the poor
victim was carried to bed. Her daughter busily
engaged herself in chatting her temples, and
staunching the blood that still flowed from heI
head whilst the maid was despatched with fright
full haste for neighborng physician. The
wound was serious but as there appeared to be
no fracture of the skull, Jane was relieved by
the assurance Of the recovery of her mother il
the course Of week or two; yet even this as
surance could not dry her tears.
When the word "murder" rung in the ear'
Of Jacob Bradley, from the silvery tone of hi!
blooming daughter, he felt bolt of fire shoe
through his heart, which sobered him in mo
inent But horror petrifed all his faculties
He stood rooted to the floor like one entranccd
A mist seemed to float around him. Had he
awakened from some horrible dreaml He look
ed at what he had grasped in his hands; in one
he held his 0,on hat, and bludgeon covered
with blood in the other. Strange phantom'
danced around him. What had he done HI
looked on the floor, and pools of blood struck hi;
eye-bals blind. He now remembered that ht
had been dining out, at his friend Joviars bu
what he had done he could not distinctly remem
ber A heavy weight like death hung upon hi
heart, and sinking into a chair he groaned aloud
as he exclaimed, 30 gracious God, what ha
happened7 Am indeed mmdrcr?"
"Mr. Bradley, hope you are BETTER" said
voice behind him. 1t was the surgeon, wh'
had that moment come down from his wife,
apartment Even the inebriate stood abashed.
''Ah doctor! yes 1 know, it is Dr. Hanson
/ feel, doctor, as one may feel in the regions 0
the damned. What has happened doctor! Tel
me, for do not know"
tHr Bradley compose yourself win yo
take any medicine? Have an excellent draugh
for the nerves."
'"No, doctor, no----I am well now, perfectly SC
,ber." q. .....s. . ...
5"Ths is sad business, Mr. Bradley" sal
the surgeon.
ri know it, doctor, know it, How is m
wifel how is poor Hannah! Ihave been orut
to treat her so, but was not in my right senses
Tell me, conjure you, tell me there isno dar
ger2 And tears Of contrition and rcmorsegusl
ed from his OVERLOOKING eyes.
"No immediate danger, hope, Of her life,
replied the doctor who was unwilling to abstrat
any thing from the salutary impression now b
ing produced on the heart of the guilty husband
'FThank God for that, cried Bradley. "The
am not a murderer, nor the murderer of IN
wife" and the wretched man sank on his knee
with uplifted hands, as if in prayer to God; whe
the doctor, that he might deepen the wholesom
impression of his penitence, left him. y
"A weeks confinement restored the unfort
nate wife to a sufficient state Of health to mo-
about the house. circumstances that inspire
the unfortunate Bradleys@ith inefable isy f
he. had attended herjn her illness with exempt
ry conjugal tenderness, such as lie inrarabll II
played when free from the tuStufes of tie aRu
Fiend, and engaged in the silent pursuit Of j
prosperous business, which, ii spite of his a
cursed infrmity, ever RENTED its rich reward.
Jacob Bradley was one of the most thrivn
mechanics of our thriving city. He had butol
vice, incompetence. This he had contracp
when nm .annrentica Inv associnfinr with a drin