Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-09-11

appointed,
When had reached the desolate home Of IT.
enc, her aged father met we with tears; he en-
braced me as his son. His reason was shaken
by the blow it had received: His words were
few and shaed by his sorrows The priests
were around the dead; they had just finished the
last rites of the church. The maidens standing
in a group near the coffin, commenced in low and
sorrowing tones the following
HYMN TO TIE DEAD
We've arrvcd thee for the bridal,
We have decked thee for the tomb
Der the orange Aowerand myrtle
The cypress casts its gloom.
The peals that told thy bridal hour,
Thy passing bells have BEEN
Thou, the life breath of our circle,
Thou art lost to us-Irene
We've arayed thee for the bridal,
We have decked thee for the grave;
The shroud now clasps thee codly
While the snow-whte veil should wave.
Too pure, too beautiful for earth
Thy loneliness hls been
Thou art flown to Paradise,
Though lost tous-lrene
The suns of seven summers had shone on the
grave Of Irene 1t was situated in a delightful
spot in the garden Of st. Genevieye, and near it
slept the ashc, of her father who had long since
been committed to the dust The shrubs had
planted around them had grown nearly to their full
size and the vines which | had traled there
dropped mournfully over the sacred trust they
guarded The circumstances | have narrated
were fast fading from the memories Of almost all,
but they were too deeply engrasen on mine ev-
er to be obiterated The mseries they entail
ed upon me had rendered them proof against all
time; they stamped the impress of age on a
youthful form scattered the snow-wreaths Of
winter among the treasures of summer, and
taught manhood, instead of gazing on the noon
star Of fame, to look down to the tomb, his name
and race almost
"Unknown, unhonored and unsung,"
On gloomy September morning, after hay
ing paid my customary visit to the grave of IT.
enc, | walked to the sea shore. The sky wa.
lowering and dark, the thick clouds were rolled
on each other, and seemed gathering all theiI
strength for some threatening conflict The set
was dark, its long and heavy surges rolled sull.
emily along it seemed as if the angry spirit strug
/ gled to reveal some hidden secret Of its depths
and melancholy Stiffness the certain precursor
of storms reigned through the air,
The light form Of Blanche passed swiftly by
me; she was Fastening to her layoritc station OF
the bleak rock, where she invariably met TIT
tempest in its pathway over land and sea-
She was muttcrng some wild and unintelligb
argon as usual would have detained her, bu
| knew it would be fruitless task to attempt tt
. divert her from her purpose. Her spirit was a
the storm that now broke from its barriers ant
swept in full career through the sky.
y The wind rushed along the waves, bearing Of
the snowy ioam-wreath on its wings or tossin
them high in air sped shrieking On its course
The thunder rolled in suIlen peals, the echoing
Gifts thousand voices careering from cloud t
cloud till they died away in the boundless in
hnity while the quick successive lightnin
flashes lumed the dark surface of the awakenc
deep. A scream from Blanche drew my atter
y ton to an almost inIstinct object to which sh
pointed far away on the horizon. Her vsio
for once, at least was not cheated by phantor
: fol it was a small bark that was approaching tn
point where she stood it was driven furiousl
> round her PROV She had lost a mast, as we di
= covered on her nearer approach, and appeare
u otherwise disabled from her motion through I'll
It water Her crew had at length perceived ii
dangers of their position, but it was too late
hope for safety, and they yielded to despair
Numbers had assembled in the vain hope
= rendering assistance to the crew of the laboru
J bark; but that was impossible. The doom
Il the hapless vessel was sealed. She neared tt
rocks with fearful speed, dashmg against juttn
= point and while despairing shrek from Il
} crew rose wildly above the howmgs ofthe storm
Il went down with all on board OF all their nun
7, Der but one arose to the surface he struggle
~ bravely among the boiling breakers, and throw
by the waves against rock, was saved from Il
ID watery tomb Of his comrades
l. BY our assistance he gained apIace fsafety
D. but scarcely had he reached itwhen oyerwhem
It. ed by his exertions, he sunk exhausted Aft
at some time he recovered, and looking up to n
h, while teath-like hue spread over his emaciate
o. features, said in a hollow voice
e 1t was for this hour that have lived, eve
lie while life was burthensome | could have four
lie nameless grave in a distant cline where n
re crimes would have remained mystery foreve
a but could not hope for peace, even in the gray
c. until [ had besought forgiveness from him Ia
S wronged so deeply. Ernest, you see before yc
S the wretched Fitzherbert---the murderer of |
III enc"
He said no more, but fell back insensible
I'll bent over him; assured him of my forgiveness
re but the spirit had fled to the being who gave
n We placed him in the tomb ofhs fathers