The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-03-31
Volume K,
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Judges Charge,
BY ANN s. STEPHENS.

twelve when the circuit Judge stepped from
the hackney coach, which had conveyed him
from the City Hall, and mounted The steps Of
his dwelling. Though muffled in fur and
encased in a thickly quilted wrapper, he shud-
dered with the cold while striving 10 fit his
KEY in the night latch for the sidewalks were
white with snow and hail, which the sharp
winds whirIed into The air again, and left in
piles and ridges around the door steps and
area ratings.
After some difficulty the Judge succeeded
in letting himself into the hall. He only
paused 10 shake the frost from his outer gar
ments, and deposit his umbrella with others
that were dripping in the stand, amid little
pool of halt frozen wafer; for the lamp burn
ed dimly, and the hall fire was out, making
the passage more than usually gloomy. Ii
was a cheering contrast when The Judge turn
ed The lock of the door TO little snuggery that
Iopened from one end ofthe cold, dark hail.
The little CRATE of German silver was heaped
with anthracite coal in glow, rendering
the apartment warm and luminous enough
without the aid Of two wax candles thai shed
their milder light over griandole OF frosted
4 silver that stood on the nile-piece, and
gave a fickerlng tinge of the rainbow to its
pendants Of slender glass; which seemed like
icices melting in the atmosphere.
With a sigh of relief The Judge threw his
wrapper into corner, pulled off his damp
boots, and drawing forth a well-dressing
gown and pair Of faded slippers from a
closet behind The door, prepared 10 make him
selfcomtortable, after day of unusual anx-
iety and fatigue.
WELL he muttered, rubbing his hands
softly together, as he sunk into the crimsoned
easy chair, whose cushions closed around
him with soft and moss like clasp, thank
Heaven, am al home at last. Poor fellow
poor fellow, | am afraid il will 90 hard
with himr
Here the Judge paused, and sunk into a
train of thought, which seemed both deep
and painful. He was yet scarcely a middle
aged man and scenes ofterror and death had
moi hardened his naturally kind nature. AS
his large brown eyes dwelt upon the fire, their
changing expression was that of pity, min
gled now and then with Steiner fash, as il
he were striving 10 master The genller emo
lions that crowded upon him. At length, he
started upright IN his chair, thrust his foot into
The well trodden slipper, which in his soiIo
guy had fallen TO the hearth rug, and heav-
ing another deep breath, seemed TO cast of
The painful thoughts that had oppressed him.
STOPPING forward he softly raised the cover
/
| fender and lifting the spoon broke, the gold
en- surface that had creamed over the oys
ter soup which it contained Then closing
The cover again, he drew ncst-tabe closer
TO his chair. cut the leaves OF a new maya
zine which lay upon it. pushed an old law
book and pile of papers, so far on one side
that some of them rolled over the carpet and
then lifting the tureen TO the corner he had
cleared. he began 10 regale himself with the
rich soup, while he read the magazine by
snatches now and then Pausing 10 knock
aside a cracker which would keep lodging
Iup and down, here and there, in the deli
cious compound, and was sure 10 get over
his spoon every time he attempted 10 fill il.
He had just succeeded in crushing his tor
MENTOR and was smiling over the fragments
as they noated softly into his spoon. when the
door bell rung with violence that made
him drop the spoon and star: half from his
chair.
| 'Nonsense! il was accident. Something
has touched The bell no man can be coming
here at this time of night; ; muttered he sink
| ing back 10 his cushions, but another peal
from the bell, TASTY and sharp, as if some
agitated hand had pulled it with unconcious
violence, deprived him fall doubt on the
subject. He pushed back his chair, folded
his dressing gown around him, and taking a
light from the mantle-piece, went out, 5ul
though he walked fast, another loud peal
from the bell FASTENED his footsteps. A gust
of wind blew out his candle as he opened the
door, but there was enough light 10 reyea
the form of a female, who stood on the door
step muffled in cloth cloak and with
crimson lined hood drawn over her face. In
the misty darkness beyond, he could Just dis
Germ the outline of a carriage; one of the
lamps was out, but there was faint light in
the other, and The Judge afterwards remem-
bered that it was OF cut glass too rich for
hackney coach, and without The number
Which should mark these vehicles. Besides
there was a faint CLEAN of gold embroidery
from that end Of the hammer-cloth next the
light, but so faint that il might have been
mistaken for handful Of illuminated elect
drifting by the lamp.
| Without speaking a word, the woman en-
tered the hall and walked forward, for the
study door was open, and she had nearly
reached it before the Judge could close the
street door against the storm, which was
beating full in his face.
Are you alone, quite aloneP said the
strange visitor, as he overlook her; the voice
sounded unnaturaly calm. but Il was clear
and sweet.
The judge was overwhelmed with aston
ishmenf, but he answered that he was quite
alone, and entered his study followed by his
singular guest. fhis surprise was great
while she was half concealed in darkness, il
was tenfold when she stood within the glow
ing light which filled the room. She was
young, perhaps three or four and twenty,and
but for the marble like paleness of her fea-
lures, and the glitter oil her large blue eyes,
would have been transcendanily beautiful
She stood moiionIess, gazing in the fire, till
the hail upon her silk mantle melted, and
hung in quivering water-drops among the
black and glossy folds. Two or three heavy
drops running down from her hood, and ial
ing on the ung!oved hand which held her
CLOAK together, seemed 10 arouse her. She
inled her large eyes towards the judge, who
had not yet shook of his establishment, and
gazzed fxedly in his face, ill his ewes sunk
under her wild and intense look.
You seem calm said she at last. Can
you sit on the bench all day, watching The
law-hounds hunt human being TO the Gal.
lows, and at night sink into a chair, quite