The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-05-02

IdIately.
MY lord says said the old woman
that il is only your fancy that is sick.
And did you tell him, nurse, lha. yCr
knew | was dyiug! interrupted her listen
er.
Yes my lady, but he said, CT course
should swear to anything you bid me say
'.4nd Pauerson!' inquired The lady. May
| send for him!'
NY lord sad,' No, h, would have no
caning priests here.
The old woman hobSIed back to her
seat, and the lady, covering her Ece, sob.
bed aloud.
Cruel, even 10 the lasI!' she said al leng,h
This life that some call 80 hlPpy, how
dreary has it been 10 me! long miserable
years, ending in death like this And
words of long suppressed anguish, though
that had hardened The heart with weigh
of misery for years, burst from her dying
lips.
Poor LADY, muiiered the nurse, 'her
mind wanders. I've heard strange stories
about her,-To be sure, there was some
thing worng, or my lord would never have
kept her mewed up SO close, and dare say,
The though, Of itlroubes her row.
TO be sure there was something wrougr
The words had been IN many TOulhs ),
ill it came to be believed thai some dark
secret, some hidden error, was the cause of
lhe secluslon in which she was kept by her
husband. The sadness Of her countenance
was held TO be occasionei by remoEse, that,
lhe tears that were sometimes seen TO fall
as she anolt 10 prayer ia the house Of God
were looked upon as tears Of peniiencs.
The patience and meekness with which she
bore tua lmaarDineure nr eamo, 'vhs A."'~i
even in he presence, 'he suspicious they
entertained, only confirmed them in lhelr
belief that in some way, she had erred gTie-
yiously .-'And then my loId,' 'bey said,
is so very easy and good,humored, and any
body might be happy W" hin! 81 by
degrees a belief had gained ground that all
was not as it should be with the 6eautilu
ady Of LIm.wood, and some dared 10 SPEAK
scorpluIly of her even those who were un
worthy to wipe the dust from her feet
FIR the suspicious that had gone abrosd
The underlined mysterious whispers agains
Iner, were as unjust as they were cruel
There was nothing OF shame, ihongh, God
knows, here was enough o(biner sorrow in
her bushes and tears. ier sTirt was too
utterly broken by daily and hourly tilsIs
Of which the coarse world knew nothing,
to resent insult or reply to imper'ioence
None kuew-how should they know
now course of petty oppression, beginning
Iin her earliest years, had conquered all
cheerluIness and crushed all hope; and, du-
rig her married life, to none bu. TO heI
God did she breathe word Of the troubles
which subdued her & to which she submit
rou wilhou, struggle. The liIlle world abou
! IFln.wood had onlv seen her bfought-lr
As it seemed-as bride to her husband
ancestral home They had seen, al frs
gay succession Of guests at the old ball
and The young bride presiding at brilliant
Entertainments But the number Of guesn
,Irell off bv degrees, ladies' ceased to be a
mong the few remaining vstels, and, wAer
an ocrasropai party met at Elm,wool, 'h'
.Iiady was no longer seen among them. Tie
J husband ihoughi it necessary, al frol, to eX
cuse her absence on the plea Of i'll health
lbni i, was soon understood iba, there wec'
Other reasons, (alihough none knew VITA
such reasons were) why she appeared NJ
I more, and her name was neVe: mentioned.
She was sometimes seen By persons whit
visited Elm wood on business, wanderin!
lalone in the woods near the house a PaI
2 yet beouura! spirit, or tending tho flower
IN small garden sheltered by the far
o sre,ching walls Of the cid haIL-Sone
4 who had purPoseIy thrown themeeves il
/ her way, said iha' she replied gently /
o there greetings, bu. always in a tone Of sad
ness On Sunday she never failed. unIcs
Il when detained at home by severe Illness, t
II walk 10 tue church in the noighborins VII