Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-03-26

Oed, -nr TOOK Ntr ItiSe Win U kirs up !
~ ,h. Widows pale forehead and as
she went lorIh, che felt lha, It is better
io 20 io tho housr Of mourning than the
house of fraslim,. What was her dts
appoiutmeht, compared In the sutl"rings
ni' thus poor wo;nJn' And with mind
more serene than The frame in which she
left home, and heart melted 4" gratitude
by her pity inr another, she joined with
romposure, II pot with warmth, IN the
public Thanksgiving.
She could no, help latent hope,
which would come ~ To lnierrup, her de.
volions and distract her attention, that
y hen she went home TO dinner she should
find the dlaiory lover there To meet her.
She imagined hm eloquent in ve,y salts
factory excuses, To all of which 81 - made
up her m,nd TO be very deaf Tor while,
iusi to give him his last lovers punish
meni as the evening Of ihis very day,
ve m,gbi beiure have stated, was that
appointed for the wedding. This Was II
circumstance which made his conduct
all the more unaccouniable, and, until
lexplaincd, The more a,rocinus. Did he
dread now, wha, hs had proiessch to
look fnrward to with so much happiness:
Was marriage like a dlsagreeable dose
wblh lhs patti, NJ must not see nor smell :,
I'LL ready to gulp aud swallow II: Was
it n mere secondary affair, which he
purposcd To altepi To between whilcs,
without previous conversation with the
other party in the contract Or.-and
alftc tcli"n would not let her busy iears
nlune-had some terrible misfortune over
iiuken him, the news Of which was com
ing, Upon her wedding day, to crush her
widowed henll ui the very threshold !
These things pressed hard upon Han
nah's mind, as her bridegroom's father
met her on coming out oi church, aud with
buried and troubled, but kind Dye d."
llannah;' passed on. lie had heard
no news then. " ilh n strong effort she
managed To maintain her composure
sufficiently TO answer the greetings and
evade the questions of her many friends,
as she ha-iened home. On looking in
the sc,,iDg-ropm he was not ihere!-
She FASTENED to her own apartment, and
tossing her bonnet aside, threw herself
upon the bed, and bur, ing her face in
the pillows, gave loose 10 her long pent-
up i.ais OF grief, veyati"n- shaiIe, that
lhus innoccntly she should be made, As
she felt she must be, M object of Il ing q.
led curiosity and pity.
Her mother who had followed her up
stairs, looked in upon her al instant, and
thought, with considera'e kindness, to
steal back again, unperceived. But
iIannah's qnica ear had caught her foot
steps, and raIlying herself, she rose, and
dried the traces Of tears from her face,
determined, if the worst came 10 the
worst, to conceal her grief in her own
heart, aud pu' herself above compassion.
The Thank sgving dinner was gloomy
one indeed. Hannah labOred to force a
conversation, hut her fniher and mother
were too micl occupied, the former in
his Indignation, the latter in her sorrow,
TO second her. Many. n dish, on which
much labor and skill had been exercised, g,
was left uutasied aud thus drearily went
over an occasion, on which the parties
had fondly counted as one of Joy
4 Thrce-almost four o'clocn and no
tidings of the bridegroom
i CHAPTER III.
l While the family Of Farmer Burke
were wondering at home, the village was
full of more substantial gossip. y late
conner to thanksgiving brought, report,
which had put all the settlement in an
a. Il f..l
to whose ear 1t came lost no time in trac-
ing il 10 the narrator, and was compelled
to the admission that appearances were
80 much ag gainst his son, but all that even
IA fathers pariiaIi'y could do,wos to wait
and see, and hear the accused, before
he utterly condemned him. lle had a
faint hope .ha, the young man would that
very day appear and excul2ate himself,
and therefor deferred To the last posi-.
BILE moment, nIl communicate with Han
nah and her parents.
BY the wish of Hannah, everv thing
proceeded at her fathers house, as II
there were no doubt or uncertainty. The
rooms were prepared for the guests. The
brides maids decked her for ihecrremony
ns If the bridegroom were already there.
The early comers to a country wedding
soon began to arrive, many out Of curl
osIty, TO hear the news, and TO wonder
what would be done with the cake and
vine, if the iruant had, indeed, done all
that scandal now asserted. But excep,
that Mrs Burke, as she received her
guests, looked perplexed and thoughtful,
aud that Mr.. Burke did not deliver his
opinions on matters and things in gener.
nj With the usual freedom, nothing could
be perceived different from the usual pre-.
liminaries to all weddings.
At last came the bridcgroom's father
lie took Mr.. Burke into side-room-
his wife, both wives followed. Scarce
had they closed the door 10 keep ou
listeners, some Of whom were ready tc
die with impauence, when it opened a.
gain, and Hannah entered. Her com
Inandipg form clothed in spo'less white
her posture unnalurally erect, her face
pale as marble, gave her appearance a
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