The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-09-05


stop, stop my sou, where would you 90 Z
TO the ends Of the earth To find her; dom
detuin me-
i know Of but one place. continued Mrs
lpallnntyne, where she Gun have gone, and
'ihither will accompany you. Yes II is mol
impossible she may have sought out the old
Rng-gatherer again, for whom she seems Ia
rclnin AS great a Penchant rs ever How
strange! lfnot there, am sure know moi
whore To look for her.
The carriage wns Immediately ordered Ia
the door, and the mother and son set forth on
their anxious search
At the appointed hour,poor Violet reached
tc gloomy abode ofold Nelly. She entered
once more that desolute apartment, and with
the first glance into that dnrkened room, all
the scenes Other carly life rushed upon her
mind with strange tenacity. Every thing was
80 like, even TO the little three legged stool
on which she had eaten her bits of bread, aud
there IN the seli-snme spot was the torn prim-
iner from which she first learned to read.--
There hung the wooden dipper, and there
placed aginst the dingy wall was the cracked
and Jagged platter used when Nelly could at-
ford the luxury ofmeut. The old straw bot
toned chair in which the Rag gatherer rcpos-
I'd her juded limbs occupied the same corners;
g. above where she herself had pinned them,
hung her sampler, and flower wrought in
worsteds. Was the last few yenrs then only
some delightful dream and had she now n
woke to the bitter realization other unhappy
destiny? Aud poor Violet sat down and tri-
ed to calm her emotion ere the old woman
should arrive.
An hour or more had passed, when she wns
aroused from her reyery by the sudden stop
ping of n cnrriage nj the gate, and the next
moment Eugene was nj her side, and the arms
of Mrs Bnllantyne thrown around her.
'My dearest Violet she began:I cannot lose
YOU, never did know before how ineXpress-
IDLY denr you are to me. Eugene, my son,
no longer oppose your wishes; don't speak to
me now, 1on'l thank me yet, wait until we
get home-I feel choked here. We must not
however, without seeing poor old NclW
must try to make her more comfortable.
Whnt close room Horrible will Just walk
into the scarcely less horrible door yard until
the old woman returns. Heavens, what
miserable spot
The conversation of lovers not being very
interesting usually to n third party, let us not
listen.
1t was only few moments ut least so it
seemed to Eugene and Violet, when the door
opened and old Nelly appeared.
'Ha! who have we here she cried, dropping
her hag upon the floor, what fine master is
rls? Eugene
''Who speak3n he exclaimed.
'Ay, and carriage NJ the door, too cOntinu-
ed the old woman, not needing the Interrupt
tom Ah great homors these for poor Rag
gatherern
who are you, womnn?' cried Eugene, seiZ-
ing her nrm, Speak, who are you"
The old woman raised her head-their eyes
mel, Good hcGUen, my mothero
young romantic girl married your ia
,ho, =, 10 I inl I
loved him. He was rich and of high fam-
" was ambitious; and, that browning both
my love and my ambition, at the age ofseven-
teen becume mistress ofone of the fines. es-
Establishments in the city. Time flew on rap
tlIrous wings for senson, and then, too late,
found had sacrificed my happiness to man
who had neither sensibty to appreciate my
love, nor even kindness TO repay the sacrifice.
was nota happy wife. He was gay aud dis
ipa;ed lreproached; this tended 10 ALLEVIATE
even the slight regard he might have felt for
me, and it ended in total rupture. Under
our own rooiwe became MS strangers!
You were born, my dear son, and the dor
mpnt affections of my young heart sprang i'll
10 action. felt that | had not lived before
| pressed you again and again 10 my bosom.
hathed your little face with tears of joy
This dear boy, my child, my sweet Eugene,
was to be hencefOrth the world to me. felt
myself no longer neglected wife. no long
ur regretted the love ofuly husband. | de-
voted myself entirely to you,and weeks would
pass without beholdiug your ta,herfor strange
rs it may seem, he appeared equny indiffer-
ent to the feelings ofn parent as he had prov
ed to those of husband. You were about
six years old when he died sudden and
dreadful death, leaving his aft HRS in a state of
much embarrassment. Still doubted not
his fortuna would be very considerable; but
alas when all was settled a ulere pittance on
" was my residue! This news was like
thunderholt to me. / have said wns ambi-
tious, but not until that fatal moment did ]
know how much so. What could do to a.
void descending the ladder upon whose top
most round my footing had hitherto been?-
And you, my fine, my noble hoy were you
hencetorth TO grovel through life poor wild
ow's son-tong for your education, or your
hard earnings yielded up to support help
less mother. No my pride, and, let nae add
my affection would not permit it! ! could
not use my needle for maintenance--neitherI
would become teacher, for the instant |
condescended to either my standing in socie-
~ would be lost, and from this my proud heart
rebeled.
At length bold and hazardous plan sug-
gested itself. | remembered to have read and
heard of many instances where people had
become rich-nay, even excessively wealthy,
by cleaning the rags rnd rubbish cast into the
streets by careless house keepers and serv-
ants. The more thought ofthis the more |
was impressed with the certainty of success
should adopt the same odious means of sub
siktence. For time acknowledge strove
to waive an idea so inconsistent with my man.
ncr of life, but it became as it were a mono
mnnio-and at length determined upon the
undertaking. Me thought my greatest trial
would be in parting with my boy, for it was
necessary to place you in some safe hands AS,