Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-07-21
FIo@ he Ladies National Magasine.
THE LADY EYELINE.
CMAPER Iv.-THE LEAGUE.

Talbot from Norman Castle, when a noble
looking cavalier stood in the streets Of Lon.
don, aud gazed around him with mingled
establishment, awe aud horror. II was the
year OF the great plague. The pesilence
was at its height The whole city, as If
doomed to destruction, had put on sack
cloth aud ashes. On every hand around
him was misery, distress, and death. The
houses Of entertainment were closed-the
shops seemed 10 have been closed for
monihs-ihe streets were silent, deserted,
and in many places grass-grown; aud else
where around him, in the hurried pace Of
the passengers, the desolation on every WIS.,
IDLE thing, and most of all the closed hous.
es, with the terrible cross chalked upon
them, and the fearful motto, "The Lord
have mercy upon u.s." written above 10 tell
Of the infection within, the cavalier saw
the marks Of the destroying pestilence.
Long aud with wonder he gazed around
him. He had obviously Just entered the
city, for every thing seemed TO wear TO him
an unexpected aspect A stranger and in
such place What madness could have
prompted him 10 enter the infected city
The mcin Of the cavalier was noble as
VIC have said but it only vied with the
splendor OF his costume. Not that there
was aught Of foppery in his dress. On the
contrary, everything he wore was. for that
age, singulsrly plain. But the materials
we're all Of the most costly kind, and there
was an air Of wealth in every thing upon
bis person. Even the few passengers abroad
in the streets Involuntary lifted their hats
as they passed. He was unattended how.
ever, by servants; for riches themselves
failed TO tempt them into this fearful pest
house. Why then was be here
The nigh, was closing in when the siran-
ger reached - Church. The congrega-
ton appeared about leaving the doors He
stepped up to them, but all shrunk from
him, as they shrunk from each other Few
as their numbers were, they seemed to fear
continuation from every one they met
The cavalier looked within the church. Ii
was almos, deserted. The clergyman had
already disappeared. An old sexton, ex-
cept the retrea,ing worshipers, was the only
person visible. But even he appeared about
avoiding the stranger, until piece OF gold,
bestowed on him by the cavalier, proved loo
strong for his fears.
"Your honor" said the old man in a thin,
piping voice, which told how nigh the own
er was TO the grave, would not deceive me,
for the love of God, you are not infected r.
81 am not, bu, 1t must be terrible visi.
tation when such question has to be ask
/ ed"
Terrible--terrible il is indeed. The
Lord have mercy upon US" answered the
sexton--"what would your honor say il
told you almost thousand die daily, aud
The grave yards are full long agol They
bury them in trenches, hundreds at time
The plague increases hourly. A neighboT
meets you to-day, and tomorrow he is dead
You know not whom 10 trust. Even now
though God forbid-your honor may have
the tokens upou you, and before midnight
be a corpse. Good Lord deliver us"
as il indeed so awful III am a stranger
and had heard something Of this. bu, tn,
truth far exceeds the worst description"
81 thought your honor was not citizen
or mayhap might not have been so ready
10 talk with you no offence, | hope. Blu
as you say 1t is an awful time. Nobod,
comes here TO church but these few yol
saw, and they are nearly all The people wit
are yet healthy in our parish. All bu
they thin daily. There was one young Ia
dy here but yesterday. She went home
aud complained Of feeling unwell. He
mother tore of the scarf from her bosom
and found the token there. She shrieke
: out and tainted away. Well, to-day III
I mother too is carried of, for needn't sa
1 that the daughter died in less than an hou
' after she reached home yesterday"
4 Good God r. said The cavalier, "and
. this indeed truel"
True as that | am talking now 10 you
;. honor. Bot that is not the worst. Who'll
a families are sometimes cut of in few day
As soon as house gets infected they mar
= il and close it, setting wa,chmen to guar
il, and do errands for those inside. The
n allow nobody to go in but nurse. Som,
y times she enters, and the house is then SHIT
!, never 10 be opened again until the wa,cl
;. man break in aud find them all dead. An
q this too happens every day. That larg
/ brick house yonder last week had hapF
r family within il. Five days ago the youni
!. es, child was taken with the plague-tf
N house was marked-lhey learned day a
= ter that two more we're sick, and then not
'e ing was heard from inside for two days, Il
,e the Waterman, fearing all was not RICH
n broke in, and found them all dead TO sou
N Oh your honor it is a terrible visitslio
re the Lord God Almighty have mercy upt
y. u.s."
,e amen =! calculated the cavalier.
e. "rhey do say, too. that IL is even wor
r. in the next parish. What few Of the mob
err iiy remain in town have not escaped.
II. wasn't two hours since heard there W
he one family almost all swept away, 10
as something, think-he staid in town thin
es ing the plague would reach none but I
y, poor. He had a lovely daughter, too
n seen her myself sometimes at church heI
o. and sweet being she was-well, they $
ay she was either carried off by it, or was We
~ bad with il. | don't venture 10 say whiC
be Their names, as recolect now, were N,
nd man."
of GOOD God |" calculated the cayali,
lis gasping for breath, and almost siaggeri
II. against the neighboring doorway.
as "Wby, is your honor i'll l--surely, SUI
We ly haven't been talking" and the old m
of relreaied hastily, "all this while to one W
is infected"