The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-11-29

northern pan az Germany. stands liule
way-side chapel; ne bell i only IDllrd
whrn : funeral goes past. The telling 81
bell i always melancholy sound bur
abs, although loud. and rapshle 81 being
heard II great distance. Las a peculiar.
sad and solemn cadence. as IL Il Knew il
9as never. in future, 10 speak Of anything
but death. ......z ~.
In small and pleasant cottage moi FAR
from The chapel. there lived. al the time
nf whirh We write. young man. rallied
Paul yaniIerpani. For many genera
lions his family occupied the same house.
and lolled that same melancholy bell. al
intervals, lew and lal between; while ma
ny legends OF The nav last decaying chap
Fl passed frnm father to son. and were
repeated. with white lips. around the mid.
night hearth. More than 0nre IL had
rhanceI that The narrator was interrupted
in The most interesting part ollhose wild
tales, and was obliged 10 90 forth into
The dark night. 10 certify 10 the living.
BY means Of the way.side bell, that The
dead were going past TO their long homo.
The present proprietor, however, WAS
not one To care for tales ar legends; lie
had no belief in spirits, and he used 10
laugh al such supcrslilions in way that
made the old gnssips Of the place shudder
and shake their heads at his temerily.-
II Paul YandeIpanI had Of late begun TO
entertain serious thoughts that il is not
gOoi for man 10 be alone, IL was assured
" some other sentiment Than fear which
engendered Them, or he would not have
made choice of Gertrude Hoffman for
companion; unless, indeed, lie thought,
with ourselves. that there is no surar
charm against The power of The evil one.
Than love for one another and trust in God.
Gertrude was The eldest child of poor
widow, who occupied an adjoining cot
lage. She spun and sewed, and made
lace tended and arranged the flowers,
which her little brother. Eric, sold a, the
market place nursed and waited upon
her aged mother, or romped and laughed
with her young sister. lily. She was
never idle-ne,er out Of spirits; and her
SWEEP voice he heard, from morning ill
r.iaiss.s s;s,ai.s "a hoo ssfzAf zsr sasssfng nef
flowers, or as she passed fearlessly through
that dreary wood, where few cared 10 be
after nlght-fall. Gertrude feared nothing
hut doing wrong. Sometimes the poor
girl lancied that II nigh, he wrong 10 be
always thinking Of Paul VanGerpani; far
dearly as she loved her own little circle,
she could not but feel that he was dearer
than all to her I; for il is strange how such
affections ouigrow the love Of kindred
And many time she has knelt down all
alone in the lille way-side chapel. and
prayed 10 God 10 keep her from idols
But Paul was worthy of her, and her in-
fuence--for, oh. how great is mothers
influence who loves and is loved fell
upon him like blessing.
>! Widow Hoffman had seen great deal
of trouble in her day. and although. for
her children's sake, she sill rlung TO life,
there was shadow over her heart that
would not suffer her to enjoy 1t as she
once lad done. From this cause she had
a habit of talking of The world ms if il we're
a very sad and weary plare-,o all OF
which Gertrude listened with filial rever-
ence and an inrreluloHs smile. Ii seemed
a beautiful world for all and IFS few days,
its wilderness wanderings, make MS TO
prize the sunlight and the flowers all the
more-or, better still, weans our affections
from earth TO that bright. tar-ott land
where there will he no more signing OF
, sorrow. Gertrude's creed was-l.et us
enjoy and be grateful for the present, and
/ trust To Him who knowelh what is best
fur us, whether it be good or evil.
! Paul Vanderpant. as we have saId' was
: no believer in the supernatural, or Ter
t ,rule either, although the deep reverence
. of her nature made his mockery appear
, painful, and, for her sake. he ceased to
{ Jest upon such themes as he had once
e done.
/; "Afier ALL" said Gertrude, upon one
: occasion, when the conversation CHANGED
n to turn upon the subject. there are man,
: things constantly happening around us
e which are too well authentica,ed~t" b
Il denied, and too strange TO be explained
n certainly do not believe in ghosts. hut
r. az certainly believe that ncthngis impos
|. sihle to God"
=, Lily, who had all young girls love
IT the marvellous and romantic, asked Par
if he had ever seen the spirit which wa
said to haunt The little way-side chape
If of which mention has before been made
n mo, never; and | have been there
lie all hours. But what is it like, that ma
lie know il in case we should ever meet g
r. Like a woman, they say. dressed
r, in white. with her long hair floating O
er her shoulders"
l.; who says so, Lily
80 ".Nonsense! How provoking you are
30 But surely you know the legend =
10 "Not l." replied Paul, carelessly.
cs "She is said" continued Lily, wiIho
shedding his incledulous smile, TO hay