Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-03-15

'ue uAeu lHOoC CJGo W
"er OrOther! She waited for no questions
not word-th heart that beat so near her
own IN infancy could not be mistaken; and
clasPing convusively her arms about his
neck she wePas il life itself would pour
away us fountain in that first hour of over
wheimlng bliss She often stroye to speak,
Out broken sounds were all that would come
ye' ner eye, low lifted to heaven, and
theu i%lilng back on the weather. beaten
Idce, ,oid all her heart would speak Her
helgnpof soGbd with her-wbo with a
ieaF' could helphl The brother held her,
as sPeechless as herself, till he, too, felt
o.her tears thanhers falling on his bronze
IheeNs; lie dashed them away with his
horny maud Ldcy chiId-dear-hush!
Ihang 1t he pbIed, half impatently.
i've heen IN hund. eds of storms, and seen
death IN the face many time-but in all
my mars life lnever bIubbered till now.
Hang tt cant help it. Lucy if you
reaily are my own living sister, Lucy-hush
and hear my story
She did hush, when the hearts first wild
guSh had sobbed itself away, and then, sit
ing by his side she listened to the solution
OF that long, deep mystery. 1t was long
tale lie lad been left, as they heard, at
deaths very door-but death claimed not
then his prey. He recovered, but many
months saw him still unable to leave his
cheerless hut. Ships come but seldom there,
and 1t was long before he was released
when he wrote home, his letters failed to
reach their destmation-or if in the course
OF time any might have found their way, it
was after the lone girls departure from the
home OF her fathers, and there was no eye
to read them. The ship that conveyed Rob
In Browne from Greenland was bound for
the Indian seas, and thther he was carried.
lie wrote again and again to his home, and
no answer came to the eXIIed boy Were
they all sleeping III the grave! He had no
funds for his return A wide field for adj
venture lay open before him, and he en-
tered it. He was successful. The enthu-
slasm for commerce and gain became the
ruling passion of his mind Thus the years
rolled by. Yet home was not forgotten.
lie took every means to discover the fate
ofhlS family, but could learn nothing, only
that they had vanished from the place that
once knew them; and, should he revisit
America in search of them, he felt that
years might pass in fruitess suspense. i
will wait until | am rich thought he; and
then will seek their fate. But riches
come not in night, and grey hairs began
to thlcken on his temples, in the lapse of
years-each, with mute voice, spoke to
him Of those that used to cluster on his
fathers white hcad-ani whispered, Home
-homeP i will seek my home, said his
awakened heart
lie came to his native country, and went
to his boyhnod's home. There was none to
welcome him-no race to guide his steps.
The very ncighbor had all either died or
moved West Some of the old settlers
remembered the death of his parents-but
their graves were namelcss and Lucy
where was she +! Nobody could tell him
for nobody knew. Not syllable had been
heard from her since her departure, years
and years before. Weary and heart sick.
he went into the Southern States. The
climate was congetia to the fixed habits of
his constitution. aEJ there he located him
self know not NV he at length obtained
the clew that led lin to his sister-such
things turn On the merest accidents-but
it is true that he vi find his Lucy at last
And now, deaH said he. as she winpd
her eyes with the sorner of her apron far
the hundredth tim, now, Lucy. lister, to
me. You shall never know sorrow arain.
if can help tt ave caused you enouqh,
You shall never know poverty, at least I
promised to come back and make Iadv
Of you, you remember, and I'll keep that
promise yet. Come away from this little
howell have enough and TO spare-a house
on my plantation big enough for you and
half hundred children, if you had them
Pm sorry you haven't
Plantation y echoed Lucy, as her free
born heart sank within her.
Yes, plantation, but no slavcs, Lucy-I
know what you're thinking upon. No.,
he growled forth, cursed be he who would
put a chain on elIow-being, A landub-
her may do it, Lucy-a son of the ocean
won't. No II bought my plantation, and
with it seven that were saves-fye hands
and Two women-an old one and her daugh.
ter. called them to me, and told them
they were free to go where they pleased
that |, being fee myself, and used to deal.
ing with free people, didn't know how to,
and couldn't hold slave-but would give
them all work, and works pay il they would
stay with me. You should have seen those
fellows, Lucy! Not living soul of them
would think of leaving me. They shouted
: they jumped-they cried--but one and
all exclaimed, We stay wild m1ssa-God
bless him? The old woman and her daugh-
= ter will take nothing from me. They have
: been as kind as human creatures could be-
I'll show you the dozen of finely plated
shirts they sat up nights to stitch for me,
without my knowing it. as was coming up
North. | have left my house with them,
aud my plau;esioa is carried on by the
: hands. l know they will work as if the
harvest were their own. | couldn't leave
slaves sol Now, Lucy-.wll you go?
, They will bless YOU and love you as they
: do mc--they'II wait upon you as a lady,
: and, what's more like, tend you like SIS
S Ter. Will you gor
i Lucy bent her head to her brothers.
S shoulder in grateful acquiescense-but her
t eye was fixed on heaven oh, how fresh
y the tendrils we're sprnging from those with
t cred hearts The last of their family yet
but their suspense and sorrows are over
= now
Has my story been sad II could not
heIp 1t; for knew Lucy Browne when her
lot seemed strangely sad to me, and the tale
!, | learned. and bnr briChteninu fate can