Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-12-22


checked before by The coaguluting blood
the good wife dressed it in a manner wei
approved of by medical men, gave he
paiien, q composing draught, and then re
turned 10 her seal by the kitchen hfe.
The farmer now began 10 be himself =
lie moved like wounded snake in his un
quiet sleep. He opened his eyes mn
| glared wildly around him 'lhere is NJ
blood upon my hand" said he. Meg,
was ali a Joke. Ha! hal q devilish goo
ioke.n AS he said this, conscience ielt tn
dreadful gnawing of the worm that neve
dies, and shiver along thelinbs OF Brown
told bul too plainly, that he had seoleo, il
blood, n bond conveying to regions ot ever
lasting fire, his miserable soul. The tume'
of his debauch rose like mist upon hi'
brain, and he slept ngain His wiie no"
paid the stranger another visit, and hndlne
everything working as it should, re''red &c
her desolate couch. Morning came, anc
the sobered farmer arose from his pillow o.
remorse. His fuce was haggard, his eyes
bloodshot, and his hair like that oi the turIes
seemed changed iuto serpents.
He said but litlle, aud went out immedi
| ately after breakfast. His wife saw him
| 90 up the hill side.n She knew that he had
gone to bury. the body. and she rejoiced to
think that he would labor in vain. Noon
and night and morning came. but no hus'
band approached The farm house. Weeks
rolled on and John Brown was no more
seen upon The hill side, or in his homeiy
dwelling His whistle WIS hushed upon
the moor; and his loo,-iall awoke not the
forest-way.
The stranger, in the meantime, recover.
ed, and justice Of the peace was sent Tor
and nh affidavit was made OF the facts OF
the case.
The murderous wretch was described
with fearful correctness, all-all but the
face. That was concealed by the sIouched
hat and could not be described. The wife
brea,hed again With woman's wit, she
spoke but little of her husbands absence,
and when she alluded to il, she spoke OF il.
as an absence of short duration, with her
advice and consent.
The stranger who proved to be noble
man of wealth, eudeavored to cheer the
gloomy shades Of the deserted womah's
heart; but i. was n vain attempt. There
was no cure for blighted love, no peace for
a rified heart. God alone can be the
Widows husband; God alone can gladden.
the Widows heart. ...-. -....
( "You shall never want, Meg. said the
nobleman, as he sat by the farmers vile, a
lew evenings after he was able to walk
81 must go to London; business Of impor.
tance urges me there. When you are in
distress, one hint OF the fact to me, will
produce instan, relief"
carriage with the Earl's coronet, now
drove up to the cottage door. The wife
said nothing; she seemed TO be lost in an
unfa,homab.e mystery.
"Will you not accompany me, my faith.
full nurse?" said the stranger, as he prepar.
ed to depart from the dwelling Of charitable
love.
"Nay, sir" said the wife, ''l cannot thus
suddenly leave The spot Of my early hope.
Here, sir, was born; here was married,
on youGer green hillock danced away The
sorrows OF CHILDHOOD; in yonder church,
whose spire now CLEANS in The dying sun,
] gave my guilty spirit up to God. On
yonder plain sleep my children; beside
that old oak rests ialher and mother, the
frs. born; and the last upon the catalogue
Of life. Here, sir, have smiled IN JOY
and wept in sorrow; and here will de-
Entreoties ard prayers were all in vain.
She wilhslood every kindness OF her guest.
and finally accepted only reasonable
charge for his board. AS the Earl was
about to take Il seat in his carriage, the de-
serted woman approached him
Stranger guest" SAID she with much
feeling, ] have done you good service"
'sYou have,' said he, while o tear OF
gratitude stole down his cheek
"Will you do me one favor in return2"
said she.
"Most certainly WILL" said the Earl.
'sThen write upon q piece Of vellum
what shall dic;ate," SAID she with hur.
red voice.
He took his pen and wrote in plain char.
acters as follows:
Circumstances have convinced me tina,
an attempt TO murder me on the night of
the 10Th of December, lS-, on Stone Hill
Lincolnshire, would have been successful,
had it not been for the kind interference ol
John Brown and his wife of Hopedaie.
/ his paper is left rs a slight memorial
of an event which lime can never efface
from my memory.
JOHN, EARL OF -
She read it over and over, after he had
signed it. sit will do," said she. "Now
farewell"
The grateful Earl sprang into his seat.
tie threw his purse into her bosom -
"Farewell," said he in husky tone. and
away railed his carriage with The swftness
of the wind. Tho coionet flashed in the
sunbeam, and then the vehicle with its nut
riders, was lost in the winding forest way.
Ten years rolled away, and the wife of
John Brown suddenly disappeared from
iiopsdale, and then the farm .hous e, like
deserted thing, stood solitary and silent
amid the sniles of autumn. a middle
sized stranger, with sailors jocket and
larpaulln on, and n bundle dangling a, the
end OF n club over his shoulders, rested be
-. Il r