The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-12-04
From the London Lady's Companion
MIRIAM.
4 Tale OF CireumStantial Evidence.

lone afternoon remained seated ia court
aier The adjournment, and was aecosled
by an attorney, who handed mo the usua'
retaining fee with brief Of a trial which
was expected TO be called up the day fol
l1wlng. II was prosecution Tor arson
the prisoner nm apprentice girl, aud her
,aasler's premises those which had been
DESTROYED.
.Wen," said Mr. Page', SNOW you must
listen "a a long story. Eighteen years ag,
isrrc basket. containing an Intant appa
,pn,ly six mnn,hs Old, was left at the doo'
or snrpeon IL his ,pwn The child va.
Handsomely dressed. aud letter enclosing
bank bill iar twenty pounds, aud stating
that the isfini's unme was Miriam Lyn
don, wero found beside her.
"rhe surgeon was bachelor, an eccen
tric and strange mau, although very In
mlue and charitable ONE, and 10 spite oi Hi
the scandal and tests OF the world he KEEP
,he little stranger But he had 4 house.
keeper, Alice Sharpe. Yes" ho continu
cd, seeing me- turn nwas 10 my brief, that
s,hc woman whose house has been barned,
and she was 50 greatly enraged at the
prospect of any one sharing The influence
she Ind obtained over her master, that
vainly irving 10 alter bis determination,
she reyengcd ber disappointment upon The
poor child, by the most cruel usage. Ten
wears rolled on in this way; the surgeon
gave up practice aud society, secludine
himself in bis house and garden. There
we're no servants beside Alice Sharpe and
poor lil,lc Miriam, who was still unrcason
ably hated by the former, with boy VIII
worked occasionally in the garden. B,
the exercise uf constant wa,chtu'ness aud
cunning, Alice Sharpe managed TO Keep
her master and little protege almost en-
,rely apart, and sho continued so to oil the
chiId's mind with apprehensons ana Tears
Of her protector, that when by any chance
,bey did meet, her terror was so great as 70
marify aud disappoint the kind Old man
Sin he loved The child dearly, and used 10
watch her pretty figure running about with
erea, delight. Sometimes, TOO, when Alice
was absent for few hours at meeting OF
mrket, he would try to concilia,e and at
tr,ct tho little creature, and thus, alter n
time, she learned to love him. But al! this
wa. concealed from the housekeepcr. Why
has always been mystery to me; however,
i, was so, and Aico Sharpe lived In lgno'
rance Of the mutual attachment, until her
master was taken i'll. Then, for the first
time, the secre, was betrayed by the intense
griefof Miriam and the querulons anxiety ol
the invalid who craved TO have the child per
pelually 10 his sight. To this, after time
Alice was obliged to consent, and a little
mattress was broguht into the slckroom Tor
her, while the manner and treatment ol the
WHY, arttu woman changed from It's usuai
harshness 10 a caresslng, oppressive kind
ness that was almost as offensive. But Mi
rlam was too thankful to be allowed 10 re-
main with her protector to be fastidious
and she nurscd him night and day until bis
death.
ale had no medical advice, Alice always
fid'culing the idea Of danger; but she pre-
scrlbed ior him herself, mixed up his med.
clnes ou, Of his own old stock Of drugs, and
administered them. Miriam observed that
a''er taking them he was invariably worse,
anu 'ha, he often objected do so; bu, The
nouse,Seeper always prevailed, and by din'
VI seoldlng and coaying usually carried her
po'n'. Ten days before his death, Alice
introduced Into his room cousln OF hers
+ iawyer's clerk, whom she told Miriam
"a' her master had sent fer; and vii
was then made and siuneJ. After this the
woman became careless, aud left tho dying
m,n m aIm"st wholly to the charge ofli,l''
m'riam, who was alone with him when he
died.
THE last net Of his life wps TO give tho
ealld a packet, which, after his death, b.
oade her take to the Clergyman; il woult
explain who she was; he said. And Mir
am positively asserts that his last word:
We're, BLESS you, my own child, my darl
Ing niece!'
The packet, however, was lost, wheth