The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-10-09

aWell we shall see what we shall, to-mor-
,ow and weshad best start early, hadn't we,
Dolly?r and having received an affirmative re-
ply to this suggestion he set about little prepa-
rations for the proposed visit to Uncle Peters
The light wagon was drawn in front of the
door. fragrant with tar and new straw; bas-
ket of apples, and some small niceties, which
Mrs. Claverel had prepared, arranged for safe
Before the fire hung the red
flannel shirt and the new trowsers, that they
might be good and warm" in the morning; and
the can and dress, which Mrs Claverel said were
almost too CAV and fashionable for her, but
which had been purchased for this special oc-
casion. were also placed conveniently at hand.
Martha and Jane come laughing down the
lane each with long withered weed at her
side. which she calls horse, and before them
trots the sleek heifer, that has been
Leaning her horns into the neighborng field,
And lowing to her fellow"
for the last half hour. She looks angry, and as
if she were half inclined not to "give down her
milk tonight; and a little behind, soberly,
and with axes over their shoulders, come David
and Oliver They are tired, and hoping supper
will be ready.
40. Marina says Jane, as she leans her
weed against the fence, and calls it putting her
horse in the stable aiust leok Some old wo-
man is coming to our house Who can she be,
riding an old white horse, and with great
basket ON the horn of her saddle! She must
be peddler woman"
Martha looks up, and skipping past with a
look of wise indignation, hastens to inform her
mother that Aunt Jane has come, and that her
sister called her an old peddler woman!
"Why. Aunt Janen exclaims Mr. Claverel,
as he assists her to alight as much as to say,
what in the world brings you here? But the
face, full of benevolent Kindness, does not look
as if any one was dead, and ne ventures to ask
if all were well at home to which Aunt Jane
responds affrmatvely, looking in her basket as
she SAYS nobedy is sick or dead asshe knows
Of Mr.. Claverel is satisfied, and leads the
white horse toward the barn. Not 80 Mrs.
Clayerel: she feels instinctively that all is not
right, and her premonitory fears point to Rich
ard
ais he sick, or deada neither-.what, then
and before Aunt Jane untes her bonnet she
learns the truth. He is gone, no one knows
whittier, and has taken with him, as everybody
supposes, the village schooLmistress. Little
comfort is it now to hear how well he did; how
many persons he had cured, who had previously
had the advice OF the greatest physicians, besides
trying almost everything in the world they
could hear Of; how much money he made, and
how well everybody thought of him.
He has gone, and every one but his mother
and Aunt Jane forgets the right he has done in
the wrong Mr. Claverel says he always ex-
pected some such thing; and after supper, which
he does not want says he must 60 to Startown,
and takes with him the camphor bottle to be
reflled, though it is half full now, and requires
no replenishing he merely wishes to get rid OF
his thoughts-that is all He will find it a
hard thing poor man! And especially, as he
will meet with many persons ready to remind
him of his sorrow Thoughtfully, he goes
through the deepening twilight, thinking very
sorrowfully. He does not hear the clatter of the
hoofs on the pavement behind him. till the rider
overtakes him, and reins in his horse, glossy
black, with o pink nose and a strip of white in
his face
Good evening" worthy neighbor,n says the
familiar voice. al have been recently made
aware of fact Of very painful nature, con-
nected intimately with yourself but more init
mately still with your eldest born, DR. Richard
Claverel was, as you may readily suppose,
averse to receiving the evidence without demur
or question, and accordingly made the most
rigid scrutiny of the report, purporting to be
simply strict relation of facts but my jealous
efforts to find any flaw were signally baaed,
as from the first indeed. had cause to fear,
inasmuch rs my informant, in all the multifari-
GUS relations which it has been my fortune to
hold with him for term of years the positive
extent of which do not remember, has proven
himself man of invariable honesty, integrity,
and veracity, to the fullest and simplest mean
ing of those words.
Therefore | have been constrained, worthy
neighbor Claverel to reluctant acquiescence IN
the now prevalent belief that your eldest born, Dr.
Richard Claverel has abandoned the practice
of his profession in the hamlet of Medford, which
nv informant states to have been lucrative, and
of a nature satisfactory to his various employers
and to have secretly departed in that dark por-
ton of time whichWe are accustomed to denom-
mate night and TO have taken with him young
woman of comely personal endowments. and
mental parts of unusual development and clev-
erness, who has, for number of consecutive
months been employed in teaching the young
idea how to shoot, in a small school in the atore-
said hamlet.
ALLOW me, worthy neighbor Claverel, to Of
fer you my sympathy on this sorrowfully inter-
esting occasion, and to beg that you present to
Mistress Clayerel the assurance of my undated
and continued friendship, and regard, andesteem.
A very good evening to You, worthy neighbor
Claverel - and Mr.. jameson gave his black
charger the rein, who in prancing sideways
fashion obeyed the signal while Mr.. Claverel
took the camphor bottle from his pocket and
shook it violently.
But this was only the beginning of sorrows.
Calling at DR. Hilton's Cor pint OF the best
alcohol. AZ also for little cheerful talk, he
found the Dr. out and seated in the arm chair,
awaiting his return, the loquacious Mrs. Bates.
She thought likely DR.. Hilton could tell what
she wanted to know; But, you" she said adj
dressing Mr. Claverel, "can doubtless tell me
what want to know, as well as DIR. Hilton
could tell me what want to know, because you
are full likelier to know what want to Enow,
than he is likely to know what want to know"
Mr.. Claverel set the camphor bottle on the ta-
BILE with such violence as to break 1T In dozen
pieces, and the lady continued, It's no use
mourning over split milk nor split camphor
either, for that is a small thing to have done;
compared to some things that have been done,
if things have been done that people say have
been done, and ] suppose you know whether
things have been done as folks say they have
been DONE or whether they havn't been done." "
What do folks say?" asked Mr. Clayerel,
quietly
why they say that man has just come over
from Medford, where Dick has been living all
scSfne, and they say he should have said that
the young Doctor has run away with school
mistress, they say he should have said. But II
Ehe thought he abandinged my daughter, he
was mistaken; for my daughter was divorced
by the law two weeks come Saturday, and 20
he was the ,abandinged one.0
Mr.. Claverel did not purchase new bottle,
nor was he ever known to use camphor there