Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-12-22
THE BLOODY HAND.
EY THE AUTHOR OF OLD sIRoNsIDEs' OFF A
i1i - LEE SHORE.

"There is blood upon your hand, John" I"
said tall, masculine made woman, in a
homespun dress, as she swept up the hearth
OF the solitary farm house, in the interior OF
England, al the close of cold December's
day in the year lS-
The person thus addressed was an iron.
faced farmer, Of abou, the middle size, with
dark eyes peering underneath q pair Of
shaggy eyebrows. His cheek was flushed,
as though old age had been coursing like
wildfre through his swollen veins, and his
fresh blood that stained it seemed to have
been made for descendan, of Cain.
ssThere is blood.' said Brown, for such
was the farmers name, ':bui i! is all off
now; tring me my supper" The wife
for sucn was the first speaker-looked him
long and anxiously in the face. Horrid
VISIONS seemed to be floating before her
eyes, and murder almost escaped from her
compressed lips.
''Why, what in the nome Of nature ails
the woman?" said Brown, endeavoring by
an i'll con.rived laugh, to silence her fears.
s'lf people go where sheep are slaughtered,
they must expec, TO get bloody"
's'fhe blood of sheep was not on your
hand" said his wife firmly, 'There was
q melancholy looking man on the hill, TO-
day. He had money and Il valuable watch.
He offered me piece OF gold for directing
him to the next village, and set his watch
by our clock. Have you seen the stranger,
joint"
The iron features Of the hardened hus-
band now contracted into fearful scowl.
NV oman," saio he, s'what have to do with
travellers on the hillside? Mind your own
affairs" Then changing his tone to sort
of n whine, he said, "Give me my food,
Meg, am cold and hungry and cannot
Joke with you any longer.'
Joke with me?" said the poor wife,
with coun,enance agonized with horror,
"God grant that it may prove a joke -
The supper was now placed upon the
table. The farmer ale his food in silence,
and then went to bed. In u few moments
he was los, in a deep though terrible sleep.
Having seen that everything was quiel.'he
good wife put on her hooded cloak, and
went out upon the lawn. 1t was cold
and cherries evt nirg. fhe hills seemed
turned into misty shadows, before the wand
of an enchanter, and the waving lreetops
seemed like the bosom Of the midnight deep.
The bleak wind howed sadly amid the elm
trees by the way side, and the bay Of a dis.
tan, watch dog came echoIng up the vale.
The unhappy wife followed tne track OF
her husband for about mile. She was
now startled by deep groan. Scanning
narrowly the hill side, she perceived
place where some persons had apparently
struggled together. in the snow drift, and
beyond, lutle distance, she beheld The
melancholy stranger, whom she had direct,
ed on his course, several hours previous,
lying upon the ground, with 4 dreadful
wound upon his pnlid forehead Browns
wife was strong and resolute woman
She raised the wounded man and wiped the
blood from his eyes. Finding that life was
hot extinct she bore him upon her shoulders
to her dwelling. Having laid him down in
the passage, she opened the kitchen door
where Brown was sleeping. His thick,
heavy breathing gave evidence that the
sleep of drunkenness was upon him. She
then carried the stranger through the kitch
en- TO little bed room where she usually
retired when the abuse Of her brutal COM
panion became insupportable. AS the
head of the wounded man brushed by the
face OF Brown, his hands ins,iLctively
grasped the bed clothes, and carried them