The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-09-04
WHOLE.N 244.

be exclaimed, as he strobe up 10 the bench and
read the inscription "Well that can wait they
won't pay you these ten years IL ever t; 50 set
about this Immediately, aud let Mr.. palrymple see
thai we are men Of busincss heren
1fhe child's stone Was4uished, nevertheless;
sud then the interest which the wishes Of the late
Mrs. DalTymple had excited in the village re-
! ceived n new impetus, from the report that Ger
vaise Wylverton, who always ordered his mar
bles, and had not been known TO cross the bounds
OF the town for many years, had gone TO the city
Of b. 10 select himself q suitable slab for her mon
umeut
Ii was true; and well might the proprietor Of
the extensive marble-yard in State street stare at
the tall gray-haired figure that in good but quaint
old-fashioned garments presented himself IN his
counting-room, and strive in vain 10 Identify him
with the handsome, energetic youth he had
known as the favorite apprentice Of his father
one who might have been, had he chosen. his
partner, so highly did the old man prize his skill
10 oil the more delicate departments Of his art
But there was nothing left Of the Gervaise WI
verton of those days save his simple truthfulness
Of heart and mind, which even sorrow and time
had not changed, and which had power to check
the thoughtess )ests which his ancient garb might
have clfciiee from the young men busy there
Perhaps the exact, matter-of-fsct proprietor
thought there was dir Of abstraction about his
old customer that argued i'll for his success ia
business, hot as he paid in good bankable money
II was no concern Of his A few words sufhced
TO settle their affairs and that night broad slab
Of Italian marble, pure, unsulhed, and beautiful,
as had been the soul OF Rose Golding, ere vanity
and ambition hsd carved their dark record there,
lay upon the trestles in his shop. And with the
morning came an influx Of visiters indeed for
several days goodly portion of the villagers
seemed to have nothing to do but drop in at Wyl-
verton's shop and ask questions, and give him the
benefit Of their taste Ia the selection Of an cpl
tsph and ornamental design suitable for the monu-
ment Of 80 distinguished lady. The old mans
hands were palsied while these were by and he
listened to all their remarks and suggestions with
such a weary, distracted air, that they felt slight
ed, aud turned away Indignantly, saying that
This new job had sent woo-gathering what
few wits old Gervaise Wylvertou had left"
So thy - - -'77e. and for soEns<t-- L~.L
he and bis work were forgotten in tkst1 element
occasoned by the arrival Of menaeerie in the
town. The little children played about his door
as usual, but IL light have been observed that
they seldom went into the shop as before Per
haps their perceptions were truer than their pa-
rents, and they fen that the gentle old man would
be alone. At any rate, they ccntented themselves
with now and then peep through the open door
way at the grand ady's grsvestone, until one day
they found the door shut and bolted though Il
s,ong Themselves as 10 whore the old man was
gone, as they pursued their sports; at length a
pale-faced, hOllow-eyed silent-sort of lad sud
denly looked up from the miniature tombstone
that he was planting In the sand and after listen
ing intently for the sound Of their old friends
chisel, dropped n word or two that drove the
blood from their cheeks, and sent them scamper-
ing down the hill, with startled eyes and flying
locks, towards the farmhouse which stood below.
What If somebody has murdered old MIR
Gervaise to get that beautiful piece Of marble
aud he lies within there all stiff and bloody" the
rayen-voiced boy had suggested and il was
enough by the time they tumbled into Widow
Thriftycrops door, the idle suggestion had
amounted 10 a certainty in their minds The
widows shril voice soon spread the news and a
group OF men and women, any one Of whom might
have passed Gervaise Wylvertons door dozen
times without thinking anything strange of its
being closed now collected there with eager anx-
ious faces, andsoud cries of Halloa, WylvertonI
Gervaise Wylverton, say to which there was
no reply, save hooking echo from the lodges Of
granite that rose behind the house They stood
looking IN each others faces with kind Of hest
tating indeosive air, as II each enc we're waiting
for the other to speak FIRST, when old Deacon Well
wood came up, and, taking up one Of Gervuise's
own sledge-hammers, with one blow loosened the
slight fastenings of the door. And there knelt
GerValse WylVerton his head resting upon that
broad slab Of marble, while his long, gray locks
fell In rippes over its edge.
"Umph it's pretty time Of day for man TO
be asleep!" and wonder what business he has
to be frightening us all out Of our skins " and
such like expressions greeted this sight, bat they
suddenly gave place TO breathless silence, when
Deacon Wildwood, after laying his hand on the
old mans brow, withdrew IL with such sbudder
for they knew, even before he spoke, that Gervase
Wylverton was dead.