The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-29

STOOL NJ tnc Oiu iHhii lCCb ho'S pNS'
counting ON an excursion down to {. this long
time, not that think it can be at all compared
with our Maplehurst, but then ! should like to
see the place where you were born. Now, do
be reasonable once and say that you will 60
down there next summer, and take me with
YOU" she added, clasping her hands over his
knees, and gazing, half seriously, half mis-
chievously, up into his face
:" Go down there with yOu!" exclaimed the
old man, with strong emotion. Face those
scenes with you! 1t would be like facing
Death ~
He dropped his face into his hands, and his
manner was altogether so strange and excited
that we gazed at one another in silent aston
ishment until he suddenly looked up, and, with
an evident effort to recover his usual manner,
said as he laid his hand on Rebecca's head:
There, don't cry, child; | didn't mean
anything What laundering old toad am.
You shall 20 where you please, il it is to Kam-
schatka, next summer-only let us talk about
going down there"
Seeing that the expression of surprise and
curiosity. which his manner quite "a much as
his words had excited still fingered ON our
mechanically opening and shutting large
DoOh ttidt lay OI ny hifu StNcidi biihCS,
turned to Fred, and said, with an attempt at
his usual abruptness-
"The truth is, Fred Martyr, that no mans
past is quite Paradise Some parts of mine
are quite otherwise, and the conversation has
stirred up bitter memories. There is often
he went on, after a pause and gazing earnestly
in Rebecca's face something in this girls
face-somethng in her attitudes and her way
.l,o& l., o..f, I
in my youth; one who was neither kith nor
kin to me, but more than all the world beside,
| don't know exactly how or what it is, he
upturned to his for the cast OF the features
is wholly unlike and yet there are times when
it seems as if Rachel Halliday herself stood be-
fore me, and-but what is the use of talking
like an old fool Rebscca, my girl, let us have
some music; something brisk and cheerful,
child"
out stirring from her position at his knee
"But this Rachel Halliday, what pretty
ame-you have never told mo about her Is
she living?"
"No, child" he answered, hoarsely SITS an
age or, seems 80 to me, since they made her
grave in the village churchyard Knight have
you take me for one guilty of murder z"
"You, Mr.. Renwick ~ said Fred, giving
voice to the general surprise which the old
mans words excited you murderer
eyes; what is there to stare so about am
but man, and all the murderers from Cain
downwards have been nothing more or less, |
take it. True" he went on in musing tone,
"they said she died of consumption, but |
know and God knows better. II seems like
arrant nonsense" he added. after a moments
silence, for an old man to be showing his
weak spots to pack of youngsters like you /;
but then the wisest man is a fool some time
in his life, and some of you may profit by my
folly. So, brother Ed, lay down your book
and learn how easily man may become q
rascal-aye, villain-and yet escape legal
punishment for his crimes; for, in the eye of
the law, be it remembered, | am a very inno-
cent-nay, quite an immaculate parsonage
What am m the sight of God and my own
conscience, is quite another thing
81 have often told you, children, that my
mother died when was born. Of my father,
| remember nothing distinctly, unless it be the
cold, damp chilliness of his forehead, when an
old housekeeper lifted me up and laid my little
hand upon it, as he laid in his coffin have
a confused memory of the funeral-of pale
faced man, who would take me in the carriage
with him and woman, who, swathed in black
Grape from head to foot seemed to my childish
fancy like great black cloud, and of my
screaming Justify to 60 back to the old house
keeper.
1T seems that | had no near relatives on
either my father or mothers side, but the
property which my father left WAS sufficient
to awaken the warmest interest on my behalf
in this gentleman, a distant cousin, and as my
father had died very suddenly, the court in its
wisdom assigned me and my property to his
care.
He kept country store, and was shrewd,
hard, mean, grasping mana haggler for halt
cents--a finished hypocrite, who would cheat
an orphan in the price of her fathers shroud,
while he poured forth text after text of Scripture
for consolation in short he was that concre-
ton OF earth's meanness-a respectable scoun-
drel He was rich, lived in nice house. at
tended meeting regularly, paid his taxes
promptly on all such property as he could not
keep from taxation, gave somewhat literally
to benevolent societies especially for the sup
port of heather child who had been named
for his only son, Thomas Alling Indeed,
some people were disposed TO view my being
placed under his care IN a direct interpositiOn
of Providence in my behalf; for where could a
friendIess orphan enjoy such careful, judicious,
moral, and religious training, as under the roof
of Mr.. Alling to say nothing of the living ex-
empl6cation of practical goodness which his
example would afford!
II pass over my childhood in that mans
house, children you could not understand it;
thank God, you have nothing in your past that
resembles it! 1t was like long, cold, dreary,
cherries, sunless day Mr.. Allings wife, who
might have made all this different was a We
man Of rules and methods walking bundle
of Pharisaical pride and prejudice-of whose
tongue her husband stood somewhat in awe.
They had but one child, boy, some three
wears older than myself; and he inherited all
the pride, GOODNESS selfshness, and meanness,
OF both his parents, with sufficient cunning 10
conceal those traits under an of-hand reckless
manner which passed for high spirits and
youthful thoughtlessness with those who did
not know him well. He was bare-iaced,
systematic liar from his cradle, as well ~ cow
ard and, Of course, all his msdeeds and crimes
of omission and commission were laid upon
my shoulders, and duly paid the score.
don't know what | should have been under
different treatment but as it was, when
found that no words of mine could convince
them Of my innocence, grew stubborn and
hardened. ! heard myself commiserated and
condemned in the same breath, ~ the incarna-
ton of ali wickedness, bore whatever punish
ment they saw fit to inflct and heard myself
consigned to remedless woe in future state,
with logged indifference that was held as
proof positive Of my lost condition.
For some years, WAS a puny child, and
Tom being three years my senior, il was easy
Tor him to tyrannize over me, which he did to
his hearts content But there came an end to
this: One day might have been ten or
twelve years old at the time--when he had
been more than usually provoking and tyran-
meal, my patience, or rather my endurance
"a and 4 ,oh A