New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-09-08

woman in trouble, when | haven't word of
comfort to whisper her.
'For heavens sake what news do you
bring :" screamed Margaret.
''Why, there has been an express through the
town, within this half-hour," said the good man
Parker, &C travelling from the eastern jurisdic-
tion, with letters from the governor and coun-
Gil. He tarried at my house to refresh himself
with a drop and o morsel, and | asked him what
tidings on the frontiers. He tells me wehad the
better in the skirmish you wot Of, and that thir-
teen men, reported slain, are well and sound,
and your husband among them. Besides, he is
appointed of the escort to bring the captivated
Frenchers and Indians home to the province
Jail. judged you wouldn't mind being broke
Of your rest, and SO l slept over to tell you.
Good night"
So saying, the honest man departed; and his
lantern CLEANED along the street, bringing to
view indistinct shapes Of things, and the frag-
ments of world, like order glimmering through
chaos, or memory roaming over the past But
Margaret staid not to watch these picturesque
effects. Joy flashed into her heart, and lighted
it up at once, and breathless, and with winged
steps, she flew to the bedside of her sister. She
paused, however, at the door of the chamber,
while a thought of pain broke in upon her.
s'Poor Mary!' said she to herself "Shall l
awaken her, to feel her sorrow sharpened by my |
happiness No; will keep it within my own
bosom till the morrow"
She approached the bed to discover if Mary's
sleep were peaceful. Her face was turned part
ly inward to the pillow, and had been hidden
there to weep; but a look of motionless con-
tentment was now visible upon it, as if her heart,
like deep lake, had grown calm because its
dead had sunk down so far within Happy sit,
and strange, that the lighter sorrows are those
| from which dreams are chiefly fabricated. Mar
garet shrunk from disturbing her sister-in-law,
| and felt as if her own better fortune had rem
l l.. 4. p1 l.
| tered and diminished affection must be the con-
sequence of the disclosure she had to make.
With sudden STEP she turned away. But joy
could not long be repressed, even by circumstan-
ces that would have excited heavy griets at
another moment. Her mind was thronged with
delightful thoughts, till sleep stole on and trans
formed them to visions, more delightful and more
wild, like the breath of winter. (but what cold
comparison y working fantastic tracery upon
window.
When the night was far advanced, Mary awoke
with sudden start. A vivid dream had latter
ly involved her in its unreal life of which, how
ever, she could only remember that it had been
broken in upon at the most interesting point.
For little time, slumber hung about her like a
morning mist, hindering her from perceiving the
distinct outline of her situation. She listened
with imperfect consciousness to two or three vol
leys of a rapid and eager knocking, and first
she deemed the noise matter of course, like
the breath she drew; next, it appeared thing
in which she had no concern; and lastly, she
became aware that it was q summons necessary
to be obeyed. At the same moment, the pang
of recollection darted into her mind the pail Of
sleep was thrown back from the face of grief;
the dim light of the chamber, and the objects
therein revealed, had retained all her suspended
ideas, and restored them as soon as she unclosed
her eyes, Again, there was quick peal upon
the street door. Fearing that her sister would
{ also be disturbed, Mary wrapped herself in a
!, cloak and hood, took the lamp from the hearth,
and hastened to the window. By some accident,
it had been left unhasped and yielded easily to
, her hand.
"Who's there'" asked Mary, trembling as
she looked forth.
The storm was over, and the moon was up
, it shone upon broken clouds above, and below
upon houses black with moisture, and upon little
lakes of the fallen rains curling into silver be-
meath the quick enchantment of q breeze. A
+, young man in q sailors dress, wet as if he had
come out of the depths of the sea, stood alone
under the window. Mary recognized him as one
a whose livelihood was gained by short voyages
/, along the coast nor did she forget, that, prev
= GUS to her marriage, he had been an unsuccess
full wooer of her own.
e "What do you seek here, Stephen 80 said she
" ssCheer up, Mary, for l seek to comfort you,
e answered the rejected lover. You must kno,
s got home not ten minutes ago, and the frs
t thing my good mother told me was the new
about your husband. So without saying a wore
! to the old woman, clapt on my hat, and raj
# out of the house I couldn't have slept winl
t before speaking to you, Mary, for the sake o
old times.''
: "Stephen, thought better of you!" exclaimed
|, the widow, with gushing tears, and preparing
to close the lattice; for she no whit inclined
. to initiate the first wife of Zadig.
e "But stop and hear my story out,' cried th
| &,11, hr,,r
Q terday afternoon, bound in from Old England
a And who do you think saw standing on deck
: we'll and hearty, only bit thinner than he wa
l. five months ago''
Is Mary leaned from the window but could no
J. speak.
/ "Why it was your husband himself" con
p tinued the generous seaman. " He and thre
s others saved themselves on q spar, when tn
l. Blessing turned bottom upwards. The br
II will beat into the bay by daylight, with thi
e. wind, and you'll see him here tomorrow
d There's the comfort l bring you, Mary, and S
1T good night
ID He hurried away, while Mary watched hir
lie with doubt Of waking reality, that SCENE
\. stronger or weaker as he alternately entere
is the shade of the houses, or emerged into til
to broad streaks of moonlight, Gradually, how
4 ever, n blessed flood of conviction swelled int
/; her heart, in strength enough to overwhelm hel
er had its increase been more abrupt. Her frs
to impulse was to rouse her sisterin-law and con
t. municate the newborn gladness. She opene
ne the chamber door, which had been closed in til
il, course of the night, though not latched, ad
en- vanced to the bedside, and was about to lay he
he hand upon the slumberer's shoulder, But the
ir she remembered that Margaret would awake
h, thoughts of death and woe, rendered not the le
in bitter by their contrast with her own felicit
IL She suffered the rays Of the lamp to fall upo
he the unconscious form of the bereaved one. Ma
ry garet lay in unquiet sleep, and the drapery W
at displaced around her; her young check W
re rosy tinted, and her lips half opened in viv
I'd smile; an expression of joy, debarred its passa
,r by her sealed eyelids, struggled forth like
it. cense from the whole countenance.
n. "My poor sister! you will 'waken too so
nd from that happy dream,'' thought Mary.
he Before retiring, she set down the lamp a.
gs endeavored to arrange the bed clothes, so tn
let the chill air might not do harm to the feveri
slumberer But her hand trembled again
,ss Margaret's neck, tear also fell upon her chee
r. and she suddenly awoke.
N INCIDENTS THE LAKE ERIE DsAsrER.-The Mllwaul
led Sentinel gives the following incidents connected with
ed destruction of the Atlantic on Lake Erie:
zen An interesting exhibition given of
lc- 1.-THE Faith that saveth
ey- Hope that every trial braveth,
to In tbo case of an ared couple over seventy who
ing drawn the hurricane deck The man was frantic
uifa in hn