The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-07-14

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veal what | hoped to remain secrct--I
am not your mother P
Tell me in PITY said Susan, have
| indeed no mother to fly to in this dis
NAL hour Oh i will bless you for
ever, if you will ouly let me call you
mother !"
More moved than she had ever been
by the pteous look and words, and yet
more piteous situation of the gentle, for
lorn, and so lately happy girl, the widow
raised her kindly, and besought her to be
calm, and hear the tale which the selfish
passions of her husband had, by his
frenzied prcvocations, wrung from
the long unmoved and imperious woman
Susan fixed a glazed yet anxious eye on
the speaker as she proceeded
shall be as brief as possible The
time, however. is come when you must
know the truth and, remember the dis
closure has not been of my seeking /
was, as you know, housekeepcr in the
noble family of -. My lovely
youngest lady was your mother r Su-
san, in an agony of distress, shuddered,
but remained calm. There had been,
as learnt fromindistinct expressions Of
my dying mistress, a species of marriage
between her and your father, a gentle
man of high degree, but it had been Sc
cret and irregular. There was not at
any rate vestige of evidence of the
deed, and there hung over your birth all
the disgrace of illegitimacy. Your faith
er was absent with his regiment To
shield your mother and her family's
proud name, | conveyed you secretly to
james, my late husband, who was then
head gardener, and my suitor. He sue
ceedcd in placing you in safety with a
nurse, while | remained, for the few days
life was granted with the poor mother
/ never left her or her remains till / saw
them laid, in their unsuspected purity,
in lamented grave The night of her
death she gave me the watch you have,
family whispering, Give it to my child,
if she survives me-
Oh dear and precious legacy of her
who gave me being T" wcpt the desolatc
orphan, as if over mothers grave.
I. Hear me out my poor girl After a
short time / joined him who then bacame
my husband and communicating with
your father, who was abroad. | was com
manded to keep the birth of his child Sc
crct as the grave that had sheltered its
mother, bcstowing on me a sum of money,
vested in my own name but (such was
the confidence reposed in me) trusting to
me to provide for the offspring Of error
aud sorrow, Not unworthy was I of the
trust thus confded in me" proceeded she
proudly "You know, Susan, | have car
ed for you have educated and provid-
ed for you far beyond our seeming sta
ton 1t was my pride and joy to sur
,, round you even with elegancies. Not
withstanding what | told you, after the
unfortunate disclosure my late husband
made to you, your father yet lives; and
some of his books and articles you have
! were sent to me by him for your use"
" Which,-which are they ?" again in
tcrrupted the anxious Susan.
You shall know that by-and-by,'
soothingly replied the woman. Il al
: ways intended you should have abund
antly sufficient for your moderate and
reasonable wants; but in such form
and at such times as / saw best. But
the violence, pcrtinacity, and avaricc Of
, your husband has provoked this disclos
ure, and to his own complete discomfit
ure since have at length convinced
: him." she bitterly added, ''that neither
the law he threatened me with, nor any
, power he could appeal to can procure
him what he seeks. The name of your
: father | am bound to conceal, and Meth
or coaxing nor violence shall force it from
!, me. The only other being who knew it
, sleeps now in the silence of death. Ever
l you, poor innocent sufferer for the fault,
of others, must not ask me this" Bu
l. she spoke to nearly insensible ears. Su
9 sans brain had hardly comprehended tn,
= latter part of her communications See
, ing the condition of the unfortunate girl
1 she Immediately accompanied her home
: The wretched Macdonald, already bal
repenting,yet writhing under resentment
and disappointment, saw them pass hii
school window, but forebore to intrud,
upon them,
! Hardly conscious as she was, whel
placed in her bed. the heart stricker
mourner pointed to her drawer, anC
, eagerly PERSISTED that her now pitying
+. and anxious attendant should bring hel
somewhat from thence. The widow Al
length comprehcnded her, and placed in
the trembling hands of her protege tn,
watch, the legacy of her dying mother
Clasping and kissing it she hung its chair
around her neck, and hid the baubl,
in her bosom. When Mrs Oliphant had
done what she could for the comfort o.
the nearly unconscious invalid, she left
her to seek medical aid, first calling Mac
: donald, who, consciousstricken at what
had been his cruel work, hung with ten
der grief and selfreproach over the un
complaining sufferer. A dry and burn
ing kiss, few mourning words of foud
T ness, were all her reply to his food o.
! tears and passionate entreaties for for
giveness The same night Susan's senses
lyforsook her; and, notwithstand
ing all that human skill could do, ere
five days more her spirit had fed, the
!, victim Of parental error, and Of selfish
passions Of her protectress and husband
: When the solemn scene wes finally
closed, what must have been the sensa
tion Of the survivors We would not
seek the vile errors every one must con
demn-selfshness and ayarice persisted
in and terminating in the un,inely deatl
ofa youthful wife, the only being blame
less in this domestic tragedy Macdon
aid obtained employment in distant
town and returned no more 10 the banks