The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-05-12

r;.asWh o0noeh al!y TO obey her father before mar
nage-her husband AFTER He had mn doub,
pug "ouia De very happy as his wife. for s.he
was IIcn, ana steady Presbyterian" And
WIN 'nis declaration, threatening return in
six months to claim her haud-wb;ch he III
the audacity to kiss-he left her for his Glas.
Cow warehouses.
In this dire delemma the poor lassie knew
not what course to pursue. Her aunt al.
though kind, indulgent, and plying her, (Cor
in youth she had had experience of a blight ID
affection, and no woman-heart, that is not
naturally sour, passes through such trial with.
out becoming sweeter)-was bound in com.
plete serfdom TO her brother, and was quite
unable to suggest aBy means Cr likelihood of
release; SO Barbara wrote full account of her
predlcament to her lover. Notlong afterward.
so cleverly disguised by dress as TO deceive
even herself, Percival was again at Aberdeen
l-determined, should all other methods fail,
to carry off his kinswoman on the very eve of
the bridal; and many a twilight evening, when
the minister sat over his books or took his af.
ter-dInner nap, did those two young creatures
meet, unnotced and unsuspec,ed, on the banks
OF the Dee. But those meetings must soon
end, for six months have passed, and Mr.
brnce-once more lodged in the house of Da-
Wy BaIn-is come to wed and take home his
| reluctant bride.
One evening-it was cloudy, and threatened
ionl weather, though the summer air was
warm and surcharged with flower scents
John Pereival betook himself as usual to the
customary trysting place. 1t was a thick
copse of hazel past which ran-heard but not
seen-the river; which, where the shrubbery
enaeo, formed dark, deep pool, so garnished
ny oVefhanging nut-trees that it had acquired
,ne name OF the Nut hole. Beyond this pool
lay the road to the manse; but as the trees
mere mere ceased to offer concealment, the Nut.tree.
hoie became the limits to Percival's attend
ance ON his cousin in her way homeward-
ne rustic seat in the centre of the coppce
was still unoccupied, and he began to fear
.hat something had transpired to prevent her
from coming. 1t was no use to listen for the
sounds of her light, advancing footsteps; for
, the Dee made so loud and incessant sougb
as II tumbled from the steep bank that helped
10 form the Nut-hole, that it drowned all lesser
sounds.
lie was, however, soon made conscious that
tnere were sounds which no sough of tum-
bling waters could drown; for, on sudden,
nei'her remote nor suppressed, q fierce, pitt
ful cry, like that of one in some dread life
i, peru, struck upon his ears, succeeded by the
breaking asunder of the boughs of trees, and
then plunge in the water-a heavy plunge,
, that made itself heard above the monotonous
murmur of the falling food. Astonished, al
most alarmed, he rose, and was Fastening
! through the thicket toward the Nut hole,
whence the noise had proceeded, when, as he
was about TO cross the track that led from
the manse to the main road to Aberdeen, he
beAeid flying toward him dark. k.manted
figure: he knew it at once. Her hands stretch
ed toward him, her face ghastly with the
death-white of intense horror, Barbara stag
gered toward him, and with sharp, short
gasp, as if she dreaded to give utterance to
deep fear by louder sound, she tainted at
his very feet.
He thought no more of the Nut-hole, or oi
what might have happened there, absorbed in
his solctude for his beloved cousin, but his
endeavors to restore her TO animation were
fruitless. The manse lay not two hundred
yards distant; so at such Juncture, regardless
OF what the consequences might be 10 himself
he bore her IN his arms; and not without some
difficulty, for the track was narrow and bro.
ken up, and the night had darkened with fall.
ing ram. He reached the house. Fortunate.
ly, there was no one in the parlor but Miss
Henny; and the startled maiden, seeing stran.
ger bearing the body of her niece, would
have screamed, had he not at once whispered
his own name, briefly explained what had hap.
pened, and entreated her to befrend them.
"Gae AVA, gae ava, laddie," said she, as
she quickly brought some vinegar from the
sideboard and hathed her niece's brow with the
refreshing liquid. "My brther maunna see
| you; not, if can help it, sail he know acht o.
this. Gae AVA, Johnny dear; he'll be back,
believe. She's beginning to revive. I'll get
her to bed, and tell him she's too i'll to attend
prayers. God bless you, my ain dawte, what's
a this 7" added she, kissing the brow of the
girl, whose eyes opened to perceive the retiring
form of her cousin.
Ii Barbara Comyn revealed to her good aunt
the cause of her fright and consequent illness,
il is very certain thai Miss HeDny kent the
secret. Next morning, indeed, though with a
wan face, Barbara appeared at prayers; and
Mr. COmyn had concluded reading portion
of the Gospel, when paper, falling out of the
Bible arrested his attention for moment
Only for amoment, however; for, mentally sup
plicating forgiveness for that involuntary wan
dering of his thoughts from the act of worship
in which he was engaged, the good man knelt
| and PRAYED with fervor. This sacred duty
terminated, they SAT down to the breakfast
table, and then the minister slowly opened the
paper, glanced over il, turned deadly pale, and
| exclaimed,
"The great and good God be around us!
| Let not the deiusions of Satan prevail, but keep
from US the evil spirits that make us see things
| that are not"
| What is the matter, brither 7" cried the
wondering Miss Henny, whilst, as though
| chained 10 the table, Barbara neither moved
ror spoke.
"Take this. womau," said he, in tremu-
lous voice, land read ii to me, that may be
sure the same awful words that meet my sight
also meet yours"
And the astonished Henrietta, taking the
paper, read what follows:
Last night. alter leaving you'll was stopped
bv your sexton, may landlord, David Balm,
who led me out of the highroad TO the Nut
hole, under pretence of showing me large
salmon which he bad hooked but could not
land. He there felled me to the earth, robbed
me, and flung my body into the river Dee
Pray for the soul of SIMON BRUcK.
(CoscLUDED TOMORROW.