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

My notice shall engage; !
He who hath brayed Youths dizzy heat
breads not the frost Of Age
THE WIVES OF THE DEAD.
The following story, the simple and domestic
incidents of which may be deemed scarcely
worth relating, after such lapse of time, ava
kened some degree Of interest, hundred years
ago, in principal seaport Of the Bay Province.
The twilight of an autumn day; parlor on the
second floor of a small house, plainly furnished,
as beseemed the middling circumstances OF its
inhabitants, yet decorated with little curiosties
from beyond the sea, and q few delicate speci-
mems of Indian manufacture-these are the only
particulars to be promised in regard to scene
and season. Two young and comely women sat
together by the freside, nursing their mutual
and peculiar sorrows. They were the recent
brides of two brothers, sailor and landsman,
and two successive days had brought tidings Of
the death of each, by the chances of Canadian
warfare, and the tempestuous Atlantic. The
universal sympathy excited by this bereavement
drew numerous condoling guests to the habita-
tion of the widowed sisters. Several, among
whom was the minister, had remained till the
verge of evening; when one by one, whispering
many comfortable passages of Scripture, they
were answered by more abundant tears, they
took their leave and departed to their own hap
BILE to the kindness of their friends, had yearned
to be left alone United, as they had been, by
the relationship of the living, and now more
closely so by that of the dead, each felt as if
whatever consolation her grief admitted, were
to be found in the bosom of the other. They
joined their hearts, and wept together silently.
But after an hour of such indulgence, one of the
sisters, all of whose emotions were influenced by
her mild, quiet, yet not feeble character, began
to recollect the precepts of resignation and en-
durance, which piety had taught her, when she
did not need them. Her misfortunes, besides,
as earliest known, should earliest cease to inter-
fere with her regular course of duties; accord
ingly, having placed the table before the fire,
| and arranged a frugal meal, she took the hand
| of her companion
| "Come, dearest sister; you have eaten not a
morsel to-day she said. &c Arise, pray you,
and let us ask blessing on that which is pro-
| vided for u.s.
Her sister-in-law was of a lively and irritable
temperament, and the first pangs of her sorrow
had been expressed by shrieks and passionate
lamentation. She now shrunk from Mary's
words, like wounded sufferer from hand that
revives the throb.
ssThere is no blessing left for me, neither will
| ask it," cried Margaret, with fresh burst of
tears ssWould it were His will that might
never taste food more"
| Yet she trembled at these rebellious expres-
sions, almost as soon as they were uttered, and,
by degrees, Mary succeeded in bringing her
sisters mind nearer to the situation of her own.
| Time went on, and their usual hour of repose
arrived The brothers and their brides, enter
ing the married state with no more than the
slender means which then sanctioned such a
step, had confederated themselves in one house
hold, with equal rights to the parlor, and claim
ing exclusive privileges in two sleeping rooms
contiguous to it. Thither the widowed ones re-
tired, after heaping ashes upon the dying en-
bers of their fire, and placing lighted lamp
were left open, so that a part Of the in
terror of each, and the beds with theil
unclosed curtains, were reciprocally visible
Sleep did not steal upon the sisters at one ant
the same time. Mary experienced the effec
often consequent upon grief quietly borne, ant
soon sunk into temporary torgettulness, whil
Margaret became more disturbed and feverish
deepest and stillest hours. She lay listening t
the drops of rain, that came down in monoton
Gus succession, unswayed by breath of wind
and a nervous impulse continually caused he
to lift her head from the pillow, and gaze int
+ Mary's chamber and the intermediate apart
ment. The cold light of the lamp threw tn
shadows of the furniture up against the wall
, stamping them immovably there, except whe
they were shaken by o sudden flicker of tn
; old positions on opposite sides of the hearth
! where the brothers had been wont to sit i
!, young and laughing dignity, as heads Of fami
! lies; two humber seats were near them, tn
. true thrones of that little empire, where Mar
and herself had exercised, in love, power tina
love had won. The cheerful radiance of the fir
had shone upon the happy circle, and the dea
D glimmer Of the lamp might have betitted thei
reunion now. While Margaret groaned in BIT
!. = terness she heard knock at the street-doo,
. How would my heart have leapt at that SCUM
but yesterdayn thought she, remembering tn
!, anxiety with which she had long awaited tidine
8 from her husband 'sI care not for it now; Il
- them begone, for will not arise
But even while sort of childish fretfulnes
made her thus resolve, she was breathing hui
A riedly, and straining her ears to catch a rept
tition of the summons. 1t is difficult to be COZ
. vinced of the death of one whom we have deeme
IS another self. The knocking was now renewt
" in slow and regular strokes, apparently give
with the soft end of doubled fist, and was a
companied by words, family heard through Sc
eral thicknesses of wall. Margaret looked
her sisters chamber, and beheld her still lyil
4 in the depths of sleep. She arose, placed h
49, foot upon the floor, and slightly arrayed he
~ self, trembling between fear and eagerness
o she did so.
ssss "Heayen help mel" sighed she. &c ha
he he nothing left to fear, and methinks | am t
i times more coward than ever
wrs Selling the lamp from the hearth she hasten
N to the window that overlooked the street dot
ed 1t was lattice, turning upon hinges and ha
70 ing thrown it back, she stretched her head
,n sr little way into the moist atmosphere. A la
lie tern was reddening the front of the house a
= melting its light in the neighboring puddl
while deluge of darkness overwhelmed eve
VI other object. AS the window grated on
ss, hinges, a man in broad brimmed hat a
:. blanket coat stepped from under the shelter
:" the projecting story, and looked upward to d
= cover whom his application had aroused. Nj
garet knew him rs friendly inkeeper of I
n town.
d "What would you have, good man Parker
-. cried the widow.
Ga OF "Lack- asday is it you, Mistress Margaret
4. lreplied the inkeeper; 81 was afraid it mi