The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-03-17


bring him 10 the workhouse, if ever he
went there.
This grew worse daily; Janet had
black eyes and bruised lips often now,
and her gait and actions were those of
a person badly lamed. Robert had
taken to beat her whenever he was
4 tlPsy-Whlch was almost every night
till sometimes she thought he would
murder her. And if it had not been
Tor the childrenSshe would rather have
preferred his putting her out of the
way, as she called tiff he would not
have been hung for it!
| One morning she rose ea.ly, after a
night of heavy. dreamless sleep. But
not so early as her husband, whose
place By her was empty. As she
Glanced FepRd the room, something
strange and unfamiliar struck her
| She did not first understand what il was,
but soon the open drawers, the rifed
boxes, the scattered furniture, told her
that she had been robbed while she
slept so heavily that past night Trem-
bling she called her husband; but no
one answered. Hurrying on a few
clothes, she ran down stairs, where
a scene of infinitely worse confusion
shocked and frightened her still more.
The little stock of plate, partly bought
by her own money, partly given by
good Miss Harrington, and greatly
priced, was gone; the best of the books
NOT best for their contents but for
their bindings, which was all Robert
Maylin was likely 10 think of-had
likewise gone: the portable little pref
illnesses about the house: and, when
Janet came to examine more minutely
INTO matters, a small sum of money,
which she had saved as a beginning
for the children, had been carried off.
All her best gowns and shawls were
missing as well, and Robert Maylin
with them. An amethyst brooch, which
Miss Harrington had given her on her
wedding-day; little alabaster figure
OF more beauty than worth, but which
Janet had loved almost like a living
creature and an old fashioned gold |
watch that had been an heirloom in |
the family for generations. and which |
was popularity believed 10 have be-
longed to that fabulous squire, whom
country families claim as their original |
progenitor-these had disappeared, to-
gether with the rest; and poor Janet
felt utterly bereft of every possession
in the world
Search was made throughout the
country; but Robert Maylin was not
to be. found. Janet was obstinate in the
belief in bitches and drunkenness. and
Hhspp Httspp expressed her conviction that her
She fefdsWaq tltnrn nm : rain somehow.
the thief and used TO cry bitterly when
her neighbors, in their rough way, as
serted that her own husband had robbed
her. He might desert her, because he
no longer loved her; but how could
she think him capable of such wick
edness as this? However, a letter from
Liverpool set the matter at rest. For,
without touching on the robbery, Mas
ter Robert coolly asserted his intention
of proceeding forthwith to the United
States, whittier he was driven, he said,
by the fear of large family, and from
whence he would return when he
could support his wife and children as
became him. 1t was an artful letter,
and left large margin for future
events. Ii ended by exhorting Janet
to be sensible girl, and not to fret af-
ter him; that he should work for her,
and she would be better without him,
In which opinion many of the villa
gers concurred.
Janet found that loneliness is not al |
ways friendlessness. AS if called up
by magic, host of kind hands pressed |
round her in her hour of need host of
kind hearts offered her their sympathy, |
and loving faces spoke their pity. Miss
Harrington was generous and acid as
usual She rated Janet for hours to-
gether for her folly in marrying that
good-for-nothing fellow; for her wick
edness in having two children so fast
on each others heels, when she had
nothing to give them; and for her ba-
byish belief in the possibility of any
other robber than her husband. At
the same time, she gave the babies
food and clothing, and set up Janet as
green-grocer in the neighboring town
for which business her apprenticeship
III uGl luSUdHQ t4ol 1bL0CA pCSu-
liarly fitted her.
Time wore on, and fortune gave
good gifts to Janet By steadiness TO
her business, she gathered a large trade
together. Something, perhaps, was
owing to her touching history, and
something also to her touching man
ners; which, tranquil and gentle, had
such a tinge of melancholy in them,
that even casual customer must have
been won over. Her children were
her pride. Well dressed, well edu-
Gated, they might stand amongst the
children of far grander people than
she, as pretty and oftentimes better be-
hayed than any of them. She did not
spoil them, though she sacrificed every
thing for them, but she was bringing
them up with almost patrieian delicacy,
and with full as much patrician ten
derness. They were sweet children,
and she might we'll be proud of them,
and not unwisely anchored her whole
cargo of future happiness on their
well-being and good conduct. =