The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-06-15

successfully, and thus supported hel
husband and herself Strange coDtras,
must their life have presented from it
earlier years ! Instead of the statelies
of England's homes the poor obscur,
lodging instead of all the luxury ant
ease, appliances and means to boot o
grandeur-thc toll and the struggle fol
daily bread. Yet they were very happy
Both had doubtless learned the INSULT
cheney of wealth and station to confer
bliss, and found pleasures undreamed O.
before in the exercise of talent, ip tho
petty needful toll, in the thousand little
ties of sympathy and mutual hopes anc
fears, comfortings and encouragings
The fancy loves to dwell upon the into
rior of that home the quaint little
room with its old-fashoned furniture
the few stiff chairs, the polished table
the worked fire-screen, partially protcc
ting the fair young artist from the blaze
of the cheerful fire as she bends over her
task, and groups of roses and lilies, and
all the sweet old-world flowers, upon
her paper, or on the velvet or tiffany
destined for her lady-cmployers whilst
her husband, seated at her side, beguiles
the incessant toll of its weariness by
reading to her in Il low sweet voice, or
telling her of the great Frederick and Of
the battles fought beneath the Prussian
eagle. This is the fairest side of the
picture. Many real care and haras-
sing anxiety must, nevertheless, have
haunted the mind of the sleeper awak-
ened, especially when the birth of her
child, daughter, demanded greater ex-
ertion and larger means. But there
was no end to the ups and downs in the
life of the Honorable William P
About this time, a distant relative, who
had been interested by the romance of
his love, died, and left him large for
tune-a greater trial than poverty to
many spirit. For a time, however,
they enjoyed this sunshine of fortune
the more indeed from recent privation
and poverty but William was not-as
his story thus far has shown-gifted
with any great store of vorldly prudence,
There were numerous bubbles ahoat in
that day, marvellous contrivanccs for
making-or, more certainly, marring-
fortunes in an incredibly short space of
time aud he was seized with the pre-
vailing mania, entered into a wild specu-
lation, and lost nearly all the wealth
that had been so opportuncly sent.
Once more the gaunt spectre,povcrty,
stood in the path of the sleeper, at a
time, too, when the energy and spirit of
youth had fed and this time it forced
the separation which nothing had been
able to effect before William p
resolved to return to Prussia and re6n-
ter the service of Frederick whilst his
wife and their only daughter established
school for young ladies, with the money
still remaining from their recent wealth.
And thus years rolled by. The patient,
industrious mother succeeded in retriev-
ing some portion of their losses the
rash, eager, but generous husband won
laurels and wounds in still quicker sue
cesson. The daughter married, and
became ultimately the grandmother of
the narrator of the story and finally,
General William P-rcturned few
limbs minus and very gray, but still
fondly beloved, to his home, and died,
full of years and honors, in the arms of
his awakened sleeper.
Let us next introduce our reader to a
small chamber in country parsonage,
a little later in the same century. The
room presented perfect picture of neat
ness, quiet and repose. 1t was very
plainly furnished, but manifested a GER
tain elegance and refinement in the
arrangement of the few simple ornaments
on the chimney-piece, the flowers and
books, and the old china cup of cooling
drink that stood on small round table
by the open window, through which the
warm air of summer stole softly, laden
with perfume from the mignonette and
stocks that fourished in the little garder
beneath it. The suns rays, broken by
the fresh green leaves of large walnut
tree, cast clear, pleasant light througl
the snowy dimity curtains of the bed OF
the face of an invalid who lay there, gaz
ing, with the listlessness of weakness OIL
the glimpse of blue sky visible from thu
open easement 1t was a countenanc,
that sunlight might be imagined to love
so good and gentle was it. Nor did it
expression belle the heart within.
holy, charitable, unselfish man was tha
village pastor but with the resemblanc
he bore-and it was strong one-t
Goldsmith's portrait of his brother, ther
mingled much of the thOughtlessnes
and improvidence of the poet himself
and tho consequence of his boundles
charities, and of his ignorance of none
matters, had led him into embarras
ments, from which he saw no escape. ii
would have cared little, had his dificu
ties affected his own comfort only br
they fell likewise on those dearest
him, and anxiety for their sakes preyin
on his affectionate and rather timid spi
it, the probable shame of an execute
in his house, and the nervous horror |
felt at the idea of being consigned to
prison, had brought on his present Hines
and haunted his thoughts as he lay the
in solitude after many restless nights
agonizcd and perplexcd reflection, liste
ing to the church bells ringing for Su
day scrvices,at which stranger was to
his place, From the days of Within
ton to the present, the imagination b
frequently given a language to those ali
voices and the poor pastor, as he Ia
over-powered and exhausted by long hou
Of painful and fruitless meditation, felt t
: nightmare, like load of care which {
, pressed him, pass off as he listened, a
/ Il childlke faith in the goodness Of Pro
idence once moro dawning to his mil
| W. 10 ,ot ,o.otond 20 ,nfarnrot M l.