The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1853-03-26

depression, and stood BY the physical like a
heroine.
''One feels differently at these times, ma am.
ami one cannot help CRYING for nothing. 1t
does one good. and seems to relieve one.-
Robert is as kind as kind can be, and have
no fault to find with any one"
And then she sat down on a chalr,and wcrt
DIS il her heart was breaking.
When She went to bed that night, she asked
pardon for her fal>chood But as she looked
at her husband living tiere, hall drunk, and
thought how handsome and manly he was,
she felt she had been justified in lying for him.
And then she pushed his curIs from off his
forchead; and then he sworc, and struck
out clumsly, and called her bad names in his
brutal, stupid, drunken sleep.
The baby was born, and Robert less incin-
ed for home than ever. He hated to hear 1t
cry-and what baby will not cry and he
hated to see his wife nurse and fondle IT, And
how are babies to live, if wives don't nurse
and tondle them:
Things went on in this manner; only get
ting worse as Robert fell from WEAKNESS to
neglect, from NEGLECT to dislike, and finally
to ill-uSagc. Every tear from Janet was a
reproach vchcmcntly resented; every carcss
an annoyance hrutaly rejected; her plain
tive voice was the very thing To drive him
from home for amusement. and her forced
cheeriulneSs sent HIM ont of doors for quiet.
Sad or cay. smiles or tears, love or reproach
it was all the same; he would be i!l-usrd,
and find an excuse for himselfin in her con-
duet.
. Another babv was born almost within the
vear-making such a rapid advance towards
a patriarchal condition of household that Rob
ert talked moodllv oi the workhouse. But
Janet thought that drink. not babies would
bring him to the work house. if ever he went
there.
/ Things grew worse daily ; Janet had black
eyes and bruised lips often now, and her @alt
and actions were those of person badly
lamcd Robert had taken to beat her when
ever he was Il tipsv-whIch was almost every
rirht-till sometimes She thought he would
murder her. And il II had not been for the
( children, >h" would rather have preferred his
uuttn9 her ont Of the way. a> >h" called 1t
; # he would not hryc been iung for it,
One mornIn. she rose earl y,aitcr nl9ht o.
heavy. drramir>S sleep. But not 50 carly as
her husband. whose pIarc hy her was empty
! .As She glanced round the room. something
strange and unfamiliar struck her. She did
not at fir, understand what il was, l"It soon
the open drawers, the rifcd boxes. the scat
tered turniurc told her that She had been
robbed while She slept 50 heavily that pa>r
might Trembling she called her husband
hu, no one answered. liurr>ing on a few
clothes She ran down stairs. where a scene ot
infinitely worse confusion >h" kcd and fright
,r,d her still more The ,lt,lr stock ot plat,
;arily bought l., her own money, partly CIV
en- bv Good Miss Harrington. and grcat,
pri1cd. was gone: the best OF the ho"k>-no
best tor their contents bat tor their hndInG>
which was all that Eohrrt Maylin was likely
to think ct had likewise zone: tn" portabI,
littlr prcttinr>>.S about the house: and whcr
Janet came t. examine more infinitely mt
= matters Il small sum OF money, which She ha'
saved a> a beginning for the chIdr"n, ha'
been carried oil All her best >tiw'> an'
| Gowns were missing a> we'll and Robert aiav
} lin with them. An amethyst hruorh, wh,l
= Miss Harrington had -ivcn her on her wed
: beauty than worth. but which Janet had loN"'
= almost like living creature; and IN "ld-ta~t
/ ioncd gold watch that had been an hrIr-!oor
in the family for generations. and which VA
: pnrularlv believed to have belonged to tlla
r fabulous squire, whom most country tamIIt
: claim as their Original prog"ntor- these ha
V disappeared, tog,thrr with the rest: and poo
d Janet felt utterly hcrctt of every po>Se>>io
e in the world
/ Search was made throughout the country
Il but Robert Mavin WAS not tn bc found. j;
II net was obstinate in ,hc belief IN bitches an
Is drunkenness and often cxnrrsSod her ron,i'
: ton that her husband would turn mp agai
Il somehow. She refused positively to look 4
l. him as the thiei.and used to cry bitterly whc
Is her urighbors. in their rouyh way, a>>rrtr
/ .hat her own husband was the robbcr II
Is might desert her, because he no longrr love
lc her; but how could she think him ral'ah
v Of such a wirkrlnr>> as this However,
D. letter from Liverpool set the matter at re:
ld For, without touching on the robbery Mast
Robert coollv asserted his intention of pr
n cerding forthwith to the United State, whit
or he was driven, he SAID, bv the fear OF
=. large family. and from whence he would +
rt turn when he conld support his wife Al
ne children as became him. II was an art
At letter. and left larHc mar"in for future
G. vents 1t ended hv cxhor!ing Janet to b'
is sensible uirl. and not to fret after hIm; tll
to he should work for her, and she would
e better without him. In which opinion MAJ
I'd of the villagers concurred.
l,l,, ,,t al
cr triendcSSncS>. As if called up by Magic
w host Of kind hands pressed round her in h
~ hour of need host of kind hearts otier
to her their sympathy and loving faces spo
he their pity Miss Harrington was gcncro
he and acid As usual She rated Janet for hon
VII together for her folly in marrying that goC
&c. for-nothing fellow; for her wickcdness in ha
We inc two children so fast on each other hec
lS when She had nothing to give them; and
" her babv>h belictin the possibility of a
other robbcr than her husband. At the sal
10 time. she gave the babies food and clothlr
Ter and set up Janet as a "reen-grocer III
If neighboring town: for which business /
he apprenticeship in her husbands marNet-g
It'd den peculiarly fitted her.
he Time wore on. fortune Gave good gifts
GU Janet BY Steadiness to her business, 5
'as gathered large trade together. Somcthil
at perhaps was owing to her touching histo
ay and somethin. also to her touching manner
OF which, tranquil and gentle. had such til
ly, of melancholy in them.th even acaS'Ial c
she toner must have been won over. Her Ct
drcn were her pride. Well dressed, well
ne ucatcd, thevmight stand amongst the chlldl
i've of far grander people than she. as pretty :
ottentmcs better behaved than any of tho