Litchfield enquirer., 1853-09-22
The Maid of the inn.

The Maid of the Inn.
 BV II. CUaTIs.
 Several years ago there dwcll in town m England an lnn-keeper, who, with his wife and one daughter kept respectable tavern fof the accommodation of travellers journeying in that part Oi the country, and as he was very gen,en.anly and . well dis posed person, he soon WOO the frlendship and es:eeu Of alt whu knew him, and con. seq0ently was extensively patrOnizec.
 E His wife was ail that wife c0,,ld be i0 him, ever attending with care to his wanis in trouble or slckness, dihgeDt and a.ien- live al her duties, kind aud indulgeni iu- wards her servants, and treating her guesls witist the same kindness and hospitality that characterised her husband. as Es
 She was assisted iR her duties by hev only chlld and daughter, wi . possessed the same good qualties that were prominent ,n her mother.
 Mary, for such was her name, was of sweet and cheerful disposition, always con teRled end happy, and care and sorrow were tO her as strangers; everything around her seemed bright and pleasant and every one who saw her declared ihey had never met with one so gentle, SD lovely as Mary. Wien new guest arrived, she welcomed him with smile aud strove oil in her pow. CT to make his stay pleasant aud comfort. able; and when he departed she gave him smile and her blessing.
 Every one loved her, the aged and the yOung,the htlle children woald flock around her, she always smiled upon them sn sweet, ", and spoke kind words iO them; and many a young man in the village would have risked any thing fer her sake pr would have been glad lo get her fur wife.
 And Mary loved, --'iwas strange that she could love such . reckiess being and many wandered at Il and piiied ter, fof Richard was idle and speni too much of his time at the ale-house and sqnandered away his money, 0f which he had plenty, though no one could tell how orswlleFe he obtained l.. Mary believed none of the stories reported of him, hut still clung to him with fond affection, aud young Rch- ard had settled The day and she looked for ward to il with feelings of pleasure.
 This family continued io live happily for many years until melancholy event Ocs cured, which threw a gloom over the in hahilanis and moved all hearts iO pity and compassion. Ii was q fearful change, and those Wh hO saw Mary now knew she was not the Mary they had pfevionsIy known, for now she was wan, pale end haggard ; she did nOt smile as slle was Wnnt tO dOs she did moi weep, but she sighed deeply, and fixed Ter dark wild eyes on one with such q penetrating gaze that caused ail who be@ held her io shudder neither did she com. plain, and her remaTkable quietness Of mind denoted that she was composed even in her deep distress. Sle wandered here end there absiracied and lost, yet she gave n0 one any trouble but incurred the pity of ail whom she met. She cared nOt f0r hunger 0r cold, l;r her lnce was the picture of de. spsir, and her form thin and fragile, and she needed mt the cold, rude wind as 1t blew through her scaniy garments upon her poor wiihered cheek and b0som--anG suffering ell this she did not tliurmur nar complain, nor seek the comspassi0n 0f any oisc. But perhaps Inc reader is anxiaus |. know ihe cause of ihis sss: change ; | vii nov relate ii. sssa#a v
 | Nnt far from ii,e inn were the rufus a an old Abbey, ,--bIeak aud desolaie ruins, = huge stones lay in confused masses l,ert and there, wonder was high t0itcvini
 wall ready at any moment 10 iall aud ads io ,i,e piles 0f stones beneath; grass, weed and small wild trees grew in abnnlsl,cc where beGbre the sacred tread of tlie pi0a Ahbess and her followers slOne disturbed ,Le stiffness of the place. Immense qasnii 1 ties of alder grewin the aisle, end the W, ! iwined her thousand iendsis round ihl bnge columns snd broken snd decayes 1 Fragments shout ihe place. SiOries @ers ] often told 0f strange and disinai HOises heard in the vicinity Of The Abbey by those inclined iO be supersiiti0us but wheiheI the noises were caused by the hO Slsng 0I sl.e wind as u swept through the aisle Ol ,l,e loud talking oi sapposed spirits oi ,hs | dead, Tam noi bound so say; siil., u wss lonely aud wild locking place, and lew has c0Urage iO venture near there after night iail es " gas ysg M NV But Mary was stranger 10 fright an, oflen ai night would she wWik by ,le Abhe, when the wind whisiled down the d9r aisle; ste hsd no fear of ghnsis Os h0beOh lins, for she knew hane ever existed. 'Tl true she believed one could b. lrlRhiene by the workings 0i his own lO,aginaiM,ns-- and sle thought srcil l0 be she caseMi,h ib
 expectations, bui as said bel;,re sl,e dis hcIeyed in Their existence. Sine wss par Iiicnla:ly fond of wanderin9 sboui ihe place Ico!leciing wild hnweEs. gathering huuah 0f aIder 1hcrewith io decorate il,e walls q Ter room, NJ - s.a
 She possessed q remarkalsie degree q courage. and often eliciird the surprise q many ai the nanerOas inssancee m whicl she displayed iI; n0i that these were plan l;srmed l,r il,e soIe purpose of testing he courage, but they were lnslances tEa chancc threw in her way. The iall,wia, inc,dent wilI slow i.sw willing and read sie was io graiily the desire uf those ~h requested her. which incident wns nnlorlu nasely attended bv such Iaipl sesuIle.
 0ae dark, esaFsny niAil ia autumn. whe' she windnws and dapFs af ihe ina ser made lssi. aud aII seemed eIisetlai an' pleassmt within. two Rnesis sal sn me s'
 lhe lamms eninyinR blsning afe. end q Ilheysmnhed liIeif Dlnes in silence theyNargl ilh0aNhlfitlle tnto ihe blaNe, which cfntkltl