Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-06-16
VOLUME X. NO. 25.

that OF fend on the verge of plunging into bis
gulf of intensest torment.
Oh. Mother earth," cried he, "who art no
more my mother, and into whose bosom this
frame shall never be resoved2 Oh, mankind,
whose brotherhood have cast off and trampled
thy great heart beneath my feet Oh, stars Of
heaven, that shone on me of old, as if to light
me onward and upward! Farewell all, and for
ever Come, deadly element of fire, henceforth
my familiar friend Embrace me as do thee "
That night the sound of fearful peal of
laughter rolled heavily through the sleep of the
lime-burner and his little son dim shapes Of
horror and anguish haunted their dreams, and
seemed still present in the rude hovel when they
opened their eyes to the day.light.
"Up boy. up" cried the lime-burner, staring
about him. "Thank Heaven, the night is
gone at last; and rather than pass another such,
would watch my lime-siln, wide awake, fora
ttweiyemonth. This Ethan Brand, xi,s his
humbug Of an objectionable Sin, has done me
no such mighty favor in taking my place"
He issued from the hut, followed by little
Joe, who kept fast hold of his fathers hand.
The early sunshine was alraady pouring its
gold upon the mountain tops, and though the
valleys were still in shadow, they smiled cheer
fully in the promise of The bright day that was
fastening onward The village completely shut
in by the hills, which swelled away gently about
it, looked as if it had rested peacefully in the
hollow of the great hand Of Providence. Each
dwelling was distinctly visible; the little spires
of the churches pointed upward, and caught
fore-g -glimmering of brightness from the night
skies upon their weather cocks. The tavern
was astir, and the figure Of the old smoke-dried
stage agent, cigar in mouth, was seen beneath
the stoop Old Graylock was glorifed with a
golden cloud upon his head. Scattered like
wise upon the breasts of the surrounding noun
tains there were heaps of hoary mists in fam
tastic shapes, some of them far down into the
valley, others high up towards the summits, and
still others the same family of mist and clouds,
lowering in the gold radiance of the upper at
mosphere. Stepping from one to another of the
clouds that rested on the hills, and thence to
the loftier brotherhood that sailed in the air, it
seemed almost as if mortal man might thus as
cend into the heavenly regions. Earth was so
mingled with sky that it was day dream to
look at it.
To supply that charm Of the familiar and
homely which nature so readily adopts into a
scene like this, the stage-coach was rattling
down the mountain road, and the driver sound
ing his horn, while each caught up the notes
and enterwnd them into rich and varied and
elaborate harmony, of which the original per-
former could lay claim to little share. The great
hills played concert among themselves, each
contributing strain Of airy sweetness. Il
Little Ios's face frightened once.
Dear father" cried he, skipping cheerily n
and fro, @shat strange man is gone, ana the sky.
and the.mountsns all seem glad Of it!" @
Yes" growled the kae burner, with an
oath, but he has let the fire go down, and Tnst
thanks to him, if five hundred bushels of lime
are not spoilt. If catch the fellow hereabouts
again, shall feel like tossing him into the
furnace !"
With his long pole in his hand, he ascended
to the top Of the kiln. After moment pause,
he called to his son:
"Come up here, Joe - said he
So little Joe ran up the hiliock and stood by
his fathers side The marble was burnt into
perfect snow white lime. But, on its surface,
in the midst of the crce-snow white too, and
thoroughly converted into lime-lay human
skeleton, in the attitude of person who, after
long toll, lies down to a long repose. Within
the Iibs-strange to say-was the shape OF
human heart.
"Was the fellows heart made OF marble?"
cried Berram, in some porplexity at this phe-
nomena. SAT any rate, it is burnt into what is
called special good lime; and, taking all the
bones together, my kiln is half bushel the
rich er by him."
So saying, the rude me-burnet lifted his
pole and letting it fall upon the skeleton, the
relics of Ethan Brand were crumbled into trag-
ments.-London illustrated Ne,cs.