The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1853-12-17

after walking. or fishing or something,
and found her gone-both gone! Oh
then the sleeping devil within me woke
up. | learned from the people of the
house, that stern man, and a proud,
pale woman, rich v dressed, drove up in
splendid chariot, drawn by four horses,
and carried her oti-robbed me of my
wife and my child This man-ihis
woman, were my parents. travelled
night, and day, and arrived at their
house in town.
81 demanded my wife! they called
her designing, cunning girl-and they
said something worse OF her than | could
bear, and | >ilrncrd them, and made
them turn pale and trembe. demand
ed my child. They knew nothing Of
either. cursed them both, and quilted
the house. never TO return to it more.
Il need not tell how long after, or by
what means, traced my Alice through
stages of wretchednrss and perjury, till
| found both mother and babe. my wife
and child, dying on mean pallet in Il
parish workhouse.
II could have called curses from
heaven. and fires from h ii to avengc
this Inni,igabIe wrong tor what had
this pale, crushed, tender dove done 10
win such an atr0clous injury! But
when / saw her pale, thin cheeks, and
heard her moaning, and saw her wasted
babe on the hall.starved breast of tn"
woman adorned, as d"votres adore
heaven, stuffed nay soul shed no
tears; heard her utter cry Of joy and
pain, and then the tiin helpless hand
wandered over my head, as | laid ii
knerIing by her side in that horrible
hole, upon her breast beside my child.
"Li'llr Alice l. said, little Alice,
you and yonr sweet babe shall live here
no longer"
"'No, George, no. she said. Oh,
her thin lips, how they tremblrd! 40,
George, dear, We shall not live here
long not very long. Give me
that brandy, ny lld!' said the solder.
abruptly.
$40 lose a parent to lose a mother
one loves ID lose a friend one is drvot-
ed Toto ln>r a dog that has been your
companion Tor wears, is all painful; what
was it to his!" continued the soldier
Nv hen heard what she said la a
terrible. foreholinL Of the future. Was
i, for this had sought her! Was il thus
my parents had show their love! Was
it to see her die that had moved the
heaven and the earth to discover h'r
litears were ialn. and not lnp hIttrr and
a"riI shower which scaIded my lar, Ike
4 caus'ic, roses won have Sprnng i i,i.'
arot,al her dying pillow; and that !. I'D
en- hli, so dabbl"d--
- r;t" nv nal in your arms NY
dear ;i"orgr, she said lAantlv. fake
my chii in vonr arms, too. Kiss
m"--k,Ss the baby. Yon love ~. d.
you not God bless You God pro-
trc' you! Do not separa'rus. D,no,
fors, us. have borne much--bu, |
loved you so dearly: and forgive every
one. as hope to be forgiven y"
The ronsh soldiers turned away, and
one or two wiped their eyes iur'ivelv.
A few sturdy but suspicious 'hrms'
sounded suspiciousIy, and they averjcI
their faces.
"Little Alice | said, ARE you going
without me- ! Well, won't wait long
sd am only going before YOU she
said; and felt she was speaking the
truth. i am going before you; clasp
me clo>er-let me feel your lips -lit
u? my head-pnt my babv's mouth to
mine and--so she died, my lads and
for an hour after held her baby in my
bosom till felt it cold. 1t was dead,
too!' There was long, deep, impress
Sive pause, and again he went on.
They made my hear, desoIate, wreck
ed. and void; and ii, IN turn, drsolat-d
their household and wrecked their peace
forever. AS they had two passions TO
feed and foster,-the most boundless low
for me, their only child, and a pride
which, God forgive them they had also
given to me, and the latter the greater
they sacrificed me TO that pride. Well,
| trampIed on their pride. They knrlt
to me in the dust and ashes of humility,
and | scorned them. They offered me
bride, the fairest in the land, and |
laughed at them. They could not give
me- little Alice, and had nothing else
TO ask for. | had grand funeral from
that workhouse for my child, and | put
my name on her coffin lid, and after that
day forgot that had name or par
ents. and knew that | had avenged
Alice, for their house is house of
mourning, and the world is to them, as
to me-a sepulchre.
"And this is the reason, my boys, that
| don't care for anything that comes or
goes, that happens or does not happen.
want to be dead want to sleep, for
my eyes burn so at night, don't close
them; only see little Alice, my golden