The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-01-26
The Last Stroke of Fortune.

Twenty years ago, an old house was
still standing in Cologne, which showed
to the street a frontage of five small
windows 1t was the house in which the
first painter of the Flemish school. the
immortal Rubens, was born A. d. 1917.
Sixty years later than this date, the
ground floor was occupied by two old
people, shoemaker and his wife The
upper story, which was usually let to
lodgcrs, was empty at the time we write
Of Two, however, occupied the garrct.
The evening was cold and wet, and the
shoemaker and his wife were sitting to-
gethcr in the room below.
you had better go up stairs again"
said the man to his wife, "and see how
the poor lady is The old gentleman
went out early, and has not been in since,
Has she not taken anything2"
1T is only half an hour since l was
up stairs and he had not come in. l
took her some broth up at noon, but she
hardly touched it, and / was up again
at three she was asleep then, and at
five she said she should not want any
thing more"
Poor lady This time of year, and
neither fire nor clothes, aud not even a
decent bed to lie on and yet | am sure
she is somebody or other. Have you
noticed the respect with which the old
gentleman treats her2"
''If she wants anything it is her own
fault That ring she wears on her fin
ger would get her the best of eve
rything."
Then came a knock at the door, and
the woman admitted the old man they
had just spoken of, whose grizzled beard
fell down upon his tarnishcd velvet coat
The hostess sadly wanted to have a lit.
tic gossip with him, but he passed by,
and bidding them short GOOD night"
groped his way up the steep and crook
ed staircase. On entering the chamber
above, feeble voice inquired the cause
of his long absence.
IL could not help it," he said II had
been copying manuscript, and as was
on my way here servant met me, who
was to fetch me to raise the horoscope
of two ladies who were passing thr ough;
they were ladies who | have known be-
fore. thought could get a little
money to pay for some simplcs which will
be of service to you"
IL am cold"
at is fever cold. | will make you
something which you must take direct
ly."
Tho fame Of small tin lamp suficed
to heat some water, and the patient, hav-
ing taken what the old man had provi-
ded, was diligently covered up by him
with all the clothes and articles of dress
he could find. He stood by her motion
less till he perceived that she was fast a.
sleep, and indeed long after; he then re,
tired into small closet, and sought re-
pose on the hard floor.
The next morning the lady was SC
much better that her attendant propos-
ed she should endeavor to leave the
house for a moment or two, and he sue
ceeded in getting her forth as far as the
place st. Cecilia. 1t was seldom
that she left the house Notwithstanding
the meanness of her dress, there was that
about her carriage which rendered il
difficult to avoid unpleasant observation
do you sec that person yonder2" she
said suddenly. IF am not much mis-
taken, it is certainly the Duke of Guise
The s-stranger's attention had also beer
attracted and he now approached them
"Parbieu p said he, why that is Mas
cali What, are you married ?"