Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-06-16
that made Bertram feel as if he were sane and

into lime.'
"Why, who are you?" exclaimed The lime.
burner g. You seem as well acquainted with
my business as ! am myself"
"And well may be-" said the stranger; "for
followed the same craft many long year, and
here, too, on this very spot. But you are new
conner in these parts. Did you ever hear of
Ethan Brand ?"
"The man that went in search of the Unpar-
donable Sin ?" asked Bertram with laugh.
"The same," answered the stranger ale
has found what he sought, and therefore he
comes back again."
"What then are you Ethan Brand himseif?"
cried the llme-burner in amazemcnt. 6 am
new conner here, as. you say, and they call it
eighteen years since you left the foot OF Gray
lock- But, can tell you, the good folks still
talk about Ethan Brand in the village yonder,
and what strange errand took him away from
his limc-kiln. Well, and SO you have found the
Unpardonable Sn?"
"Even so" said the stranger calmly.
"lf the question is fair one," proceeded
Berram, d" where might it be?'
Ethan Brand laid his finger on his heart.
Here +" replied he.
And then, without mirth in his countenance,
but as If moved by an involuntary recognition OF
the infinite absurdty of seeking throughout the
world for what was the closet of all things to
himself, and looking into every heart, save his
own, for what was hidden in no other breast, he
broke into laugh of scorn. 1t was the same
slow heavy laugh that had almost appalled, the
lime burner when it heralded the wayfarer's ap-
proach.
The solitary mountain side was made dismal
by it. Laughter, when out of place, mstimed
or bursting forth from dsordered state of feel
ing,is the most terrible sound of the human voice.
The laughter of one asleep, even if it be little
child the madam's laugh, or the wild Screaming
laugh of an IDIOT are SO loud that we sometimes
tremble to hear, and would always willingly for
get. Poets have magined no utterance of fiends
or hobgoblins SO fearfully appropriate as laugh.
And even the obtuse ime-burner felt his nerves
shake as this strange man looked inward at his
own heart, and burst into laughter that rolled
away in the night, and was indstinctly rever.
berated among the hills.
"Joe" said he to his little son, "scamper
down to the tavern in the village, and tell the
jolly fellows there that Ethan Brand has come
back, and that lie has found the objectionable
SIM"
The boy darted away on his errand, to which
Ethan Brand made no objection, nor seemed
hardly to notice it. lie sat on log of wood,
looking steadfastly at the iron door Of the kiln.
When The child was cut Of sight, and the swift
and light footed step ceased to be heard tread
ing first on the fallen leaves and then on the
rocky mountain path, the lime burner began to
regret his departure. He felt that the little fe.
lows presence had been barrier between his
guest and himself and that he must now deal,
heart to heart, with man who, on his own con-
fesslon, had committed the only one crime for
which heaven could afford no mercy. The crime,
in its ndstinct backness, seemed to overshad-
ow him. The lime burners own sins rose up
within him, and made his memory riotous with
throng of evil shapes that asserted their kindred
with the master sin, whatever it might be, which
it was within the scope of mans corrupted ma
ture to CONCEIVE and cherish. They were all Of
one family they went to and fro between his
breast and Ethan Brands, and carried dark
greetings from one to the other.
Thea Bertram remembered the stories which
had grown tradltionary in reference to this very
strange man, which hat come upon him like tho
shadow of night, and was making himself at
home in his old place, after so long absence that
the dead people, dead and buried for years,
would have had mo,e right to be at home in
any familiar spot than he. Ethan Brand, it was
said, had conversed with Satan himself in the
lurid blaze of this very kiln. The legend had
been matter of mirth heretofore, but looked grim
" now According to this tale, before Ethan
Brand had departed on his search, he had been
accustomed to evoke fiend from the hot fur
mace of the lime-kn, night after night, in order
to confer with him about the Unpa rdonabe Sin;
the man and the fend, each laboring to frame
the image of some mode of guilt which could
neither be atoned for nor forgiven. And, with
the first gleam of light upon the mountain top,
the fend crept in at the iron door, there to abide
the intensest element of fire, unit again sum-
moned forth to share in the dreadful task OF ex.
tending mans possible guilt beyond the scope of
Heavens else infinite mercy.
While the lime burner was struggling With
the horrors of these thoughts, Ethan Brand rose
from the log and flung open the door of the kiln.
The action was in such accordance with the idea
in Bertram's mind that he almost expected to
see the evil one issue forth red hot from the fur
mace.
{" Hold hold !" cried he, with tremulous
attempt to laugh, for he was ashamed of his fears,
although they overmastered him. Don't for
mercy's sake, bring out your devil now!"
"Man sternly replied Ethan Brand, what
need have of the devil ? have left him far
behind me on my track. 1t is with such half.
way sinners as you tnat ne ousieS nih'seii' redI
not because open the door. | do but act by
old custom, and am going trim your fire like a
lime burner, as was once.
He stirred the vast Goals, thrust in more wood
and bent forward to gaze into the hollow prison
house Of fire, regardless of the fierce glow thai
Redeemed upon his face. The lime-burner sal
watching him, and half suspected his strange
guest of purpose, if not to evoke fend, a
least to plunge bodily into the flames, and thu'
vanish from the sight of man. Ethan Brand
however, drew quietly back, and closed the doc
of the kiln.
81 have looked" said he, into many hu