Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-07-07

hand of Agnes Townley, appeared to
have been foregone conclusion with
everybody. This will give the reader a
truer and more vivid impression Of the
bride, than any words or colors I nigh,
use.
The days. weeks, months of welded
life flew over Mr. and Mrs. Arbu,hno,,
without cloud, save few dark bu,
transitory ones which saw now e. then
fiji, over the husbands conn,enance as
the time when he should become father
drew near, and came to be more and
more spoken Of Il should not survive
her. said Mr.. Aruthno,, one day in re.
ply TO a chance observation of the Rec.
tors, nor indeed desire to do So The
gray headed man seized aud warmly
pressed the husbands hand, and tears of
sympathy filled his eyes; yet did he,
nevertheless, as in duty bound, utter
grave words on the sinfulness of despai.
under any circumstances, and the duty
in all trials, however. heavy, of patient
submission to the will of God. But the
venerable gentleman spoke in hoarse
and broken voice. and i. was easy TO see
he fels with Mr.. Arbuthnot, that the re-
atty OF an event, the bare possibility Of
which shook them SO terribly, were a
cross too heavy for human strength TO
bear and live.
Ii vas of course decided that the ex-
pecied heir or heiress should be intrus,ed
TO wet.nurse, and Mrs Dandy, the
wife of miller living not very far from
The rec,ory. was engaged for that pur-
pose. had frequently seen the woman
and her name. as the rector and one
evening goss:pping over our tea, on some
subject or other that forget, came up.
"A likely person." remarked !;
"he althy, very good looking. and one
nigh, make oath, true hearted creature
Blu. there is withal simidi,y. fright
eneGness in her manner at times which
If | may hazard perhaps unchari,able
conjecture, speak, ill for that smart
husband Of hers" ....
"You have his the mark precisely. my
dear sir. Dandy is sorry fellow. and a
domestic tyran, TO boot.--Ilis wife, who
10 really good, but meek hearted per-
son, lived with us once. How old do
you suppose her to be 7"
Five and-twenty perhaps"
"Six years mere than thai. She has
a son of the name of Harper by former
marriage, who is in his tenth year.
Annie w.sn', a widow long. Dandy
was caught by her good looks, and she
by the bal. o.: a well provided home.
unless, however, her husband gives up
his corn specu,a.ions, she will not, |
think. have that much longer"
Corn speculations ! Surely Dandy
has no means adequate to indulgence in
such game as that 7"
Mot he. But about two years ago
he bought, on credit, believe. con
siderable quantity of wheat. and prices
happening to fly suddenly up just then,
lie made large profit. This has quite
turned his head, which, by the by, was
never, as Co"kneys say. quite rightly
screwed on.
The announcement Of visitor inter-
rupsed anything further The rector might
have had TO say, and | soon afterwards
went home.
A sad accident occurred about month
subsequent 10 the foregoing conversa-
ton. The rector was out riding upon
usually quiet horse, which all a, once
took it into his head to shy at a scare
crow il must have seen score OF times
and thereby threw its rider. Help was
fortunately at hand, and the reverend
gentleman was Instantly conveyed home
when it was found tina. his lef, thigh
was broken Thanks. however, to his
temperate habits, it was before long au
thori.atively pronounced that. although
it would be considerable length of time
before he was released from confinement,
il was not probable that the lus,y winter
of his life would be shortened by wha,
had happened. Unfortunately, the ac
cident threatened 10 have evil cense.
quences in another quarter. Imme
diately after il occurred, one Matthews,a
busy, thick-headed lout of butcher.
rode fufiously off TO Elm Park with the
news. Mrs. Arbulhno., who daily look.
ed to be confined, was walking with her
husband upon the lawn in front of the
house. when the great burly block head
rode up. and blurled out that the rector
had been thrown from his horse, and il
was feared killed
The shock OF such an announcement
was Of course overwhelming. A few
hours afterward Mrs. Artulhno, gave
birth to healthy male child; but the
young mothers life, assailed by fever,
was for many days utterly despaired Of
for weeks held to tremble 80 evenly in
the balance. that the slightest adverse
circumstance might in moment turn
the scale desthward. At length the
black horizon that seemed to encompass
us so hopelessly. lighiened, aud afforded
the lover-husband a glimpse and hope OF
his vanished and well nigh despaired Of
Eden. The promise was fulfilled. |
was in the library with Mr.. Arbu,hno,
awaiting the physicians morning report
very anxiously expected a, the rectory,
when DIR. Lindley entered the apart
men. in evidently cheerful mood.