Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-04-21

haN-NNlo lNNk HluNN ut@d duH o"N e'"N'
many, many years ago, none knew whittier.
] now almost repentsd the that ] had re-
turned home. Much better had /, heen, bad
fingered on and on, thinking that many old
acquainlancos might await me there, II ever
determined TO bend my way Ihiiherwards-
much better had il been to have indulged in
this pleasing reycrie of hope-Io have died
In ii-than TO have the dreadful certainty eS.
posed to inc ofal my dcprivaiions-,he cure.
less misery OF being left alone in the world.
From having passed my time in the hustle
Of commercial speculaiions, the uonoiony Of
the country, unchsered by cordial socialiiy,
was insupporiable and thought that things
would 60 better on ir placed myself, even
though but as spectator, amid the thorough.
fares OF life. In such hope ! removed to
Liverpool.
In few DAYS one Of the clergymen called
on me. lie was a frank, free and easy, good
ua,uret sort Of person, and Ne bccamc raih.
er intimate after short acquaintance. Beng
a bachelor. and unsncumberet with family
matters, he not unfrequcnily didme the honor
Of stepping in 10 share with me nv sometimes
soliIar, meal, and to enllVen !, by hisplessan,
conycrsalion. Nor ~as the smack Of my port
dIsaCrceable To his palate, Il may credit his
repeated confessional
We had been Tor some ,ime in the habit Of
taking a forenoon sauntcr together, in the
course Of which he took me to diTrrcn, places
OF public rcsort remember his one day
saying to me, "lf YOU have no objections. We
will now visit scene no, less gratifying,
though idr les O,,enla,lous, than any We have
hitherto paid our ieyolrs 10. 1t isan orphan
school, taugh, without fee or reward, by an
old widowed lady"
lie led me To ono Of the oldest and most ob.
scure parts Of the town, where the building,
seemed congrecalcd together in direct orr"si.
ton to al regurality or orier-a confused and
hudGlod mass, where squalor and poverty
showed bo, too many signs Of their presiding
dominion.
Proceeding down ono Of those lanes, We
came TO low.browsd doorWay, and he enter.
e. wi,hou, the ceremony ut tapping. There
were three windows in the apartment, but
from the narrovucss of the lanes .nn either
sJc, the light was 80 much ubScurcd. tina, a
degree Of Indi.I,ncincss seemed permanently
thrown over al the objects within.
In a few seconds, however, the vision
sisp,ed itself to the place, which iusensibly
frightened up, and discovered 10 US some
thirty or iouy little urchlns, all poorly but
cleanly habrloj, arranged on wo"dcn benches
the girls on the QUO side, aud the boys on
other The roSerusss had risen from her
chair un our entrance.
whlle 4 reverend friend was addrcssin. her
this rrrlu-c from The world, who had dc'n-
tel her life to the sole purpose of doing good
AN INDISPENSABLE emotion lwukc WilhIn mc.
The rcmsmbcrance I'll knew not what
flashed across my memory. She was = lady
looking person, somcV here on the worst side
Of fly, rather tail and thin. Wrsioppcd ror
a liulc. while she explained to my freud some
alterations and arrangements she had been re-
Gently mixing IN her telehns.room, Amer
which wc heard two OF three Of her pupils
con over their lessons, and repeat hymn and
maxim: our bows, wished her good morn.
ing.
What is that lady's name'" | asked.
"Doe, she belong to ,hr, tswnr'
81 believe mol" waslhc rsply. "llui she
has been ror a lon: time herc,-somc fifteen
or twenty years, dave say. do no, know
much Of her history bu, she is the widow oi
Captain Smuh-a West India captain,
Her own name, believe, wa, wylie, or some
such thing"
could have sunk to the ground. "wyli,
jid you siyl'
"Yes, Wylic, lam sure iha, is the name,
Perhaps YOU overheard her invitation fnr my
dining at their house tomorrow. They are
mos, excellent people, and am on the most
easy terms with them. As YOU seem intel.
csted, do accompany ms-and ! will voush for
your receiving hearty and sincere welcome
The drawing.roo room into which We were
ushered was large. aud although smacking
some~ ha, of the fashion Of years gone by, Vet
not withou, pretensions to elegance. Mrs
Smith. our hostess, received US with mucl
eordiality, and introduced US to two or ;hrcc
female friends, who were to make Up our
party.
The window, near which my chair wat
placed, looked into very pretty flower gar
den, and was making some passing compl
mcni on the manner in which 1t was laid out
when the same indefnable sympathy bet~eer
the lady's voice and something relating to th,
past, again oh,ruded itself gazed a, her
more aueniiVcly, when opportunity Offered
aud as she chanced to be seated with respec
To me 81 thar her profile was exhibited, re
yolved thousand circumstances In my ninC
which however, like the wiudnrs Of the Gre
tan labyrinth, led to nothing, and lEft me it
doubt. Aud yel her name could be Wylie
Strange coincidence but she OF yure ha,
fair hair, this had dark The dream of iden
tiy were thing impossible.
In few minutes, the door opening, a tai
spare figure entered, whom my revcren,
freud introduced tu me as Mr:;. Smiths cous
IN.