The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-01-05

, times, as though things were crowding in.
to his brain, and confusing him with their
multitudinous variety. yes, they hind
cred all. We lived in Wales at the time,
and when my baby was born, and she
put it in my bosom, and laid her own
sweet little head like blossoming flower
beside it, II prayed for her, for both,
and loved them more and more. Then /
made up my mind to return to my faith
er's house.
'One dayI went to my little home, af-
ter walking, or fishing, or something, and
found her-gone-both gone! Oh! then
the sleeping devil within me woke up. 1
learned from the people of the house, that
a stern man, and proud, pale woman,
richly dressed, drove up in splendid
chariot, drawn by four horses, and car
ried her off-robbed me of my wife and
my child. This man-this woman, were
my parents. I travelled night and day,
and arrived at their house in town.
L demanded my wife! they called her
designing, cunning girl-and they said
something worse of her than [ could bear,
and I silenced them, and made them
turn pale and tremble. I demanded my
child. They knew nothing of either. [
cursed them both, and quilted the house,
never to return to it more.
4 need not tell how long after, or by
what means, l traced my Alice through
stages of wretchedness and penury, till |
found both mother and babe, my wife
and child, dying on a mean pallet in
parish workhouse.
L could have called curses from heaven,
and fires from hell to avenge this immit-
igable wrong-for what had this pale,
crushed, tender dove done to win such
an atrocious injury? But when saw
her pale, thin cheeks, and heard her
moaning, and saw her wasted babe on
| the half-starved breast of the woman a.
dored, as devotees adore heaven, | sti1led
my soul shed no tears; heard her
utter cry of JOY and pain, and then the
thin helpless hand wandered over my
head, as laid it kneeling by her side in
that horrible hole, upon her breast beside
my child.
Little Alice!' I said, little Alice, you
and your sweet babe shall live here no
longer
No, George, no, she said. Oh, her
thin lips, how they tremblcd! No,
George, dear, we shall not live here long
NOT very long. Give me that
brandy, my ladsr said the soldier abrupt
| ly.
TO lose parent-to lose mother
one loYes-to lose friend one is devoted
lo-to lose dog that has been your
companion for years, is all painful; what
was it is to this 2 continued the soldier
when I heard what she said I had a
terrible foreboding of the future. Was
it for this l had sought her? Was it to
see her die that had moved the heaven
and the earth to discover her? If tears
were rain and not the bitter acrid shower
which scalded my face like caustic,
roses would have sprung to life around
her dying pillow; and that golden hair
Take my head in your arms, my
dear George she said family. Take my
child in your arms, too. Kiss me-kiss
the baby. You love us, do you mott
God bless you! God protect you! Do
not separate us. Do not forget us. I
have borne much-but 1 loved you so
dearly; and I forgive every one, as I
hope to be forgiven
The rough soldiers turned away, and
one or two wiped their eyes furtively.-
A few sturdy but suspicious "hems" SCUM
ded suspiciously, and they inverted their
faces.
"Little Alice" I said, "are you going
without me! Well, l wont wait long"
81 am only going before you," she said
and l felt that she was speaking the truth.
~ am going before you; clasp me closer
let me feel your lips:-lift up my head
put my baby's mouth to mine and
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, impressive pause,
and again he went on.
"They had made my heart desolate,
wrecked, and void; and IL, IN turn, des-
olated their household, and wrecked their
peace forever. AS they had two passions
to feed and foster,-the most boundless
love for me, their only child, and pride
which, God forgive them! they had also
given to me, and the latter the greater,
they sacrifsed me to that pride. Well, /
trampled on their pride. They knelt to
me in the dust and ashes of humility,
and | scorned them. They offered me a
bride the fairest of the land, and | laugh
ed at them. They could not give me a
little Alice, and / had nothing else to ask
for. had grand funeral from that
workhouse for my wife and child and
put my name on her cofin-lid, and after
that day forgot that ! had avenged Al
ice, for their house is house of mourn
) ing, and the world is to them, as to me-
. sepulchre.
"And this is the reason my boys, thai
I don't care for anything that comes OF