Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-11-22

1y through the opening vines, and tho moist
dewy flowers were pouring fourth their sweet
e.t fragrance into the air, and the mild, balmy
Zephyrs where whispering through the leafy
branches of the verdant trees. But that was
all. No bright, greeting countenance came
J. forth to meet the sorrowing man, to roll the
| great, cumbrous burden from his heart; and
he walked into an adjoining street.
Here he stood for few moments, scarcely
knowing where he was, or what he did. His
eyes, however, were raised to heaven, and a
audibly from his lips.
| go, Fiducial my dearest Fiducia,'' said he,
| inyoluntarily, he turned to re-enter the
| grounds. '..1i ssE1
s.Fiducia who's that 9'' said gruff, hoarse
voice. Fgs T -
Falens was startled, and, looking round, OBJ
| served an old man crouched in dark corner,
few yards from where he stood. he was one
of those queer, miserable beings, great num-
bers Of whom strolled about the streets of
Rome, subsisting by fortune-telling, NEGRO
NANCY, and other similar arts; and passing the
night in the streets and alleys, or wherever
convenient.
''Fiducia' smy daughter said yalens, slow
ly approaching the old man, as he spoke. -
''Ha! ha. Christians, guess,' said the old
man, in the same gruff voice; and raising his
long, bare, shrivelled arm, he pointed to the
red light in the sky.
ssIf thou knowest aught of my daughter,
speak," said Valcns, imploringly.
The old man shook his grey, shaggy locks,
and taking up small rod or wand that lay at
his side, began figuring with it in the air,
muttering, at the time, .jargon of fool
ish, unmcaning words.
cha ha, Christians, I guess" again said
the old man, in q wild, cultural voice, that
alarmed Yalens, and he turned to hasten away
CHA ha! do know aught of your daugh-
ter" cried the old man: sis there any thing
a wizard don't know7 OIL Ware! Ware, my
sweet Ware nipt tonight my set earss as the
Emperor's dogs snarled, and dragged whin-
ing female down yonder glistening marble -
Ha, hal is there any thing wizard don't
know % and the old man began figuring again
with his wand, and muttering as before.
Valens had stopped. His heart sickened.
His blood ran cold. His fears were confirmed.
Ware was the name of Fiducia's child, aud he
knew his daughters fate.
He hurriedly rc-entcrcd his dwelling, and
throwing himself on seat, buried his face
in his hands.
What mystery is the future! What hu-
man eye can penetrate its dark, misty depths
An hour, or even few moments walk along
life's sad journey, brings man into maze of
darkness, where the incest and keenest pow
ers of vision are wholly useless. In fact, each
successive step in life is taken at venture.
and where it may plunge him, or what new
scene it may reveal to his view,no man know
eth. The dark, my ysterious night indeed re-
cedes, but then it only receds, step by step, as
man thus advances upon life's journey and it
is true, that man can only read his own, or
the history of his fellow mortals from the rev.
elations of each successive hour or moment.
which, together, make up the sum-total OF
life. a
The reader has only to look into the great
hall, to see a painful confirmation of this
truth. A family, in moment, is oyerwhelm-
ed with inconsolable grief. A fond. loving
mother has laid her sleeping babe upon her
COUGHS and having impressed kiss upon its |
guileless lips, and gazed proudly upon its
mild, slumbering features-she leaves it, with |
a heart full of great, joyous emotions, to re-
seat herself at the curious marble stand, and |
resume her devotional meditations But Just |
as she takes her scat, the door is burst open, |
and company of rude, infuriated soldiers |
stand before her. She falls back in her seat, |
pale, trembling and affrighted. Her last as |
well as first thoughts, are of her sleeping babe:
and dragged out and hurried down the marble |
steps, she has only time to give vent to the |
sudden anguish of her soul, in the words; go,
Ware. Varet my sweet Vare." s
While this sad, heart-rending scene is act
ing, yalens and his wife are htlrrying cautious
ly along the streets. their breasts heaving with
emotions of bliss. In few moments, they
are expecting to greet the fond idol of their
hearts with their wonted embrace; and, set
ting down, to tell her of their joys, of their
sweet communion with the Savior in the en-
blems of his dying love, and, if possible, to
impart to her soul some of that rapturous joy
with which their own is filed But, alas
they found no one there to greet-none to
greet them. Fiducia was gone-gone, at the
call OF heaven, to give, her body to the flames,
and her spirit to God. And they wept.
Was it. not naturc to weep2 Is not the
warm, full fountain. OF. tears in the breast,
there, to be, unsealed, and shed Can the
strong tie that binds together the hearts of pa
rents and their children. be rudely. sundered,
and and no keen pain or anguish be felt. Shall
man be less sensitive to the destruction Of his |