Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-02-28
A sKETCH-BUT NOT OF FANCY.
DY JULIAN CRAMER.

1t was pitiful story. The poor crea-
ture who had walked twenty miles that
day in the heat of July sun. could scarce
ly speak from very fatigue; and when She
had ended her tale, there was scarcely
dry eye in the whole company, albeit the
bar-roum Of the village iun was crowded
with sturdy men 10 HON tears were nov
el. Her baby-as sweet an infant as
ever Saw-Iay motInDieSs on her breast !;
and The mother knew it nOL. ii never would
move again save in the agOnles Of death
She was no common bcgghr. There was
a dignity ln'hrr appearance, as she crept
slOwIy towards the open door Of the hotel
chat commanded respect; and tn Sc, who
n moment before, were tilling the air with
their noisy vOciIeraIuns, were silent AS she
passed them on her way TO the house
Her poor feet, tidlIy though cOarSrly clad I,
were bIistered, and every step lett in its
impression traces OF blood. She only ask
ed perG iSSiOn to rest an hour; but these
rough backwoodsmen. gathered that day
for frolic, could not witness her evident
sufferings unmoved. One brought her a
chair-another insisted upon adding lit
tie whiskey (the only stimulant he knew
to the water she craved, and a Lhird-a
herculean monster-wouId have relieved
her Of her child, had she not clung ner.
vously to it. 1t was a delightful exhibi-
ton Of heart. She receiv, d their alten-
tIons with modest graccfuIness that alone
would have won my sympathy, had not
her forlorn appearance compelled it. She
had been-was stilI-beaulifut, though
sorrow and un6indness had sadly marred
the lines of grace. She was evidently Of
gentle lineage, and when she spoke, her
language assured me of it.
When somewhat rested, they question
ed her of her history aud intentions. In
the simplicity Of their unworldly natures
they knew not that this might be. often
sive; they meant we'll and kindly. Whe
lher she felt that the interest they mani
tested was sincere, or whether Heaven had
purposely ordered all the events that af-
terwards followed, l know not, but she
freely revealed her history to that ungen-
tie crowd, whose EXPLANATIONS Of surprise
and anger, mingled with threats. and now
and then big round oath, attended her
narrative 10 its close.
1t was the old story. Living ha PLY
and peacefully in her fathers house-a
country rec;ory in England she had low
ed "not wisely, BIT two we'll" Forbid
den bands and long and painful strug
gle between right and wrong-betwceu
love and duty--were followed BY mis-
guided eIopement. The still unwedded
pair fed to this land, and for a time lived
in comfort and even luxury. B alas
the romance was exhausted when she be-
came a mother.
On the same night. when the Grst faint
cry of the infant felI on her ear, the un-
natural father for>ook them both forever
Penniless. friendleSs. homeless. with her
first returning strength she set forth with
her baby on her painful p Igrimage. Wea-
ry and foot sore. She yet staggered along,
day after day. over the wild roads Of the
West-the only aim of her journey being
to reach the sea coast where she hoped TO
beg passage home TO hel father. Poor
prodigal! there was fifteen hundred long
miles between her and the Atlantic, aud
yet her energy was unbroken. She felt
that if she could bnt reach her fatheF, Ehs