Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-02-08
share their want my soul thirsteth but for on

years good Twill do without you for life !:
20, ana may my heaviest--go, ere / curse YOU
go With a bitter earnestpess words can
not express, the miser hissed out these words,
ana drawlns bis wrapper more closely round his
lorm' stalked sternly and hastily from the room
Ills son sat for some minutes with his face
hidden IN his hands, Then heaving deep sigh
That sounded of despair. he staggered forth in
to the silent streets Thus they parted , and the
last words they were destined to interchange
were words Of bitterness and strife. Oh, evil
hour! Oh terrihls truth truth he could not
fevadet or all his accusers, conscience was the
worst! ! Brought up by his father, even then
stern and inhexihle, he became acquainted with
set of choice spirits p" that haunted the cor
ners of the streets, scribbling proane language
upon the walls. and shouted it to the passers
by; spirits who lived in a perpetual atmosphere
OF smoke, and did their little best to appear
like spirits from below. All this was in secret.
Thus hypocricy was added to guilt At length
his excesses ran him into debt, and bis creditors
attacked his father, who, furious at his son s
delinqueneies, forbade him to see him more.
he was then forced to seek precarious exis-
tence in neighboring town. There he married,
and brought upon himself increased burdens
But toll and penury did the work of time; pre-
mature age crept upon him. Bereft of home,
hope and family, he threw himself upon mer-
cy that never existed, upon an affection that
never was. 1t had ended in this!
And return we to the miser. What words
can paint the struggle within his breast! A
last faint spark of natural feeling strove with
the mist of selfshness The hope of having
one to care for him amongst the thousands that
cursed his name tempted him to forgive. The
hate he had cherished for SO long strove as furi-
ously. aa
Suddenly were heard along the passage steps
and voices, I" Who lives in this dismal house :"
said one. "The miser," replied another, and
they passed away A black scowl gathered
over his face, sneer curled his lip, his better
feelings were blotted out for ever in the storm
of hate these words called up. He " Ind ta-
ken to himself seven other devils worse than
the first"
Whilst thus he sat full of evil thoughts, the
town-people excited ky want and ill-adyice were
in open riot, and their hoarse cries won't up to
heaven, mingled with the smoke of the buildings
they had fired. In their midst, man of mid
die age was the most eager in urging Them on
Some said he was a government spy, some Q
starving weaver, and others some fend in human
shape, so impcrious to danger did he seem. Few
could have recognized in his matted locks and
smoke-stained lincaments the misers son, who
seemed to seek refuge from his misery in ex-
traordinary exertions.
A great fame, shooting high into the air, and
from its elevated position illuminating the coan
try round about, told that the castle was at
tackled The miser started at the glare, hasten
ed out, and beheld the deyouring element as it
swiftly darted up the noble pile, and crowned ii
with brief but dreadful glory. The fful
huohi"S vi phO hio SAFO q tSihoi w pCCitC
which the uproar of the mob increased.
Hark, high above the din ''To the mi
ser's ~ 'To the misers " Barnett stood
transfxed he had known that there was much
misery in the town, and that the people were al
most desperate, but this he had never counted
on. He had watched the misiortunes of Others
with indifference and even JOY, for the scene
chimed in with the tumult of his own soul
bat now, when the blow was about to full upon
his own head, when his darling riches, for which
he had sinned for SO many years, which had be.
come his friend, wife, child, his other self, hi
GJd when these were threatened by the law
less mob, his frenzy was fearful to see Hi
swore with an awful energy, and tore his wir,
locks in handfuls from his head
Yes, he would save them better to lose lif
than them. At this thought his courage re-
turned. With swiitness borrowed from despai,
be threaded the narrow alleys of the town
diving through entries and passages whose intri
c,.cies were known to few, he reached his resi-
dence before the mob. Quickly he had the shut
ter closed and the doors barred, and openeninl
a secret trap that concealed a deep well, he lie
himself and his treasures down to the place O
safety.
ON came the rolling crowd, the leader nov
striving with furious gestures to divert then
from their purpose, but the passion he had rous
ed were not so easily allayed, and his endeavor
were in vain. +le 4a t
On they came with exulting shouts, an
thundered at the door. Long they battered in
eAectually, till at length raiin, more proyiden
than the rest, obtained an axe and cleft tn
door. posts down. The obstacles removed, tn
crowd poured in and ran from room to room
Desks riAed of their contents broken furnitui
piled on the floors, and curtains torn from the
rings, attested their fury,
!" Fire! save yourselves - A rush too
place; seven people on that awful night wei
trampled to death, and many more bore to the
dying day sad traces of their crimes,
With savage cries they watched the climl
ing flames, and marked the thick folds of smok
roll sullenly from the roof, which fell with
tremendous crash. At that moment prolon,
ed shrek Of agony rose above the tumnlt, whic
sent the blood curdling through their veins.
troop Of soldiers completed their dismay, ar
} the mornings sun beheld the smouldering ruiz
and thick pools of blood, in evidence of IL
affray.
/
Workmen were busy clearing away the ruiz
Z, lof the miser's house, and yet no vestige OF HI
manity was found. At length they came upe