Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-03-16

some easier way to rid one S selfof the world Z,
| Dld you ever hear, continued she, speaking
IN low, confidential tone, did YOU ever hear
OF any old women that dried up and blew
awayl'
The cunning-eyed one for a while spoke
not word lie sat there still and quiet
! looking tixedly into the fire But all al once
he burst out with wild stave of song
The words so wrought upon the Imagination
OF mother Ward, that-she knew not why
she began to stamp her feet in accompaniment
and when he came to the chorus, she ioined
her shrill treble to his cracked bass, and the
strange melody rang out clcarnnd picrcinely
/ walked me out the other night
The wind blowing high
clasped my cloak about me tight
And wished that might die.
Choru,.-O for those rare, good times of old,
When women I've heard say,
If winds were high, weather cold,
Dried up and blew away.
Quoth l, o, wind o, bitter wind
Why blow chill me
I'm old and lonely, nearly blind
What are my rags to thee :"
~ f0- .L~-~ :, - .:---- -r
Yet still the cold, cold wind blew on,
And pierced me through and through,
1t said to Inc in quiet scorn,
"Away with hags like you,'
for those rare good times of old, &c.
curse thee, wind with all my might
curse thy chilling BREATH
Unless thou blow me of tonight,
I'll curse thee till my death.
o for those rare good times Of old, &c.
Chorus again shouted the old man.
stamping his foot. And they sang it through
again, till the old walls of the room echoed
with the wild scream Of their voices
Those good old times may come again
an 1 INn al 81. l-.
singing But there is II certain state of
feeling to which every one must arrive, be-
fore they can vanish from earth. People IN
the old times oftencr reached it, than at pre-
sent
What is that state will attain unto
it, sand mother Ward.
nn5w '1i"k ,naS You SSoT Til rernqp. you hAys1
on the earth are vanity. What is lighter
than vanity Doth not the slightest breath
stir the leaf OF the willow But vanity i
lighter than even the Willows leaf. | said
all things were vanity; all things but love
are 50. 1t is this which binds men to earth
Were it not for the love which human beings
hear to one another-puti and they 90, mine
forever. Now, mother Ward, tell me, have
you rid yourself altogether of love! | find
man vino declare they have done thus, ana
when wonder they do not blow away, 10
down deep in their heart, covered over it may
be, with the glitter Of mammOn, with the
dross OF scishncss, one little particle Of love,
which keeps them from being altogether van
ity. But am preaching! Tell me, | say,
have you rid yourself altogether of love y
Old sue sat still and thought. Her mind
went back through the path OF weary years,
to the days when happy child she had clung
with affection to those who cherished her un-
der their roof who called her their darling ;
/ 81. g.,
ward beauty; her love poured out in its
wealth and tenderness upon one her parents
deemed unworthy her rebellion and iorsak
ing Of all for love Of him who was to be faith
er and mother to her; her few short months
Of happiness and a terrible awakening as the
earth received to its bosom her love- her only
Joy, save an infant life which only kept her
| grief from laying herself by his side in the
grave.
Old Sue buried her face in her hands and
wcpt as the memory Of these times came SO
wildly upon her, The eyil-eyed looked gloom
lily.
But memory would not stop here-as his
death and as her treasures birth. 1t told
over her wrongs. The consciousness of find
ing herself without money, and consequently
without friends, in great city; the long
days of travel, with the precious little one
in her arms, to the home Of her childhood
the winters night that heard her timorous
knock at the door and
The one at her side looked smilingly. The
tears had dried, and foulest hate scowled forth
from her face
And the same wild night heard a fathers
curse upon his offspring it saw woman
faint and foot-worn 90 forth with its winds
and storms it hushed a child's cry forever
and wrought long months of disease upon the
mother From that he'd ofsckness, Memory
told her how she rose with VOWS of vengeance
but it did not dare to dwell upon the unnatu
raj crimes which followed, of vain endeavor,
to escape lemorse, of her flight over the sea
of the years she had wished to die,
She rose from her seat-tremblng and pal'
for she had dared to think upon her sinfu
past. She had parents love and it ha'
cursed instead of blessed her sho won
dearer love, and it died from her a child
love had blossomod in her heart, but 1t wa
, rudely killed and its death terribly avenged
, She had no other loye-all was untriendli
ness and hate.
Are you ready TO go = said the old maj
calmly. lie knew that she was his.
Let me first warm myself before my jour
ney,' replied she. Then she gathered all tn
4 faggots into the middle of the room, an,
kindled them. The room blazed in moment
a As the flames leaped fierce and hot.
: am ready, said she.
t That night good John Benton came ridin
! from Plymouth. As he approached old Sue
d hut he saw the fire burst forth from its win
dows, and strangest ofall, two shadowy form
a glided far away above the burning flames
u flying into the darkness of the night, while
t gust of wind mIghtier than ever he had bt
fore felt, almost blew him from his horse.
These things he averred to the crowd wh
a collected around the burning dwelling. An
4. ii al ftnn hat
If bones could be found among the ruins-neitl
er was old Sue Ward seen any more.
e This is story believed by many persons
:. the present day. and on account of whicl
lie every old house thereabouts has horse-sht
is nailed to its door, and this maxim prevails
20 CHERISH LOVE LEST YoU BECOME VANITY.
Is