Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1855-11-28

suspicious see ned cog4emed, and in hi
bosom reigne | that species Of frenzy, tn
person affected with which, often say
and does things Of which he is uncon
cious. The noise he had made awoke hi
little baby whose wall met his ear.
Fla La ! ha I" he shrieked, ar
thou there, child Of guilty mother ~
He snatched the infant fsom its pillow
and for a moment gazed fxedly upon it
but not one spark Of parental fondnes
was in that gaze, for if any had ever ex
listed, his passion smothered its influence
Unmindful of his screams, he shook tn,
hoy as he exclaimed, Death were betteI
for thee, boy. than life embittered By tn,
knowledge of mothers crime ?" Madly
he flew from the house; little beyond
the threshold he beheld his wife approach
ing him.
All, husband" said she, sweetly, a.
| have walked very, very long for you be
meath the rocks"
Woman, it is false You have beer
to see your paramount. Away?"
She saw her child, who cried as he
heard his mothers voice. and discovering
upon her husbands countenance, as shC
approached him, the fendish marks o
rage, she attempted to snatch her child
fearing for its safety. He pushed hel
from him.
Husband -Frans. what wonld you do
Give me my child" But with one arm
he held aIoft his weeping boy, and will
the other claspcd his wife.
g" Come on-on with me. base woman
Upon yonder precipice's ledge, YOU shall
gaze upon his destruction! 1t will b.
sweet to see thy sorrow p
My child my child Give me my
child Oh, Frans by all you hold sacred
| pray you give me hack my boy !"
She prayed. she screamed. she cung tt
his knees to deter him from his eviden
intention. Invain! Who, with one sparl
of humanity glowing in his frame, or who
with even the outward attributes of man
could have disbelieved her protestatioT
Of innocence
He gained the precipice's slippery edge
dragging after him his shrieking wife
who chung to him with more than wo
mans strength, striving TO detain him.
Spare him, Frans spare our swee
child /"
But unmoved as the firm rock he stood
upon he threw his left hand upon hel
shoulder and pressed her to the ground.
Nov. base adulteress, behold the deatf
Of your babe" he said, and alarms length
held aIoft the unconscious boy. 1t was
where the cataract dashed down into the
foaming abyss, he cast his child. A wild
laugh burst from his lips His revenge
was complete!
Then for the first time, reason threw
one bright CLEAN to illume his tumutuous
bosom. He gazed upon the fair being
who lay insensibIe at his feet-yet nc
pity evinced itself for her; he seemed in
deed conscious Of his act, he exclaimed
+" 60 now and seek your paramour: your
husband follows his child then giving one
hig leap into the air, fell down into the
wild and watery cataract.
Poor ill-used wife! innocent, vet be
| eyed guilty, what was your state o
Morning dawned and beheld the widow
ed wife, the childless mother, gazing va
cantly into the grave of her husband and
son, But two others, the stranger, the
former rival of the miller, and the william
Gus host were there.
Behold woman" exclaimed the former
: am he who, in the disguise of the spir-
it Of vengeance, fed thy husbands ear
with stories Of thy inhdclty. / was once
his rival, now the enemy Of the base wo-
man !"
He had approached so near to her as
he spoke, that she leant her head as if to
whisper to him; he bent low,-with one
bound she placed him between herself and
the fatal brink, and quick as lightning,
pushed him toward it with all her force
for in one moment, although the morning
had found her a raying maniac;-she saw
the cause of her husbands conduct. In
vain he endeayored to regain his balance.
He slipped, and then rolled over into the
yawning chasm, to meet in death the vic
tins Of his wrath
The country people still point out the
fatal spot to the traveller, and strange
tales are told Of woman's spirit that
still flies about the Miller's Cliff; and even
now, though fifty years have passed since
the occurrence of the events mentioned
in the narrative, none dare venture near
the rock Of THE wIFE's REVENGE.