Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-28

| above where he stood a mountain torrent
dashed over precipice, and on each side II
the ravine through which is took its course Law
two immense rocks, hemming and protecting
the pretty stream below; few stunted ever
greens partly covered the steep rocks. finding
| but scsnty room 10 take root in their cliffs
For one moment the miller deliberated
| Whetner he should take the usual, vet rather
dangerous, footpath up the rock, or follow the
| more clrcuitHus horseroad, which was much
| safer ne chose the latter, which was not much
used He gained at length the rocky summit.
ana plainly saw the light burning in his dwell
ins, but as he turned his head to look IA an
other direction the pulsations Of his heart
| ceased, has hair stood on end, for he beheld a
| tall, stately figure, whose white dress seemed
bcsmeared with human blood in his right
mana ne held skull, within which glowed a
hSht-In his left a massive heshless bone
| Fear cropt upon him as be gazed A cold.
desth-like chill ran through his veins, and his
| shaking knees prevented his accomplishing
| the purpose of his heart. A sepulchral-tonei
| voice thus, with measured accents. sounded in
| his ear:
stand and listen, man Of clay The fiery
| splnt OF vengeance, who rides upon the thun-
| Ier-cloud and directs the fOrked lightning.
oiiS ye listen and obey The rival We thought
lead will this night return; the wife of your
bosom will iy with him.
| An unbroken pause ensued; at last the mill
Ter, raising his head, glanced at tho srot
| where he had seen the misty spirit. IL had
vanished. For one moment be did not seem
10 realize what he had seen and heard; tho
next, as the assertion of his wife's inideIity
occurred TO him, he rushed toward the house
the door yielded to his might, but no wife
greeted hum; he seated himself. the sense Of
fear left Kim, but the determination of re-
Venge had taken possession of his mind. for
leiiousy hai stung him deeply: he believed
ms wife guilty, and then a thought struck
hlm with the fury Of a maniac he knocked
AZ his bedroom door until il few off the
hinges She was not there, His worst sus-
picIons seemed confirmed, and in his bosom
rclgned that species Of frenzy the person af
iected with which, often says and does things
of which he is unconscious The noise he had
made awoke his little babe, whose wall now
met his ear.
"Ha! ha, ha" he shrieked. "art tbou
there, child of guilty mother1" He snatch
Ell the infant from its pillow, and for a moment
gazed fxedly upon il; but not one spark of
parental fondness was in that gaze. for if any
nad ever existed bis passion smothered its III
huence. Unmindful of his screams. he shook
the boy as he exclaimed, Death were better
ier thee, boy, than life. embttered hy the
the knowledge of a mothers crime ?" Midly
he flew from the house a little beyond tn,
threshold he beheld his wife approaching him.
=. Ah, husband, said he, sweetly, =. have
waited very, very long for you beneath the
rOcksin
" Woman, it is false, You have been to see
your paramOur. Away
sle saw her child, who cried as he heard his
mother voice. and discovering upon her hus-
band countenance, as she approached him.
the hendlsh marks of rage, she attempted TO
snatch her chlld, fearing for Its safety. He
pushed her from him.
"Husband-Frans, what would You dop
Give me my child" But with one arm no
clasred his wife
Come on-on with me. base woman, Upoo
yonder precipice's ledge, you shall gaze upon
sorrow"
Ny child! my child Give me NY child,
oh, frans! by all you bold sacg ID, rrsy you
give me back my boy 80
She prayed, she screamed, she clung f. his
Knees to deter him from his evident intention
In vain. Who, with one spark OF humanity
glowing in his frame, or who with even the
outward attributes of IN an. could hove resisted
that ialr being prayers for the safety of her
child! Who could have disbelieyed her pro-
toStati0Is Of Innocence
He gained the precipices slippery edge,
dragging after him his shrieking wife, who
chung TO him with more than woman s strength,
striving Il detain him.
'Spare him, Fraus spare Onr sweet child,'
But, unmoved as the firm rock he stood
upon, he threw his left hand upon her shoul-
der and pressed her TO the ground
Now, base adulteress, behold the death of
your babe, he said, and at arms length held
alott the unconscious boy. L. was where the
cataract dashed down into the foaming abyss.
he cast his child. A wild laugh burst frora his
lips. His revenge was complete
Then for the first time, reason threw one
bright CLEAN TO lllume bis tamu !tueus buscm
lie gaIed upon the fair being who lay inssn-
slble at his feet-yet no Pity evinced IJ-.lf for
her; lie seemed indeed conscious OF his act,
he exclaimed. $50 now AID seek your para
n!cur; your husband follows his child - then
giving one high leap into the air, fell down
into the wild and zatery cat ract.
Poor ill-used wife Innocent, yet believed
guilty, what was then your state Morning
daWnod and beheid the widowed wife, the
chlldless mother gazing vacaItly irto the
grave Of her husband GId s3G. But two others,
tie stranger the former rival Of the miller,
AID the VIlainOus host were there.
Behold woman, exclaimed the former,
- am he who, in the guise Of the spirit Of
vengeance, fed thy husbands ear with stories
OF thy infdelity. l, once Lis rival, now the
enemy OF thee, base woman
He had approached SO near T. her as he
spoke, that she leant her head as if 20 whisper
To him; he bent low; with one bound She
placed him between herself and the fatal
briak, and quick as Tightening, pushed him
toSard 1t with all her force-ior in ons mo
ment, although the morning had found her
raving maniac, she saw the cause of her hus-
band : conduct. In vain he enleayored 10 re-
gain his balance. He slipped. and then rolled
{ yer into the yawning chasm, to meet in death
tho victims of his wrath
The country people still point out the fatal
spot TO the traveller, and strange tales are tJld
81 wOmaE's spirit that still flies about the
Milers Clif-and even now, though fifty
years have passed since the occurrence of tho
events mentioned in this narrative, none dare
venture near the rock of The Wife's Revenge
LITTLE TOO RIPE.-As many Of our read