Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1856-11-13


shes reddening the dark waters and glimmsrin
through the black Aisles of the forest We had lon
ieft the village behind, and were now approachin
|, tne Barlow estate The anxiety Of all increased witt
u each STEP The father, with wild haste, hurried Il
front concern for his child giving youthful yigo
|, ior the time, to bis aged limbs Eagerly we al
is locked for ssme token Of passnga fragment of he
dress sticking to bush or a shoe lost in her flight
W But no sign of her presence was found at every
d step, IN this breathless Search the Nittany nov
swollen to a river, ragged deeper and wilder, up
roofing me young sapplings Oh its banks; its tawny
ing onward, as if angry that it found no better
+ prey.
IS All this time the clouds poured iacessantly. No
one OF us but was wet through. The torches wor,
:, being extinguished continually, now blown out b,
'r the wind, now smothered Kissing by the rain The
IS thunder crashed overhead ratified down the hea
IVens. And still, leading us ALL the old man hur-
: RED on, crying, ''my child my child"
Q onddenly, binding flash shot directly across our
PAN gigantic Pine was splintered, in an instant
70 the root the earth smoked where the bolt en-
tered and tho tall hemloos, tottering moment,
rushed headlong downward, bearing half a score Of
smaller trees to the ground before it, and shaking
the solid mountain far ard near.
Scarcely had the glare and roar subsidized, when
one OF our party, who was on the opposite side of
the stream, shouted through the tempest; and
though we could not distinguish the words, we saw
| by the wild torch light, that he held up woman's
just washedMshcre,
1T is hei's !" he cried, ttshe is drowned )" And
ne staggered, and would have fallen, if he had not
b On supported.
But instantly be rallied shaking us off he sprapg
almost instantly to his feet, ond looking around,
with an appealing look that went to every heart,
d Sriea ZONE, she may yet be safe; She has only
hurried on again. fain to persuade himself that there
was yet hope
We followed without word. He fairly ran, such
was his eagerness now. L shall never forget that
scene. The torches flashing, the Nttanys hoarss
roar the ightnings, the thunder and the aged faith
or in the van, his bare locks, for his hat had fal.
len oil, streaming in the wind like those of another
Lear.
We reached the highway again at last. It had
seemed an age, though it could have been at most
but few minutes. Here the road crossed the brook
oy what was usually shallow ford; but now the
waters twirled by ten feet deep between tlsp high
BANK, and full of sapplings and other drift wood,
which ground together with a crunching sound and
groans that were almost human. New and then a
pit OF oough would be tossed up, like a woman's
arm and the cry would be on our lips, "There she
lsi" when the limb would sink again, and only the
ioamlnS, whirng watcrs, half choked up with trees
DC seen rushing rapidly by. Again, like the glea m
Of a white garment, the spray would dash up, and
then vanish away.
A falling off in the high banks left an approach
to the stream here to which tho turnpike took ad
vantage but the road was overaowed for consid
: cradle distance before reaeAiug the brook. .Afte
crossing the ford the highwey led up gentle, gree
accvity, and there turned, just in front Of larg
whlte mlnsisn, the residence of the false Barlow
| ihe iighted windows seen thro' the falling rain
sbone like beacon over the foaming waters at tn
iord and the highway that led up to it, and as sav
the gay front OF that mansion, which should have
been tho brilal home of the poor crazed fugitive
could not help thinking that it had perhaps lure,
her to her death but q little while before
Al at once as looked and thought thus heart
q sharp cry, and turning to the father, from whom
u proceeded. beheld him rushing into the stream
MY hrst instinct was to help to RESTRAIN him, my
next to look for the cause of his horror There
caught by sappling that leaned over into the wa,
| ter, and swaying with it was female corpse The
body lay on its back, the arms hanging nerveless
qy It's side, and the long dshevelled hair streaming
down tho surrent
| All was over
LET me go to her." cried the old man, franti.
eally, as We restrained him -tI will CO." and he
struggled so hard that two could scarcely hold him
sob do let mo go,'' he pleaded, when ho found
We wore too strong for him. "She is my only chili,
and the water Will carry her away"
BY this time, however, some of our party riskipg
their own lives, had brought the body to the shore
wnere they composed it decently the grass at the
side OF the highway. simultaneously, attrac ted by
the noise and lights, the owner of the mansion had
come ferth, attended by servants, and was approach
ing the scene Of thet ragedy. The father casting him
self beside his daughter, had begun to chafe hei
cold hands, calling her by every term of enearnent
he had used wheH she was child, imploring her to
speak to him. and saying sho is not dead ?' when
| her murderer thus approached. Awe struck, and
feeling the hand Of Providence in this coincidence,
| we drew back, SO that Barlow stood face to face
/ with his victim
The silence that followed, for second, was aw>
full The storm had lulled for time, so that only
the light patterng of the rain was heard and this
SO in contrast with the preceding turmoil, made the
stiffness more terrible. Occasionally the thunder
doomed far off, like minute guns. heard Barlow
catch his breath. His face turned ashen c0ored.-
He looked literally, for moment, as if he had been
| changed 10 stone The father reused from his alb
sorption, as ii by the magnetism of that presence
regarded him, meantime, with dilating eyes, and
look like that of tiger about to spring trem-
bfed for what would follow. Suddenly voice spoke
| beside me.
cay" it said, an d half savage log cutter from
higher up the mountain, advanced into the fore>
ground, with drawn knife in his hand, which he
: offered to the frsnzed parent, SAY sacrifice him
on the spot Or say the word,'' he added, as the
father turned questioning toward HIM, with some
CLEANS of returning in his eyes, ''and I'll dc
it myself; it would be doing God Almighty service
. | to rid the earth OF such villain
If, at that awful moment, when all our feelings
were reused to the highest pitch Of grief and indi
nation, the father had accepted the offer do not
think one of us would have had the physical power
| 10 interfere. spell was all We were par
aysed. 1t seemed to us as If the death Of Barlow
would be only just expiatien, saerthoo,' as the
log cutter had called it.
There an instant of terrible suspense, during
which we held our breath unconsciously. The ia
ther turned and looked at the criminal then in>
quiringy around the group; and then at his daugh-
ter. As his eyes dwslt on that camn serene face
a change came over them. The anger passed away
temporary insanity departed, and tears gathered
thick and fast and ran slowly down his cheeks. He
made gesture to put away the offered weapon,
shaking his grey hairs.
| NO. he said. ''The Lord hath said Vengeance
is Mine. Let God judge between him and my csild ]"
Even the 10 gcutter burstinto tears. The Chris
tan had triamphed over the father We were con-
quered and melted.
He looked up and went on.
"Neighbors," he SAID "will you he Up me to carry
her home 2" and added gently, 81 thank you all for
yeur kindness"
1t seemed to me, that as he spoke this peace-
full smile was on the face of the corpse. Or it
only the flashing torch light?
We bore her away, leaving the murderer still
paralyzed standing there at the ford, We laid her
two days after in the village church yard aud
there also within month, grave was dug for the
! old man. Peace to their ashos!
Barlow still lives. He is prosperous man, and
decorous aud strict even to Phariseism. Even those
who knew him best say that after the first shock
, he ceased to regret what he had done. We would
iain believe otherwise But neither his prospsrit,
nor his yant of remorse, nor the cruel fate Of hi
victim makes us, for one moment, doubt the jus
, tice Of God Time is not Eternity. The scheme 0
Providence is not played out in this hseting life.
"yEsGEANcE rs MINEn
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:, THANKsGTiNG.--Mis Mississippi, Kentucky an
!, Michigan are now added to the States in whic
~ btha Doth of Nnvamhar will ha ahaappad