The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-08-30
TIL. SIlERIFF'S WIFE.

some Oi YOU VIII br-Sh,ffcS Wtr,S.
THE SIlERIFF'S WIFE.
1t IS four O'Clock in the morning. Th.
first blush of the dawn is ,,>t breaking in.o
my window, and lighting up world tul! OF
more sorrow and shame than ever before
know i ALWAYS did krow that there WI
much of real sorrow here. even under th,
carh of philosophy and the face of care,c>>
and rorin. nrrh But u, sit here in IL,
chamber. and look back from the deed | lav,
done this very ni.ht, through the ,llrkrr>>
of many wears, during all of which hay,
worn a ma>k-a fac" of a h,Io rite "a Smi!,
of quiet peace of conscience. and ofttm"> 10y
while nv h, art was all the while rricll,.a.
and >clfaccu>a'ion making me coward. |
>hudlcr and feel faint. 1t is the fir>t time H.
all these hypocrlticai yesrs-lrt it be the las
My story is short one anI | have re>olv
ed to write it. No one of course. can know
WHO is the writer. bat he have wrGurrG
and deceived and he who has wronrcd nlr
a> bitterly. should they ever read this. I..r
tLcm know For the last, what dIiirrcnc,
does it make TO M. The first Is the husband
Of nv bosom. and he knows that since |
ln ~ ~, /, Il.
have beer. to him 'taitltul and Io,in.
wife" And when h. knows the deed have
done this night, Though il might bring d,>gra"e
and shame to him. know hr will fol. mc TO
his heart. AMI believe that am sill hi> or.,.
trnth I am. never wrongrd him il
thought since the NJ !ht he first pillowed hi
head on my bosom know never >l'aIl
But to nv story. have vision now of a
large house IN New En.l.nd-that is thc
nearest dare w'ite the p|are-a rlra>an
large house in the dense shadow of hi.h old
trees, with wide open lawn >ofin. down
to me water tHv" IN" t1V" OF tnt ocean -
where Won could stand and look away of to
sea till the eve crew tired OF ihc distance:
il was so far 50 houndle>>. 1t was the
honc of my chilIhord was born there. AMI
lived there till waSa woman grown: for !
believe was a woman IN >ulrt long before
! reached woman stature. There was no
other house near except those OF my father ;
tenantry; for he was owner of a vast domain.
reaching along the co,>t for know not how
far. and away back into the country for miles.
should think. There were seven of Us chill
drrn. of whom WAS the eldest. and half way
down the list stood the name Of nv onl,
brother We had tutors as we grew un. ard
the best masters but more than these. we had
the kinlr>t and most niulrent parents Eut
having no society in the nci.hborhooI, and
rarely any visitors except in the SUNNI, r.
there was nothing to >uhdur the cxubcrancc
of our spirits. and tame down TO conventional
forms our ont door habits.
learned and loved to ride my fathers tlr,.t
horses. and would >cOur the country for mile,
on horseback alone and unattended Incvcr
thought of DANGER | learned TO row. and L,
aye a >al-h"ot and often spent most of
the day on the water. borne along bv rrnte
breeze. or bounding over the fierce waves
when storm was comin- along the coast
| could 90 it now Oh how should love
this very moment to teel the stron. brrrz,
h'owin" on nv cheek that was bearing me
on over the waters a it did when | was ONLY
4 girl think it would cool nv brain, and
hclp to still this Wild beating of NV heart
1t WAS the month OF June. For several
days wild storm had been raging along the
coa>t-a very unusual thing at that season O.
the year But at lemcth 1t broke away. and
the morning arose clear and bright Ii was
my birthday. was Just eighteen The
confinement of several DAYS had been irkSome
lar.. sail boa; for DAYS excursion. Iwoul,I
have no one with m" this dav Iwoud have
it all TO myself. Two hours from that time
found me far out at sea. and a fine breeze
bore me merriIy along with wild feeling
OF freedom that they only know who have
been IN the same circumstances The land
cIrcuns ances. The land faded from NV S,uhi
and nothing was around me but the boundle>s
horizon of water, and the glorious sun above
me. | seemed alone in the world Not a
sail was visible in the whole expanse OF sea.
Not living thing moved in siuht | was
alone. and with a careless feeling of iud,tIrr-
ence to everything but my own sense of en-
Joymentl became Unconscious of the passage
Ot tine till was aroused to the feeling that
was not the only being in existence by find
iny myself >urrouled by iloatn. spars, and
the rigging Of large vessel and toxes and
bales Of goods No wreck was to be seen.