New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-01-12

have ceased to be read and the dust Of neglect con-
sign them to nerited grave Read these tones, pom
derous in error and one would be led to believe that
disease consisted of an excess of vitality!
After hurried meal, drove rapidly to Mrs.
T-s: The weather had again turned intensely
cold the icy road cracked beneath my horses feet.
The only green thing showing was where, here and
there, the wind had blown the snow.caps from the
cedar-tops. Earth looked arrayed for the grave.
The house door was quietly opened by servant
in another minute stood in Emilys chamber. The
mantel was covered with numerous walls the close
atmosphere Of the room sickened me. Daylight, just
sufficient to discern objects, was admitted through
partly.opened blind My step was so light chat no
one perceived my entrance. BY the bedside, with
her head bowed down over one of her daughters
pale hands, which she held in both her own, sat the
wretched mother. 1t seemed to me as though ten
years had passed over her faded and careworn coun
tenance; her hair had become gray. l could not
move--my heart stood still. -.'s--
On the, young girls temples, dark round, blue
marks with crossed gashes, showed that the fatal
cups had been at their work; the left arm, exposed
by the withdrawn sleeve Of hernght dress, was band
aged at the elbow-bood also had been taken from
the arm. Fatal error! The excitement OF the brain
had been mistaken for inflammation.
approached the bed; for the first time the desc
late mother heard my steps, and turning quickly she
sprang from the chair, and placing her hands on my
shoulders she bowed her head on my chest. She
sobbed wildly, as though her heart would break.
Look, look doctor, would you have known her?
l. o, God she is leaving me--saye her, save her y
She sank fainting on the floor. We gently raised
her, and bore her to her own chamber. In a few
minntesl returned to my patients room. She turned
her head anguidly towards me, while her right hand
moved as if to take mine. How dry the palm was!
Her color had faded away the round, moulded
cheeks were sunken; her eyes seemed double their
natural size, and OF deeper color; the mouth was
seemingly swollen, whilst the lips parted suggishly
from the dark, crustcoyered teeth With great effort
she said &f
80, am glad you have come back to nle-do try
to save me-!
Poor child her dark tongue was so thick and dry
that her words were scarcely ineligible. felt her
pulse it very rapid, and the blood felt thin like
water in the easily compressed vein. Death was at
its work in the young and innocent
Sending the nurse from the roOm l quickly took
| the young girls hand within my own.
"Emily.S i said to her, do you really wish to
liye?"
"Yes, yes,' she distinctly murmured, " am very
young-too young to die!' ..s.- .,
"Then, dear child, tell me what has shocked your
nervous system so terriby-tell me-"
With strength that startled me, she searched un-
der the mattress side, and placed small note in my
hand. 1t was slightly discolored as though by time
opened it the date was over twelve years back 1t
ran: .. ...
"When you receive this, Mira, my career will have
ended By my death you will inherit all. Let my
unborn child have its just legal claim Your child,
Emily take to your home as though it was an
adopted orphan. Let not her youth be blighted by
the knowledge Of her unblest BIRTH I forgive you.
Adeu for ever HIT"
My God the doomed child was Legitimate /! I
stopped down and kissed the sufferers forehead and
promised I would be father to her. '.Come," l
whispered, cheer up your mother, if she has sinned
has suffered much for your sake-forgive her.
81 do forgive her" she answered g bat could
forget myself, unblessed as am? But must live to
know the truth. Q, where is the right owner of all
this wealth My memory returns row indistnctly
from my early days; all seems in cloud; but re.
member q small cottage in deep wood, where my
mother often came to see me then gay carriage
took me to large house, but never went back to
| the wood again. There mother left me long time.
and when she came back--Oh, doctor, can speak no
more; do give me something to strengthen me, and
will yet try to live!:' 40
A cordial was administered by my own hands and
in short time sleep over her. Night again
closed in the wind had gone down as the sun set.
Another night of cold was ushered in. Woe to the
poor! Woeto the hungry and fireless :
The wretched mother still retained her room By
nghtwatch and fast, and heart-earoding memories
her energies had been suddenly snapped. Pride and
passion so long her friends, had now deserted her,
leaving every heartagony deeply nc-grayen on her
faded face. In all my life had never seen such
wreck! The proud look of selEpossesson was gone,
suppliant detection filling every feature the naughty
carriage bowed beneath weight, though long years
had robbed the muscles of their strength and plant
mould. Her voice, but of late so charged with re-
pressed impulse was now low and every word spoken
with melancholy sowness that bnss too often be-
comes the forerunner of some great life-change.
As entered, late nthe evening, found her sitting
in an easy chair near the fire. small private sec.
rotary had been brought from her library to her cham
| Der; its lid was down, and as | seated myself she
took from package of tied letters sealed parcel
| and placed it in py hand.
Read this, doctor, at your leisure. Ny pilgrim.
age of time is well nigh ended You will judge how
great my sin, and how severe my punishment has
been. ask no forgiveness for there will be none left
to forgive But charity of feeling beg from you:
Womb a hat
retain severity of thought against who, however
erring, had paid the forfeit by great suffering
She spoke for some time longer in the same low
indistinct voice. Well, know her heart was nigh
crushed! soon left her, and sought her daughters
chamber.
How still everything seemed; the very candle, with
its long flames parted by the thckening wickchar.
seemed not to flicker as it burnt on looked at the
bed the sweet girl lay with both hands crossed upon
her bosom, as though in prayer. An orange blossom
had dropped from her grasp and lay neglected by her
side. Her life-hand never touched it more. Iplaced
its stem gently back in her pam-for death had
claimedher as his bride!
A wild, piercing shrek sounded through the house:
the erring mother now knew that she was alone in
the world
Whilst the shroudns of the dead took place, re.
tired to my room in the house, and opened the sealed
package. 1t briefly told its tale of sin and sorrow
How from the firstlO Emily was the fruit and how
unknown to ALL the child had been secreted That
about three years after the birth she was married to
singular accident the knowledge of her trespass
made known to him.
That after violently cursng her, he left her, and
shortly after found drowned That the letter so
fatal to Emily had accidentally dropped from her sec
rotary and was picked up by her, unknown to the
mother till the day before return when she missed
it. 1t then spoke of the birth of male child after
T-'s DEATH and that seized with an insane fury
she had resolved he should never inherit the fathers
name and wealth and how, through the Connivance
of nurse, it was placed, with sum OF money, at a
beggars door, and dead child laid beside her in its
stead.
That day, before sending the infant away, she had
his fathers initials tattooed on his left arm. All
traces of the child had been lost the beggar woman
had died. and another had taken it. At length hel
heart had reproached her. but search had been made
in vain
As l read this tale Of crime and repentance memory
traced out the features of the beggar boy, as he
stood shivering in the snow before me. Like a sud
den light it burst upon me; the features that had SC
tormented my memory to recall were those of the I'M
happy mother. Quickly walked to Mrs. rs
room; she was not there. / entered Emilys the
mother was clasping the daughters shrouded body
weeping as though her heart would break. Gently
bearing her back to her chamber, Informed her
that another child, long lost, might be restored to
her. She listened as one bewildcred. / theninformed
her of my adventure with the beggar boy.
1t was hardly day-laWn as | entered tha aCe