Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-10-16
From Harper's Monthly Magazine.
THEPRIDE OF MOSES GRANT
CHAPTER I.

house in the hollow, where Moses Grant |
had lived all his respectable life, the
winds blew with an eerie sound, ike a
lost spirits wall, and the snow fell steadi-
ly, folding the earth in great white
shrouds.
Moses Grant and his wife sat before
the fire. A cheerful glow came out from
the blazing logs-a mug of cider was
coasting unheeded on the hearth, and a
few apples stood untouched on the stand
between them. Every thing in this
peaceful family sitting room wore a snug
and comfortable look, from the neat bed
sanding in a recess in the wall, with
home made blue woolen spread and snowy
Fnsn, to the brightly polished pewter
rs,es upon the dresser and the unsoiled
a,ion the white floor.
Outside, through the snow and the
sn. tottered a single female figure
zsslv, painfully, as if every step must
4st- last. Forsaken of God and man,
7ery elements seemed to do battle
z4l her-the winds blew her feeble steps
ss:kwsrd-the snow piled up higher and
higher drifts before her feet, and yet
hose feeble feet tottered on-over the
drifts, against the wind-stead dily toward
the red house in the hollow.
There was a strange shadow on the
face of that meek woman, Moses Grants
wife. Her knitting had fallen from her
busy fingers, her foot tapped the floor
with a restless beat, and at last, as if she
could endure the stiffness no longer, she
arose and began moving hurriedly about
the room, giving a touch here and there
to her domestic arrangements, and now
and then going stealthily to the the win
dow to look forth into the night.
"Oh - she muttered, in a low voice,
God have mercy-this pitless, pitiless
storm p
You are thinking of Margaret" said
the slow, firm voice Of Moses Grant.
The woman started, and dropped the
candle-stiek she held in her confusion.
She turned ghasily pale and grasped the
dresser, near which she stood, for sup
port. Ifa grave had opened at her very
feet she would have been no more over
vhelmed with wonder. For many
months in that household that name
Margaret-had been dead and buried
a forbidden sound. Perhaps her eyes
cleaned with wild hope, and the color
came back to her cheeks; perhaps her
husband had relented; perhaps he would
forgive their child-their Margaret. She
went toward him, that meek woman, and
kneeling at lis feet, lifted up her plead
ing voice.
Surely, father, may speak of her.
now YOU have called her name. It may
beyou are willing to forgive her-to let
her come back again. Five-and-twenty
years have walked patiently by your
side ; have tried to be help-meet Il
you. God has given US seven children
and We have made their graves-all bu
one-bebind the church on the hilltop
And now she is gone-the last-my one
child-Margaret. Oh husband, will yoJ
forgive her? VIII YOU let her comt
back? What would even shame be I,
the loss of her And perhaps she ha
not sinned as we have thought. She wa
q good child always, our Margaret Sh
loved the church and the Bible, and yoI
used to say no one else learned thei
lesson in the catechism so well as she
We are getting old, father-may 1 hav
ny one girl back again p
The old mans face had worked con
vulsi7ely while she poured forth he
pleading prayer, but it settled back no7
into stony, immovable calm. He locke
sternly at the woman crouching at hi
knees, as if she, too, had ssome share i
Aargarets sin. He said, in his cool, re
solyd tones,
4. Is Of no use. If we would tax
the child back we do not even kno'
where TO seek her. She is dead to I
now and forever. Hear me, Mary;
she lay at this moment outside that doc
with this storm falling on her bare, VI
sheltered head, would not open it on
inch to let her in. She has made he
bed; she shall lie in it. We have live
here many years., and my father, an
ny fathers father, elders, one afte
another, in the church, and when did di
grace ever come 10 our humble, hone
name, I'LL she broughtit? She chose TIL
LAD young man and his unholy love, an
'aIher and mother she has none. He'
NE Mary We are childless. Let h'
name never pass your lips nor mine"
4he woman rose and CROPPED blind
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