Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-06-19


"But you see the headstones every
night, when the moon shines, do you not ?
rallied her sister.
"Yes but how much aUhiter they look
now" returned Ruth.
"What should make them so, pray p
persisted Mary, determined to get fairly
on the track of these phantoms, and
chase them away altogether.
at should be the moon; but it is not.
I do not know achat it is. But how
white,-how vsry white r
Mary at length indulged her sister in
suffering her to pursue what she called
her odd fancies, and herself fell asleep.
But sleep did not come near the pillow
of Ruth. She watched, till the gray
streaks streamed up over the eastern sky );
and her pillow was wet with tears. The
round red sun glared ike ball of fire
through the morning mist, and fell upon
the wall of her room.
Mary was up early, and her voice was
to be heard everywhere about the house.
She seemed to Ruth even gayer than
usual on that morning; but it must have
been because of the contrast with the
deep depression of her own spirits at that
sad time. Every ringing laugh that fell
on the ears of Ruth, made her, if posi-
bic, still more sad.
Days and weeks wore slowly away
THE sudden disappearance of the young
man from the village, was the topic of
talk for many week; but even that at
length gave place to others equally in
iteresting, and still more new. No one,
save only Ruth, knew why or whittier
he had gone. Perhaps the secret at
times made her heart ache, but still she
kept ii.
Never did the days lag for her more
; slowly. How many times she wished
she could set the old hall clock forward
far forward-days, weeks, months, years
And then a sudden sense of the great
length of time that must yet elapse be.
fore she could see William, rushed ovel
her again; and she thought she could no
D wait so long. She felt as if upon seeing
. him Immediately, depended not only he,
happiness, but her very life itself.
t 1t was a great grief, and the harder t.
t bear because it must be borne in silence
7 Under such griefs some hearts canno
live.
And as Ruth, day by day and week b.
a week, grew still more anxious, and be
e came still more saddened at heart,-an
|. as her countenance overspread with
still more frightful pallor, and her voic
j. became even more melancholy and low
= there were some who thought she coul
not be wholly well; and others who di
( not heed these alarming changes at ALL
is the more alarming, because so insidious
lg and others still, who had no sympath
,e whatever for lily concealed sorrow an
le thought she was remarkably indolel
so girl, who would live long enough to kno
Id what the need of labor was. And as f,
" Ruth herself, she bore all these mockir
N taunts, and mean insinuations, and cru
.ts looks, as best she could even Il
lst changed manner of her parents becan
all at length quite natural to her, and 81
n thought, or tried to think, they must
right in thus abandoning her to the co
nd suming canker of her secret sorrow.
re- Weeks and months passed; but no
is dings from her lover. She dreamed
is and prayed-and hoped and in this
Dot tie circuit her hours run their monotonc
round. Quite different from her v
in, Mary. She was full of vivacity, and
hit unaffected gayety hung, like a char
emit about her spirits; Ruth was quiet, a
bot thoughtful, and fearfully calm. Z
heart was unmoyed by the trihing obje
de- that so easily excited Mary to laughter
md passion. Yet for all this, it was mi
the richer in deep feeling than Mary's. s
and appeared calm, and always self-possess
old but beneath the. glassiness of that C;
,me exterior the wild tempests Of feel
were often-times breaking.
her And while time was thus silently S
art, ping away, unnoticed by all save r
d to and after the very name of VIII
ntly Britton had almost been forgotten by
un- good people the country round, stra
and gentleman CHANGED to pass a porto
the a summer season in the village. He
sath come there to recruit his wore down
ceal ergies. Coming from distant city
was of course naturally delighted '
was the freshness and beauty Of the ret
and he had chosen.
lghs In respect Of his person, he was
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