The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1857-04-30

n
cry sound of carriage wheels made a
rush to the window.
"Father is come" cried Ellen, as the
sound Of wheels, instead Of passing,
ceased at our door, and we simulta-
neously sprang up and ran to the win.
dow. There, indeed stood the expect
ed coach; but who was that old lady
with a green bond-boE held tightly in
her arms, now bundling out Of the
coach door, sending sharp glances at
the windows, while the coachmon took
down her trunks?
"It is aunt janet said Ellen, with
long sigh Of disappointment, and she
looked into my face inquiringly.
"It is too badl" half-crying, "for
her to come and spoil II all, just as
we were to have such a merry Christ
masl'
"Well, meet her kindly, and give
her welcome" I said, and by that
time the hall door had opened, and
Jane Fleming stood in the midst of
us, receiving our greetings with a kind
of grim smile. The girls divested her
of all her many shawls, and cloaks
and furs, and Harry drew chair for
her close to the fire.
As she warmed her feet at the CRATE.
she looked around her with a sinpu-
lar expression Of pity mixed with tri-
umph.
81 have kept my promise, children, "
she said. 81 told you if anything
happened 1 would come to YOU
started from my seat, and a shud
der Of terrible forebodings passed thro
me, as I remembered the promise to
which she referred.
"Janel Jane Fleming, what do You
meant" I cried.
She wiped the corners of her ewes
with her handkerchief. She then said:-
"Ah! it is as L thought. You see
that l, living as 1 do, upon the sea-
shore, get news some days in advance
Of you. said to myself, when I
heard it, that it would be printed in
your weekly paper, and you would
not get it until tomorrow. So I
thought I had better step into the
stage and ride down to prepare your
minds. Poor childrenl poor childrenr'
"What is it2" said Ellen, grasping
her aunts wrist with a kind of nerv-
GUS ferceness.
This suspense was growing intOlerabe.
Jane fixed her eyes steadily on FL
lens countcnance, and answered, slow
ly-
"Last week, in the great storm, the
May Fleming was wreckedI'
A low cry escaped Mays lips.
"Jane!" 1 gasped "my husband
where is he?" She looked at me com
Tosodly.
"The May Fleming was wrecked and
sunk. Save the mate and one sailor,
who hOated two days on a broken raft,
every soul was lost"
1 could utter neither cry nor moan.
l only looked into the faces Of my
children, who gathered about me, in
dulging their wild sorrow in pitiful cries.
Ellen only, after a brief time, seemed
to comprehend my beWildering anguish.
She put her young, strong arms around
me, and led me unresisting to my cham
bcr; there, watched by her alone, 1 lay
silent and motionless
But my brain was busy. "Ts it to
this, an untimely death, I thought,
chat all 1 love are fated to come! My
heart was wrapt in my beautiful Henry,
and he laid down to die in the glory of
his youth. My love rose out of his
grave and gathered itself, strong as life,
about my husband; and now, in so lite
a while, he is gone also. Was it for this
that l gave my mind, my heart, my soul,
to his children, only that they should
look up to me with their pitiful faces
and cry we are orphansp Where was
he when we, his wife and his children,
were making Christmas garlands2 We
were singing and weaving the holly and
cedar by the warm freight, while he,
now struggling, now fainting and sink
ing, was smothered in the horrible
waves!'
Such thoughts as these filed my brain
with ceaseless horror, and all day I lay
as one benumbed. But suddenly, as i'll
grew dark, and Ellen brought a light
into my chamber, was struck with her
settled expression Of woe. / had for
gotten that was not the only sufferer
That thought gave me strength. 1 rose,
took her by the hand, and went down to
the other children I gathered them
about me, and we all Wept together
Then, and not till then, did I feel that
l cOuldspeak to them Of comfort.
The next morning our paper came, |
and its long account of the wreck con-
drmed the sad tidings Days passed
slowly, tearfully. L was beginning to
realize that we, of late such joyful |
group, were now "the widow and the
1t was evening, and we all sat in the
little library. The door Of the parlor
behind us was aiar, but there was no light
IN there; only one light burned on the
piano forte, which had been moved into
.he little room.
Harry lay in my arms asleep, his
.oft ourls falling over his forehead, and
his fresh fair face. Ellen
md May, one on each side of me, sat at
work on mourning dresses; Jane, too,
n the corner, was sewing black Thibet.
low different our labor from that with
which we had expected to usher in the
christmas Eve.
By-and-by Ellen looked up with an
nXious expression,
"Mother, are we pOor2" she said.
ii was clad that II could answer in the /,