Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-04-24

lEtW a NiiatiE tVI Hct S4t~t - t1t HENs
As she warmed her feet at tie CRATE,
she looked around her with a singular
expression Of pity, mixed with triumph.
have kept my promise, children"
she said. Il told you if anything hap
Pened, ] would come to you
started from my seat, and a shudder
Of terrible forebOdings passed through
me, as remembered the promise to
which she referred.
= Jane Jane Fleming, what do you
mean ? cried.
She wiped the corner Of her eyes with
her handkerchief Then she said
~Ah! 1t it as l thought You see
that ], living ON the seashore as l do, get
news some days in advance of you. /
said to myself when l heard it, that il
would be printed in your weekly paper,
and you would not get il before to-mor-
row. So ] thought ! bad better step
into the stage and ride down to prepare
minds.
What is il" said Ellen, grasping
her aunt's wrist with with kind Of ner-
vous ferceness.
Jane fixed her eyes on Ellen and re-
piled
Last week, in the great storm, the
May Fleming was wrecked" :"
A low cry escaped Mays lips.
"Jane!" I gasped, "my husband
where is he 7"
She looked at me composedly.
"The May Fleming was wrecked and
sunk Save the mate and one sailor,
who foated two days on a broken rafi,
every soul was lost
could utter neither cry nor moan
only looked into the faces Of my chill
dren, who gathered about me. indulging
their wild sorrow in pitiful cries. Ellen
, only, after brief time, seemed to COM
prehend my bewildering anguish. She
put her young, strong arms about me,
and led me, unresisting, to my chamber,
} and there, watched by her alone, l lay
r silent and motiohless.
: But my brain was busy. Is 1t to
: this, an untimely death" thought, @tbat
{ all love are fated to come ? My heart
c was wrapt In my beautiful Henry, and
D he laid down to die in the glory of his
T youth. My love rose out Of his grave
i and gathered itself, strong as life, about
: my husband and now, in so little while,
e be is gone also. Was it for this that /
: gave my mind, my heart, my soul to his
g children, only that they should look up
= to me with their pitiful faces, and cry,
o we are orphans + Where was he, when
II we, his wife and children, were making
Christmas garlandsI We were singing
|. and weaving the holly and cedar by the
l warm freight, while be, now struggling
L now failing aud sinking, was smothered
e in the horrible waves +
d Such thoughts as these filed my brain
Z with eeaseless horror, and ali day ! lay
z as one benumbed. Bot suddenly as il
$, grew dark, and Ellen brought lamp in
IN to my chamber, / was struck by her SET
N tied expression Of woe. ] had forgotten
le that / was not the only sufferer. That
Is thought gave me strength. rose, took
'e her by the hand and went down 10 ths
OF other children. / gathered them abou
ID me, and we all wept together. Then
er and not till then, did feel that eoals
G speak to them Of comfort.
The next morning our paper came
and its long account Of the wreck con
i firmed the sad iidings- Days passed
. slowly, tearfully. vas beginning Z
realize that we, Of late, such a joyou
- group, were now the widow and the IA
. therless."
IL was evening, and we all sat in ih
2 Iinle library. The door Of the pario
~ behind Us was ajar, bat there was n
" light in there only one lamp burned O
the piano-lorte, which had been move
nc ...,. a.. t;,fta rr.ooa
% Harry lay in my arms asleep, bis so
'a eurls failing over his forehead, and ha
- yelling his fresh, fair face. Ellen an
eh' May, one on each side Of me, sat as wor
'en on mourning dresses Jane, TOO, IN III
0" corner was sewing black tiibet- Ho'
ing different our labor from that which v
ale bad expected to usher IN The Chriatms
Exei
} a BY and by, Ellen booked sp with 9
he anxious expression.
Mother, are we poor !" she said.
ay, was glad that ! could answer Ia Il
oil negative. Bal," / added, sc kno
rry not how soon We may BE-. Ihis gre
misfortune has taught us that nothing