Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-07-23

"How could you tell that liel
"Miss R, did not tell lie," but,
even as she denied it, could see through
the key hole that in her grief at the charge
and her dread of punishment, she stood
trembling like culprit.
"Hold out your hand"
There l stood as if spell bound. Stroke
after stroke of the hard ferule heard fall
upon the small white hand of the innocent
child. You may well hide your eyes from
me, Bessie. O, why did | not speak p
Every stroke went to my heart, but l
would not confess my sin, and l stole softly
from the door. As fingered on the way,
Amy slowly walked along, with her books
in one hand, while with the other she kept
wiping away the tears, which would not
cease to flow. Her sobs, seeming to come
from a breaking heart, sank deep into
my own. As she walked weepingly on,
her foot stumbling, she fell, and her books
were scattered on the floor. picked them
up and handed them to her. Turning to-
ward ME, her soft blue eyes swimming in
tears, in the sweetest tones she said =
"Thank you, Ruth
1t made my guilty heart beat fast
er, but l could not speak; so We went
home silently together.
When reached home, "what is was the
USE" said l to myself, ''nobody knows it
and why should l be so miscrable?" l
resolved to throw off the hated burden,
and going into the parlor, l laughed and
talked as if nothing were the matter. But
the load on my poor heart only grew the
heavier. | needed no one Bessie, to tell
me the wages of sin. The eye of God
seemed consuming me. But the worse l felt
gayer seemed and more than once l was
checked from my boisterous mirth, while
tears were struggling to escape. Atlength
[ went to my room. l could not pray
and so hurrying to my bed, l resolutely
hut my eyes. But sleep would not come
to me. The ticking of the old clock in the
hall seemed every moment to grow louder,
as if reproaching me, and when it slow
ly told the hour of night, it snote upon
my ear like knell. | turned and turned
upon my little pillow, but it was filled
with thorns. Those sweet blue eyes,,
swimming in tears, were ever before me;
the repeated strokes of the hard ferule kept
sounding in my ears. At length, unable
to endure it longer, L left my bed and sat
down by the window. The noble trees
stood peacefully in the moonlight, the
pcnciled shaaow of their spreading branch
es lying tremulously ON the ground. The
white fence, the graveled walks, the per-
feet quietness in which everything was
wrapped, seemed 10 mock my restlessness,
while tie solemn midnight sky filled me
with an awe never felt before. Ah.-
Bessie, reproring conscious and an an
CRY God are too hard for child to wrestle
with!
"As turned from the window, my eyes
rested on the snow-white coverlet of my
little bed, birthday gift from my aged
mother All her patient kindness rushed
upon my mind. felt her dying hand up
on my head. Listened once more 10 the
futtering voice as she fervently besought
the blessings of Heaven upon her first
born. %, make her truthful, holy childr
/ tried to Danish from my thoughts this
last petition of my dying mother; but the
more resolution was my purpose, the more
distinctly did those pleading tones fall up
on my heart, till, bowling upon the win
dow, l wept convulsively. But tears, Bes-
sic, could give me no relief.
''My agony became every moment more
intense, till at length l rushed almost in
terror TO my fathers bedside. Father
fatherr but could say no more. Tender
ly putting his arm around me he laid my
throbbing head upon his bosom; and then
he gently soothed Inc till l could so far
cont ol the torrent as to explain its cause.
Then, how fervently did he plead with
Heaven that his shining child might be
forgiven!
"'Dear father, will you go with me to-
night to see poor Amy?"
"'To-morrow morning my childr"
"Delay was torture; but, striving to sup
press my disappointment, l received my
fathers kiss, and went hack to my ROOM
But slumber still fled from my weary eye
lids. My longing to beg Amy's forgiveness
amounted to frenzy; and after watching
for morning what seemed to me hours, my
anguish became so intolerable that | fled
once more to my father, and, with tears
streaming down my check, l knelt by his
side, bcseeching him to go with me to
Amy that minute; adding in whisper,
she may die before she has forgiven me.
He laid his hand upon my burning cheek,
and after moments thought replied:
"1 will go with you, my child"
"In a few minutes we were ON our way.
As we approached Mrs. Sinclair's cottage,
we perceived lights hurrying from one
room to another. Shuddering with an
undefinable dread, l drew closer to my
father. He softly opened the gate, and
silently we passed thro' it. The doctor,
who was Just leaving the door, seemed
greatly surprised TO meet us there at that
hour. Words cannot describe my feelings,
when, in answer to my fathers inquiries,
he told us that Amy was sick with a
brain fever.
".Her brother tells me- he continued
she has not been well for some days, but
that she was unwilling to remain from
school, She came home yesterday after
noon, it seems, very unlike herself. She
took no supper, but sat at the table mute,
as if stupifed with grief Her mother
tried in every way to draw from her the
cause of her sorrow; but in vain. She
: went TO bed with the same heartbroken
appearance, and in less than an hour was
summoned. In her delirium she has been