Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-10-23

SdFet WIS tfue-hargaret was pure
"Oh, thank God thank God r burst
iEvoluntarily from the mothers lips as
she sank upon her knees. The vail OF
her life's greatest sorrow was rent away,
and she seemed to see her child, her last
child, her pure, innocent blessed child, as
she named her in her heart, waiting for
her in heaven. But her cry of thanks
giving fell on unheeding ears.
Moses Grant spoke earnestly:
" Yes, Mary, God has suffered this
knowledge to come to me in the eleventh
hour, just to show me that I, who dared
to call myself His servant, have been but
a hard anmeTciful tyrant after all, fear
ing earthly disgrace more than feared
Him. Oh, Mary is it too late to save our
child?"
God grant it may be in time," Mary
Grant faltered; " but tell me how the
knowledge came to you? Are you sure
of its truth ?"
Look here! see with your own eyes,
Margaret's marriage--certifcate, and
listen, will read you this letter which /
have received from Gilbert Trumbull.-
1t seems his lawyer wrote it for him when
be was dying. 1t says:
"' Mr.. Grant, have not been a
good man. feel this now, lying here
on my death-bed, and l confess it to you
the more readily because 1 do not believe
that at heart you are a one whit better
one. l must speak plainly and bluntly,
for | have no time for circumlocution.-
L have hardly strength enough left to
dictate this to Richard Huntley, my at
torney. l have made brave effort to
forgive every body; but is has been the
hardest of all TO forgive you, for youl
harshness, your sinful pride, killed my
beautiful Margaret. You never lovec
as | loved her-I, her lover, her hus
band. There, you will start at thai
word, foresee--you will start again a
the marriage-certificate infolded in thi;
letter. We were married secretly a:
you will perceive, while I was in you
very nelgnUornoed. bound 0Targare.
Z when left her, by a solemn oath, not t,
make it known until she had my permis
sion. She was a gentle creature, as nj
] one knows better than you. and neve
thought of disputing the viii of any on,
she loved. My father was dead. wa
dependent for all my hopes of future for
tune and support on my mother, q yer,
proud, resolute woman. She had gram
match in contemplation for me at tha
i time. l knew it would be no easy mai
ter to reconcile her to its failure, and
r she should know just then that ha
Il married what she would have thought s
: far below me. much as she loved me sh
would have cast me off forever. This
l. true man would have been no grea
le matter compared with causing Margar
one hour of trouble, one agony of hum
ID liation. But | was not a true man.
1t was helpless and imbecile, for l had nevo
he been brought up to depend on myself
ct But 1 must hasten, for my strength
re failing me.
Il a. kept Margaret advised through
, friend, of all my movements, and VIII,
u you crushed her with the weight of yo
= scorn and contumely she fed to me.
rs welcomed her. God knows I did, for
AS loved her ! / took care of her in seer,
u and l should have made her happy h
Ut not your displeasure haunted her. 7
~ ward the last 1 was obliged to leave b
for few weeks. In that time she f
7I' fled because sie was dying Of v
~ longing to throw herself at your feet a
ler beg your forgiveness. She told me 4
I'll in a note she left behind her for me.
by was full Of love stained with tears, bl
DID ted with her kisses. In it she said s
would not, in any extremity, betray {
Az marriage until she had my permission
a. She must have walked nearly all
III way to you, for, thinking all her ne
,a we're provided for, / had left her but
iei' few dollars.
- You knowsthe rest. I have a frie
u in your neighborhood who has kept
"a informed of all that concerned Marga
- and her child. God in heaven knc
MS how sincerely mourned her. Had
NAT lived, should have acknowledged
a'il as my wife. The child would have b
mn. brought up as Elinor Trumbulrs na
!! sake should havd been but since n
nge garet was dead, ! preferred to leave
d a baby to you. l had never seen the
on tie one. 1t was not natural ] she
lett have any very strong love for her,
best to give her up save me a great dea
embarrassment Nc rnofher dfad q