Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1857-08-13

at ease as far as 1T can be DONE Had l. known
how much you have been suffering, l would
have done this long before. These were his
words, Hannah Oh, he may be unfortunate
but not guilty"
! Hannah and Catharine said little to each other
until the latter came to the cottage. William
sat down gravely by the side of his wife, and
after kindly inquiring for the old woman, at once
commenced to tell his story.
"Ihe reasons OF my unhappy exclamations
in my sleep, which have weighed so much upcr
my mind, dear Catharine, may be very soon
tod-Thcy arose from a circumstance which
has much embittered my own peace, but which
| hope is to be regarded as sad calamity rather
than crime. When | entered the army which
l did ut the age Of nineteen, the recruiting
party to which | attached myself was sent t
Scotland, where we remained but few days,
being ordered again to England, in order to be
transported again to the continent. One un
happy morning, as we were passing out of the
town where we had rested on our march south
ward, my companions and L chanced to see
girl, apparently about fifteen years of age, wash.
ing clothes in a tub Being the most light
hearted, took up e large stone with the inten
tion of spashing the water against the girl. She
stopped hastily and shocking to tell, when
threw the stone it struck her on the head and
she fell to the ground, with, fear, her skull
fractured. Stupcfed at what | had done, ]
stood gazing on the stream of blood rushing from
my poor victims head, when my companions
observing that no one had seen u.s. for it was
then early in the morning, hurried me off. We
were not pursued, and we were ir few week.
on the contincnt-but the image of that bleed
ing girl followed me everywhere; and since
came home l have never dared to enquire tht
result, lest suspicion should be excited, and
should be hung for murdcr.-For fear from
the dreadful nature Of the blow that the deatl
Of that poor creature lies at my door,"
While Hutton was relating his story, he hat
turned his eyes to the window, but what was his
astonishment, as he was concluding, to hear ole
Hannah cry aloud-"Thank Cod" while his
wife broke into a hysterical passion of tears and
smiles, and threw herself into his arms
My dear husband" cried she as soon as
her voice found uttcrrnce, "that town waE
Morpeh ~
alt was" said he.
Dear William" the wife then cried, II am
that girl !"
"You, Catharinc!" cried the amazed and
enraptured husband, as he pressed her to his
breast.
"lcs," said old Hannah, from whose eyes
tears were fast dropping "thc girl whom you
unfortunately struck was she who is now the
wife Of VOW Bosom but vour fears had magni
fed the low. Caharlno was found by nyscl
soon after the accidents and though she lost
little blood, and was stunned for a time, she
soon got rou1cd again. Praised be heaven for
bringing about this blessed explanation "
"Amen ~ cried Catharine and her husband.
Peace and happiness, as much as usually fall,
to the lot Of mortals, were the lot of Catharint
and her husband from this time forward, theil
great source of disquictude being thus taker
away. The wife even loved the h lsband more
from the discovery that the circumstances which
had caused her distress were but proof of his
extreme tenderness of heart and conscience
and William attached the more strongly tc
Caharine, after finding her to be the person
whom he unwittingly injured. A new tie, as i,
wcre had been formed between them.