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

woman knocked at the door of little cottage
in the suburbs Of little town of Newcastle upon
Tyne. The knock was Immediately responded
to by the opening of the door from within. Al
aged woman, neatly dressed, and who had evi
IDENTIFY risen from her wheel, was the sole inmate
Of the little cot.
BLESS your heart, girl, said the dame, as she
entered with her visitor, and sat down to the
wheel again, "there must surely be something
particular about you to-day, for you did not
used to knock"
81 was afraid some one might be with you,
mothcr,' SAID the girl, tyho had taken seat op-
posite the spinner.
"And though neighbor had been here" re-
piled the dame, "this surely wouldn't have
frightened you away. But the truth is, you
have something TO say to me- Catherine" con,
tnucd the speaker, kindly "out with it, my
dear, and depend upon the best counsel that old
Hannah can give"
The young woman blushod deeply, and did
not speak.
"llas William Hutton asked you to become
his wife, Catherine 2 said the dame, who easily
and rightly anticipated the matter that was in
the thoughts Of her youthful visitor.
liC HIS, HlotHCi' WIS lHc ItIh1.
"Well, my DEAR" said she after short pause,
sis not this what you have long expected aye,
and wished He has your heart and so sup
pose it needs no witch to tell what will be the
end ont"
This might be all very true, but there was
something on Caharinc's mind which struggled
to be out, and out it came.
"Dear Hannah" said she, seating herself close
by the dame, and taking hold Of her hand, "you
have been kind friend--a parcut--to me since
my poor mother died, and have no one to look
to for advice but yourself / have not given
William an answer, aud | would not until had
spoken to you; more especially as something
as You once said"
"What did say, CatharinoH' interrupted
the Old woman nothing against the man you
love, surely. lie is, from all have seen and
heard, kind hearted, industrious, and every way
wcll-hchavcd."
ayes, Hannah, replied the woman; "but you
once said, after | had brought him once or twice
to sec you that you did not like thosc--those
sort Of low fits that sometimes fall upon him
even while in your company. ] have otien no,
tc>d them Since Hannah" continued Catharnc
with sigh.
plague on my thcughtlcss tongue, for saying
such thing to ycX you, my dear child! He
was a soldier, you know, good many years ago
before he was twcnty-and fought for his
country. Perhaps he may have seen sights
then that made him gricvc to think upon, with
out blaming himself But whatever it may be,
meant not, Cntharinc, that YOU should take
such passing word to heart If he has some
"a, ~ ooyiI,, eon.b,, him, and
him happy"
As the worthy dame spoke, her visitors brow
gradually cleared, and after some further con-
versaion, Catharinc left the cottage lightcned
at heart with the thought that her old friend ap-
proved Of her following the course to which her
inclination led her
! Catharine Smith was indeed well entitled to
pay respect to the counscls Of Hannah. The
latter had never married, and had spent the
greater part Of her life in tie service of a
wealthy family at Nlorpeth. When she was
there the widowed mother of Catharne had
died at Newcastle; and on learning Of the cir
cumstances, Hannah, though a friend merely
and no relation, had sent for the orphan girl,
then ten years Of age and had taken care Of her
until she grew fit to maintain herself by service.
| On finding herself unable to continue working
life longer, Hannah retired to Newcastle, her
native place, where she lived in humble comfort
on the earnings Of her long career of servitude.
Caharine came back with her to Newcastle, and
Immediately entered into service there. Hannah
and Catharine had been two years in these re.
spective situations, when the dialogue which has
just been recorded took place
| On the succeeding expiration of her term Of
service, Cutharine was married to the young
man whose name had been stated as being vii.
liam Hutton. lie was joiner by trade, and
bore as Hannah had said, an excellent character.
The first visit paid by the ncw married pair was
to the cottage Of tie old woman, who gazed on
them with truly maternal PRIDE thinking she
had never seen so handsome n couple The few
years spent by Hutton in the army had gwen to
his naturally good figure an erect manllncss,
which looked SO well in one of his sex, as the
light graceful figure, and fair, ingenious counte-
nance of Catharnc, was calculated to adorn one
of women kind Something Of this kind, at
least was in the thoughts of Hannah when
Cathariue and her husband visited the dame $
dwelling.
Many future visit was paid by the same
parties to Hannah, and on each successive oc-
casion the old woman looked narrowly, though
as unobtrusvely as possible, into the state Of
the wifo's feelings, with motherly anxiety to
know il she was happy. For, though Hannah,
seeing Catharinc's affections deeply engaged, had
made light Of her own early remark upon the
strange and most unplcasing gloom occasionally,
if not frequently Observable, in the look and
manner of William Hutton, the old woman was
never able to rid her own mind altogether Of
misgivings on the subject For many months
} after Catharnc's marriage, however, Hannah
could discover nothing but open unaIloyed hap.
l pness in the air and conversation of the youth
fal wife. But at length lIannah's anxious eye
!, did perceive something like a change. Catharinc
4 seemed sometimes to fall, when visiting the cot.
S tage, into fits of abstraction, not alike those
, which had been observed in her husband The
r aged dame had felt greatly distressed at the
- It