Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-12-24
RAsBURGH, VERMONT, FRIDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1853.

thank his deliverers. Suddenly his eye
fell on mirror hanging on the wall on
posite the bed, and he exclaimed:
Wipe the hOar-frost Off my hair, and
that yellow dust off my cheeksP
In truth, his eurIed locks were white,
his rosy cheeks yellow and wrinkled and
his bright eyes dim and sunken; but
neither dust nor hoar-frost was there to
wipe away-that one night of horror had /
added forty years to his agel
In the course of that day, numbers who
had heard of Gabriers adventure, crowd
ed to the inn and sought to see him, but
none were admitted save the three who
sat continually by his bedside-his weep
ing youns-sister, the brave Arnold, and
Master joss, the most unhappy of all; for
his conscience ceased not TO say, in q voice
that sooa,ld be heard: You alone are
the cause of all this By way of lit
tie self-comfort, the sacristan used TO ex-
claim at intervals; If only had hold
of that Lawrence If / once had that
Ottkar by the throatr But both worthless
kept carefully out of sight; nor were they
ever again seen in the fair city of Wen
na.
'AhP said Gabriel, towards evening,
"'tis all over between me and Annie.
She would shudder at the sight of an old,
wrinkled, gray-haired fellow like me-
No one answered. His sister hid her
face on the pillow, while her bright ring
lets mingled with his poor gray locks
and Arnold's handsome face grew very
sad as he thought the poor fellow is
right; there are few things that young
girls dislike more than gray hairs and
yellow wrinkles
/ have one request TO make of you
all, dear friends said Gabriel, painfully
, raising himself on his couch do not lei
Annie know a word of this. Write t,
her that lam dead, and she'll mind it les
l l think; then I'll go into the forest, and
Y let the wolves eat me, if they will.
o want to save her from pain
a : A fine way, indeed, to save Anni
from painr cried a well-known voice
while light figure rushed towards tn
e bed, and elasped the poot sufferer in
close and long embrace. My own tru
$ love you were never more beautiful il
e my eyes than now. And pretend tha
T. you were dead! A likely story, Will
; every child in Vienna is talking of moth
ing but my poor boys adventure. AM
n let tyourself be eaten by wolves No, nj
no, Gabriel you wouldn'ttreat your poo
Annie so cruelty as that
A regular hail-storm Of kisses folIowe,
- and it is said-how truly | know not
- that somehow in the general melee Al
nold's hps came into wonderfully clos
!, contact with the rosy ones of Gabriel
= little sister. Certainly he was heard IL
- next day to whisper into bis friends cal
:, A fair exchange is no robbery, my boy
- [ think if you take my sister, the lea
you can dOis to give me yours
- 1t does not appear that any objectiC
a was made in any quarter. Love ar
i hope proved wonderful physicians fo
although GabrieI's hair to the end Of b
life remained as white as snow, his cheel
70 and eyes, ere the wedding-day arrive
ha had resumed their former tint and brigt
ness. A happy man was Master joss
-. the day that he gave bis blessing to t
= two young couples-the day when 6
:. briefs sore-tried love found its reward
- the hand Of bis Annie.