Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-04-02
JACK WILSON.
CONCLUDED.



ed to her husband. His handsome fea-
lures, his graceful form, and frank and
easy manners, with the air of interest,
which in the eyes of a youthful maiden
is always attached to the gallant spirits
who voluntarily brave perils by sea and
by land, had first won her heart-while
his afectionate disposition, his generous
nature, and his sterling integrity, in
creased her affection and secured her
respect. He was her beau ideal of hu-
man perfection and the regret, the
deep-seated sorrow which the young wife
experienced, when her truant husband
parted from her, almost in the honey
moon, to encounter dangers on the nigh
ty deep, may be more easily imagined
than described. But there are few ills
of life for which time does not bring a
panacea-and although when the stage
drove of, carrying with it the dearest
iend which she had on earth, she was
trarwhelmed with grief, and refused all
onsolation, in few days the natural
buoyancy of her spirits prevailed, and
she listened to the whisperings of Hope,
and gazed fondly on the images of JOY to
which the enchantress pointed in the
distance. Her thoughts, however, sleep
ing or waking, centred on her husband,
and although she attended to her domes-
&c duties with unremitting sssiduity, and
lost no opportunity of administering to
the happiness of her parents, who loved
her as fondly as ever parents loved a
child, she was constantly looking forward
to the return of her husband, as to the
brightest hour of her existence.
The Rabican was expected to be ab-
sent from eight to twelve months, accord
ing to circumstances-and the Marine
Lists" in the newspapers were scanned
with great care by Katharine, in the ex'
pectation that they would furnish hel
with occasional intelligence of the pro
gress and safety of the ship, in whose
fortunes she now took so deep an inter
est. But the Rabican, on her outward
passage, was not spoken by any home
ward bound vessels, much to Kate
yexation and disappointment. In q few
months she began to expect letters from
her husband-but no letters came. A
length, one day, to her great JOY, Will
examining the shipping department of
Boston newspaper, she saw that the Ra
bican had arrived at Bahia in passag
of sixty-fve days from Boston. Nov
she should certainly receive letters frOr
Jack Wilson-and day after day sh
visited the post office on the arrival {
The mail, but returned slowly to he
home, sad and disappointed. She cor
soled herself with the idea that Jac
had written, but that the letters had mi
carried.
Time passed away, and the return
the Rabican was daily expected. A yes
had effected an astonishing change in IL
condition and character Of Katharir
Clifford. From lively, good humore
laughing, hoydenish girl, she was tran
formed into sedate matron-a wife, wi
had tasted the cup Of matrimonial he
piness, to have it dashed from her lips
u mother, who gazed upon her new-bo
son with all young mothers pride al
fondness. She regarded him as a ne
tie of affection, and eagerly looked fc
ward to the blissful hour when she cou
present him to her husband.
The Rabican arrived in Boston. I
news sent a thrill of JOY through
frame of Katharine. Her husband b
returned! She should soon be press
to his heart And she fondly hop
that they would never again be sepal
ted, except by death-for she secre
resolved to use all her influence W
Jack, to quit the seas forever. VIII
she was thus anticipating one of
richest enjoyments of which human
ture is capable, seated in the front par
Of her fathers house, with her inf
smiling in her lap, a letter from Capt'
Thompson was received, informing
that her husband had been taken W
violence from his ship, and impress
on board an English man-of-war II
few days Captain Thompson hims
with kindness of feeling characteri
Of the pr0fession to which he belong
FASTENED to the young wife and mott
agreeably to Jack Wilson's request,
communicated all the details of the
barous transaction.
This was a dreadful blow to Kat
line, and one for which she was entil
unprepared. She had often heard
husband speak Of the horrors Of impr
m-nt-and now that he was fore
r