The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-11-17

ana looked over the drawing for the eve-
ming lottery, sighed and turned away
How long since? Not more than an hour.
In which direction did he go?" We
were shown.
An idaa flashed into my mind; that
way would lead cirectly to the house which
he had formerly occupied. What if he
had desired to revisit his haunts, or, in his
delirium, had strayed unconsciously thither.
ward through the force of old habit? We
had not been there-we must hurry that
way, by all means. As we went, we in
quircd, OF people most likely TO have seen
him.
" Ycs, 1T was police officer who
spoke yes, he was i'll that groggery
there, took drink of brandy, and rested
while. lie seemed very tired, and
walked slow and feebly. 1t is not fl
teen minutes since he left-wept that
way
OFF we started again, made almost GER
tain now that we were on the right track.
| will 60 with you, said the policeman
catching some of our excitement. We
went now still faster. We would catch
him, for there was long steep hill to be
surmounted ere be could reach his goal
steep hill that would sadly try his weary
feet and wasting breath. On through the
keen wind, our feet crunching the crisp
snow--on-for somehow, though we spoke
not of it, each felt that it was for life-and
death matters that we hurried. Save by
us, the streets were deserted. The lamp
light hickered upon the snow-not form
to be seen. Yes, yonder, on the hill,
moves a shadow, growing slowly longer.
Yes, it must be him. Hasten
NAY, rather 60 slower, and do not let
him see you; the excitement may be dam
gerous, and he may escape us, too.,'
True, policeman, your experience is Of
use to two trembling, and unstrung ones,
dreading some calamity that we dare not
define in our thonghts, even, Let US fol-
low slowly, warily, you poor forlorn one,
with heavy feet heavily toiling up the hill.
See, now, he is at the top, and pauses,
turns. " Into this doorway. Let him
not see YOU He pauses-turns-wha
means he? See, he waves his right arm
in the air, once, twice, thrice-waves it
towards the east, waves in slow and SOL
emn manner, as we wave an eternal fare
we'll to our loved ones. Oh, how porten-
tously waved that arm oh, fearfully did
that waved arm agree with our excited
thoughts oh, how terribly, afterwards,
did that waved arm enter into my dreams
gloomily making air-circles about me till
sleep became burden
And now he moves on over the hill, and
we, signing a long sigh of relief, follow
after. Not far has he to 60 now hum
dred yards further, and ht will reach the
place of his old misery. Let us hasten /;
we know not what his despair may bring
about; deeds are quick as thought, often
not often needs death a second bidding.
Follow, oh follow? And we rush on with
desperate speed, with wild thoughts that
choke us, Eli us with creeping dread. We
are at the top of the hill, and yonder is
the old house, so battered-his house-his
goal-wil it be his likewise to us, under
more frightful associations ? Alas we
have not long to wait for the answer.
Where is he? In the doorway of the
house sits a silent, motionless form-a
form bent over, with head resting upon
knees. Even now, while we pause mo-
ment, the head is raised, and the hand,
and we fancy we note a shudder run
through the frame and again in the lamp
light the head falls heavily upon the knees
and the hand drops upon the snow heavily
not replacing the fallen hat which exposes
those gray hairs to the bitter night. Hur.
ry- there is need of us. But perhaps
perhaps his hour of need is past. Hurry
We are here The lamp sheds its light
upon him. A well One does one thing
another some other thing; but I-what
do l do2 Great God what do l do A
slip of paper has fallen from the relaxed
hana-a narrow slip of paper have
seen many, very many, like it, God pre-.
serve me from seeing another as l saw
that Nothing do /, save clutch up that
slip of paper, and bear it to the light;
knew it-many such had sold but oh
why was it-why, oh Thou Inscrutable
One, was it, that of all the numbers it is
possible to combine, from one to seventy.
| Hua af oil h. ,o,a;llo