St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-07-01

closed the door behind L"I' shc NV
that she had crossed its threshold for
the last time. \ strong wish to say
good-by t. Po,ly and hear her ask
Goa TO bless her on her lonely way,
came over her; but she rcprcsscd 1t
for fear Of bringing on her old nurses
head terrible punishment. She had
Icr. = na,.ar Ola her table cXculpating
her from all share in her flight and
sl, thou.lt il best to leave her in en-
tire ign5ranrc Of her Intentions.
The ma,a was " wading' through
n cloudcd sky, occasionally shining
forth with all its briliancy, but gen
orally dimmed and faint. The path
through the woods, in its uncertain
light, was hard to find and the young
Girl wandered out of her way and
several times stumbled and fell over
the projecting roots or dead branches
strcwed around. Her situation was
iorIorn and she would have been
desperate but that, as human aid failed
her she cluug closer to her Mixer
"God created me he formed me with
this nature and these principles he
will not desert me now when ! refuse
to periurc myself to act contrary to
all my highest instincts. l will trust
to him, and keep up my courage"
thought she. And she had need Of it
all at that time, for the woods in which
she was wandering were, as she well
knew the haunt of runaway negroes,
and infested by vcnOmous scrpents.-
But neither animals or men crossed
Ter path; and at length she found the
gate, and, opening it, stood on the
hichroad. Now, she did not know
which way to turn but, after short
PRAYER for aid--fOr, when we have ne
human help, we instinctivcly turn to
Hcavcn-shc went towards the east.
Soon she heard the trampling of a
horses feet behind her, and, turning,
$beheld a man leisurcly approaching.
The friendly moon shonc forth I'M
dimmed by cnviou5 clouds just then,
and the two had distinct view of
each other. Adelaide bchcll gen
tlcman Of perhaps twcnty-fOur, but in
whose grave and manly countenance
there was an air of authority and res
possibility hardly suited to his years.
There was something kind and gentle
in his eve that would have won the
confidence of child, and gave the
Young girl the resolution to trust him.
On his side John Meredith wondered
where this beautiful apparition had
dropped from. In the silver noon
light, with her pale face and radiant
eyes, she looked hardly earthly. Meth
or addressed tho other at first but
Mr.. Meredith, checking his horses
pace, kept by her side for some little
distance then, seeing that she was
walking steadily on
care You alone - he asked.
"Ycs," was the reply, followed by
another pause.
at is hardly safe for young lady
ike You to be out alone at this time"
continued he.
There was no reply.
"llavc you far to got"
Eyes"
"Can I be of any assistance to you?
Where are you going?"
~ do not know"
9" Oh, she is crazy, evidently"
thought he" perhaps what they call
q lunatic-thc moon is nearly full
yes, ii must be so. Poor thing, ! will
try to coax her to let me take her to
her friends"
"Do You live in the nciGhborhood ?"
asked he, alighting and walking be
side her.
BY this time Adelaide had taken her
resolution.
~ will tell you who am, and why
you find me here alone, if you will
promise not to let my father know, non
try to induce me to go back" said she
lie almost started. "What a strange
faculty lunatics have of divining one 5
thoughtsl" said he to himself, and he
gave the required promise.
Adelaide told him all as they walked
over the lonely road i'll the dim moon
light--her isolated life, her fathers
harshness, and latteriy his cruel ell
dcavors to make her marry man she
abhorrcd. She told him that she had
tried to bear ii all patiently, and had
only fed from him when there seemed
nothing else TO be done.
Perhaps" said she, with a sweet
humility and a deprecatlng look at her
s2lf,elccted protector, I" if | had any
one to teach me, as other girls have,
might have acted differently (; but !
had no one but Aunt Polly, and she
did not know what to do any more
than did. Everything around me
seemed wrong, and | do not suppose
| always did right but | could not
stay at home ; | would rather have
died.
"You did perfectly right, Miss
Wood" said Mr.. Meredith. Il have
hoard of YOU and of your father. for |
Have friends in this ncghborhood, who
know mnra about van nrohohIv than