The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1858-06-26

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wife, 9 hens SO good. so kind, 50 dutifnlto God
and to man lie has too much tenderness
and feeling to harm a fy Hannah. what am
/ to think ordo? for am wretched at present
II was. not long ere The old dame replied To,
this question. She unused greatly upon what
had been told her, and, IN the end said to
Calhariue Ny poor child IcaGnot believe
that William is guilty of what these circum-
stances lay seemingly at his door. But, If the
worst be true. it II better for you To- know il
than to be III this killing suspense forever. Go
and gain bis confidence, 1,atharine tell him
all that has Come 70 you ear, and say that You
did so by my adyics.V Hannah continued to
use persnasioDs Of the same kind for some time
longer, and at length sent Caiharine home,
firmly Esolvedst TO follow the counsel given her.
On the following day Catbarine once more
presented herself at the abode Of Hannah, aud
as soon o. she entered, exclaimed "Dear
mother, 1 have told him all!he will be hare
soon ~tuexplain every thing to us BOTH
The DID woman DID not exactly comprehend
this. 4 Has he not" said she Y given any ex-
PLANTATION to you n
1 No, Hannah said Catherine ; " bnt, oh
he is not guilty. When had spokenlas yo,l
desired me, he was silent a long time, and be
then took me In his arms, hannah, and kissed
me-. saying My darling Gatharine, / ought
TO have confided in your long before. l have
been Unfortunate. not guilty. Gotokind Han
nah's and | will soon follow you, aud set your
mind 1T ease, az far as it eau be done. Had /
known how much you have been suffering, I
would have done this long before These
were his words Hannah. Oh, he may be On
fortunate, but not guilty"
Hannah and Calharine said little to each
other until the latter a to the cottage.
William sat down gravelysby the side of his
wife, and after kindly inquiring for the old
woman, ut once .con1meiiced to tell his story.
g The reasons Of my unhappy EXPLANATIONS
in my sleep, which have weighed so much up
on my mind, dear Catharine, may be very
soon told. They arose from a Circumstance
which has much embittered my own peace Of
mind. but which | hope tito be regarded as
a sad calamity rather than a crime. When /
entered the army, which did 1.-THE age Of 10,
the recruiting party to which l attached my
self was sent to Scotland, where we remained
but . few days. being ordered again to Eng,
land, in order to be transported again to the
continent. One unhappy morning, as we
were passing ont OF the town where we had
rested on our march southwark, my compar-
ions and / CHANGED to see a girl, apparently
about fifteen hears Of age, washing clothes in a
run. Being the most light, hearted among the
light hearted. I took up a large stone with the
intention OF splashing the water against the
girl. She stopped hastily, and shocking to
tell, when | threw the stone, it struct her on
the head, and she fell to the ground, with,
fear, her skull fractured. Strpeied at what i
had done, ! stood gazing on the stream d
blood rushing from my poor victims head
when my companions observing that no one
had seen US, for it was then early in The nor.
ming, hurried me of. We were not pursued
and we were IN D few weeks on the continent
but the image of that bleeding sirl followed
me every where and since / came home /
have never dared to inquire the result, hes aus.
pioion should be excited. and ] should ia hung
for murder for | fear from the dreadful nature
o. thssblow, that the death Of that poor creaaa..
tnre lies at my door! T.
While Hatton was relating HISTORY, he
had turned his eyes 70 the window ; but what
was ms establishment, as he was concluding, Ia
hear old Hannah cry aloud. aThank Cod "
while his wife broke into an hysterical passion
Of tears and smiles, aud throw herself into his
arms. s
"My dear husband. cried she. as soon d
her voice found utteYanco, " that town was
Morpeth!n
!" II was. said he.
"Dear William the wife then cried, g I am
that girl y
@You, Gatharine. !" cried The amazed and
enraptured husband, as he pressed her to bis
breast.
Yes said old Hannah, from whose eyes
tears were fast dropping, the girl whom you
unfortunately struck was she who is now the
wife Of your bosom but your fears had mao.
niiied the blow. Gatharine was found by nv.
sell soon after the accident and though she
lost a little blood. and was stunned for a time,
she soon got ronsea again. Praised be Hea.
ven for bringing about this blessed explanation
g Amen T cried Catharine and her busband.
Peace and happiness, as much as usually
falls to the lot of mortals, were the lot fatbar.
inc and her husband from this time forward
their great source of disguietude being thus
| taken away Tho v-;cn oro, I.z1 n