Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-05-14

puppets and pulling the wires that NOV
them to such degrees of crime as were de-
manded for his study.
Thus Ethan Brand became a fend II,
began to be 50 from the moment that hi.
moral nature had ceased to keep the pace o
improvement with his intellect. And now
as his highest effort, and inevitable developc-
ment-as the bright and gorgeous flower,
and rich, delicious fruit of his lifes labor
he had discovered the objectionable Sin.
''Wh hat more have to seek What more
10 achieve?' said Ethan Brand to himself
MY task is done, and we'll done -
Starting from the log with a certain alacri-
ty in his gait, and ascending the hillock of
earth that was raised against the stone cir
cunlicrence Of the limekiln, he thus reached
the top OF the structure. 1t was u space of
prchaps ten feet across, from edge to edge,
presenting view of the upper surface of the
| immense mass of broken marble with which
the kiln was hcaped. All the nnumcrablc
blocks and fragments of marble were red hot
and vivid.y on fire, sending up great spouts of
blue flame, which quivered aloft and danced
madly, as within magic circle, and sank
and rose again, with continual and mutitud-
lnous activity. As the lonely man bent
forward over this terrible body of fire, the
blasting heat smote up against his person
with breath that, it might be supposed,
would have scorched and shrivcled him M in
a moment
Ethan Brand stood erect and raised his
arms on high. The blue flame played upon
his face, and impaired the wild and CHASTITY
light which alone could have suited his ex
preston ; it was that of fcnd on the verge
OF punging into his gull of intensest torment
go, Mother EARTH cried he, who art
no more my mother, and into whose bosom
this frame shall never be resolved? o, man
kind, whose brotherhood have cast off and
trampled thy great heart beneath nv feet
U, stars of heaven, that shone on me of old,
as it to light me onward and upward Fare
well all, and forever Come, deadly element
of fire; henceforth my familiar friend EN-
brace Inc as do thee,
That night, the sound of a fearful peal of
laughter rolled heavily through the sleep of
the lnc-burncr and his liz i" son dim s,..ipes
OF horror and anguish haunted their dreams,
and seemed still present in the rude hovel
when they opened their eyes to the daylight.
" Up, boy, up" cried the liine-Durner,
staring about him. Thank Heaven. the
another such, | would watch my lime kiln
wide awake for a tweve-month. This Ethan
Brand, with his hunbug of an objectionable
Sin. has done me no such mighty favor in
taking my place"
lie issued from the hut, followed by little
Joe who kept fast hold of his father s hand.
Ihe early sunshine was already pouring it's
gold upon the mountain-tops, and though the
valleys were still In the shadow, they smiled
cheertully in the promise of the bright day
that was fastening onward. The village,
completely shut in by hills, which swelIed
gently about it, looked as if it had rested
peacefully in the hollow of the great hand of
Providence. Each dwelling was distinctly
visible the little spires of the two churches
pointed upward, and caught fore-glimner-
ing of brig ghtness from the sun-gilt skies upon
their weather-cocks. The tavern was astir,
and the figure of the old smoke-dried stage
agent, cigar in mouth was seen beneath the
stoop Old Graylock was glorifed with a
golden cloud upon his head. Scattered like
wise upon the breasts of the surrounding
mountains there were heaps of hoary mists,
in fantastic shapes, some of them far down
into the valley, others high up towards the
SUBMITS, and still Others of the same family
OF mist and clouds, lowering in the golden ra-
dance OF the upper atmosphere. Stepping
from one to another of the clouds that rested
on the hills, and thence to the loftier brother
hood that sailed in the air, it seemed almost
as II mortal man might thus ascend into the
heavenly regions. Earth was so mingled with
sky that it was a day-dream to look at it.
To supply that charm of the familiar and
homely which nature 50 readily adopts into
scene like this, the stage coach was rafting
down the mountain road, and the driver
sounding his horn, while each hill caught up
the notes and intertwined them into rich
and varied and elaborate harmony, of which
the original performer could lay claim to a
little share. The great hills played con-
cert among themselves, each contributing
strain of airy sweetness
Little Joe's face frightened at once.
Dear father cried he, skipping checrily
to and fro, " that strange man is gone, and
the sky and the mountains all seem glad of
it ~
eyes" growled the lime burner, with an
oath, "but he has let the fire go down, and
no thanks to him, if five hundred bushels of
lime are not spoilt. If | catch the fellow
hercabouts again, | shall feel like tossing
him into the furnace"
With his long pole in his hand, he ascend
ed to the top of the kiln. After moments
pause, he called to his son.
''Como up, Toen' said he.
SO little Joe ran up the hillock and stood
by his fathers side. The marble was burnt
into perfect snowwhite lime. But, on its
surface, in the midst of the circle-snow
white too, and thoroughly converted into lime
lay human skeleton, in the attitude of a
person who, after long toll, lies down to long
repose. Within the ribs-strange to say
was the shape of a human heart
"Was the fellows heart made of marble? ?"
cried Bertram, in some perplexity at this
phenomenon "At any rate. it is burnt into
what is called special good lime; and, taking
all the bones together, my kiln Is half a
bushel the richer by him,
So saying, the rude lime burner lifted his
pole and letting it tall upon the skeleton, the |
relics OF Ethan Brand were crumbled into
fragments.