Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-04-15

uhJ lOUh Va uliO ASSsuiAy
the whole truth, with a fullness of joy.
" Clovis My elder brother - he exclaimed
and joyfully hastened toward him, but when he
approached he observed that Clovis eyes were
CLASSY
Billy Dear BIly!'' said Clovis, =" am
cold p
g Clovis My brother My brother ~ said
William in tone of deep suffering for
he foresaw the result.
.Tis all over" said the other, feebly stretch
ing forth his hand which William grasped $
g Pardon Forgive p lleadded and with the
last word lingering on his lips, herepentant
sinner sunk into slumber tia knows no wax
ing.
The grief of William Belden consequent
upon the death of Clovis was intense. Each
had been in the society of the other from the
infancy of the former; and by reason of their
peculiar positions :; the circumstance of their
first introduction the subsequent dependence
and trust of one and the watchfulness and f.
deity of the one other each INDUCED toward the
other fraternal feeling which grew with their
growth, and strengthened with their strength,
though both were unconscious that any such
relation really subsisted between them and
neither indulged even remote idea of that
sort, till Clovis overheard the conversation be-
tween Musgravc and Barker under the walls of
the Third Concessione's Church Then for
the first time, he was made aware of the
fact, that the name of the, person on board,
who was the owner of the Ship Sarah Leeds,
was Belden and subsequent events kept his
suspicious continually awake that the same
Mr.. Beden, from whom he had then been
many years separated; and on whose person the
progress of time, and the cares of business, had
wrought such change that its early outline had
escaped the unretentive memory of a vicious
youth was his father. These suspicious how
ever, he kept concealed from William; and SUI
fered them to gnaw upon his vitals till the
period should be brought about, which, with
all his energies he was fastening on, that
should reveal their truth or error.
Apprehcnding, when he left the Snagger's
Retreat on the morning of the attack, to sum
mon Sabine and his men to the rescue, that
he might be intercepted by some of the gang
and aware that if he should be, and their sus-
picions were aroused, his life would be forfeit;
or that he might fall in the assault; he had
briefly written out his history the circumstan-
ces connected with the death of Mr.. Belden
his subsequent suspicious and the origin of
them; and his solemn protest against all infer
ence that he was, if he was, conscious accessory
to his fathers and his mother death; detail of
Musgraye's plot, so far as he knew, or suspect
cd it. concerning Belden's estate; and sugges-
tions relating to its detection and exposure.
Such were the contents of the packet he then
deposited with William, and to which he re-
ferred in his testimony before the Prorogatve
Court.
His ponitence William did not doubt. 10
every line and every word, he gave entire Gre
dence ; and such it was entitled to. What
soever may have been Clovis defections, to-
ward William lie maintained an unvarying
truthfulness and fidelity of character and
the termination of his life under such
circumstances and by such cause; at
period when William was just realizing the
product of those qualities; overwhelmed the
latter for a time with almost inconsolable
grief. He deplored the death of Clovis as of
a friend and guide and he mourned bitterly
the severance of that fraternal relationship for
which his heart had long yearned, and which,
as it seemed to him, was just begun. He was
the sole heir to his fathers estate with neither
affinity or consanguinity in the world. His af-
fections wandered abroad over all the earth in
search of some reciprocal exchange; and, like
the Dove to the Ark, they returned to him
again with blooming flowers from the vernal
garden in Alice's heart.
BY the earnest endeavors of his counsel, Mr..
Leavitt, he was in process of time given the
possession of large patrimonial estate with
his mind, manners, and personal attractions,
essentially improved. Yet in spite of all these,
there remained an " aching void - in his heart,
which one being only in the world had the ca
pacity to fill.
Whether William Belden ever returned to
America again; and if he did, for what -
let the fair reader guess.