Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-08-27

through all tne winters ana SMOKED theiF
pipe through all the summers, since Ethna
Brands departure. Laughing boistrously
and mingling all together in unceremonious
talk, they now burst into the msonshine. and
narrow streaks of Ere light that illuminated
the open space before the lime-kIln. Ber-
tram set the door ajar again, flooding the
spot with light, so that the whole party might
get fair view OF Ethan Brand and he of
them.
( Among other old acquaihianees there was
once an ubiquitous man, now almost extinct,
but whom we were sure to encounter at the
hotel cf every thriving village throughout
the country. /. was the stage agent. The
present specimen of the genus was a wited
and smoke dried man, wrinkled aud red
nosed, in a smartly cut, brown, bob tailed
coat, with brass buttons, who for length OF
time unknown, had kept his desk in the
coruer ID the bar-roSm, and was still putting
what seemed TO be the same cigar that he
had lighted twenty years ago. He had great
fame as dry joker, though perhaps less on
account of any intrinsic humor, than from
certain favor Of brandy toddy and tobacco
smok that impregna,e ted all his ideas anc ex-
pressions. well as his person.
Another well remembered though strange
ly altered face, was that of lawyer Giles,
as the people still called him through cour-
tesy-an elderly ragmufhn, in his soiled
shirt sleeves and linen trowsers. He
had been an attorney in what he called
better days-a sharp practitioner, and in
great vogue among the village ltigants;
but flip, and sling, and toddy, and cocktails
imbibed at all hours--morning. noon and
n;ght--had caused bin to slide from intel
lectual to various kinds and degrees of bodi-
ly labor, till at last TO use his own phrase he
slid Into q soap vat. In other words Giles
was soap boiler in a small way. He had
come to be but ths fragment of IA human be-
ing-a part of one foot having been chopped
off by an axe, and an entire hand torn away
by the devilish grip of a steam engine. Yet,
though the corporeaI haRd was gone, spirit
uaI member remained; for stretching forth
the stump, Giles steadfastly averred that he
| felt an invisible thumb and finger, with as WV
ed sensation as before The real one was
smputated. A manned and miserable wretch
he was; but whom the world could not
trample on and had no right to scsrn, in this
or any other of his misfurtunes, since he
had still kept up the Courage aud spirit OF
man, asked nothing IN charity, and with his
one hand--apd that the left one--fought in
stern battle against want and hostile circam-
stances.
! Among the throng, too, came aaother
personoge, who with certain points of smii-
arity, to Lawyer Giles, had many more of
! difference. II was the village doctor, man
of some fifty years, whom at an early PERI
cd OF his lite, We should have in tro1ueed as
paying a professional visit to Ertian fSrand,
during the latter's supposed insanity. He
was now purple visage. rude and brutal, yet
half-gcntlemaniy figure. with something
wild, ruined and desperate in his talk, and
in all details of his gestures and man ners.
| Brandy possessed this man like an evil spirit
and IN ade i-tEs as surly and savage as wild
! beast, and as miserable az a Ioss soul; but
there were supposed to be in him such Won
derful skill. such native gifts of healing, be-
yond all which medical science could impart.
| that society caught hold vi him, and would
not iet him sink out of its reach. So, SWAY
ing to and fro on his horse ,and grumbling st:ick
accents at the bedside, he visited all tise sick
| chambers for miles about among the noun
! tain towns, and sometimes raised a dying
man, as it were by a miracl ,aoA quite as
eften, no doubt, sent his patient to "A grave
that was dug many year too soon. The
doctor had an everlasting pipe IN his'mouth; !;
and as somebody said in alusion to his habit
Of swearing, it was always alighs with hell
fire.
These three wortIfies pressed forward. and
greeted Ethan each after his own fashion,
earnestly inviting him 10 partake of The con-
tents ut certain black bottle, in which, as
| they averred, he would hnd something far
better worth seeking ser, than the UnpardoD-
able Sin.
No mind which has wrought itself by in
tense and solitary meditation, into high
state OF enthusiasm, can endure this kind of
contact with low and vulgar modes OF feeling
and thought to which Ethan Brand was now
subjected. 1t made him doubt, and strange
to say, 1t was painful doubt, whether he
had found the Unpardonabie Sin, and found
1t within himself. The whole question on
which he had exhausted life and more than
life, looked now like delusion.
"Leave me,'' said he bitterly, eye brute
beasts, that have made yourselves so, shrvl-
ing up your souls with fiery liquors! Years
ago sroped into your hearts and found moth
ing there for my purpose. Get ye g1ue!'
"Why, you uacivil scoundrel," cried the
fierce doctor, "is that the way you respond
to the kindness Of your best friends! Then
let me tell you the truth. You have no
more found the objectionable Sin than yon-
der boy Joe has. You are buta crazy fellow.
; told you 50 twenty years ogo; neither bet
ter nor worse than cruzy fellow, and the
fit companion Of old Humphrey, here"
He pointed to an old man, shaboily dressed,
with long, white hair, thIn visage, and un-
steady eyes. For some years past this oged
person had been wandering about among the
hills, inquiring OF all the travellers he met for
i his daughser. The girl, it seemed, had gone
of with compuny of circus performers.
and occasionally tidings of her came to the
village, and fine stories were told of her glt-
tering appearance as she rode on horse back
in the ring, or performed mlrvelo us feats on
the ught-rope.
The white haired father now approached
Ethan Brand and gazed pusteadily into his
face.
"They tell me that you have been all o.
yer t4e earth,' said he, wripg ging his hand
! with earnestness. "You must have seen
my daugeter. for she makes great figure in
the world, and every body goes to see her.
Did she send any word TO her old father, or
say when she is coHi ne 5ackl
Ethan Brands eye qlailed beneath that Of
the Old mans. That daughter from whom
he SO earnestly desired a word of greeting,
Ethea Brand had made subject of Psy-
Geological experiment. and wasted, perhaps
annihilated her soul in the process.
, "Y es," murmured he, turning from the
hoary wanderer, sit is no delusion. There