Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-14
THE HID EN- HAN
BY EMMA D. E. y. SoUTHwORTH,
AUTHOR THE EVENING" - 81 TIE DESERT
WIFE, ETC, ETC, ETC.
ICONTINUED.1

''Have you got through ~ asked the man
at the door, rapping impatiently.
''NO, nc" said |, as directed.
'He resumed bis tramping up and down,
and | went back to my patient She beck
oned me to come close, and whispered
Save my child the living one l meant
hide her oh, hide her from him. When he
demands the babe, give him the poor little
dead onp-he cannot hurt that Aud he will
not know there was another. Oh, hide aud
save my cbidp
master was used to queer doings, but
this was a little the queerest. But if | was
to conceal that second child in order to save
it. it was necessary to stop its mouth, for it
was squalling like wild cat. So took
vial of paragoric from my pocket and give it
drop. and it went off 10 sleep like an angel
| wrapped it up warm and lay it along with
my shawl and bonnet, in dark corner. Just
then the man raped again.
'''COme in, MASTER said |.
"'No, bring me the babe, he said.
.I'took up the dead infant. Its mother
kissed its brow and dropped tears upon its
little cold face; and / carried it to the man
outside.
els it asleep p the william asked me.
".Ycs, MASTER said /, as | put it, well
wrapped up, in his arms. very sound asleep
$50 much the better said the knaye,
walking away.
Il DDltCu the uOOT ana went DICK 10 my
patient. With her free hand she seized mine
and pressed it to her lips, and then held up
her left hand, pointed to the wedding ring
upon her third finger.
Draw il off and keep it, she said; CON
zeal the child under your shawl, and take her
with you when you go; save her and your
fortune shall be made
- / declare, master, L hadn't time to think,
before | heard one Of them wretches rap at
the door.
"'Come get ready 10 CO. he said.
"Shc also beckoned me. / FASTENED to her.
With eager whispers and imploring gestures
she prayed me to take her ring and save her
child.
But yOu,' said who is to attend your
81 do not know nor care! Save her!
"Thc rapping continued | ran to the
corner where bad left my things put on
nv bonnet, made "a sort of sling around my
neck of the silk handkerchief, opened the
large part of it like hammock al d laid the
little sleeping babe there. Then | tuldca my
big shawl around my breast and nobody any
the wiser. The rapping was very impatient.
~ am coming said /.
'Remember!' whispered the poor girl.
:. i will said l, and went and opened the
door. There stood t'othcr william with his
head covered with black Grape. | dreamt of
nothing but black headed demons for six
months atterwaId.
Are you ready? says he.
Yes, your worship says l.
"'COme along, then
" And binding another silk handkerchief
round my eyes, he lead me along.
Instead fmy mule i carriage stood near
the horse block.
Get in. says he, holding the pistol to my
ears by way of un argument.
/ got in. He Jumped up upon the drivers
seat and we drove like the wind. In another
direction from which We come, in course, for
there was no carriage road there. The car
riagn whricd along at such Il rate it made
me quite giddy. Al last it stopped again.
The man in the mask got down and opened
the door.
"'Whcre are YOU taking me? says |.
"'Be quiet says he, 'or -' and with
that h. put The pistol to my cheek, ordered
me 10 20 out, take the bdnddge from my eyes,
and walk ore him. / did so, and saw dim
" that We were in part OF the country that
/ was never al before. We were in IA dark
road through a thick forest. On the left side
Of the road in II clearing, stood an Old house;
a dim light was burning IN lower window.
Go on in there said the william, putting
the pistil to the back of my head. As the
door stood ajar | went in to narrow, dark
passage, the man all the while at my back.
lie opened door on the left side, and made
me go into dark room. just then the I'M
fortunate child that had been moving restless
Is hogan TO wall! Well it might, poor starry
I'd thing!
What's that ?" says the miscreant, under
his breath and stopping short.
1t amt nothing, sir says |, and 'hush-h-
Ia To the baby. But the poor little wretch
rails, Il IA squall.
"'Whal is the meaning of this' says he.
Where did that child come from? Why the
demon don't you speak? aud with that he
seized me again by the scruh Of the neck and
shook me.
oh, Master. for the love of heaven DON'T
says |, this is only poor, uutortnet infant rs
its parents wanted to get Outen the way, and
hired III To take care Oh. And / have had ii
wrapped up under my shawl all the time 'cept
when Wa ia your house, when | put it to
sleep in the corner.
Humph aud you had that child con-
cealcd under your shawl when | first stopped
you in the woods"
lin course, MASTER, says |.
Whose is it?'
"'Mastcr.' says |, .it's-it's dead secret
fr ] haddeut another lie ready.
:" He broke out into Il rude, scornful
laugh and seemed not half To believe me and
yet not 10 care about questioning me too
closely He made me sit down then in the
dark. and went out and turned the key ON
m". wet my finger with the paragorlc aud
put it TO thu baby's lips to quiet Its palas
OF hanger. Then heard a whispering in the
mkt room. Now my eyesight was never
good. but 10 make up for IL believe | had
The eharp,st ears that ever was, and | don't
thi.k anybody could have heard that wbis-
periug but me. | saw a little glinnmcr OF
gbl through the chinks that showed me
where the door was, and 50 l creeped up to it
a.d put my ear 10 the key-hole. Still they
whispered So low that no ears could o heard
a. -. H.
about sling some woman and child. |
should Av been Uneasy if they hadn't called
the woman Kate. NJ william offered em for
fifty dollars, but tother william wouldn't
eiVea cent. He told my william, as he called
Captain, that he'd ts,Sc 'em of his'hands and
no more. Aud then they threatened each
other and went out o nay hearin. And in
the mornin' the new william came and took
me aud the child off in shay and drove
down a long way 10 the beach, aud hailed a
vessel on the river and took us aboard aud
sold us 10 the captain right aiore nay eyes
and then went ashore. and we was carried of
out to 5, "A, though cried, aud 'splalned, and
spostulated all the time.
Now sir come "A strange providence, which
the the very thoughts of il might convert a
b athen! We had been to sea about ave days
when dreadful storm riz. tell you, mars
ter, that looked like the wrath OF GOdl |
Rugged the baby 60 my breast-and went 10
praying a. hard a. ! could pray.
Presently felt an awfal shock, a. II tlca-
ven and earth had come together. aud then
every body screaming, Shes struck SAe's
struckI | teil the vessel trembling like a live
erectuT, and the water pouring in every
where. | hugg,d the babe and scrambled up
the companion way to the deck. IL was pitch
dark, ani heard every man rushing toward
one side ot the vessel.
a fl.lsh of lightning, that made every thing
as bright day agaia, showed NE thai they
were all taking 10 the boat ! rushed afser.
~ tk..,t. la - a. M. aud IL. lahN lkuf