Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-02-12

AiN uilu uSdtlE L NOH I SUI Ii lnC pUTSOn
wants to see me he will have to come up here
and see me in bed"
"Mlus' fetch him reverence up, P"
"1es, wouldn't get up and go down to see
Washington-shut the door, you rascal or
I'll throw the bootjack at your wooden head !"
Wool obeycd with alacrity and in time to cs-
cape the threatened missile.
After an absence of few minutes he was
heard returning, attending upon the footsteps
of another. And the next minute he entered
ushcring in the Rev. Mr.. Goodwin, the parish
minister of Bethlehem, ST. Marys.
GLOW do you doP How do you do? Glad
to see you, sir glad to sec you, though obliged
to receive you in bed Fact is, ] caught a cold
with this severe change of weather, and took
warm negus and went to bed to sweat it of =
You'll excuse me! Wool, draw that easy chair
up to my bedside for worthy Mr.. Goodwin, and
bring him glass of warm negus. 1t will do
him good after his cold ride"
81 thank you, Major Warield! | will take
the seat, but not the negus, if you please, to-
night
"Not the negus Oh, come now, you are jok-
ing! Why it will keep YOU from catching cold,
and be most comfortable nghtcap, disposing
you to sleep and sweat like baby! Of course
you spend the night with us P"
81 thank you, no! | must take the road again
in a few minutes"
"rake the road again tonight! Why, man
alive it is midnight, and the snow driving like
all Lapland."
"Sir, am sorry to refuse your profTcred hos
ptality and leave your comfortable roof to-
night and sorrier still to have to take you with
me-" said the pastor gravcly."
Take ME with youl No, no. my good sir !
no, no, that is too good n joke-ha, ha -
"Sir, fear that you will find it a very serious
one! Your servant told you that my crrand was
one of imminent urgency?"
"Yes, something like life and death-,'
"Exactly--down in the cabin, near the Punch
Bowl, there is an old woman dying"
There, knew it. was just saying there
might be an old woman dying. But, my dear
sir, what's that to me? What can dop"
"lIumanty sir, would prompt YOU"
"But, my dear sir how can l help her?
am not a physician to prescribe-,'
''She is far past physicians help"
"Nor am ! priest to hear her confesson-,"
"licr confession God has already received"
"Wcll, and I'm not lawyer to draw up her
will"
mo, sir; but you were recently appointed
one of the Justices of the Peace for Alleghany"
"Ics; well, what of that. That does not
comprise the duty of my getting up out of my
warm bed and going through a snow storm to
see an old woman expire"
"Excuse me for insisting, sir; but this is an
official duty" said the parson, mildly but firm
ly.
"lll-Ill throw up my commission to-mor-
row." growled the old man.
"To-morrow you may do that, but meanwhile,
tonight being still in the commission of the
peace, you are bound to get up and go with me
to this woman's bedside"
sA AM usbn . tbn 4 :. g Al.
"'ro receive her dying deposition"
"ro receive dying deposition Good Heay-
en-! was she murdered, then?" exclaimed the
old man, in alarm, he started out of bed and
BE composed2she Was nor hRGants,u, .-
the pastor.
"Well, then, what is it? Dying deposition ,
1t must concern crime exclaimed the old
man, hastily drawing on his coat.
at does concern a crime"
"What crime, for the love Of heaven?"
81 am not at liberty to tell you. She will do
that"
"Wool, 90 down and rouse up Jehu, and tell
him to put Parson Goodwin's mule in the stable
for the night And tell him to put the black
draught-horses to the close carriage, and light
both the front lanterns-for we shall have a
dark, stormy road-Shut the door, YOU infer
nal Il beg your pardon, parson, but that vii
lain always leaves the door ajar after him."
The good parson bowed gravely; and the
major completed his toilet by the time the SER
want returned and reported the carriage ready.
ITO the Devils Punch Bowl"-was the order
given by Old Hurricane as he followed the min
lister into the carriage. "And now, sir he con-
tnued addressing his companion, 81 think YOU
had better repeat that part Of the church litany
that prays to be delivered from battle, murder
and sudden death ! for if We should be so lucky
as to escape Black Donald and his gang, we
shall have at least an equal chance of being up
set in the darkness of these dreadful noun
tains."
"a pair of saddle mules would have been q
safer conveyance, certainly" said the minister
Old Hurricane knew thGr, but though great
sensualist, he was brave man, and SO he had
rather risk his life in close carriage than suffer
cold upon sure-footed mules back.
After many delays and perils, the pastor and
Old Hurricane arrived at their destination, call
cd the Witchs Hut or Old Hats Cabin. Ii
one corner of the hut on ragged couch, lay q
gray-haired and emacatcd woman, eyidentl,
near unto death. On being informed that
magistrate had arrived, she insisted on every
body else leaving the room, as she would speak
with him alone. Her request having been com
piled WITH Old Hurricane drew from his poke
Bible, administered the oath, and then said:
'Now then, my good soul begin-'thc truth
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, yo,
know. But first, your nameP"
"ls it possible you don't know me, master p
"Not /, in faith'
"For the love of heaven, look at me and tr,
to recollect me sir 1t is necessary some ont
authority should be able to know me-" said tn,
woman, raising her haggard eyes to the face o
her visitor
The old man adjusted his spectacles and CAV,
her a scrutinizing look, exclaming at intervals
Lord bless my soul it is it aint it mus
be ! it can't be ! Granny Grewell-the-the--
thc-midwife that disappeared from here SOM
twelve or tairteen years agoP'
"Yes master, am Nancy Grewell, the ladies
nurse, who vanished from sight so mysterious
some thirteen years ago" replied the woman
"IIeaven help our hearts And for wha
crime was it you ran awayP Come-make
clean breast of it, woman! You have nothing
to fear in doing so, for you are past the the arm
of earthly law now !"
81 know it master"
Sand the best way to prepare to meet tn
Divine Judge is to make all the reparation tina
you can by full confession"
81 know it, sir-if had committed q crime
but l have committed no crime, neither did
run away"
'WhatP whatP what What was it then
| Remember witness YOU are on YOUR oath |"