Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-12-15

given ear to the most awful messenger from the
land of shades
6 1t war Dorkis, sir, would hav me come :
but we know nothin' o. what's happened at the
Manor. She frightened out on her wits about
Miss Sarti, an she would hav me saddle Black
bird this mornin', an leave the ploughin to
come an lot Sir Christopher an my lady know.
P'raps you've heard, sir, we don't keep the
Gross Keys at Sloppeter now uncle O. mine
died three ears ago, an left me leggicy. He
beauty. Love meant nothing for him but to
love Caterna. For years, the thought of her
had been present in everything like the air and
the light; and now she was gone, it seemed as
If all pleasure had lost its vehicle the sky, the
earth, the daily ride, the daily talk might be
there, but the loveliness and the joy that were
in them had gone for ever.
Presently, as he still paced backwards and
forwards, he heard steps along the corridor,
and there was a knock at the door. His voice
trembled as he said, d" Come in" and the rush
of renewed hope was hardly distnguishable from
pain when he saw Warren enter with Daniel
Knott behind him.
Knott is come, sir, with news of Miss Sarti.
| thought it best to bring him to you first''
was bailiff to Square Ramble, as he'd them there
big farms on his hans an so we took little
farm O. forty acres or thereabouts, becos Dorkis
didn't like the public when she got moithered
wi children. As prittya place as iver you see'
sir, wi water at the back convenient for the
CATTLE
For Gods sake said Maynard, "tell me
what it is about Miss Sarti. Don't stay to tell
me anything else now"
"Well, sir" said Knott, rather frightened
by the parsons vehemance, {" she come t. our
house i the carriers cart O. Wednesday, when
it was welly nine o'clock at night; and Dorkis
run out, for she heard the cart stop, an Miss
Sarti throwed her arms roun' Dorks's neck an ;
says, TEX me in, Dorkis, tex me in, an went
off into swoond, like. An Dorks calls out
to me,-'Dannel,' she calls-an run out and
carried the young miss in, an she come roun'
arter bit, and opened her eyes, and Dorkis got
her to drink spoonful O. rum-an' -water-we've
got some capital rum as we brought from the
Cross Keys, an Dorkis won't let nobody drink
it. She says she keeps it for sickness but for
mo part, | think it's pity to drink good 1um
when your mouths out O. taste; you may just
as well hav doctors stuff. Howiver, Dorkis got
her to bed, an there she's lay iver sin,, stoopid
like, and niver speaks, an on'y teks little bits
an sups when Dorkis coaxes her. An we be-
gun to be frightened, and couldn't think what
had made her come away from the Manor, aud
Dorkis was afeard there was summat wrong
So this mornin' she could hold no longer an
would hey no nay but must come an see an,
so I've rode twenty miles upo' Blackbrd, as
thinks all the while he's a ploughin an turns
sharp roun' livery thirty yards, as if he was at
the end of furrow. I've he'd sore time wi
him, can tell you, SIR"
God bless you, Knott, for coming " said
Mr.. Gilfl, wring,ng the old coachman's hand
again. Now 90 down and have something
and rest yourself. You will stay here tonight
and by-and-by shall come to you to learn the
nearest way to your house. shall get ready tc
ride there Immediately, when have spoken to
Sir Christopher
In an hour from that time Mr.. Gilfl was gal.
Looping on stout mare towards the little muddy
village of Callam, five miles beyond Sloppeter
Once more he saw some gladness in the after
noon sunlight; once more it was pleasure tC
see the hedgerow trees flying past him. and tc
be conscious of ''good seat'' while his black
Kitty bounded beneath him, and tle air whis.
tied to the rhythm of her pace. Caterina was
not dead; he had found her his love and ten
derness and long-suHering seemed SO strong,
they must recall her to life and happiness. AZ
ter that week Of dispair, the rebound was SO vi
olent that it carried his hopes at once as far as
the utmost mark they had ever reached. Cate
rina would come to love him at last; she would
be his. They had been carried through all thai
dark and weary way that she might know the
depth of his love. How he would cherish hcl
his little bird with the timid bright eye, and
the sweet throat that trembled with love and
music! She would nestle against him, and the
poor little breast which had been so ruhled ant
bruised should be safe for evermore. In tn,
love of brave and faithful man there is alway
a strain of maternal tenderness; he gives GU
again those beams of protecting fondness which
were shed on him as he lay on his mother
knee.
1t was twilight as he entered the village o
Callam, and, asking homebound labourer tn
way to Daniel Knott's, learned that it was b.
the church, which showed its stumpy ivy-cla
splre on slight elevation of ground a uselu
0 addition to the means of identifying that desir
@ able homestead afforded by Daniels description
v -" the prettiest place iver you see though
small cow yard full of excellent manure, an
;; leading right up to the door, without any frivc
It lous interruption from garden or railing, mgl
, perhaps have been enough to make that descriI
a ton nnmstakable specific,
u Mr.. Gilfl had no sooner reached the gate eat
e ing into tho cow yard, than he was deserted b
's flaxcn haired lad of nine, prematurely inves
IS cd with the toya uirihs or smock frock, who ra
forward to let in the unusual visitor. In m,
Is nent Dorcas was at the door, the roses on HI
a cheeks apparently all the redder for the thr
o pair of cheeks which formed group round he
10 and for the very fat baby who stared in her arm
d and sucked long crust with calm relish.
If "Is it Mr. Gilfl, sir7 said Dorcas, curtis