The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-04-13

~s~oeAhSDs ohe sshnNs ~ toSS toWoNs III
land of my birth, that / thought of TIM
and little Ssllie in the same connection
II had never occurred to me until thel
that the 6fth part of century had Ger
tainly produced change in my infan
playmate.
must confess that the anticipated
pleasure Of our imaginary meeting wa
somewhat diminished by these reflections
and still more by those that followed.
Since the night / ran away from bonn,
had mover once heard of little Sallie
For aught knew. she might be dead /; OIL
if alive, perhaps married and, if married
possibly rich, possibly poor, possibly the
mother of children.
When, on reaching Bath, l found that
she was entirely forgotten, felt in my
heart that she was dead. I went to the
burying-ground, and wandered about for
hours in search Of her grave. At length
finding plain marble monument erected
to the memDry of her parents, as last
token of her 6lial affection, I concluded
that she was still living-perhaps with
her maternal uncle, in the great metrop.
oils.
Once in New York, I called upon a
Mr.. Whicher. who resided in Fifth aven.
ue, and believing him to be the brother Of
Mrs. Pembroke referred to, renewed my
inquiries.
Mr.. Whicher was about Hfty years Of
age, tall, lean, dark, sour, and supercili.
Gus. His heavy brows were continually
knit, and his small, keen black eyes, fash.
ing from beneath the bushy impendency,
caught every movement and every modu.
lation Of the countenancs.
He looked keenly, almost savagely at
me, when I mentioned the name Of Penn.
broke, and thought at the time, and now
have no doubt, that he shuddered. But
he quickly subdued the emotion, whatever
it was, and became as stiff and cold ss the
marble statue that overlooked him from q
niche In tho wall.
In some way, but how I cannot rem.
smber, for I did not observe the fact until
afterwards. be managed to ascertain the
extent Of my ignorance before he replied
to oven my ast interrogatory.
Nothing. SIR" he at length said, with
an air Of wounded PRIDE Nothing but
your early acquaintance and present solic.
tude could induce me to acknowledge the
relationship which Is implied by your in.
quiries."
! was astonished, and this fact was ap.
parent in my countenanoe, for be imme.
diately added ; IF you knew all the cir.
cumstancss, you would not wonder at my
reluctance.
"May know them 2" inquired with.
out pausing to consider whether the ques.
tion involved an impertinence.
"Sallis was only three years old when
you left home ?" he said in reply.
"That was sll.n I answered
"A pretty little innocent prattler 2" he
continued.
YES" I said. eagerly. pleased that his
question afforded an opportunity to in.
dulge word in her praise. "she was
the lovsliest child I ever beheld."
Mr.. Morgan" said he. gravely. i" fol.
low the advice Of one who can appreciate
your motives. Remember her as the in.
nocent little prsttlsr you have described,
and mourn her as dead"
Impossible I" I cried. with stronger
emotion than I had before manifested.
4" If she be alive to others, why should
she be dead to me, the playmate Of her
infancy7"
"Alas my dear sir, because she IL
unworthy of your respect, or even your
notice." he answer cd sadly.
"Why is n" asked, with eager so.
licitude.
Mr.. Whicher shook his head, as much
as to say" beg that you will not in.
sist."
1T Is better that should know the
truth" continued. than imagine some.
thing great deal worse."
"Worse !" he exclaimed, with pain.
full oontortion of the countsnance. 20
my God worse than the truth you can.
not imagine"
What is 1t, sir ?" I repeated, still
more eagerly.
"Shs is the daughter Of my sister," be
replied with emotion. "God forbid that
! should publish her disgrace"
Mr.. Wicher, as he finished, bowed his
head, and hid bis face in his hands to hide