Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-12

Alter an absence of few minutes he wa
heard returning attending upon the footsteps o
another. And the next minute he entered
ushering in the Rev. Mr. Goodwin, the parisl
minister of Bethlehem, St Mary's
"How do you do! How do you dol GIat
to see you, sir glad to see you, though obliget
to receive you in bedl Fact is, caught a cold
with this severe change of weather, and took 3
warm negus to go to bed to sweat It off! You'll
excuse me Wool, draw that easy chair up tC
my bedside for worthy Mr.. Goodwin, and brine
him glass of warm negus 1t will do him goot
after bis cold ride"
81 thank you, Major Warfeld 1 will take
the seat, but not the negus, if you please to
night" zl-i5 =r-e -.
"NOt the negus! Oh, come now, you are
joking Why, it viii keep you from catching
cold, and be most comfortable night tcap, dis
posing you to sleep and sweat like baby! Oi
course you spend the night with US -
81 thank you, no! must take the road again
IN few minutes"
"Take the road again tonight! Why, man
alive it is midnight, and the snow driving like
all LapIand."
"Sir, am sorry to refuse your proffered hos
pitality and leave your comfortable roof to-
night, and sorrier stih to have to take you with
me-" said the pastor, graxely, -
'Take ME with you! No, no, my good sir !
no, no, that Is too good a jOke-hal ha !"
''Sir, fear that you will find it very se-
rious one Your servant told you that my er.
rand was one of Imminent urgency i''
"Yes. something like life and death"
Exactly-down in the cabin, near the Punch
Bowl, there is an old woman dying"
"There, knew it, l was just saying there
might be an old woman dying. But, my dear
| sir, what's that to me? What can do Z"
Humanity, sir, would prompt you"
"But, my dear sir, how can help herl ] am
not physician to prescribe"
''She is far past physicians help"
"Nor am ] priest to hear her confession"
"Her confession God has already received ~
"Well, and I'm not lawyer to draw up her
will
mo, sir; but you are recently appointed one
of the Justices of the Peace for Alleghany"
'Yes; 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 paTson, mildly but firm
ly.
"Fli-I'H throw up my commission to-mor-
row." growled the old man.
Tomorrow you may do that, but mean
while, tonight, being still in the commission of
the peace, you are bound to get up and go with
me to this woman's bedside"
Sand what does the demon wan of me therei"
"To receive her dying deposition"
ITO receive dying dePositionl Good Heav-
snl was she murdered, then o. exclaimed the
old man, in alarm, as he started out of bed and
began to draw on his neither garments.
"Be composee-she was not murdered - said
the pastor.
"WeH, then, what is it 4! Dying deposition
Il must concern a crime" exclaimed the old
man, hastily drawing on his coat
at does concern a crime"
"What crime, for the love of heaven %
II am NOT at nDerry 70 tell yvu. she viii de
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 II beg your pardon, parson, but that vii
lain always leaves the door ajar after him."
The good parson bowed gravely; and the ma
jor completed his toilet by the time the servant
returned and reported the carriage ready.
"To the Devils Punch Bowl"-was the or
/ der given by Old Hurricane as he followed the
minister into the carriage. "And now, sir y
he continued, addressing his companion, ]
think you had better repeat that part OF the
church htany 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 upset in the darkness Of these
dreadful mountains"
"a pair of saddle mules would have been 8
slfer conveyance, certainly" said the minister
i Old Hurricane knew that, but though great
sensuaIist, he was brave man, and so he bad
rather risk his life in close carriage than sutfel
cold upon a sure footed mules back.
After many delays and perils, the pastor anc
/ Old Hurricane arrived at their destination, call
ed the Witch's Hut OF Old Hut's Cabin. II
one corner of the hut, on 9 ragged couch, lay
gray-haired and emaciaied woman, evidently
near unto death. On being informed that ;
magistrate had arrived, she insisted on every
body else leaving the room, as she would sPeal
with him alone. Her request having been com
piled with, Old Hurricane drew from his Pock
ct a Bible, administered the oath, and theI
said
SHOW then, my good soul begin-'the truth
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
you know. But frst your name ~
ais It possible ycu don't know me, master !"
NOt 4, N Idtbu
aFor the love of heaven, look at me and tr,
to recollect me, sir 1t is necessary some one L
AUTHORITY should be able to know me" said th
I wom7n, raising her haggard eyes to the face c
her visitor.
The old man adjusted his spectacles and CAV
her scrutinizing look, exclaiming at inter
walls u
HLord bless my soul it is it amt it must
| II can't be! Granny Grewell-the-th
midwife that disappeared from here some tim
teen years ago ]"
ayes, master, am Nancy Grewell, the Ia
dies nurse, who vanished from sight so mysts
nously some thirteen years ago." replied th
{ woman.
aHeaven help our hearts And for whs
crime was it you ran away Come-make
clean breast of it, woman You have nothin
to fear in doing so, for you are past the arm
| earthly law now!"
II know It, master"
"And the best way to prepare to meet the d
vine Judge is to make all the reparation ths
, you can by full ecnfessionI"
al know it, sir-if had committed crime
but / have committed no crime, neither did
run away"
aWhat WHAT what What was it then
Remember, witness, you are on your oath ~
81 know that, sir, and will tell the truth
but it must be in my own way.
, At this moment violent blast of wind an
/ hail roared down the mountain side and rattle
against the walls, shaking the witch's hut, as
: It would have shaken it about Their ears.
; It was proper overture to the sale that wa
about to be told Conversation was lmPosslbl
until the storm rsved past and was heard dyin
: in deep reverberating echoes from the depths