New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-01-02
r,i,e sviasl ssIosseth where Il LIsteth.
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4
/ had the fircsile of old Matthew Rayburn been
4 warm and happy. Out Of doors the wind had
played all manner Of freaks with the leaves and the
| falling snow, and had sung all manner Of tunes
| through the dry branches, and had ratified tho
window panes and the doors, as II IT. too, sought
admitance to the comfort of the ols mans cheer-
4 full fire. Yet, when once admitted, Qor Il DID,
4 sometimes, succeed In carrying its poinDit was
not satisfied with behaving itself favored guest
should but kept wandering impolitely around the
| room and up mid down the stairway, and blowing
into peoples faces, and entering even ttle closets
aud cupboards and treating itself in it, way, to MI
the delieaeies itconld anywhere ind.
All this might have been borne, however. II II
had not played such sad prank with little Alice
| Rayburn No wonder it loved her, even as the
gentle airs and winds of summer did, that brought
all the fragrance they could find TO her, and played
with her ringlets and parted them for the sunshine
TO paint them all alike, and sang to her such merry
| tunes. No wonder it loved her. But the caresses
OF the winter wind were not such as suited her
gentle nature, and her delicate frame; and though
at first they only reddened her cheeks and excited
her spirits, yet before the winter was quite gone II
had produced o sad change in her appearance, ana
the little girl lay sivering with sickness upon her
little bed in the old mans warm and quiet room
yes, in the old mans room, for lie could not suffer
her to be carried elsewhere.
Day after day. for months past. had he sat by his
tiresde. and done nothing nothing ID the wide
world but watch his sweet grand-child. This was
business enough for him, however. His hand or
perhaps, we should say rather his eyes were as
full as they could hold of their employment. All
Ills faculties, save the one faculty OF sight, seemed
to have lost the power OF performing their func-
tons. II the child left her playthings aud run up
to her grandfather with some curious question.
(sneh question as children alone know 10 ask
the old man would seem unable TO answer, and he
would only place his withered hand upon her head,
and marmur g dear Alice--dear little Alice y
IT'LL she would break away again to her solitary
sport. Solitary? mol The angels play with the
little chi dren on earth.
The heart Of the old man was bound up in the
girl. Everybody said that if anything i'll should
happen to Alice, old Matthew Rayburn himself
would sink speedily into the grave. Andno wonder
that such was tile general opinion. For was there
ever such child Did anybody ever see such Gu
rous workmanship Us it made out OF the square
blocks with which it played on the floor Did any
body ever witness such cunning as it displayed in
deeoying pussy into the traps i had set for her
A dozen times, at most, III as many minutes, did
the child try the same trick over and the cat could
not understand it. Chee--he--e would the old
man laugh every time. And who ever heard such
happy trill as the echoing laughter Of the girl.
AT any rate, the old man found enough to laugh at
and to wonder at In the child-found enough to do
all day long, and day after day in simply watching
her; though his full heart would not let him ans
wer her thousand questions, in any other way, than
by repeating, as constantly as she asked them;
little Alice, dear little Alice'
But the stroke was now impending. II seemed
to be Gods will that the child should be removed
that the trial Of the old mans faith should be made
and anxious forms stood around to witness the
issue--whelh er it would blind and overwhelm him,
Or whether he would give her up without murmtr.
Old Matthew Rayburn was man who, to use a
very common expression, had seen trouble in his
time. A pioneer Of the Western Wild hardship
and privaton had often been his lot. And he had
known, too. trials Of peculiar Kind but which il
ia not necessary to partcularize, In order to set
forth his character IN its proper light Suffice il
for our present purpose, that he had brought with
him from his native place mind trained to con-
slider labor as mans inevitable curse, and heart
HAT tadit raaIt
TO enkindle into religious enthusiasm.
Neither had the life Of a woodsfnan tended to
soften the asperites of his mental and spiritual
nature. He had always been regarded as stern,
upright, aborious man, and for long years had
filled, to the entire satisfaction of his brethren, the
post of an officer of the church Of which his own
brother was the accepred pastor. Once, however,
during his long life, had a change seemed to pass
over the old pioneers nature. Ii was when his
son, who was now standing by the sick bed Of
Alice, first brought to his home the mother Of the
suffering child How such a mystery as the mar
riage of Jeptha Eayburn with Alice Mayfeld was
ever brought about, no Can tell for the son
was even more harsh than his father, and the tenn
per of Alice was as gentle as the summer breeze.
Yet, SO it was; and se-the rough nest OF the old
H3odsInan came this uiiiet dove of heaven. All
how old Matthew was censured because he did not
forthwith drive far away into the wilderness the
yisitlnt of mercy! Everybody said he would but
everybody was disappointed.
Aunt Pbpbe Hopkins who had been most busy
in circulating reports of this nature and had conf
IDENTITY assured Mrs. Kngsbury that she knew the
old mans mind on this subject and paid Alice
visit not three days after her advent and was sur
prised to find old Mathew gracious beyond his
wont to his new and beautiful daughter. Rnt it all
turned out in mischief, just as she knew, and had
said it would for, bye and bye, the fair one fell
sick, and It was rumored that she could not put mp
with the coarseness of the old mans way, and that
she would only be thing lie would have to sup
port and fondle if he expected to keep the life In
her body at all; most true, oh wise gossipersi and
the old man did cherish and fondle her, and found
himself while so engaged grow holier and more lit
for the kingdom of heaven. But who Of you dare
even so much as think Of the struggle which she
underwent, and issued at last in lunacy and DEATH
the struggle of an exquisitey refined and Affection
ate hearted woman, with an unsympathizing and
vulgar husband.
She had left behind her, however a son and
daughter and the heart Of the old man was trans Il
ferred to these. Especially, did his love for the
girl transcend the nature Of human affection. No
wonder. therefore, that he sat gazing so intensely
upon the fading neaments Of the face he loved so?
What else had he to live for-whom else could he
love and cherislIf Il gust Of wind drove against
the window pane branch Of the elm tree close by
that startled the company around the bed, but the
old man gazed fixedly on. Was thai smile that
fitted over the face Of the girl! No! it was only
the shadow from the agitated curtain The features
were still and white rs the wintry snow without.
The father placed his hand softly the eyelids O
the sleeper, and they remained immoyably closed.
Faint sobbings only disturbed the silence for mo-
IHeHI. Dut lHt Ulu HAL HeflleE Stlffeu went,
He remained gazing upon his darling with features
as riggid as stone. A slight form stole softly
around to his side, and a soft voice whispered in
his ear II" Father, dear father say the Lord hath
given, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be His
Holy name.h
Speak tender-the old man does not respond to
this language of resignation
There was pause for some minutes, when the
same form laid her hand on the head of the old
deacon, and the same voice urged" won't you
can't you say so, dear father gf'
Caroline" said Matthew Rayburn, " we had
better withdraw. Father will follow in an in
stantf
!" Oh! sissy almost shrieked childish voice Of
the bedside; /" Oh, dear sissy ~
II proceeded from the little brother of Alice for
the eyes of the girl had partially opened
Was she alive And had the old man tarried in
The valley Of the shadow, whittier he had accom-
panied his well beloved! Yetitwas even 80. The
winter wind, that bioweth where it listeth, but
which s still marvellously restrained and tempered
to the necessities of the tenderest land 1t this
wind only, that had blown upon the life Of the
girl; but that soundless breeze that never comes
unsent, and that never returns without having full
fill its dreadful mission, had blanched the cheek of
the old man forever.
ORDERS FAILING DRIVE are informed by
gentleman who resides in Bridgeport that the
Wheeler Il Wilson Sewing Machine Company are
running on short time In consequence Of marked
falling of in their orders from the South. The in
evitable results Of the unwarrantabe treatment of
the Southern States by the Republicans of the
North are just beginning to be felt
NEW Hayen News