Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-04-04


upon his little chesuut mare-met the men, as
they silently brought John Hamlyn up the
steep path from the pier, and saw him carried
to his house and Mary, going home, knelt
down beside her bed burst into wild tears
lben into prayers as wild, and felt, for the
first time, as if she loved the great strong sal
Ior. He recovered slowly ; some traces Of
the wound indeed remained but he could have
had, think, no scars more glorious, and ere
long he hoped to bring Mary home as his
wife"
Aud this brave fellow is the one who was
playing?"
a Pray let me go on No, he is not &c,
Mus he never had only the courage OF lion
and the affectionate gentieness of child =
Poor Mary 1t had been well had these suf,
feed her, and so for a time they did but,
unfortunately for her, unfortunately for John,
there was lad in the village who had genius,
and, alas who knew it. Willy Basset was
but poor young fsherman-not q strong
one not even brave, but one of singular
parts If | was too partial to him, and If
nv praises helped to turn his head and fill
him with the demon of vanity, may God for
give me | did all for the best. Suffice, it
sir that whatever time he could steal from
the drudgery of bis daily life, was given par.
italy to the books lent him, and partially 10
practising upon au old violin which had be-
lougcd TO his father, the village fiddler.
John HamIyu passed the cottage where
he lived one day, and heard him playing =
Willy BaSset. lad, cried the big curly hair
ed John, it seems to me you might spend
your time better than in fddIi&g, with your
poor old mother bed ridden at home There's
the herring hawks Of the bay, man, and the
shoal will be round the head before YOU finish
Bobhing Joan. Out to the boats, Willy
willy looked up. and was about 10 an
swer angrily but John looked alarmingly
big. Said Willy: at is very generous of
YOU. John Hamlyn, to talk of my mothers
poverty. Tou are richer than we, | know
Int Won need not remind u Of il ~ These
were mean, false cOwardly words OF his but
Jobn-placable John-felt as If he had spo
ken too roughly and held ont his hand. vii
ly refused il, and turned away. From that
hour as fear be often thought how he could
best injGrs the strong prosperous fellow who
had reminded him of his duty
&" You have noticed that We are musical
race down here Alaly Lee had this passion
slmoSt 10 excess, and sang with singular
sweetness One evening, at my house, she
had been singing some Of her quaint old songs
when Willy BaSset came up 10 return some OF
nv books He 50. down. and | asked him
TO plav tune or two, as he often would when
he came to see NE. AS vet he was but q
poor player, though already gave some faint
promise # that wondronS skill TO which be
afterwards attained. This night. whatever
was his iuSpiratj0u-and Mary Lees dark
ewes had surely much to with it-he PLAYED
as he never had before, with quite new pas
sion and energy This was indeed the first
time | ever heard him improvjse. Hitherto
he bad simply played the ordinary country
lancS to night lie struck boldly away from
them, trusted TO his own heart. and succeeded
Have ! said ;ha: be was not handsome? A.
ordinary times he was not, bat now. as his
Eve lighted up with the excitement OF lis mu-
s.c. there Was Wild beauty aboHt them which
10 a romantic girl. would have lar more charm
than ordinary c0mclngss. When he ended,
asked Mary 10 s.u,-aui behold, Mary was
crying
i, IS the old story. Wha: was john
Uam,yn. plain AID bluff, to this Willy Bassct,
50 gifted and so passionate? ? Mary asked
herself this question too often for her first
love to las: Il died out. John saw the
change, but would not believe il. \ year
passed hv Willy BlsSett's bed-riiden moth.
er dled-prond Of her son. and loving him
wildly to the last The poor soul cried out,
as she lsy dying. in her wretched cottage, or
. rough December day, He will be the
pride OF the country yet, my Wi!iy-a won
derfnl boz But the neighbors said that lit
tie good would ever come OF one who had
tecn fddljn- 10 please himself when he should
have been fishing to help his mother; and |
could rot ba: feel that what they said was
true.
And now, sir, came q Ii ne which. TO Ma
", | think. was one Of the purest happiness
but which brought pleasure less pure 10 Willy
BaSSet, and absolute torture 10 the brave
John Nil.y-let ne not be unjust 10 u
was thoroughly sincere in oil his professions Of
love bat there mingled with them always, |
fear, a base sense Of tr.umph over his richer.
stronger. handsomer rival Aud as for John, .
though the poor fellow blundered about 10 his
big, nnCOu;h, righteous way, stlA sang al his
work. ana never leil , duty u.GOue, vet vas
he aSsuredly smitten with deep aud terrible
grief as i lie had testified thereto by jumping
over tae cliffs. which often ne was very much I
inc,ibed 10 10. for. struggle Us be might, he
could not but see that Mary Lee, though she
had ever kindly word and bright smile for
him. no more intended TO rarrv him than she /.
intended, say. 10 marry -s! Thus went dowa I
all the poor fellows card castles, shattered by
s fiddle stick. He was not imaginative, this
biz John: bot, smoking his homes, pipe Of
evenings in the sardsd kitchen OF bts old
homestead, he had bad his little visions Of hap
piness aud ease, the central figure IN every
such vision being that OF Mary Lee Well
that Sas over now don't pity him the
less because be could not write q sonnet about