The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-14

CAAISA VI 40 uSNCA AOtBeS. ~ WAS SuCh
look as man might have cast on the
supposed murderers of his child.
I'VE cannot stay here any longer, said
Emily to me the next day. Il have been
down to the blacksmith's cottage, and
when they opened the door and saw it
was /, they shut it in my face; and the
mother looked at the as drcadfully as the
father did yesterday. saw in the faces,
too, Of oil the people I met on the road,
that they thought we had killed the child
by bringing 1t into this house.
Such superstition seems incredible, but
it was the fact The doctor repeated his
opinion that death had been instantaneous;
Mr.. Merwyn tried to reason with his par
ishioners and Herbert Audley frantically
abused them, calling them idiots, fools,
and what not, to their faces. 1t was all
Of no use. The aborigines shook their
heads, and knew very we'll how it had
been.
y few more days passed, and our ser.
wants came to us to express their desire
to quit our service Immediately.
It's not that I'm afraid, ma'am,' said
the rcdoubtable Jane, but it's so dull
like. Never a body will come into the
house. The butchers boy stood outside
Of the door this morning while took the
meat Of him, and thu miller wouldn't
bring the flour further Than the far gate !;
and as for the women folk, why, think
they're scared at the very sight Of the
house. can't live any longer among
such folks
j hope, however, said Emily, you
won't leave uS until we either find some.
body else TO come to us, or until we leave
the place ourselves, as we probably shall
10 before long. Sarah and George (the
latter a great stout boy of seventeen, whom
we kept to clean shoes and knives and
work in the gardem, - both declare they
won't sleep here anotheS night. You
won't leave US without a Servant in the
houseY
jane was rot Of very obliging dispo.
sition, but she was Modified by this &C.
count Of our forlorn condition, and gave
the desired promise.
Meanwhile we hastencd our prepara.
tons for departure. The Misses Merwyn,
the Misses Audlcy, and all the ladies in
the ncighborhood expressed sympathy for
Emily and regret at losing her. But there
was no help for it. She was looking pale
and depressed, and feared Tor her health
which was another reason for wishing
to get away rs soon rs possible Then,
too, the post frequently brought us ILL.,
spent anonymous letters, warning us to
flee from the abode Of evil, likening our
pretty little dwelling to Sodom and Go.
morrah, and prophesying the descent ol
tire from heaven within short time TO
consume it. There was no little fanati-
cism in the religion of Aberport; and,
thinking it not unlikely that the dcluded
creatures might persuade themselves that
they4had special commission to execute
the judgment Of Heaven, | adopted what
precautions could as long as we remain.
ed, and wrote to the agent from whom
had taken tho house, telling him our in.
tended departure on a certain day, and oi
the probable mischief which might be
impending, for which, Of course, could
not be answerable. / stated, further, that
we would not return to the house again
but that should, Of course, be prepared
to pay the whole years rent, when due,
as had taken it for that term.
The day Of our departure came; but be.
fore it came, Herbert Audlcy had declared
his love for Emily and asked her to be
his wife.
But do your parents know who am,
and knowing it, can they approves' she
asked in return.
7 YES, they know that you are the love.
licst, the best aud dearest Of wolnankind;
they know that, though not quite so well
as know IL; and they have charged Inc
to say that, in making me happy, you will
make them No.
Then nily. without further reserve
promised % do her best by that same en-
dcavOr. The heads Of the house Of Aud
ley had not acted after the way Of the
world, but was It not better way:
Kind hearts are more than coroncts,
And simple truth than Norman blood.
And where could DC found kinder hear
than Emily's, or simpler or more invio
late truth?
We had fixed to spend the winter al
Brighton the whole family ofthe Audleys
were TO follow us thither in q few weeks
time, and in the spring it was arranged
the wedding should take place there. One
Of Emily's school fellows resided at Brigh
ton-one whose praises had many time
sounded across the seas to inc in another
hemiSphere-Onc who should be her chic
bridesmaid, and with whom was, O.
course to fall in love. TWAS quite affect
ing to behold the embrace of the quon
dam school-fellowS, when they first me
after their long separation, and was the
one sole privileged witness of that indie
scribably touching scene. Did | fall il
love with dearest Marian,' and did dear
est Marian fall in love with me-! II
that question | declne giving an imme
diate answer.
or course Herbert's letters to Emily
were frequent. We had been at Brighton
little more than n week, and she was read
ing at the breakfast table one morning
j let me see, l think it must have been the
fifth letter she had received from him
Il wonder if dearest Marian would ex
pect me to write as often to her, il VI
were to fall in love with one another, anC
il she wero to be away from me Pit
would be rather a bore, I think.) Well
Emily was reading her letter, when sht
exclaimed suddenly, 'Oh. Toni in . tone
which caused me to put the cup Of coffee,
which was raised halfway to my lips
again on the table.
well, Emily, what is itY
They have burnt our house at Aber
port down to the ground
And she proceeded to read to INC the
account from the letter. II was, however
so often interrupted with irrevelant pas
sages-passages over which Emily stop
ped, blushed, and hesitAted, taking W
the thread Of the story in very confused
manner, that am unable to give it herr
in Herbert Audley's own words. The
sum Of the whole matter was as Emily
had stated. The house had been burnt
down. There had been rising one night
Of nearly the whole village; they bad
marched en- mGsse towards our late abode,
and set fire to the building in several