Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-05-02

eacn, anu bne DeuS with tDelr unclOSeQ cur
ltains, were ieciprocally visible. Sleep die
! mot steal upon the sisters at one and the same
time. Mary experienced the effect Otter
consequent upon grief quietly borne, and
soon sunk into temporary forgetfulness while
Margaret became more disturbed and fever
ish in proportion as the night advanced with
ing to the drops of rain that came down in
monotonous succession, unswayed by breath
of wind, and nervous impulse continually
causing her to lift her head from the pillow
and gaze into Mary chamber and the inter.
mediate apartment. The cold light of the
lamp threw the shadows of the furniture ur
against the wall, stamping them immovably
there, except when they were shaken by 3
sudden flicker of the fame. Two vacant
arm chairs were in their old position. on op-
posite sides of the hearth, where the brother
had been wont to sit in laughing dignity as
heads OF families two humber seats where
Mary and herself had exercised in love q
Ipower that love had won. The cheerful ra.
diance Of the fire had shone upon the happy
circle, and the dead glimmer of the lamT
might have benefited their reunion now. :
While Margaret groaned in bitterness, she
heard q knock at the street door. -',
~ How would my heart have leapt at that
sound but yesterday thought she, remem-
bering the anxiety with which she had Sc
long awaited tidings from her husband
Il care not for-it now; let them begone fol-
EIiwill not arisep ~ Nt1f fatfH I
But even while sort of childish fretful.
nessmade her thus resolve, she was breath
ing hurriedly, and straining here ears to catch
repetition of the summons It.is difficult
to be convinced of the death of one whom
we have deemed another self. The knock
ing was now renewed in slow and regular
strokes, apparently given with the soft end
of q doublefist, and was heard through sew
eral thicknesses of the wall. Margaret look
ed to her sisters chamber, and beheld her
still lying in the depths of sleep. She slight
ly a1ayed herself, trembling between fear
and eagerness as she did SO.
Seizing thelamp from the hearth, she has
tened to the window that overlooked the
street door, 1t was lattice turning upon
hinges and having thrown it back, she
stretched her head little way into the moist
atmosphere. A lantern was reddening the
front of the house, and melting its light in
neighboring puddles, while deluge Of dark
ness overwhelmed the object. AS the win
dow grated ON its hinges, man in broad
brimned hat, and blanket coat, stepped from
under the shelter of the projecting story,
and looked upward, to discover whom his
application had aroused. Margaret knew
him asa friendly innkeeper of the town.
"What would you have, goodman Par
ker?" cried the widow
Lack -a-day, is it you, mistress Marga.
retp' cried the inn-keeper. 81 was sfraid il
might be your sister Mary, for hate to see
a young woman in trouble; when l have
not word of comfort to wisperto her."
"For heavens sake, what news do you
bring?' screamed Margaret
There has been an express through the
town within this half-hour," said the good
man Parker, travelling from the westward
jurisdiction, with letters from the Governor
and Council. He tarried at my house to
refresh himself with drap and morsel
and asked him what tidings on the from
tiers. He told me we had the better in the
skirmish youwot Of, and that thirteen men,
reported slain, are well and sound, and your
husband among them. Besides, he is ap-
tivated Frenchers and Indians home to the
province jail Judged you wouldn't mind
being broken of your rest, and so stepped
over to tell you. Good night" = 77'
So saying the honest man departed; and
the lantern cleaned along the street, bring
ing to view indistinct shapes of things, and
the fragments of world, like order glim
mering through chaos, or memory running
over the past But Margaret stayed not to
watch these picturesque effects. Joy flashed
into her heart, and lighted it up at once
and with winged steps she flew to the bed
side of her sister. ~ COS og
'fPoor Maryl" said she to herself
",Shall awaken her to feel her sorrow
sharpcned by my happiness? No; will
n keepit withinmy own bosom tlllto-morrow. ,
She approached the bed to see if Mary
sleep was peaceful. Her face was turned
partly upward to the pillow, and had beer
hidden there to weep; but look of motion
, less contentment was visible upon 1t, as /
her heart, like deeplake, had become calm
! because its grief was sunk down so far with
in. Happy it is and strange that the lighte
sorrows are those from which dreams ar
T chiefly fabricated. Margaret shrunk from
{ disturbing her sister-in-law, and felt as i
! her own better fortune had rendered her in
voluntarily unfaithful, as if altered and di
r minished affection must be the consequence
Of the disclosure she had to make. With
q sudden step she turned away But jo
! could not be repressed, even by the circuu
!. stances that would have excited heavy grie
y at another moment Her mind was thronge
/. with delightful thoughts, till sleep stole o
r and transformed them into visions more de
, lightful and more wild, like the breath {
r Winter (but d cold comparison, workin
,fl frantic tracefy on the window. I. Y q M,
When the night was far advanced, Mar
mi woke with sudden start, "A vivid dreal
" had latterly involved her in its unreal lif'
e Of which, however, she could only remen