The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1862-06-11

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Landlord, the name Of this village?o
''Merwin, your honor"
''And youder caste?o
The earl of CadwalIader's seat
Thank you. Lead the way to the cottage
These last words were addressed to the Young
peasant, who, striking on before led him through
wooded lane, from which opened an extensive
andloyely prospect genuine English andscapc
made up of river and park castle and village.
tower and hamlet. He gave but a single glance
and fell on his knees with his face TO ,he earth.
ut is-it is-my own native homc" Before
him he beheld spread out, the identical scene-
the cottage in the foreground-the tower,crowa-
ing hill on his right--the lerdly pile, which be
now knew TO be Cadwallader castle with the vii
lage, river, spire and distant range Of blue hill
one and all just as be had pointed them.
He rose to his feet, and without speaking, from
the fullness Of his heart, preceded the peasant
along narrow gravel-walk which led to the cot
tage, following each winding with a rapid and
familiar footstep.
= remember every stone-eyery tree, as #
had last seen them only yesterday, he said as be
walked along
In the door Of the cottage sat respectable
elderly dame, knitting. Looking up at bis step,
she Hospitality invited him to enter.
W dtA II, III, WaIh II! An, son " Ill, you're
home soon, lad, she added, deserving her son be-
hind; y ou have brought stranger tr0mLon' on" +"
He brought ne mither We cooa'dtn four
horse coach"
Hot, ye,rea erankie, lad What have tic likes
Of you 10 10 in tourhorse coach? Mind your
own wagon and think not o anything above it.n
my good dame, said the Young man. "ifthere
is blame any where it lies with me. Permit me
to nut q few questions to vou9u
Take seat, sir, take a seat. Will, give his
honor chair Yes, sir l will try and answer
them to my best. Well now"
"Oh, bow memory rushes upon me! Methinks
| am at home here. Her voice sounds like one
| see and hear is associated with my
earliest impressions! Her spectacles seem like old
friends. Oh, that my wishes and hopes may be
realised Wretched indeed, should be, to be dis
appointed now" Such were the thoughts that
filed his mind as he asked with hesitatng voice,
''Were you ever a foster-mother?"
"Alack-a-day! Alb, your honor has come to
open an old wound in my poor heartl Indeed
have been, sir
TO whose child27
my lord'sn
What lord?7
'Cadwallader, who lives IN the castle wonder.
Poor nobleman he has not smiled since"
Since when2 Speak pray you"
why, your honor, had his only son to nurse,
and he being delicate, | kept him after he was
weaned, till he was five years old; for they liked
to have him play about with my boy, VIII, here,
who was the same age. They wanted to make
him hardy, you must know, and 50 | brought 'eln
both up alike, letting his lordship run here and
there as he would, jistas if he had been my o8u."
"Well"
"Weu, your honor All, woes me! One dav
be went out alone to gather apples from the old
tree by the bridge (for he could climb to its very
top, he had got so brave and stout, and not CON
ing home to his breakfast, l felt anxious abou.
him and went to seek him. But"
But from that day to this you have not seen
his face"
IT'S the dear truth your honor The gentlcs
feared he had fallen from the bridge, and the river
was searched in vain. But thought"
"What thought you?"
THAT the gipses had stolen him."
SHOULD you know him if he were living?n
'kuow him, the dear child! would know him
4 hundred years henCe-hS sweet smile, curly
lair and rosy, fat cheeks!'
But time would soon change these Had he any
natural mark by which he might be recOgnisc5?0
Two of them, your honor"
What were they?n
"a straw berry and leaf on his neck below the
light ear and the scar of my steel watch-key here.
which, having fallen into the CRATE he drew it out
while red hot, and left the print on the palm and
inside the fingers of his left hand He was iust
four, when he did it!''
The young painter removed his cravat with o
hand and palpitating heart"
Is that like the strawberry and leaf, good
mother; and he added, spreading open his left
land, is this the impress of the key?n
As she spoke he displayed the marks she had
described; the strawberry on his neck and the
'isiblc shape of watch-key burnedinto the skin
II his left palm. She looked first at one and then
It the other, bewildered between doubt and ioy:
hen Sazed moment scrutnizingly into his fea-
ures, till by degrees She saw confessed before her,
he express image OF her tOster-bOy. With a cry
If JOY she extended her arms
1t is Alfred, my Decentralization bas given
lim to me again Thus speaking, she sunk into
he embrace that was open to receive her.
A few words will finish our story. The proper
teps were taken to prove the identity of ''AlfreJ
he Gpsy, with the lost heir of CadwaIlader.
10Th by the young painter himself, and the earl
# Linton. The chief OF the gipsy horde vas
ought after and found, and confessed having
tOlen the child, knowing it to be the son of thr
arl of Cadwallader, and further that the painter
nd that child was one and the same. N0twith
tandng Afred's industry in collecting evidence.
is delcacy restrained him from visiting Cadwal-
lder castle, to seek an interview with its broken
earted lord, But now with the proof in his own
and, to which he had the portrait of his mother
lken from memory, he was conveyed thithcr IL
lie carriage of lord Linton, who accompanied hin
person and presented him to the duke. No
ooncr had the noble placed bis eyes upon him
ian, waving all other evidences, EXCEPT those Of
fathers heart, he rushed towards him, embraced