Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-01-10

u 0'"''t 'o'ctlit0s-'oi t'dI CT ulsCONcI
4 which constantly preyed upon the min
of Rufus Webb, and which had doub
: less been his chief motive in selecting til
spot for dwelling, never permitted an
t thing like hospitality to influence h
stubborn heart. Even in the wilde,
weather, the belated traveller was drive
harshly from the door. and the shadow {
a stranger never yet dark ened the col
tage.
To tighten all this dark record of he
young life, Margaret Webb bad bnt on
memory-one hope, There was a you'll
Of the nearest village, Robert Allen b,
name, whose clandestine visits al the cot
tage during the absence Of her father, haC
never been suspected by the latter. The
heart of the poor girl cried cut in it,
loneliness for something to love, and in
Robert Allen, manly and homes: as ne
was, she found the object of her wish.
But a year had now elapsed since their
parting and the time was already over
past at which Robert had then promised
10 return and claim her as his BRIDE
Bat the perils Of sailors life were such
as she shuddered TO think Of and, sud
denly ceasing her reflections, she looked
tor a moment from the window. The air
was filled with the light fakes of the
falling snow, and the brown gray moor
was already hidden beneatLe the white.
pure covering.
The afternoon slowly wore away, and
as evening approached she commenced
for the nightly repast. Spread
ing the cloth upon The table, she placed
upon it the few coarse articles of food
which the cottage contained, and then
wpited for the rerurn Of her father. Bot
a. .h. y.,,,.5 j., ,.,;, s.,l...... a-....
yi,,op, His on,.ar.noa and bo.;-,
heart TO eat she drew forth b;bla from
e coDcealmept, and resaat;no herself
before the fire Turned oyar #. nooa.
The thouobt auain occurred to her tb,,
his was Christmas eve, and with the i'm
3ulse of the thought she read with soft
ming heart of the ionrnev of the wise
men. and the birth or rLn Sayior Even
n her loneliness. the beautiful narrative
ad an indescribable charm for her. and
f, she closed the book dr4arv Ianouor {
d. ( po. session of her ,iazino intotha
ire. she fancied briobt IMAGES in its crack ;
no flames. and her reflections borrowed {
olor from them. and She became nerfect. 6
y hapnv. {
From this abstraction she was spdd-n. !
? aroused b, the sbrieking Of the wind a
Within an bopr. the storm had increased 4
.nfo,d in ts mover and the snow f.u 5
80 oDd G,r;o,sl, dr;,.., h,b.u AL h
,,h.r :, ,J;nd;o. a,Lo, hn.,,, r:,..;, c
i'll IT., -. . .,-
,,d ord booo;,, ,noro no,a r,on ha c
re. Marnaret a,ain drew her chair ba. 5
re il. and decided 70 mass the nigb, Il
,ere. or at least nntil her fathers ratrrp Il
mn il wos lopa befora sba corld sree, II
ybat with her obstrusiva thor,bts ond st
% constant and faarr,l ro,;,c of th. Il
;,,rr blsst oro,rd ,h. oot,aoo u,,.
living the snowflake, vjoIen1v aoa;n.t Il
q window. and now moaning in tho IL
.imnev. several hoors had nassad md eS
itb Them the bonr Of midnight bafore oi
E slept.
H. .,,., q'
luance; suddenly starting to her te't t m
. I;s,o1; o.. . " III
the wind which bod hroLan = III
-;ll;ncIv rnoo bar s,n,,L.., ,..,:. ~
,tb n crv of ol,o,st brr,o, o.ou,, al .
at in a voice " bicb seemed tho verv
,r,oroor, IS ,ha, IS p,c,. VIII, :"
,.,IoJ IL. .,....-c .,, Q"
th;nLinc :, ,,, ,Lo as,.o. oe,Lo -
~ hor .I,,,,hor,,,. 80. =, ~