Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-06-27

that love had won. The cheerful radi
ance Of the fire had shone upon the hap
py circle, and the dead glimmer of the
lamp might have befilted the reunion now
While Margaret groaned in bitterness
she heard knock at the street door.
How would my heart have leapt al
that sound but yesterday thought she
remembering the anxiety with which she
had so long awaited tidings from her
husband. Il care not for it now; let
them begone, for will not arise
But even while sort of childish fret.
fulness made her thus resolve. she was
breathing hurriedIy, and strsining her
ears to catch repetition Of the sum.
mons. 1t is difficult to be convinced of
the death of one whom we have deemed
another self The knocking was now
renewed in slow and regular strokes, sp-
parenly given with The soft end of a
doubled fist, and was heard through sew
eral thickuesses of the wall. Margaret
looked to her sisters chamber and beheld
her still lying in the depths of sleep
She slightly arrayed herself, trembling
between fear and eagerness as she did
so.
Heaven help met sighed she; i
have nothing to fear, and methinks am
ten times more II coward than ever
Selling the lamp from the hearth, she
FASTENED to a window that overlooked
the street door. 1t was lattice turning
upon hinges; and having thrown it back,
she stretched her head a little way into
the moist atmosphere. A lantern was
reddening the front of the house, and
melting its light in the neighboring pud-
dies, while deluge of darkness over
whelmed the object. As the window
grated on its hinges, man in a broad
brimmed hat and blanket coat stepped
out from the shelter of the projecting
story, and looked up to discover whom
his application had aroused. Margaret
recognized him as a friendly innkeeper
of the torn.
'What would you have, good man Pc
ter?' said the widow.
Lack-a-dsy, is it you, Mistress Mar
garet 2 said the innkeeper. i was
afraid it might be your sister Mary, for
| hate to see young woman in trouble
when | have not a word TO comfort her.
For heavens sake, what news do you
bring?' cried Margaret.
There has been al express through
the town within halt an hour said the
good man Peter, travelling from the
westward jurisdiction with letters from
Governor and Council. Ye tarried at
my house to refresh himself with drop
and a morsel, and ! asked him what It'd
ingS on the frontier. He told me they
had the better of the skirmish you heard
Of and that thirteen men reported slain
are well and sound, and your husband
among them. judged you wouldn't
mind being broke of your rest, and so |
stepped over to tell you. Good night
So saying, the honest man departed
and the lantern streamed along the street,
to view indistinct shapes Of
things, and the fragment of the world,
ike order glimmering through a chaos,
or memory roaming over the past. But
Margaret stopped not to see these pic
effects. Joy flushed into her
heart and lighted it up at once, and
breathless and with winged steps she
flew to the bedside of her sister. She
paused, however, at the door of her
while thought of pain broke
in upon her,
Poor Maryp said she, shall awaken !
her TO feel her sorrow sharpened by my
No, will keep it in my own
bosom till Tomorrow
She approached the bed to sec il Ma
rvs sleep was peaceful. Her face was
turned partly upward to the pillow, and
had been hidden :here TO weep; but a
ook of motionless contentment was visi-
Die upon it, as if her heart, like deep
axe, had become calm, because its grief
rad sunk down so far within. Hap
1y it is, and strange, that the lighter sor-
,ows are those from which dreams are !
.hieAy fabricated. Margaret shrunk
rom disturbing her sister-in-law, and
eli as if her own better fortune bad rem
Tered her involuntsrily unfaithful, as if
altered and diminished affection must be
he consequence of the disclosure she
lad TO make. With a sudden step she
urned away. But JOY could not be de-
pressed, even by the circumstances that