The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-01-17
Volume IS.

had many long years ago sought that isiahu
as home, with sickly wife, was no more
and the childreu-orphans, and one young
widow-were left destitute or nearly SO, and
were only waiting in the hope that their
uncle. Sir Ralph, would give them encourage
msnt to come home. They called England
'home,' although they had been vesy little
children indeed when they had gone to Cey-
Ion with their sick mother and anxious
father.
Twelve years had elapsed, and father and
mother were dead. The eldest girl, Rachel,
had married for love, and he whom she loved
died within eighteen months Of their union.
Rachel then was young widow, with an
infant clinsing to her for help. Her sister
Anna il was who wrote to their uncle at his
grand estate in Northamptonshire. detailing
all these events and il was that letter which
produced the food of tears VIC have mentioned
from the old lone knight.
Would these two sorrowing ones and the
little child be welcome? Would he open his
heart to them? All, yes The mere thought
Of their coming was now life to them, and he
was seen to smile, for the first time in the
memory Of some Of his servants, on the day
succeeding the receipt Of Annals letter from
Ceylon.
That the answer to that letter was oil that
could be wished by the sisters, we may well
imagine. II sent them ample means to come
to England, and assured them Ofa iatherly
welcome at Heritage Hall.
The time sped on, and the sisters, with the
infant. reached England. They travelled by
post from Liverpool to Northampton, and
hut for tie accident Of breakdown of the
post-chaise, about ten miles from Heritage
Hall, would, on wild, tempcstuous day in
February, have dined with their uncle. But
this was not to DO.
On the crOss-road that the position was
advised to take, since it avoided u very hilly
district, tho chaiso encountered fallen
trunk of tree, which. in the dim twilight,
was not observed until too late; and then it
had so dislocated the machinery of the chaise
that it was impossible to proceed further
with it, and the party were fain to take
shelter for the night at a roadside inn, named
The Wheatsheaf.'
The rain came down in torrents, and the
wind howled through some neighboring
copses, as II presaging' by its dismal tones
unheard-of evils to the unfortunate travellers
then benighted on their journey.
The inns best room-I took the trouble to
examine ii, in the interest OF my client-was
shabby in the extreme. It had two beds in
il, and there was down the middle of the
room a sliding partition, which, on an
emergency, would convert the apartment
into two.
| Ii was into this room, then, at ten o'clock
on this wild spring evening, that the two
sisters, with the infant, were ushered. The
rain dashed against the two latticed windows,
as If their destruction was the sole object of the
storm and the wind struck the large sloping
roof of the house with such gusty blows that
the sisters more than once believed that some
one must be at work in some mad fashion
above their heads.
The small candle that tho disappointed inn
afforded them aared and aiskered in the
candlestick, and threatened each moment to
expire, 50 they hastened to rest.
And there were the gentle caresses, the
kind Good night = the God bless you, Anna!
and God bless you, Rachel /" and the little
one was kissed and commended to Heaven,
and the light was put out and then Rachel,
for some cause that she could not define, burst
into passion of tears, and sister Anna called
out
Rachel Rachel what is il? Why do
you cry when you are going to beso happyT
Il cannot help it, Anna! My heart is
heavy-so very heavy! And yet how much
have We to be thankful for, in the kindness
Of our uncle, who promises to make Ernest
(thc infant sony his heir
To be sure, Rachel and so to the wall
and shall not get u husband, all on account
Of your little Ernest, when fully intended
to make Uncle Ralph leave me everything.
Come. now, 90 to sleep. Good night"
Good night, dcar!'
Good night'
This little dialogue was overheard by the
landlady Of the inn. 1t was nothing in itself
but il appeared on the depositions against
Anna, as though written it letters Of blood.
The sisters slept. The little Ernest slept
his last sleep on the breast Of his mother.
The rain still came down in torrents, and
the wind still howled around the old inn
One o'clock had just been proclaimed by the
tall old.fashioned clock IN the bar. when
Landlord, landlady. chambermaid and boots
were all aroused by such succession oi
piercing shrieks, from the room occupied by
tho sisters, tha, they one and all made a rush
in that direction, with such hastily 'natched
up garments as terror enabled them to pro-
cure, and with the only light that was al
ways on slab in the passage.
The sight that met their eyes was a terrible