Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-06-12


deal table, was an open Bible, close to
which we observed to our horror, heap
Of gunpowder large enough to blow up
castle. A candle was burning on the
table, and the old fellow held a steel in
{ one hand and large flint in the other.
We were all three completely paralyzed.
F The wild, IRON faced, determined look of
the Old Gardener, the candle, the flint
and steel, and the great heap of powder
absolutely froze our blood, and made
EDWARDS of us all. The gardener saw
the impression he had made on as.
"'What, do you want to rob and mur-
der?' exclaimed he. You had better
join with me in prayer, miserable sinners
that you all are Repent and you may
be saved. You will soon be in another
world.
Ryder first recovered bis speech.
"Please TO hear me Mr.. Gardener. |
feel that we have been wrong, and if we
may depart, we will make reparation,
and give you all the money we have in
our pockets
I'VE laid our purses on the table be-
fore him.
"'The Lord has delivered you into
my hands. Ii was so revealed to me in
a dream. We shall all be soon in ano-
ther world. Pray, 'Let Us pray And
down he fell upon his knees, close to the
table, with the candle burning, and the
ugly flint and steel in his hand He
prayed and prayed. thought his pray
er would never end. A.: last he appear
ed exhausted. He stopped, and eyed
the purses and then emptied one Of them
on the table. He appeared surprised,
and, thought. gTatifed, at the largeness
of its contents We now thought we
should have leave to retire but, to our
dismay, the old Gardener said
"'Now we will praise God by singing
the Hundredth Psalm ........,
"This was agony to US all. After the
psalm, the old man took up the second
purse, and while he was examining its
contents, Ryder, who was close behind
Tom and myself. whispered softly
al have unfaslened the door; when
you hear me me move, make a rush.
"The Old Gardener then, pouring out
the contents Of the second purse, ex
claimed
"Why, there is almost enough to
build our new house of God Let me
see what the third contains"
He took up the third purse.
"Nowr whispered Ryder, make a
rush"
"We did so, and at the same moment
heard the old fellow hammering away
with his flint and steel. We expected |
to be instantly blown into fragments.
The front door, however, few open be-
fore us the next step we found our
selves in the garden. The night was
pitchy dark. We rushed blindly through |
the nursery ground scrambled through |
brambles and prickly shrubs, ran our
heads against trees, then forced ourselves
through a thicket hedge. At last, with.
scratched faces, torn hands and tattered
clothes, we tumbled over bank into
the high road. This was the work of
but few minutes. If our faces could
have been seen, it would have been
thought, from our horror stricken coun-
tenances, that, instead of having risen
from prayer,we had been pursued by Old
Nick himself.
:" We fell upon bank by the side OF
the road. There we lay without speak
ing word one Of US groaned with the
fall. A night gang of miners who were
returning from their work, carrying as
is usual with them on dark nights, Ian
terms in their hands, pereeiving three
persons fall from the hedge on the bank,
and thinking that an accident had hap
pened, ran to our assistance. They rails
ed their lighted lanterns TO our blackened
and scratched faces. The sight we pre-
sented was more than sufficient TO frighten
any person of strong mind. 1t was too
much for the poor superstiiious miners,
who Immediately scanpered of-some
towards the mine, others towards the
town--as fast as fear and their legs would
carry them. Each Of us left portion OF
his skin and clothes sticking on the thorns
and branches through which we bad
Our horses were soon found,
and we galloped to Ryder's residence -
Lights we're procured and we sat down.
We were black, ragged, and dirty. We
looked at each other, and, in spite of our
miserable adventure, roared with laugh
ter.
ave may laugh exclaimed Tom, but