Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-05-01

80 N'AS SNNHAN lOoON5oiOH VI an oNoitibAi
: al prize in the unfortunate Henry Mason
e who, too late, discovered that he had EN-
! broiled himself with a pressgang De
sperate, frenzied were the efforts b,
: made to extricate himself from the peri
: in which he had rashly involved him
A self. In vain His protestations tha
he was a mate, captain, in the mer
! chant service, were unheeded or mocke'
4 at.
To all his remonstrance be only go
the professional answer" His majest,
wants you, and that is enough; so com
along, and no more about it,
Bruised, exhausted, almost mad, b,
was borne off in triumph to boat, int,
which he was thrust with several others
and swiftly rowed off to a receiving sbiE
: in the river. Even there his assertion.
and protestation5 were of no avail
; Nothing but an Admiralty order, the of
icer in command candidly to Id him
f should effect bis liberation. His majesty
was in need of seamen; and he was
evidently too smart one to be deprived
OF the glory of serving his country
" You must therefore," concluded the
officer, as he turned laughingly upon his
heel, do as thousands of other fine fel-
lows have been compelled to do grin
and bear it, -" In about three weeks
from the date of bis impressment Mason
found himself serving in the Mediter-
ranean on board the " Active" frigate,
Captain Alexander Gordon, without
having been permitted one opportunity
of communicating with the shore This
was certainly very sharp, but it was not
the less very common practice in those
great days of triumphant battles by land
and sea.
Very drearily passed the time with the
bereaved wife. Her husband mad prom
ised to send home something for dinner,
and various groceries; yet hour after
hour went past, and nothing arrived
Morning flushed into noon, day faded to
twilight, and still the we'll known aud al
ways eager step sounded not upon the
stairs What could have detained him
from bis wife, shut up, imprisoned, as il
were, in that hot, hurrying, sitting city Z?
She feared to listen to the suggestions of
her boding heart; and with feverish rest
lessness ran out upon the landing, and
peered over the stairs every time knock
or ring was heard at the street-door.-
This strange behavior was, it seems, no
ticed by the land lady of the lodging
house, and injuriously interpreted. A
knock came to the door, and that person
entered to know at what time Mrs. -,
she had forgotten the young woman's
name, expected the dinner, she, the land
lady, had undertaken to cook.
Esther timidly replied that her hus-
band had promised to returnjn two or
three hours at latest and that she did |
not comprehend his continued absence
was indeed quite alarmed about it
Your husband y said the woman.
glancing insolently at Esther's figure
" Are you sure he is your husband ~
The hot blood suffused the temples of
the indignant wife as she said, "This
apartment, madam, l believe is mine?"
cob, certainly, as long as you can pay
for it," and rudely slamming the door,
the landlady departed.
The long wretched night at last over,
Esther rose with the light; and after
giving her son his breakfast from the re-
mains of that of the day before, set off
with him to the place of business of the
Messrs. Roberts. 1t was early, and one
,lerk only had as yet arrived at the office.
He informed her that Mr.. Henry Mason
bad not been seen, and that the partners
we're greatly annoyed about it, as his i'm
Mediate presence was absolutely neces-
AIRY.
Stunned, terrified, bewildered by the
rightful calamity which she believed had
'elallen her, she felt convinced that her
husband had been entrapped and muir
Iered for the sake of the money he had
bout him : the wretched woman tottered
'ack TO her lodgings, and threw herself
N the bed in wild despair. What was
o be done for food even for her boy p
Ter husband had not only his pocket I
ook with him containing bis larger mo- G
ey, but mad taken her purse She was i
lone and penniless in strange city -,
The hungry wsilings Of her witless child |
'wards evening at length aroused her ?
rom her stupor of despair into which she I
ad fallen. The miserable resource of Q
awning occurred to her: she could at &
'ast, by pledging part of her wardrobe, T
rocure sustenanee for her child till she f
mid hear from her sistar. and NTH n