The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-10-20
Thursday Morning, Oct. 20, 1864.
Not Guilty-A Story of Real Life.

NVt uuilIy a GLORY OF neal hlIe.
One day., q good many years ago, q young
woman knocked at the door of little cottage
In the suburbs of the town of Newcastle-up-
on-Tyne. The knock was immediately an
swered by the opening of the door from with
in. An aged woman neatly dressed, and who
had evidently risen from her wheel, was the
sole inmate OF the little cot.
BLESS your heart, girl, - said the dame, as
she entered with her visitor and sat down to
the wheel again, there must be something
particular about you to-day, for you did not
use to knock"
II was afraid some one might be with you,
mother" said the girl, who had taken seat
opposite the spinner.
"And though a neighbor had been here" re-
peated the dame this surely would not have
frightened you away. But the truth is, you
have got something to say to me, Catherine"
continued the speaker, kindly; 'out with it,
my dear, and depend upon the best counsel
that old Hannah can give"
The young woman blushed, and did moi, i'm
mediately speak.
"Has William Hutton asked you to be his
wife?" said the dame, who easily and rightly
anticipated the matter that was in the mind
of her youthful visitor.
HE has, mother" was the reply.
The old woman begun to birr earnestly at
the wheel.
swell, my dear, 'said she, after a short
pause, lis not this but what you have long ex-
pected-aye, and wished? He has your heart,
and so suppose it needs no witch to tell what
would be the true end ont"
This might all be true, but there was some
thing upon GATHERINGS mind which struggled
to be out, and out it came.
"Dear Hannah" said she, seating herself
close by the dame and taking hold of her
hand, "you have been kind friend-a parent
Ito me since my poor mother died, and |
have no one else to look to Tor advice but
yourself. have not given William an answer,
and would not till had spoken to you; es-
pecially as something's you once said"
"What did | say. Catherinea" interrupted
the old woman; nothing against the man you
love, surely. He is Fl ON all have seen and
beard, kind hearted, industrious and every
Fay well behaved"
Eyes Hannah" replied the young woman,
"but you once said, after / had brought him
once or twice to see you, that you did not
like those-those sort OF low tits that some
times fail upon him even in company have
plten NOTICED them SINCE, Hannah" continued
Catherine Witha sigh.
s'Plague on my old thoughtless tongue for
saying any such thing to Vex you, my dear
child. Heed not SO careless speech, Gather
inc. He was soldier, you know, good ma
ny years ago-before he was twenty-and
tousat for his country. He may have seen
sights then that make him grave to think up
on, without the slightest cause for blaming
himself But whatever it may be, ! meant
not, Catherine, that you should take such
passing word to heart. If he has some little
cares, you will easily soothe them and make
him happy" t--.ss,
As the worthy dame spoke, her visitors
brow cleared. and after eople further oonEer-
sation Catherine left the cottage, lightened at
heart with the thought that her old friend abb
proved of her following the conrse to which
her inclination led her. Catherine Smith was
Shqeed girl we'll entitled TO pay respect to
the counsels o; Hannah. The latter had new
er been married, and spent the greater part OF
her life in the service of wealthy family at
Aforpeth. When she was there, the widowed
Mother Of Catherine lad died in Newcastle,
and on learning of the circumstances, Han
nah, though friend merely, and no relation,
had sent for the orphan girl, then about ten
years of age, and had taken care OF her till
sue grew fit to maintain herself by service.
HAt finding herself unable to- continue a
working life longer, Hannah had retired to
Newcastle, her native place, where she lived
IA humble comfort on the earrings OF her long
career of servitude. Catherine came back
with her to Newcastle, and Immediately went
INTO service there.
tdannah ana Catherine had been two years
in these respective situations when the do
logq4 which has been recorded took place.
On the succeeding expiration of her term
of service Catherine was married to the
young man whose name has been stated as
being William Hutton. He was tanner by
trade, and bore, as Hannah had said, an ex-
Selent charactef.
The first visit paid by the newly married
couple was to the cottage of the old woman,
who gazed on them with maternal pridei
thinking she had never seen SO handsome
pair
The few years spent in the army had given
10 his naturally good figure an erect manllT
hess, which looked as well in one of his sex
as the slight, graceful figure, and the fair in
genuous countenance of Catherine was calcu-
lated to adorn one OF women Something OF
kind was in the thought of old Hannah when
Catherine and her husband visited the danes
little dwelling.
Many afuture visit was paid by the same
narties to Hannah, and on each successive oc.
easlon the old woman looked narrowly, though
Is unbbtrusi7ely as possible, into the state Of
fhe young wife's feelings with motherly anx
lety to know II she was happy. For, though
Hannah-seeing GATHERINGS affections TO bt
deeply engaged-had made light of her owl
early remarks upon the strange and most un
oleasaut eoem occasionally If not unfreauent
" observable In the manner of William Hut
ton, the old woman had never been able to rlt
her own mind altogether from misgiVings upol
t4e subject. For many months after Gather
ines marriage, however, HANNAH could discov
er nothing but uualloyed happiness in the all
and conversation OF the youthful wife. Bu
at length Hannah's anxious eye did perceive
something like a change. Catherine seemed
sometimes TO f-l, when visitsng the cottage IN
10 nts OF abstraction, not unlike those which
had peen observed Id her husband The aged
dame ielt greatly distressed at uhe thought o
her dear Catherine being unhappv. hut for {
long time held her peace upoi, the subiect
hoping that the cloud might be temnorar,
one, and would disappear.
II was not so, unfortunately, thousbin tha;,
manner to each other when together noth;n :
but the most cordial attention was Observable
Catherine, when she came alone to see Han
nah, always seemed prey to some uneasiues
which all her efforts could not conceal frou
her old friend. Even when she became for tn
first time mothers with all the beautifl
pride Of young mothers love, presented hs
babe to Hannah, the latter could see signs Of
secret grief imprinted on GATHERINGS broN
Hoping by her counsels to bring relief, Han
nah at last took an opportunity to tell ii
young wife what she had observed and sougl
her confidence. At first Catherine stammere
forth hurried assurance that she was perfec
ly happy, and, in few seconds, belied HI
words by bursting into tears, and owning thu
she was very unhappy.