Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1864-02-15

each other, until William came to the
cottage. He sat down gravely by the
side Of his wife; and after kindly in. |
quirlng for the old woman, at once com.
menced to tell his story.
: The reasons of my unhappy exclama- |
tions in my sleep, which have weighed |
SO much upon your mind, dear Catharine,
may be very soon told. They arose
from circumstance which has much |
smol'tered my own peace, but which |
hope is to be regarded as sad calamity
rather than crime When | entered
the army, which | did at the age of nine
teen, the recruiting party, to which ! at
tached myself, was sent to Scotland,
where we remained but few days, be-
ing ordered again to England, in order to
be transported again to the continent. One
unhappy morning, as we were passing
out OF the town where we had rested on
| our march southwark, my companions
and | CHANGED to see girl, apparently
abont fifteen years Of age, washing
clothes in tub. Being the most Light
hearted among the light-hearted, took
up a'large stone, with the intention of
splashing the water against the girl
Sac stopped hastily, and, shocking to
| tell, when threw the stone, it struck
her on the head, and she fell to the
/ ground, with, fear, her skull fractured.
Supplied at what had done, |. stood
gazing on the stream of blood rushing
from my poor victims head, when my.
companions, observing that no one had
seen US, for it was their early in the
morning, hurried me off. We were not
pursued, and we were in few weeks on
the continent. But the image of that
bleeding girl followed nc everywhere :;
and since / came home, have never
dared to inquire the result, lest should
be hung for murder. For | fear, from
the dreadful nature of the blow that the
death Of that poor creature lies atmy door,
While Hutton was relating his story,
he had turned his eyes to the window ;
but what was his astonishment, as he
was cenrludlng, to hear old Hannah CRY
/ broKg ON INTO hysteriicai i passion 81
tears and smiles, and threw herself into
his arms.
MY dear husband cried she, as soon
as her voice found utterance, that town
was Morpeth.'
1T was,' said he.
Dear William the wife then cried
/ am that grill
You, Catharine!' cried the amazed
and enraptured husband, as he pressed
her to his breast.
Yes said old Hannah, from whose
, eyes tears were fast dropping, the gir
5 | whom you unfortunately struck, was sh'
who is now the wife of your bosom. Blu
your fears had magnifed the blow
y Catharine was found by myself soon af-
ter the accident; and, though she los
+ little blood, and was stunned for
time,s she soon reused again. Praised b.
: heaven ior bringing about this blesse
S explanation
4 'Amenp cried Catharine and her hus
= band Peace and happiness, as much a
3. usually falls to the lot of mortals, weI
the lot of Catharine and her husband
IT from this time forward, their gre'
source of disquietude being thus take
d away. The wife even loved the hus
y band more, from the discovery that tt
,e circumstances which had caused b
4 distress were but proof of his extren
tenderness of heart and conscience; al
William was attached the more strong
y to Catharine, after finding her to be Il
lc person whom he unwittingly injured.
TO A new tie, as it were, had been form
s. between them.