Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-11-30
cLEARFIELD, PA, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 80, 1864.

ms PerPieAlty was interrupted by the
pearance Of the cause Of it. She stood at
the door wrapped in one OF the bed-coyer-
ings, looking at him with q sweet, child
ish, vacant expression that was touching
in its helplessness. "G must call her
something" thought he, as she stood up-
parently waiting for him 10 speak, her
name shall be Mary" .H ....
Are you better, Mary, and will you
sit in this chair ?"
She paid no attention to tho inquiry,
but took the offered seat, and began ST.
lently rocking herselfto and fro, /. had
such ghostly effect to zee her there by
the lamp-light, robed in the long white
! draper?, with her beautiful face still pale,
though no longer deathly, rocking herself
in silence, that Ashley felt sensation
very like fear thrill through him. He
must do something, for he could not bear
this. He took up book, the first that
came 10 hand-it was an English one
and offered il to her, asking her if she
would like to read.
She took it it'll chldlike smile, and
laying it upon her knees, began 10 flutter
its leaves backward and forward, playing
idly with them.
Good heavens !" said Ashley 10 him
self, "she is mad, imbecile at any rate
must do something with her.
But it was impossible to think with her
before him, and taking her by the hand,
he said;
" Now, Mary, you must 60 back to bed,
and to morrow"
She did not wait for the end OF the sen
tence, but rose at once to do as she was
hidden, threw down the book, and letting
fall the coveret that had enyeloped her,
walked quietly back 10 the inner room.
Ashley fastened the door, and felt as If
he were mad from sheer bewilderment.-
She must have clothes the very firstthing,
and how were they TO be procured without
taking some one into his confdence?- p
Even if he knew where TO go for them, he
knew nothing of what womans clothes
shoul be. 1t was evident, then, that some
venture, and it was equally evident that
! it must be woman in whom he contided,
as he required practical help o: kind no
man could give him.
The morning dawned before he could
arrange any settled plan, and finally de-
ci0ed that he could not if he would rid
himself Of the charge Of her, therefore she
should remain in his house, and he would
tell all TO the woman who acted as his
housekeeper, who chanced 10 he absent at
the time, but whose return he was expect
ing that very day. lie would bind her to
secrecy by the most solemn oath he could
devise, and if she failed 10 keep it, why
at any rate ho vas in Il terrible Scrape,
aud this seemed the best thing to be done.
The woman returned early in the day, and
Ashley at once told all, and implored her
assistance. 10 his great relief she at
once agreed 10 do all that lay in her pow
er for Tho unhappy girl, and few ar
, rangements being made, Ashley left the
hous. for the day, determined TO shake
of the unpleasant impression the whole
thing had maGa upon him.
Returning at night he found Mary COM
fortably clothed, aud looking less pale and
i'm. His housekeeper tod him that she
had been dressed like child, having ap-
parenily no idea Of assisting hefAc at all
II would 5e impossible to descrl3e mi
nutely how intelligence dawned, and grlw
swiftly in the poor girls mird. 1t was
not a gradual growth from infancy, but
came in ftful snatches. The greatest
change came first, when lper face bright.
eued from its sweet, blank vacancy OF
expression at Astley's approach, and then
she Legan to wait upon him like a lovlpg
child. He devoted himself to her very
tenderly, almost as a mother devotes her
self to child, and with. infinite patience
taught her TO read and write. She learn
ed also to SOW, and was not unskillful in
such woman's craft but what he taught
her was learned quickest, best.
Two years passed, and Mary had dovel-
oped so rapidly that she was much like
other women in knowledge and acquire
ments, but she had no memory of any
,hing before her trance. Ashley told her
the whole story, and urged her to try and
recall something Of the time before, but
it was 10 yain, her memory was clear gone
, And the present time was so happy thai
, they cared little for the past. She was
something belonging SO entirely to him
even her life she owed to his care, ano
e loved him SO intensely. there being no one
{ IN the world whom she knew or loved be
j. side that he could not fail 10 be very hap