The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-06-01

=. '' ~ y N"o llc ilWu agreed 10 enter
the army rs substitute for Simon
Suggs, and had received mortgage.
and notes and all in return. His faith
er was free man, but he was bound.
1t was very hard Long ago. be-
fore he first enlisted, he and Mary
Lord had been lovers. They had
waited Tor his return, and then Hor-
ace had no home to which he might
bring a wife. And now there must be
a farther delay, perhaps a separation,
only 80 be ended in another sphere
OF existence. 1t was a dreadful trial
to both those young hearts. How
great trial they, even now, could
hardly estimated. But Horace was
comforted by the thought that
thus he purchased home and peace
for his parents, and surely no sacrifice
was too great if made for them.
After he was gone those he left be
hind wero as peaceful rs human
beings can be, oncumbered with anX-
icty and sad expectation Battle af-
ter battle, dire and body, was
fought Horace was exposed to all
the horrors of wounds, imprisonment
and sudden death No one could pre-
dict the tidings of the coming day but
a great hush Of dread and expecta-
ton was over all the land
At last the blow fell 4 great and
terrible battle had been fought The
wounded and the dead counted by
thousands. There were hundreds of
prisoners Horaces own regiment
had been more than decimatcd The
smoke Of battle must clear away be
fore the losses can be counted 1t
cleared The names long lists of
slain were published, and columns
of wounded. His name was not
among those. Stay here it is. But
opposite to it is written "lissing'
The months and the years pass
away and 10 tidings came Of the lost
one.
And then old Simon Suggs appers
once more upon the scene. He has
bided his time He does not mean to
wait till the doadness Of despair is
quite over, until energy and the pow
or OF resistance arc re-awakened
He has known the mother of Mary
Lord all her life. In her youth he
had a sncaling fondness for her, long
sacrificed to his passion for gain
Now he visits her in her trouble.
moderates the sharp whine Of bis
{ voice to softness, and condoles with
her in tho loss she has met She can
not see his piuched and moagrc face.
and She has not that sensitive Gift
whereby she can detect the falseness
of bis voice, on, with sure instinct.
shrink from the besotted selfshuess
Of his nature.
They are very poor now, for Mary
has had neither heart nor strength
for her accustomed tasks. She has
, done her best, poor gr, and sacri-
feed much for her mothers comfort.
/ For no more dutlul child existed
than this sadly tried girl Batiu her
grief She has nude mistakes, and
seemed to neglect her employers
! work, and they no longer trust ben MS
once they did She has become I'm
guild and nelyclcss, and could NOT u
at once muster tho forces of her ma
turo that had been wolstod in her
sore conflict with grief and suspense.
IL was while sho was ia this state
that Simon Suqg5 commcpeel his
siege lie was Wise and careful.
man, for the FIRST OF all he undermined
= the mothers caution Ia % little time
he had her all upon his side, and then
by degrees he yenturcd to speak plain
ly First he said sighting words II
! Horace. He had been cowardlv, be
j limited 1t was known that he tried
to sink away from the field during
this very battle. He had been fired
mt. He was undoubtedly either dead
or a descrter IN the last case hiding
! from the inevitable doom Of his crime,
and would never care to return. thus
+ leaving Mary rs free MS if he We're
I really dead.
And then old Simon would boast of
+ his wealth, and utter such magnificent
5 promises for the future, that the poor,
g. weak and sightless woman, was ever
! more and more persuaded that he was
j the best friend and protector two help
= less women ever had, that Mary could
not do better than to marry him r.
3 th9t she must accept MS OHel -tndu IL
} was her duty not to slight this CLEAN
of fortune, but to provide thus for her
! own comfort and the helpless old age
I of her mother
1 Mary did not yield easily. She re-
sisted with all her feeble powers. But
! she had great deal to contend with.
: She loved and respected her mother,
the habit Of obedience was strong, and
so was that of self-sacri6ce For her
self, she reflected, it mattered little
she should not live long. She had
> not the faintest shadow of love for
! Simon Suggs, no respect, not even
tolerance He was totally, utterly re-
3 pulsive to her-in mind, III person,
D in character. If she had any positive
/ feeling toward him, it was that o!
@ hate. But convinced at last that
{ Horace was gone, she resolved to think
t only of her mother With a heart
t numb with despair, she gave her con-
0 sent to the proposed match.
S The wedding morning came. The
It poor, pale, hopeless bride, awaited
.. the coming of the bridegroom, with