The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-01-31
The Halll BAIL It was Willie tbat


One win ter night, Christmas time wa,
nearly come, and l sat by the fire dress
ing dolls, and tying up sugar plums in
paper horns with bits of ribbon for my
nieces' and nephew's stockings, wher
there came loud rapping at the door,
opened it, and there stood an old mar
servant from the Hall.
Sim sent by Miss Sabrlna, Miss" sale
he. "She is very ill, and desires you t.
come alone. She has something particu
lar to say to you" So 90
"Sabrina Haslet sent for melr I tho't
and then my heart beat fast, and fanciet
l hardly knew what. s2sl .o
"Ill, did-yea sa5?' I asked.
every i'll, said the man. "The doc
! tors gave her up. ei
Iwent to get my shawl, and told my
mother where | was going, and ther
came out. The night was dark and the
snow was falling, and lay deep on the
ground, and there stood sleigh with
buffalo robes in it ready for me. I step
Iped in and whirled away towards the
Hall. 1t was like dream. I could
scarcely believe myself awake. 1t was
still dream, when we stopped at the Hall
and | only realized that all was true
when I stood in Miss Sabrinas room, and
saw her lying wan and pale upon the
pillow. Oh, what a change had come
over her s-s.Tsr.s.5 ~, n sa..s,.-
you've come, Hannah Fanthorn, she
said; Il thank you for that, 1 thought
you'd refuse, perhaps. ''It is a long
while since we spoke together"
"a long while, [ replied. e-e
"Yet you havn't changed much,,' she
said; "you look as you did when you
stood by the hedge in the moonlight and
said, "what is the Hall to me? Twas
Willie's love / cared for" I remember
ed the words, Hannah Fanthorn. They
have stung my soul often since. Do you
know | lied then2 $50 ba. ,iaas
'tLied?" H..
eyes, lied. Willie's heart never be-
longed to any one but you. He was as
true as heaven. 1t was | who wanted
him to we'd Dorcas Oakley. / then tho't
a poor girl like you beneath him. /
told him you loved cousin who came to
your home so often; and when, your letter
came he believed it. I thought he would
marry Doreas then. L never meant to
drive him from home and kim; and he
went and the last words he said were, 'Sa-
brina, my heart is broken" All these
years he has wandered over the world a
lonely, sorrowing man; and |, his own
sister, the cause. AAad She Dorcas-oh,
you know my overjilted me for her; all
the place knew that"
] looked at the poor dying woman. /
was trying to forgive her, but could not
help speaking harshly. y
II am only stranger I said, "what
l have sufferedis nothing to you. But
had you no mercy on your brother You
have had time to repent"
.sTime !" she said. eyes, Hannah
Fanthorn, it seems like eternity; but
have sought for him in vain; for years l
thought him dead. Yesterday / learned
that he is alive and not many miles dis
tant. Old before this. time, they say, but
he lives. Look" she continued, drawing
a packet from under her pillow, sin this
| have written the truth. 1t shall be
sent to o-morrow. If | die in the night it
can 90 all the same. Will and you may
meet again and be happy when am un-
der the turf v s.
Then she began to wail-"don't leave
me, don't leave me to die alonel''
"Do not fear," said, sand try to think
of other things. Forget earth-look to
heaven
never left her. Sitting by her side
on the third night I saw change come
over her face and bent over her. Ii
b"Hannah Fanthorn," she whispered,
shave you forgiven me ~ it
GAS pray God to forgive me- / an
swered. Then fainter she speke: ,r
;'Be kind to Will. He loved you-Oh,
to think that / should have lost my soul
that you should not be my sister-you
seem SO much like one now |" =
And with these words there, came a
look into my eyes | shall never forget,
and in the Christmas dawn she lay on my
arm dead.
On Sunday they buried her. The grave
yard was full. Every one, came to see
Squire Hazlet's daughter laid inthe grave
vault. 1 stood near it; but though the
solemn words of the preacher rang in my
ears, and the coffin was before my eyes,
and I should have thought of nothing
else, my mind would wander away to the
past-and 1 saw Win as 1 used to see
him and myself, as in a mirror young and
bIithe, leaning on his arm. Then found
myself praying for the dead woman and
miurmuring "God forgive her, for she
knew not what she did r
I came back to the preseat with start
and thrill. They were closing the vault
And beside the clergyman, and speaking
to him in whisper. stood tall man
with foreign look about him, and a
heavy hat slouched over his eyes; and a
man all in black, with hair as black as
night but with here and there silver
thread. Why did my heart beat SO as
looked at him? Surely | had never seen
that man before ! ,S' so......
l turned away and went homeward.-
The path led by the old Hall. I paused
a, moment to look at it. Every window
was shut. From the broad front door
and from the neck of the stone lions on
the porch, streamers Of Grape were float
ing. Oh! how often | had seen every
window ablaze withiilights, and heard
music and dancing feet and laughter from
without. And now, in the winter twi-
L. L :. IL i