Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-03-15

scrlbed with fearful correctness-aIl
but the face. That was concealed by
a slouched hat, and could not be de-
scribed. The wife breathed again.
With woman's wit she spoke but lit
tie of the absence of her husband, and
when she alluded to it, she spoke of it
as an absence of a short duration,
with her advice and consent.
The stranger, who appeared to be
nobleman of wealth, endeavored to
cheer the gloomy'shades of the desert
ed woman's heart, but it was a vain
attempt. There is no cure for blight
ed love, no peace for rifled heart
God alone can be the widows hus-
band-God alone can cheer the wild
ow's heart.
"You shall never want, Meg" said
the nobleman, as he sat by the farmers
wife a few evenings after he was able
to walk. "I must 90 to London, busi-
ness ofimportance urges me there
When you are in distress, one hint of
the fact to me will procure you in
slant relief"
A carriage with an earl's coronet
now drove up to the co ttage door,
The wife said nothing: she seemed to
be lost in AN unfathomable mystery.
"Wlll you not accompany me, my
faithful nurse ~ said the stranger, as
he prepared to depart from the dwell
ling of charitable love.
Nay, SIR said the wife, Il cannot
thus suddenly leave the spot of my
early hope. Here, sir, | was born !:
here, | was married; on yonder hill
lock, | danced away the sorrows of
childhood; in yonder church, whose
spIre now CLEANS in the dying sunlight,
gave my guilty spirit up to God
On yonder plain sleep my children :;
beside that old oak, rest father and
mother, the first born, and the last
upon the catalogue of life Here, sir,
have smiled in JOY. and wept in sor-
row; and here will die.
Entrcaties and prayers were all in
vain. She withstood every kindness
Of her guest, and finally accepted only
a reasonable charge for his board
As the earl was about to take his
seat in his carriage, the deserted
wife approached him,
stranger guest" said she with
much feeling, Il have done you a good
service
you have" said he while a tear
Of gratitude stole down his cheek.
"WiIl you do me one favor in re
turn p inquired she.
"Most certainly 1 will said the
Earl.
"Then write upon a piece of vellum
what | shall dictate" said she in a
hurried voice.
He took his pen, wrote in plain
characters as follows:
circumstances have convinced me
that an attempt to murder me on the
night of the 10th of December, IS
on Stone Hill, Lincolnshire, would
have beed successful, had it not beer
for the kind interference of John
Brown and his wife, at Hopedale.
JOHN, EARLE OF"
She read it over and over. after he
had signed it. 'It will do" said she
"Now, farewell"
The grateful earl sprang into hi;
!. seat He threw his purse into he
! bosom. FAREWELL said he in a husk,
5 tone, and away ratified his carriag,
: with the swiftness of the wind. Tn
p corOnet flashed in the sunbeam, anC
then the vehicle, with its outrides wa
o lost IN the winding forest way.
: Ten years rolled away and tn
O wife of John Brown suddenly disaE
/ peared from Hopedale, and then tn
4 farmhouse, like a deserted thing
. stood solitary and silent amid til
.. smiles of autumn. A middle size
Il stranger, with tarpaulin on, and
bundle dangling at the end of a clul
n over his shoulders, rested beside til
! door of Hopedale. The strange
! though someweat intoxicated, appea
is ed to be very sad. He looked at tt
4 eastward doorway. He gazed upC
(. the old barren hearth. He saw tt
10 planks worn by the foot of the thrift
IL housewife, and marked a portion {
ar her dress in the broken pane OF Il
=, kitchen window. The nail where t
an good man 5 hat had hung for yeal
was there, with a circle of unsmokt
n paint. The crane hung sadly in t
yo corner, and the music of the singh
,ic kettle echoed not there. hestrang
raised his hands to his eyes VIII
he causes him to start like a frighten
a bird? at is bloody again" said
ii with look Of horror. "Oh, thai
W. could wipe out that foul, that terriE
nd stain from my memory. Ha! it is
ia my hand as fresh as when murder
in that poor melancholy stranger. G
ms OF Heaven! [ cannot wipe it ou
nj The stranger had cut his hand OF
, q piece of broken glass, and a clot
,pt fresh blood was upon it in reality.
yer He felt not the pain of the wound
no his horror, and satisfied that Heay
,er had marked him in his own way,
,ed wiped off the blood and turned to
re- part.
his The sheriff was beside him, and
hat was arrested for an attempt to m
nto der. He preserved sullen siler
He followed the officer to his ca
i'm age, and was soon on his way
wife London. The prison received its
She tim, and the gay world smiled
the brightly as before. sa 1aa
he The day of trial came. John Bro
ob+ 1ubo nod takan anotbar nama ,