The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-04-24
General Miscellany.
FORBORNE
BY LIZZIE b. COOK

BY LIZZIE b. COOK.
The day had been busy one at tn,
SimonsOn shipping yards. The skie,
hung over them with a frown which
augured i'll for the beautiful vessel tbo
had Just received its finishing touches
and stood ready to be launched unor
those waters, which rolled past. angr1
and sullen. The worlmen had all pons
to their homes, for it was long past six
and only Phineas Simonson, the owner
and his Superintendent. Wentworth
huntington, remained The latter
stood regarding the vessel upon the
stocks with a look of pride, as he noted
Us beautiful curves, its trim appearance
and thought, with a warm glow at his
heart, that no better had ever left the
port to tempt blue oceans depths. 4
/ voice; deep and resonant, scattered all
his dreams:
Huntingdon
lie turned TO see Mr.. SimOnson stand
ing in the doorway ofthe office. his gray
hair lifted from bis forehead by the
wind, his keen blue eve scanning him
with look of peculiar interest, holding
4 a misunderstanding Ocumentin his hand.
/ Wentworth followed him into his office
deeming that some business in regard 10
/ orders recently received was to be con-
sidered.
take a chair, Wentworth. / want
! to make some arrangements for the fu-
ture. You have been in the yards so
long that my confidence in you is I'M
/ limited. Your duties have been attend
ed to faithfully and WE'LL
Wentworth bowed, and the old man
continued:
at on, ,rrc,,-;,,fr oh ~, 40, !
viii not object 10 pass the business into
your younger and more able hands, if
should be proud interrupted
Wentworth, did /, with half your
years, possess 1.-THE of your ability
"Tush, tush but here" and he I'M
folded the paper as he spoke, 81 have
drawn out an agreement which only de-
mands your signature, and the thing is
accOmplished.n
Wentworth shook the masses of brown
hair off his forehead with a motion pc
culiar to him, and commenced reading.
Mr.. Simonson watched him. At first
an expression of JOY sat on his features,
and hid under the lids of his dark eyes;
but as he read on his face paled a white
ring of pain circled his lips, and the pa
per dropped from his hands. Mr.. Sim
Onson started To his feet, hastily mixed
a tumbler Of brandy and water, and,
needless of the gesture with which
w entworth endeavored to repel him,
poured the contents down his throat.
Then he bent over him and wiped off
the drops that thickly beaded his fore
head. He loved Wentworth. Hard and
cold with all else, Wentworth shared
with the old mars daughter an almost
idolatrous affection. TWAS his only ex-
cuse-this love.
care the conditions too hard Think
how ! have loved yOu-Of all ! would
do for you-of all have done - and the
old mans hands trembled, and,his voice
grew hoarse. Wentworth could not en-
dure it.
~ viii sign it, +" he answered between
his set teeth.
The old man handed him the pen and
with almost superhuman effort he affiX-
ed his name-Wentworth p Hunting
don. But there was a bOldness of cha
racter missing from the usual signature.
Mr.. SimonsOn saw it, grasped his part
ner's cold hand a moment, then crush
ed his hat over his brow, and rushed
from the office as though he feared he
might relent.
Wentworth arose, staggered to the Of
flee dOorand looked out toward the street
Below the yards lay the beautiful city
of B, andOn an eminence, plainly
visible, rose the Simcnson manslon.-
He tore away his gaze and it fell on
brown, frozen lengths of road woven in
between farms that stretched beyond
him. bleak and bare under the chilling
skies. Far off he recognized the dim
outline of group of trees of which he
knew almost every branch. a wild dis
pairing light leaped to his eyes; one
would have thought to have seen him,
as he clutched away the scarf from his
throat. that some demon possessed him.
| A voice. broken and harsh, fell upon the
stiffness. 1t was old Ben, one of the
former hands at the shipping yards.
He was singing that old hymn which
shall endure as long as souls. faint with
their own weakness, turn to Jehovah as
to a sure and strong resting place:
oh God our help IN ages past,
Our hope in years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast.
And our eternal home.
Old Ben was going to his little power
ty stricked cabin, but his niece's loving
care made il a home for him, home
that old Ben loved. No wonder that he
could sing. No wonder that his voice
was CHEEKY, and that he always had
pleasant word for everybody. His lot
was dark and gloomy but Nellie was
his comfort, and there was wondrous pa
thos in the voice that said, sometimes
in the midst of acute suffering
~ think I'd be glad often to lay my
old crippled bones in the grave, but it's
Nellie l live for, and pll bide Gods
time"
Benny was great favorite of Went
worths, and tonight there was sort
of fascination in the cripple's tremulous
voice that held him quite still until the
last sound died oway. Then he locked
the office door, thrust the key into his
pocket, and turned to look at the yards.
A cold, ghostly light fell on them, from
a.moon that looked out of snow-clouds,
| giving to vessels, piles of Lumber and
shops an uncanny appearance.
have sold myself for them" he
cried; show can / look Allie in the face
and tell her f? How many whitening
| ed vessel has been sent from them to
bound free over the waters-as free as
my own soul has been. i am slave
now. Where is my boosted honor
where nv manhood? Sold! This pa
per holds the record ofmy shame. What
if do rise in the world and win an ex-
allied station, will that pay for it all?''
How the man loathed himself, what
a foul thing he 1elt nlmselI 10 De- DeC
ter have disappointed his benefactor
than have broken Allies heart he
thought.
"How can / east Allie out" he NUT
TERED, "and take to my soul one whom
do not love? How can / marry Sarah
Simonson and living with her feel as
though a gulf was fixed between us,
while Allies face will for ever peer out
of the abyss, haunting me with its sad
eyes. But what is the use-the thing is
decided. On the fifteenth of the next
month / must stand and before God and
man promise to love, honor and protect
woman for whom / can care moth
ing.
A smile of bitterness curled his lips.
| He strobe on and soon turned into one
of the roads that led off into the country
toward the clustered trees. He could