The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-12-05
NJ 3 CE l / A " s GUS.
JIDGE HiRDING'S BTRTH.
H.lb GIFI.

JCDGE H.IRIING'S BTRTH-
b.II GTFI.
>lo~i, and w,.,,i, judge lIird;ug a.o,nirL
tie st'Is q: his si..i,,y hut gloomy mansion. Not
Unc 60; i's many iucn,s wttv lighted, with tie *.
c,pton q ihr liiarN iud tl.i used in common
b! iit i~n d'.t tsii,s. Vet there had b,vn -
un1c Wh'u those Iarkrn,l hnd d,s,tul parlofs
h'd i''r "nr hia2 ." light, ard u, walls had
trh",d %" u, srui.I 90 m,Ist lan.h'c. iui gay
1uGu. V.i's
JUDI iiai,liu. ,ii',tsI tlv iitia:y, aud closing
,Gc DIOR. luoLrd ir,atit around. Yet il was
iii.,i w,ih 40 thc appliances ul wealth aud luxu
- tie ctiti wag III, velvet to the loot, the
loiiy wA.,s W.c l,tkcl With piciut,s, aud the
~"lc. .U,p window huns With winc-cuiofrl
ifaian "i tie tictcsi ,ilA
\ iaT.' c,s, ,i... Has Wh,cl,d "a front 81 the
tire, saich giy, forth lnidt glow actoss il
lay dressiu. gown, while un the tug were slip
Icrs. al. r,ldi foT his i,oi Hut Judge Harding
knew u was the WORK OF old Maiccty his house
keeper, vino though ,hc had br,n IN his service
two scair yeats, fraI,d inOtc than she loved him.
There ~, ua '!v &C. brightcu ai his approach,
no voice io welcome him
Thl. thought was UppCrinusi ia the old man
mind, a., leaning hack ~ his chair, he gazed ad-
.tracieiy ,nlo the tire. Some yeats Lcfore. God
had called To hims. : the wife q. hi. yOuih-takcn
hcr mrfcifullv from the evil TO come. Une of
the Sous she had horne him filled dIuukards
lrivr: the other hal len muriay wounded 10
soinr disstar,iul quirrcl llu, Escilr bis little
E,cll" ;-r eMc .ainb q: his iiotk loved beyond
all Others. and ~ wlu had wounded his heart
sOfciy. where was she?
Ah ~,.i hc khcw tia; ,hc december snow
WI, t'..iu. sloa her grave TIA; shc died un-
suuI'''! D, the knowledge 81 his forgiveness
The lfun.gias iuchs that shaded his temples
accorded Nr ~ilh the general cNpt sion Of the
sirungly -inaik' i features and which Gcre char
HrierErd b. haFdaess ani collness almost re-
pelling, yet through ii could be seen traces Of
mental anguish OF which ",.kcr natures are in.
capable.
lie WAS aroused iium tie gloomy fevcrie into
~hirE he hsl ',l',a Is old Marscty, who, open
ins the 4 cr said
There is woman, ~i,h little girl ia the
hall, wHo insists ~ stein. ,ou"
Did she give l,r ra'nc
'Shc sIil E"r L,tl. Hss Dugald, returned
Marsrfy, speaking wii' evident hesitation.
But contrary 9. h.g expectations. this mention
Oi - name ha'cl above al others rruducei no
Eidble eject uiou : a MASTER.
show her in -" be- ,tii after a moments re.
si-ciiuu
It wss difficult To ,!ci,tmiuc ,Lr age u the w.
Enan VIM entered. lie, hair was nearly white
oui her eyes hfish; aud piercing, and her tall
strongly built tram a- erect as in rarly life.
Though r';tcnt.. ltison oi little education
htr c0uuicn nee and tearing indicated an unusu-
sl amount oi will and energy combined with no
Hide .hrelness and tnronicry
Judge Harding evidently saw all this In the
steady lnuk with which be regarded her.
~ uH ate tue mother " the late Richard Du-
gald ?;
Il am the mother OF yoaf late daughters
husband. Judge Harding
The proud old mna WINGED visibly ai this
THUR, bu; dill no, lose his self.iosscssioE.
And this il the child % ,ogr son ?" he in.
quiIr pointing 10 lovely little girl " six clad
ia deeP mourning who was standing By her
side.
This !. tie daughter OF Richard and Eslclle
Dusaid ,our sFindtAild andmine Judge liar
ding! returned the woman IN the same sharp
defiant tone
Judge lluding could not conirovert this state
mcni humhling ihouah II was but his voice took
sharirr tone ~ he sill
WAY have you hiuu. ht her 10 tue
''lircause have ~, the means Of supporting
her. and you have
Did sugr late sun have no property ?"
For a moment ily wumins eyes wavcrrd be-
nrath his penetrating look, then she said, boldly
Nothing bat a mere piiiance, which was more
than swallowed az by the expenses Of your
daughi,s's last .ivkncss
Judge llaring's eyes blhzcl with a sudden
scorn ihu was almost startling.
EDO not hope To- helulc me so easily, he cried.
There /. not one set ~ suuts ihai has escaped
nv noti~. I know that Your son left property
which should haze desccndcd 10 his wife aud
child. Of which you took possession. know,
also. ;hr cfuiging Gaze you bestowed on the de-
ludri girl that your sou larrd from her friends
aud homr Bi, g., them both pass. | will take
the child ani amply Indemnity you from every
pos.blr expcnse but nnly on One condition
that you sign this paper, by which YOU pledge
yourself 10 abstain from all future interference
,Siih suar prand.chli.
The 'woman's eyes sparAlcd as she caught
.himpsr OF the roll -; bills IN Judsc llardings'
hsnd. bat still shr h,siiAird.
Tie sharPs si.irI old man saw quickly the
cause " ,h. hcsiia,ion
~ Wish ,uG io diH.Helly understand. - hc said
that though viii provide fOT the child IL i not my
tuiension h. make be, iay heir shall leave her
anly sufficient io place hcg above want the hGlk
~ M property aill 20 10 soinc charitable ins,i'
,a,lnn
A. NJ. Dnsald looked upon that rcssoluie
coanirnAn,c she icll that lac was IN earnest, aud
without another word shc signcd the paper, aud
ihrrs sshias lhs money the Judge placed 10 her
hand departed.
As soin as she closed the door after her, Judge
Hardin. iHrn,d g. ihr ,tillo girl, who stood re-
gar ling him with tiniid, wis,ful look.
"whai is your name, child ? he said, abrupt
"Es,rllr n rliug Dugail," she replied In a
sweet, clear voiec. that had pretty lisp 10 Il.
"Do yuu know who ann
"iou are my gfanipapa Harding
Al how many pl'-ading voices arose 10 his
heart At these words bat h. crushed them down
with sieru hand.
Il AM not your eAudpala, be- said, hardly
'yoa must never rall mc hy that name.
The small rel lips qniV' rel, sud The soft brown
eyes filled with irArr but without APPEARING To
aoticc them, Juisc Harding gave the beil has
iMargery." he said ~ that individual enter
sd ''ihis little girl "a ~, rhili - Richs'1 pu-
Rald | plarc hrf Tor ihr present undss Jour
are srs that She b,s Uytry ihiEg that shc needs,
but DO not let her rome within my sigh, o. hear
ing"
Margery rasi look VI pity and tenderness up
on the child, who, attracted by her Kind, moih-
sfly face sprang eagerly To tie hard she held
uui 20 hss, and then, with a respectful cauriesy
10 the Judge, she led her from the room.
Weeks came and went. Little Esiclle grew
dearer every day 10 the faithful old nurss, Who
had lrndsd her mother In her helpless infancy.
She Oheytd her masters ininuctlons though
many were her inward murInurs al shat she
tsrtssrd hls unnatural srrasingn, us the child Of
his only daughter. This was not difficult for the
L0uae was large aud there were some portions VI
II that the Jadgr never entered. SuHnrsimes iH-
deed. ne heard ,se la.;isi :. 's;i's ss: alag sss
corridor that led 10 some remuir alatirieni. or Z
sweet, bird like voice which tell upon bis heart
like a strain of half forgotten music, bot thai
was all.
Perhaps Jndgc llarding's heart might have
liz stauslfltiN had sltf eatste