The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-02-25

the innumerable perils Of the
stormy sea, and why was be there?
because she had blightcd the fresh
upsp:inging Of bis hearts fondest
hopes. All. Mani your troubles ars
Just begiDniDg-thore is yet q
darker and rougher path 10 bo
trOdden by yonr liulO feet.
In a miserable, tumble. dowa,
crazy looking tenement house.
standing in an obscure street Of
our great metropolis, one tempestu-
ons wintry night, sat Mrs. Rslph
Hawlcy; formerly our pretty. little
friend Nan Hastinsg OF the Travel
er's Welcome.
The tallow candle on the three
legged stand gave but a scanty
light, that rendered the apartments
lar more dreary than it would have
been without it, and Nan, poor.
misled Nan, her once lovely blue
eyes now saddened. hollow and
iusterless, and her white, faded
checks resting upon her thin,
bluc-veincd hands, dreamed of the
halcyon days Of the past, while the
wind whistled and howIcd porten.
tousIy around the dilapidaled
building, causing the loosencd
easements to rattle loudly and
filing the old house with weird,
uDearthly noises.
How wildly every thing came
back TO her on that drear, wintry
nigh!
Well did she remember the
time when the good people Of
Rockville petted her like u baby;
for in those days a CLEAN Of
Summer sunshine was scarcely a
brighter or more welcome thing to
fall across their pathway than the
gladsome, bcaming face of little
Nan Hastings-but that was long
ago, when her father, theinnkeeper,
was living, and when she was seen
so often on those old country high
ways with her dearest friend Hugh
Renning, Of WHOM for years she
had heard nothing.
How little OF the light of happi-
ness had ever beamcd from her
melancholy eyes since those old
days, when Hugh and she were
play fellows and lovers, and be-
fore Mr.. Ralph Hawley had ever
shown his darkly handsome face
at tho Travellers Welcome.
Poor, poor Nan. SO pitcous and
wo-begone did she look, sitting
there in the faint. meagre light OF
a single candle, made doubly dis.
NAL by tho'ghostly, Pickering fame
of scant fire which burned low
upon the stone hearth, with her
head resting on her hands, and
while still dreaming she listened to
the falling sleet which pattered
against the window panes with
something like the sound of skelc-
ton fingers tapping for admittance.
Ever and anon she brushed back
her tangled hair with those thin.
snowy hands, while her sad eyes
and the pensive lines about he:
mouth told Of the unhappy life she
was dragging out. But in spite
of this pcnsive sadness which
shadows her beauty, or perhaps by
virtue of this sadness, which re.
fines the beauty it shadows, Nan
Hawley is yet very pretty girl.
1t was difficult to think Nan q
married woman, there was such
an air of extreme youth about her
and such u girlish almost childish
timidity IN her manner. Yet she
was IL wife as We know, and her
husband WAS not any too loving o,
tender at the best of times Ralph
Hawley, tho drunkard and gam
bier, as she had discovered him TO
be only too soon after having Civ.
on him her rrevocable vows al
the marriage altar, was now be
come the Indifferent, unkind. and
sometimes even brutal persecutor
of her daily life; and 10 mako het
portion doubly bitter, her kind
father died, without ever having
approved her choice. Thus she
was left alone indeed, with no one
to care for her; for her husband
did not and fortunately she had
no children.
The sale of the old homestead,
the Travellers Welcome. brought
Nan considerable means, with
which she could have lived com
fortably had not her unprincipled
husband taken it fcrcibIy from
her. But he did, and drank and
gambled it away in little time
Still, Nan bore it all like a mar
tyr-quictly, uncomplainingiy-
J though all love tor the man she
called husband had long since been
eradicated from her heart. Nan
was peculiarly sad on that dread
full winter night, as she sat by the
glimmering fire awaiting tho re.
turn of Ralph, who was invariably
cross and ugly when he camc in, if
ho found the room had been allow
cd to grow cold. But Nan was
not thinking OF her husband now;
but Of Hugh Renning and the
good days long departed.
The FIRE almost entirely died out
and ten. eleyen. and twelve o'clock
, struck; with long, dreary intervals
{ between each striking from the
tower of the old city church near
|, by.
9"Oh! Hughl Hugh! If you could
only see me now" she said mourn
fully, | think you would not re-
gret tho answer | gave you 80 long