Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-12-16

Well keep With thee the peaceful bond,
And when beside deaths food We stand.
Well sai to find fairer shore.
\ In gladnes from our Naive Land q
Village Scandal.
A lady purchased home liz = beauti-
full village, about forty miles from we'll
known city. Sh. longed for fresh sir and
quiet scenes aud doubtless she would
have found all this happiness which she
sought in this rural retreat. had not the
place been haunted by the terrible spec
| tre-scandal.
"Have you seen the new arrival Z" asked
Mrs Thomas of her neighbor, Mrs. Law
| renee, about week after the stranger had
taken possession Of Maple cottage, as the
little place she had purchased was called.
A curl Of the lips and shrug Of the
shoulders was all the reply made by Mrs.
Lawrence but in the gestures Mrs.
fcient reason for stunning the acquaint-
ance Of the stranger.
Mrs. Thomas, who WIS very jealous and
suspicious, translated this sign Language
in her own way II have no doubt" she
said to her husband, at night, that she
has had bad reputation in the city.
She has come here dressed in deep mourn
| ing, but who knows whether she ever had
a husband And if she had, her wearing
black is no sign he's dead, in my opinion.
The next day quite crowd had gath
cred around the store of Mr.. Thomas,
| waiting for the arrival of the daily mail.
which was due about this hour. The
stranger came III to make some irifiing
| purchases, and was stared at, a. strangers
always are. After che bad left the store,
some remarks were made coneernlng her
lady-like appearances. Mr.. Thonas re-
joined 'Y.-. she appear enough like a
lady, but my wife think her reputation
none OF the best"
| Customers coming IA, nothing more
was SAID at that time. bat the tiro ii seam
DIAL was kindled the story spread rapid
| ly, each one telling II hi- own or her own
way, until there war 10 iaunily ia the
place but bad herd aud believed the
ramor.
Weeks passed on. and the inmate OF
Maple Cottage ieit that i,T some reason
she was looked upon With mnch suspicion
aud dislike There was 40 bO-pitality,
nothing said or dene for which -he could
demand an explanation.
Every day seemed Ia increase the avoid
ance OF her neighborS. aud seeing this,
she ceased making ovcrtur"- toward an
acqu aIntauc- with them, and never came
IN contact with any Of Them save nj church
and even here she generally found Z
whole seat at her disposal.
u At last the storm which had So long
darkened the village horizon seemed about
10 burst over her head. There were Low
threats of driving her from the place anc
the spirit seemed TO be- gathering strength
i About this time, some rhre. months
a ter the stranger came To Maple Cottur,r-
a very handsome travelling carriage, drawn
by u noble span Of greyr, stopped III iron
of her dwelling, and a fine Locking man
apparently about forty years OF age, viii
, his wife and two children, were seen u
aiight and enter the house. All that da,
and through the evening was heard tn
sound of many mingled with the rip
ping laughter Of joyous hearts.
The next day was Sunday, hut thi
time the widow did not sit alone
/. Strange looks and low murmured sound
ran through the congregation, and tn
, minister seemed 20 share the surprise q
the dullIHct, ui4 4oDhtA
, though under painful embarrassment. III
, recognized in the stranger ministe
whose reputation was world-wide--n
other than the rich and distinguish
President OF - College, from which b
/ was graduate.
Professor G. kpew his former pupil bii
/ il must tc.conirr,rd that hr was both sui
prised sud q -appoiufed H. had give
the } otuZ man credit Tor individual IA
ent, but his rfnon' was mere fePetiti0
OF poor llsurute-, and tfuekliug'tJ pat
: lie opinion. which showed weak aud la
J tie mind.
Aftor .rr,lors the Pr,sidsut stopped
J. momcn, uutil the preacher can" iorWar
asd ~hon tbo arerfinss acre 0yef. be- sat
kindly
my .Is,ef wrote no tbaf Hiebar
J. Forbes was preaching here, but did "a
= connect ne name With the mention ~ "a
h former pppii'
Your si.iu - sad the fmDaffasse
young man "iop do not mosn ~ "a
that tho woman with whom yyu rnt0fo
70 church We youf sistefi"
y aud Why not p II war nov Profess,
i o. tnfp 10 look surprised
Sure obough. Why not. Whist did d
know against the woman ~ whom all ha
: been speaking ~" for the last tbrs
b months.
There is something about this matte
4 that / cannot understand" s1id- Profess
g. "YOu do not moan 10 say that my 81
ter has been resident If your place an
listened 10 your preaching, for tbrs
y months, without your calling upon hei
=, The duties Of q minister are surely bette
:. dignified y
4 "But / did not dare" and here ii
poor young man stammerod and stoppo'
, "Did not dare To call on my sister, ii
widow Of General Finch :" and the ting
Y Of contempt mingled with the look Of su
= prise and indignation with which he col
4 templated the abashcd crest fallen youn
preacher. After reaching his sisters res
- dence, he questioned her in regard to II
y matter, but she could only tell him thi
b since her residence in the place she ha
b been 'let alone" in the full acceptance
- the term. Determined TO understand Il
Al wherefore of such proceeding, he aga
demanded an explanation of the ministe
who was finally compelled to admit tn
q the woman was a very outcast from soci
W ty, and there had been talk OF driving b.
Al from the place.
"She will not care 10 remain" said Il
Professor, "but before she goes ! will 81
this matter thoroughly" And 70 he di
gathering up the whole chain link
'e link, until he came to Mrs. Liwrens
p But this was utterly denied, and Nj
Of Thomas was at last Obliged to confess ia
10 Mrs. Lawrence had shrugged her shot
- ders and curled her lips when asked b
opinion Of her new neigbbor.
% "Ah, indeed y was Mrs. Lawrences !
ID joinder. IL remember Of thinking d
could not be much Of lady, ms she wc
faded delaine, and did her own washing
% The Professor preached the followiI
ut Suday, and at the conclusion Of the d