St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-12-02

! -ils <AlilS"OIIl, L nave strange
question to ask of you. Be seated and
give me your attention. If Alice had
done something dreadful in the past, and
was consequently less pure than you
thought her, would you desire to marry
her ~
She paused and looked full at him.
lie had arisen, and for a moment was
unable to speak.
'If you did not look so terribly in
earnest | should think you were Just ask
ing this to test me. What do you mean
cannot possibly associate any thought
of impuriry with Alice"
Il am in earnest. | wish your an
swcr."
"Surely, if there is anything of the
kind connected with Alice's past | ought
to lave known it before. | could not
bear TO have the least breath Of stain up
on the woman who is to be my wife and
he mother of my children. Mrs. May
nard, | am perhaps unnecessarily f,stidi-
Gus about such things, but | could never
he happy if there was any such dark spot
which my thoughts could turn back upon.
Bat oh, have loved Alice 50 much -
She seemed almost an angel. | could have
etaked my lite on her purity, and YET
you, her mother, come 10 lie with such
dreadful words. | wish you would tell
me all-it is my right to know
The strong man was weeping As only
men can weep. His agony was fearful,
but there We're no signs of rclenting i'll
the face that looked at him.
At last she spoke. ''Alice is pure, and
10y Go : help will keep her so. You
demand an explanation as your right
You shall have it," Aud then for the
second time that day, She recounted The
ending of those rncompleted wears OF
the life that had gone ont in the shadow
of her prayer.
1t is but justice to say that the man
looked rs though lie suffered when lie was
listening. Was it for hi sin, or because
IN had brought lis own Ictribution
God knowc'h.
The story ended she asked "What
have you TO say now -
He acknowledged it, for he could not
well do otherwise, but lie asked. Sure
Iy Mrs. MAYNARD, you will not separate
Alice and | Tor thls iudi>crciion which
has happened to end 50 disaslrousIy
\ ou 90 not know how common such
things are; why, l could point out to
yea many an incident involving some oi
the best men in our society | shall be-
true to Alice in every sense of the wcrd
| do not need TO tell YOU that. l am sure
Let this unfortunate occurrence remain
between Us two. and the devotion of q
son shall win your confidence again, and
in our happiI ess You will soon forget the
scenes and talk OF to-day. wish, in
decd | do, that twas in my power to
make some rcparatlun TO that poor girl
! tell you, will send money to the house
and have her Handsomely buried"
She heard him through, then said
by what ri.ht do yen demand purity in
Alice that 20 far exceeds your own"
"Is', different altogether. + it posi-
bic, Mrs. Maynard. that a woman ot
your are doesn't understand something OF
tie ways Of the world !'
Il have had lesson in them to-day
| that am not likely 10 forget. You say.
! the mothcr Of your children must b.
pure. Do you ,hink You will he held
guiltIoss l. there 10 danger OF the sin-
OF the father being visited upon the chit
dren will say nothing of the young
| life that has gone cut i'll darkness. God
knows il her soul, sin->iained and crush
cd, will he required at your hands at that
time when tIic wrongs OF the world shall
Oc III some measure rI.htcd. But \ nee :
| purity can never he mated with your
crime. | hold you. Robert Ainswurtb.
Just as surely murderer as though you
had IN moment Ut passion shot my
Alice through the brain. She believes,
il. her trusting hearl, that you can prove
yourself innocent. | 90 to tell her you
are guilty, and that by your own words
do condemn you"
''Iiave you no hope for me in the fu-
ture You forget that you are wreck
ing Alice's life us well as mine. Can you
not forgive me 1t would be carrying
out the mandates Of Him you profess To
serve. My life shall redeem the past"
Il hope il may. if it is possible. | for
give you. though thought when | wip-
ed that forehead and closed those eyes
which had once looked so eagerly for
your coming, that it would I've Impossi-
bic. Had sHe lived, would YOU have
deemed her fitting companion for Alice!
| know no law that makes her more gull
~ than you. Alice will mourn over her
shattered idol. but strength is born of sut-
tcr.ug; she viii learn wisdom OF its 81
lent lessons, and she will yet be Thankful
that she was saved from destiny worse
than death"
Days after, Dame Rumor credited
Robert Ainsworth with a crowning act
to his well known liberty. Inasmuch a,
he had ''paid all the expenses of a poor
girls burial"
"Just like him. said some one to Mrs
Maynard. ''He is SO benevolent. The
woman that gets hlm for husband vii
have prize"
1t is possible that he may think differ
emily, if his conscience is not too lcnient
towards him.
God will judge between them. Sh'
fell from her love for him. lie, through
his selfish lust. How many times in lliC
has that proved drOss which is counte,
gold.
I MARTHA AND MARY.-Commend u
TO our good brethren of the clergy for an
. ecdotes of pith and delicacy. AT til
r house OF the late DIR. Archer, in London
o there was u gathering of friends, am
: among them DR.. Harris, author OF MAN
mon," and DIR, Philip OF Maberly Chapc