The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-10-08
TALE OF THE DERS.
THE SOLITARY OF THE CAVE.
J,HS NAcAAl TiL-as.

Emerging from the thick elms that spread
around the Prory ana stretched to the
gat, appeared long AMI melancholy
gavalcajp Ny ewes became dim with a
prc,cut'r at Of dread, and they we're
strained to torture. Slowly and silently the
sable rahnue approached. The waving
plumcs ofthe hearse became visible, Every
Joint in my body trembed with agony, a.
though a-ouy bad become a thing Of life.
/ turned aside to watch it as is passed, and
concealed myself behind the heaige. The
measured and grating sound..o carriages.
the cautions trlmpling of the horses feet
and the solemn &c Of the poorer followers,
became more and more audible on my ear
The air IF ho0von folt Substantial iu ny
throat, aul the breathing | endeavored "a
suppress became audible, well the cold
sweat dropt as icicles from my brow Sadly,
with faces Of grief, unlik the expression oI
hired sorrow, passed the solitary mutes
and, in thc contenance of each, recognised
one Of our tcnautry. Coward moved the
beares anl its dismal pageantry. My heart
fell. as wrh a blow, within my bosom.
For moment would have fancied it a
dream; but the train Of carriages passed on,
/ their creating reused me from my insensi-
biity, ami, rushing from the hedge towards
one who fiji forty years had been a servant
in our house
Robert, Robert" exclaimed, " whose
funeral is this III
3" Alack, Master Edward n be cried
/" is It YOU? 1t il the funeral of my good
lady, your mother.
The earth swan round with me, the
funeral procession, with sailing motion,
seemed to circle NE, and ! fell with my
face upon the ground.
Detected, way-worn as | was, ! accom-
panied the body Of my mother to its last
restiDg-placo l vept over her grave, and
returned with the chief mourners to the
house Of ny birth and there | was all but
denied admission. ! heard the will read,
and in Il my name was not once men
toned I rushed from the house, | knew
not, and I cared not where | ran, misery
was before, bebri, and around me. |
thought of ny Catherine and my child,
and groancl with the tortures Of a lost
spirit.
Bu', AZ best could, | returned 10 Lon
don, 70 hiug myself at the feet Of my wife
to confess ny sins ana tollies, to beg her
forgiveness, yea, to labor for Der with my
hands. l approached my own door as .
criminal | shrank from the very gaze q
the servant that ushered me in, and l
imagined that be looked on me With con
tempt. But now, Lewis, ! come to tht
last act Of my drama, and my band
trembles that it cannot write, my soul L
convulsed within me | thought my
Catherine pure, sinless as a spirit o
heaven-yeu thought so--all who beheld
her must have thought as | did. But, CD
friend Of my youth, mark what follows.
reached Der chamber. ] entered it
silently | entered it, as one who has gull
following Bis footsteps. And there, tht
first object that met my sight-that blasted
twas The man l hated, my former rival
he who held ny fortunes in his hapd-Sll
Peter Blakely. Ny wife, my Catherine
my spoiless Catherine, held bin by th'
arm. o heaven, 1 heard him say" Dedl
Calteri1el' and she answerel him, " Stay
stay, my Best, my only friend, do net leav'
me"
Lewis I could see, | could hear NJ
more
Wretch, VillaiU,' / exclaimed The.
started AZ my voice. Ny sword that ha'
done service in other lands, | still carries
with me-
Draw, miscrsaut n | cried, almost un
conscious Of what l said or what | did
he spoke to me, but | heard him not.
! sprang upon him, and plunged my swor
in bis body. My wife rushed towards me
She screamed. | heard the words, " Dea
/, Edward" but / dashed her from me as ur
clean thing aud fed from the house.
Every tic that bad bound me to existenc
was severed asunder. Catherine ia
snapped in twain the last cord that hnke
I me With happiness. I sought the solitud
Of the wilderness, and there shouted be
name, and now blessed her, and again
!. but | VIII 70 no farther. | long Wandere
! a fugitive throughout the land, and,
length perceiving an apartment.in rccl
the base Of which Tweed washes with !