The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-01-28

from the sanctuary Of grace .AspY
Il vas 10 these states Of bodily diseas
and mental detection, that the proud lord q
"The Castle was brought to feel not oul
what It Is to be man, but a sinner. n
felt how vain we're all the advantages c
fortune when they are not accomDanie
with peace of mind. The w~ds aroun
'"Tbe Castle" used to afford him |. retyea
from the 6eveFed excitement Of gay liis
The song Of the black bird, full, mellow an
sorrowfui, sOothed the ear which had bee
poisoned BY the fatteries incident to favou,
"a sous OF fortune. The merry reueiEs q
the lark banisbed unpleasant recolleetions
many sigh was drowned in the rich 10,
OF the music Of the thrush. All thes
:nlngs were experienced With and sat
lstactiOn, when the salient energies Of healtI
and youth made bis muscular limbs INN
wItk the exuberance Of animal spirits. The
were welcomed as good tidings when NJ
Pang OF aroused conscience stung him will
its peculiar pair, and no morbid fancy mad,
70 dance in the green woods the images @
misery he had brought on the hearts o
DnsDspecting victims. - EN
Now, all was changed when he rude ou
into those beautiful retreats pleasur.
ne formerly derived from them was the pa
rent Of the evil be now felt. The con-
trast itself was grievous pain he would
have been happier in the abodes of sorrow
Pleasure is not the sOotber Of griefs, thai
ask the Dourishment Of morbid appetite
ior an accession Of woe It is a cataplasm
applied to sore, under the mistaken idea
that Its softness will atone for the pungency
produced, not from It's own asperity, but
toe tenderness Of the part diseased. The
Joys OF The Castle were now dead to its
lord If the soothing influences of rural
scenery, with its rough hills and soft valleys;
It's trees, plants, flowers and tuneful birds,
could not assuage the pangs of diseased
body, bereaved heart, and an awakened
conscienCe-what could be expected from
the entertainments of The Castle p Ash
ley knew too well the vanity Of these, even
10 the bey-day of youth, health and pleas
ure, to have recourse to them when his
views were blasted, and his hopes had fall
len. ALI company he avoided and NO
attempt, on the part of the surrounding
gentry, or bis old friends, was available 10
getting him to relax the rigid discipline Of
sorrow which he bad in his despair, imp posed
on himself.
As be rode out, for the benefit of the
ar. be vas always under an apprehension.
Vague fears, the result OF an evil con-
science, haunted him. The rustic of leaf
disturbed hun, and the slouching, fearful
look he threw on intruders on his solitary
walk, were in sad contrast With the proud
bearing of the once eagle-eyed lord Of the
proudest castle on the western marches.
His timidity rendered him incapable Of
managing bis horse-a proud creature,
which vindicated the untainted character of
Its stock, under the crestfallen demeanor cf
lts once naughty master. In going over
small feDcs, be one day fell into an old
ditch, and the weakness to which be was
reduced prevented him from rising. In this
Mary Lee, in one of her wander
ing hts, came upon him.
Il wish ye JOY" she commenced, 90 the
elevated position ye occupy in the heart O.
yer ain Wuds."
Away, woman - cried Ashley, ''art
'hou not already avenged ?'' and, trying to
raise himself, be fell back with his eye still
liked on the fury.
mo" she replied ''he who exaltetb
himself shall be debased, and he who hum
Dleth himself shall be raised. Ye have
ang Inhabited proud castle; but fate,
VIA RIGHTS the oppressed, can make the
sraven-bearted, dastardly betrayer o wO-
nan 3 troth, lie whar the meg @ monv feet
'rawls, and the green and yellow carrion
courts the Shiny mouth O the adder. A
short distance frae this. ye lay wi me on a
green bank, whar roses enciTcled MS VII
heir sweet scented Aavours, and poured
ntO my credulOus ear sbe poison O your
love. A stagnAnt diteh DOW contains your
diseased body, and the hisses O the ven
yesnce o a ruined woman pierce and ound
he eur that was ance charmed wi her
1onie1 love-"
She paused, as if to gloat her eyes with
he writings Of her victim-then re-
,umed:
Twice have i LAUGHED Ger Your mis-
fortunes; q third opportunity has gratified
a heart only prevented from breaking by
the wish | hae lang nourished, to see the
auld taft o the kirkyard cover the moil that
will keep ye frae the Sicbt O. her ye hae
ruined. Mary Lee has naetbing now Int
the wishes o revengeful heart, and this
sppittle she throws on the reptile that stupg
her honor, and made her fame bleed and
perish, to show that woman is no with
out part O. that power that is vouchsafed
to the trampled WOrm.'
As the infuriated creature finished these
words, she spat on the poor victim Of her
hatred, now Enable even to reply to her
dreadful expressions Of morbid thirst for
revenge. Having thus grati6ed her pas
zion, she disappeared among the woods.
Ashley lay for a considerable time, be-
fore assistance came to him. His feel
ings may be conceived they cannot be
expressed. His conscience VS. enough
iy hatred in her whom he now pitied
The reaction Of injured virtue overcame
him. He groaned in the deoth Of his
agony burning tears Of remorse flowed
down bis cheeks; the pains and penalties
Of vice stung him in mind and body, with
the mslignity of demons .e would have
given the proud domains Of bis iorefatbers
for one drop Of mercy to his bur ming soul
He tried to pray be was unable. The
fends still clung to him. The Almighty
did not think it time to pluck them away.
10 his struggles, be fainted, and lay on the
cold earth for several hours.
The servants Of ''The Castle came out
to seek their master. They searched the
woods, and found the horse which had
strayed away from him. His groans at
tracted their notice and, in the plight
we have described, they found their untap-
py lord. When taken home, be was put
IL