Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-05-09

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and various other thoughts, till a quick
rap OF mothers thimbled finger on the
window. pane recalled with start to my
present duty, which strnghtway hurried
TO fulfil. BY the time the fire was laid
and kindled, the dancing light of the
flame was contending on the walls with
the last CLEAN of sunset, drawing my
shadoS upon them in likeness of Sairey
Camps n | brushed up the floor, be-
dcckod-ns she in her waIchman'S coat
with the attire before described,
A sound of deliberately advancing
hools was heaid on The tnrf without, and
mother exclaimed, with n despairing ges'
tmc: There comes that old stray mare
to finish the last-ot my dahlias, 'fisha
/ ly worth while to drive The creature away
again. she comes back so soon'
IN give hen one good fright this line,
tuyhow,' cried out, watbfully, excited
by mothers wrongs; and suiting the ae-
ton to the word, | suddenly opened the
door and bounded out with a whoop.
brandishing my broom with Mpnad like
energy. II the old mare had beca there,
suppose she wonld have quietly drop.
ped down and died with the fright, and
! there an end ~ Macbeth comfortably
expresses it, But no. no, no , il was no
old stray mare, but u stately black horse ;
and on that horse sat stately rider 80
had been seated. should rather say.
At the moment ot onslaught he was
just moving to dismount ut out door.
The frantic bound which that sable Stecd
made as my horrible apparilion hurst up.
on him. would have Suniccd 10 mSeat
any ordinary horscm1n In the case of
this unfortunate man, just about To quit
his saddle at leisurely ease the ctlcc, was
to swing him of NJ Il tangent which brot
his head against om stone door step,
where he lay. bleeding and scnScle>s, At
my very feet.
The fearful shrek | gave aN my victim
tell before me. brough, mother 10 the
door with a look OF alarm which chang.
ed TO horror rs she saN the bloody bur.
den at her threshold. She comprchcmdcd
the affair in flash, especially rs the
frightened horse was laundering down
the road at rate The old maze had cet-
tainly never been capable OF in her re-
mote>t youth; and-deareSt and best of
women she wasted not moment III
questions reproaChcS, OF lamentations.
In full possession OF her faculties. she
stopped at once TO examine the stranger 5
injuries. while stood stupidity looking
on. frozen with horror at the sight of the
homicide had committed
is he quite deadT gaspcd out at
last.
Dead. goosey no, only stunned. an
Swored mother. u little sharply for her;
I then looking up at my face, she sottencd
/ her tone to mothcrly, comforting one.
Don't look SO, dear. Its uol such ter.
riblc hurt. hope AMI not your fault
more than mine, Frank, Run, daughter,
and bring warm water and the roll of
linen in my right hand upper draw. Hand
me the scissors first. This i, bail cut
on his poor head
made what haste my trembling feet
and shaking hand, could, and when re.
urncd, mother badc me prop hi' head
while she cut away the hair aud washed
the blood from gaping wound, which it
/ frightened me to IooI at, looking more
and more anxious the while a. no signs
ot animation appeared in her patient
Most fortunately, before Vc had time
to realize our inability 70 take any fur
ther measure fuI his relief. sound OF
rapidly approaching whcelI announced
father aud WIFI return, while Almira at
the same time, came dawdling home from
the next neighborS, (tWo miles distant J
whittier she had Withdrawn herself TO in.
dulge in gossip with Malvina Ann Bus.
| ter.
Then there were hurried explanations,
into which mother-wilh goodness for
which ! vowed in my heart to he ever
gratcful-entered no farther than to say
that the strangers horse had behaved
badly and thrown him The guest
chamber was hurricdly prepared tor his
reception, and he was laid there, begin
ming to revive enough to speak, but so in-
coherently that his words excited only
less apprehension than continued insensi-
bility would have done.
The physician, brought by Will in hot
haste, shook his head over the rambling
utterances OF his patient, declaring him
self for the present unable TO determine
the exact amount Of injury he had re.
ceived, though the wound on the head
was not OF itself serious. So there was
day or two of horrid doubt and waiting,
in which seemed forever to hear the la
ment of Lamech-'I have slain man to
my hurt, and Il young man to my undo.
ing And mother watched me furtively
in the intel walls of her nursing, and tried
many loving stratagcm 10 comfort and
reassure me, though never ailuding to
my being the cause of all this trouble !;
and father AMI Will, mal.like, new
er noticed that anything allied ne,
though ] kept looking at my hair every
time | pulled it down to see il it had not
grown gray with the trouble of my mind.
We knew who our quest was now