The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-07-28
THE UNFATTHFUL GUARDIAN.
CONTINUED.

CONTlNUED'
CHE looked full in his face with her
~ clear, truthful eyes, whence great
sorrow broke, and their language went to
the old mans soul as no protestations in
words could have done.
"Madam," he said, in a changed voice,
"you are strangers here, your mode of life
has appeared singular from the first-we
didn't know what to think"
"We did not come here to argue" broke
in the selectman, seeing that the minister
was about to soften, "your arts are all
wasted on us we come in the name of the
law to warn you out of this place as Grim
inal"
Peace, brother" whispered the pastor,
"you are too violent"
Catharine looked at the speaker in ST.
lence, but he shrunk from the truth in her
eyes ard the grandeur of her face. After
moment she glanced suddenly toward the
clergyman,
"Sir," she said, "have you daugh-
ter?"
The old man turned away his face, point
ing to the weed upon his hat; scarcely
three months had passed since he buried
the darling of his heart the fairest girl
that the whole village could boast. The
deacons themselves were softened by the
sight of their pastors emotion, and Catha-
rine saw that they were almost ready to re-
linquish their hard purpose.
"By that daughters memory" she said,
"I ask you to deal kindly with one greatly
injured, but innocent as she. Tell me now
what you requireP'
&" We should not have spoken to wo-
man." said the deacon, more kindly,
"where is the young man9"
"Did not say that he was ill ?-tell me
your errand"
They looked at one another, and she
looked calmly at them, but no one seemed
inclined to break the silence.
" You wish us to quit your village" she
said, "is that it9''
"It would be BETTER" returned the pas
tor, hesitatingly, "better for all, if you
would do So"
She made no answer, but moved toward
the door at the end of the apartment, and
motioned them to follow They obeyed
her gesture, and looked into the shadowy
room beyond. The curtains were flung
down over the easements, and on low
couch in the gloom lay the wasted form Of
a sleeping man. His face looked mourn.
fully youthful in that heavy slumber, the
features so thin and sunken in the uncer-
tain light that the gazers started back,
almost believing themselves in the pres
ence of death.
Catharine closed the door, and turned
again toward her visitors.
OWN you drive that man forth from his
last shelter s'' she said. "The Saviour
whom you worship was less hard upon sin
ners than you Even though he were the
moral leper you deem him, could you not
allow him to die in peace9-he asks only
that-not even grave after"
Without word those men passed slowly
out of the chamber with downcast eyes,
where the tears would come in spite Of
their firmness. When they reached the
outer door, the old minister turned to Cath
arine,
"Forgiye U.S." he said, "fcr verify we
knew not what we did p
ooh SIR" she said, not bitterly, but
with quiet mournfulness, "oh sir, so
many unasked pardons have gone from my
soul that could not hesitate here You
are old men, but your span Of life is not so
near run as his whom they are hunting to
his grave. Surely here we might be left in
peace-there is no sin on his soul or mine,
and yet We are without proof against their
accusations"
"Any help" suggested the hard old
deacon, watchers, anything that our
womenfolks can do p