The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-08-06

An WOulQ LnaN TINS might be the LAST
.-.a-a.-s-s-r,s-s..a-a My Mary {"
EC Our village was not unlike other vii
lagos. Ithad its old folks. and young
folks, its Mrs. Grundys and Mrs. Peace
maker, its gossip, and its facts, its
churches and its societies, its judge
and its old maid.
That these two last mentioned had q
history whose threads were interviewer,
even somewhat tangled, had become a
theme of every guarded conjecture, and
much dissatisfied whispering, only re-
Gently, and by the merest accident.
The ladies of our town had formed a
sewing society called "The Workers, :"
and rather prided themselves on the
amount of work accomplished at their
meetings without the usual character
plundering, said by the male portion of
the community to be proverbial at such
meetings.
True, the members made it rule to
be prompt to the moment the tempta-
ton was thus avoided OF discussing the
peculiarities of an absent member, had
anyone ventured to display such a weak
ness, which is doubtful.
Miss Harrington, or the " Village
maid, y was one of the most energetic
and untiring " workers." ever silent,
when words were useless, unsympa-
thetic and stern in appearance, going
her way unquestioned, for her acts
we're like her character, aboye ques-
tioning.
A most remarkable thing occurred at
one of these meetings. Miss Harring
ton was late the society was arlarmed
-fretted-tongues began to wag, the
ladies forgot themselves.
Widow Menken had the floor.
"They do say it nearly killed him.
When his mother died she made him
promise to marry the poor thing, If
only for the sake of the child. I dare
say the gloom and remorse in the
judges heart is blacker than the face
he has been wearing all these years "
" Yes," added another worker, "and
he engaged TO Ollie Harrington at the
time ~ t
It's lie /
. 80 &c Oh. Lord }" exclaimed the forget
full ones.
There stood the old maid, a pic
ture OF scornful anger. One moment
she gazed at them in silence moro elo-
quent than language, then turning on
her heels she left the house, saying be-
tween half closed lips
Poor gossip skimmers !
To say that this was not confirmation,
would be doing injustice to the judg-
ment of the workers.
IL decided the matter, indeed there
tOas something in it. A secret in the
community ali these years ? horrible
Widow Menken remembered, now
she came to think of it, although she
was only a slip of a girl then, and
Charley Menken was only beginning to
think OF courting her, that Wettemort
and "Ollie" Harrington we're consid'
cred pair although he was an aw'
full gay young fellow, and Ollie the
widest f" "harRm- searem girl in thS
village. But tsomehOw they quit going
together after awhile, then George wen
away and awful stories we're atioat abou
some college scrape he got into. Well
boys will be boys, hope I shant carr!
such a broken heart to the grave as tina
mother of his did, though.
How lightly we can talk OF othe
peoples sins and sorrows, how easll.
DISPOSE of them. how thoughtlessl.
probe a tender spot. idly iostle bruises
place supposed to be healed or caliOused
Miss Harrington walked home wit
the same quiet dignity, the same meas
ui.ed tread, as if no storm was whirlin
the blood through her veins, as it ha
not done for years; as if nothing like
humping heart was tearing asunder
painful past.
Bat once inside her cottage dool
where none but plying Savior coul
see her, she cried with hands ouI
stretched in spirit pleading:
Oh, God is my love not yet dead
spare me, oh spare me, their pltlleS
searching T.
Yes, there was a secret. It had bee
right under their prying noses tn
,,,o,,,- a ,-,ov and fhav haI NOT ecaufa
it.
Miss Harrington had gradually will
drawn from the gay sociables and fro
les of the village, and became an ol
maid so quietly that as one after anotl
er of her youthful companions wei
married of and took mp the matron
life, they scarcely wondered why sI
remained single or noticed the chang
from gay 10 grave, so gentle was IL
Transformation, and only when the a
vent of a new set of young folks gre
around them did they realize that Mi'
Harrington was no longer Ollie bI
the old maid. True she was kind an
generous she had even heard Of II
tie waif left at the mercy of the tow
many years ago, and taken it to Ia
home and for three years tended al
cared for it like an own mother, al
Wuen the little bnlnS Was teheH Win =
scarlet fever, and the old village doct
pronounced the case fatal took It to Il
city for more experienced treatmen
But IL never came back alive. Nj
Harrington had accidentally discovers
its parentage and left the corpse in the
family burying ground.
The young man, Gecage Wettemor
beclme a much better man after b
mothers death, that happened abo
this time, and some of the right-mind'
people were willing to show their a
probation of his conduct and put /
name mp Tor county judge. OF cour
there were other right-minded peop
who did not consider him fit for so II