Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-03-26

| simple charms OF q young, unlearned, un-
ambitious girl, 50 youthful that her tastes
and habits, childish as they were could
he scarcely more so than suited her years.
Flavia Hardcourt had just attained her six
teeuth year-had never been TO a boarding
school, aud loved nothing so much--even
her birds and pet rabbits--as her dear old
father, an honest country gentleman, and
a worthy magistrate. Flava had never
been even TO London, for Mr.. Hardcourt
resided at Aveling-a retired village, about
/ twenty miles from the metropolis. Barring
| fox hunting and hard drinking, the old
| gentleman, on bis side, took pleasure only
in the pretty, gentle girl, who, from tbo
| hour of her birth-which event termi-
mated her mothers existence, had made
her his playmate and companion. And it
I was TO this simple wild flower that the gay
man of pleasure, naughty, reckless, un-
principled, improvident, irreligious and
rash, presumed to lift his eyes, to elevate
/ his heart and, oh, stranger still TO this
being, the moral antipodes Of her pure self,
! did Flavia Hardcourt surrender her youth
ful, modest, inestimable love. 1t must
/ have been her very chldishness and puri-
| ty that attracted the desperate robber-the
hardened libertine, now about TO commit
his worst and most inexcusable crime.
He had accidentally met Mr.. IIardcourt at
country hunt; had, with others of his
companions, been invited by that honest
! gentleman 10 a rustic lete in honor of little
Flavia's natal day-a day, he was wont to
observe, TO him remarkable for commence
rating his greatest misfortune aud his in
tensest happiness !; and then and there the
| hlghwayman vowed TO win and bear that
pure bud Of innocent freshness and rare
fragrance, or to perish in the attempt. Mas
! Ter Richard Mowbray unscrupulous DE
Montmorency will relate how YOU kept
| your vow.
! lie haunted Avuling Grange til the
chasie young heart, the old fathers beloved
! darling, surrendered itself into the high
wayman's keeping. Perhaps Mr.. Hard
! court was not altogether best pleased at
| Flavias choice; but then she was his lie
| his hope--and he trusted even when he
! gave her to a husband, that her love and
dnting affection would still he his own
/ besides, Mowbray well connected-boasted
ur his wealth; whereas a very moderate
/ portion would be hers-was received in
modish circles, into which the good old
magistrate could never pretend TO pene-
trate; and, in short, what with his high
bearing, his handsome person aud insin-
uating tongue, Mr.. Iardcourt had ire
NoCaby promised to bestow his treasure
,nt1 the keeping of the profligate, who
numbered himself almost years enough TO
have been the father OF the young girl,
whom he testified the utmost impatience to
call his wife.
! 1t was during the time that Mr. Now
bray was paying his court at Ayeling that
the ueighborhood began to DO alarmed at a
series Of highway robberies, which men
said could have been perpetrated but by
iliat celebrated knight OF the road, Captain
! he Montmorency. No one could stir after
nightlall without an attack, in which num-
Lers certainly were not wanting.
"Cudgel me, but wen have him yet"
said old Mr.. HIrdcourt. II should glory
myself in going 10 Tyburn to see the fell
low turned of. Ay, and would take my
little Flavia 10 see him so by in the cart,
with parson and nosegay, eh, my little
girl?"
"Oh, no, father" said Flavia, 81 could
not abide it, though he is such daring,
wicked man, whose name makes me
shrink with fear and terror whenever
hear IT,. could never bear to see such a
dreadful sigbt-it would haunt me till my
DEATH"
The betrothed lovers we've together to
visit London.
but shall not dare said the girl, as
walking together In the old fashioned
Dutch garden, she leant her young, slnless
head on her guilty lovers breast ~ shall
not dare take such journey, for fear OF
the highwayman, Montmorency."
Fear not, my sweet Flavla this breast
shall be pierced through ere De Montmor-
encv shall cause one fear in thine"
Richard, sweetness, why do you leave
me so eIrly every evening? At sunset,
have remarked. These are not London
habits. Ah, does any other than pool
F!avia attract you? Oh, Richard, l mus
die II 1t should he so could not live, and
know you we're false"
Sweetest and best! my purest love
could any win me from you? were it :
queen, think 1t not, I-I--the truth is
Flavla, have poor, sick friend not IA
from here he is poor, i'll and-I-I-"
Say no more, dearest. Oh, how mucl
!. more l love you every day. How good
how noble, thus to sacrificed And In
, blushing girl threw herself into her lover
aims.
: All how differently beat these Two hu
man hearts. One pregnant with lov
, goodness, charity, SYM iathy The othe
| rank with hypocrisy, dark with unbelieE
r They came to town unmolested, you ma
$ be sure the stranger, because a few day
o previously a terrible affair had occurred
K Old Lord st. Hilary, the relic OF the bean
: gareons of former days, had been robbie
s and maltreated. Men were by no mean
: so favored as the beau sere. Above all,
family jewel of immense value had bee
@ taken from his person; and on recoverin
from his wounds and fright, he swore ven
~ geance. Ho took active measures to Fl
(, his vow.
l. The wedding was to take place at the oil
d relations, Mrs. Duchense's house, and O
J. tagging wings the day at length arrived
O The marriage was celebrated, and the haI
n py pair were in the act of being toasted
n the father of the bride, when strang
o noise was heard below rude voices wei
lr upraised oaths mutlered; a rush toward
l. the festive saloon. The company rose.
at "What Is It p asked Mr.. Hardcourt.
y The door was broken open for an answe
,r The officers Of justice filed the room. Tv
y; advanced. "Come, captain said the