Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-12-18

whatever in the shape of spirituous
liquors to gladden. their hearts the
next evening. Now Trottie was &
good daughter, and intensely fond
of her mother, and she began to
consider whether it would be pos.
sible to obtain u bottle of rum, and
make it a present to her. True,
she had given all her weeks earnings
to purchase food for the family
but still there might be some plan
by which to accomplish her object.
No doubt her friend, Martha Jones,
who accompanied har fro., tho fac,
tory as far as Tooley street, and
whose parents were comfortably off,
would lend her the money, which
she could repay from her next
weeks earnings. Well, she thought
she would do it, and then she
thought she would not.
"Better go at once," suggested
itself to her mind, and that SO
plainly and distinctly that she
thought it must have been whis-
pered to her. Again the words
were uttered, and, if possible, more
clearly than before. Trottie was in
doubt whether she really heard a
voice, or whether it was merely
fancy on her part, when she felt a
hand taken hers. She attempted
to withdraw her own but it was i'm,
possible. Without any pressure
the hand seemed simply to clasp
hers, but so cold and clammy was
it that she shuddered as she felt it.
And then she remembered, some
years before, when she had seen her
little brother, as he lay in his coffin
preparatory to it being screwe d
down, that she had kissed him first
on his forehead, and then, taking
his hand, had kissed that also, re
marking at the same time how cold
and clayey it felt. The hand that
held hers at the present moment
seemed that of a dead child's about
her brothers age.
Without being able to understand
in what manner it was done, Trottie
found the hand leading her through
darkness so profound she could dis
tinguish nothing whatever. All,
too, was silent around her. Still
she went on, gliding swiftly, without
meeting with any impeachment, or
without the dread Of doing 80. At
length there appeered to be a glim.
mer of light, as if from gas or a
lamp, which increased in clearness
till she began to notice that there
were objects near her. These in
their turn became more and more
distinct, till she found herself, the
dead hand holding her still, benin d
the counter in large pawnbroker's
shop. TO her surprise, neither Of
the shopmen appeared to notice
her; and she turned round to see
who it was that held her hand, but
she could see neither the hand nor
her own. On looking round the
shop she found it contained three
small compartments, like boxes,
each having an occupant, with two
of whom the two shopmen were
busy completing loans. In the
third was a respectable-lOOking
woman, who remained silent till
her turn came to be attended to.
She kept her head turned some
what aside, so that her features
were not visible, and this was done
in such manner as evidently to
show the wish to escape Observa.
ton; and no one could see her, for,
as before stated, the shopmen were
busy with two other customers, and
TrOttie herself felt that she was as
invisible as the one who stood be.
side her and held her hand.
And now it came to the wOman's
turn to he waited upon, who had so
tixedly engaged TrOttie's attention.
fro BE Continued
OVERCPOWDEn PRTSONS