Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-07-17
WOODSTOCK VT, WEDNESDAY, JULY II, 1878,

he died, sir, and lett our Pearl all bis
fortune and grand house IN New York
but she'll not 90 sir, she'll do here
waiting for Hiram, wh,'ll never eoma,
The stranger lifted his face that had
been half hidden In his hand and said =
"There was a shipwreek IN the
Pacific oc .aa, ,D,vy,years and years ago
aud one mln only was Saged-saved,
Dyy, by say,gss, who mide him q
slave, the worst of slaves {! Bat one
d,y thl. s,lIor s,vel the lite Of tbs
chiefs daughter, who was In the coils
of huge snakes, and the chiel rcleas ID
him. More than that, he gave HIM
choice spices and woods, ani sent him
aboard the first passing ship. So the
sailor landed IN a great city, Sold his
prcsent. and put the gold in safe keep
Ing, Then he travlcd ill he reached
the seap,.t town where he was horn'
aud coming there at sunset heard the
story of his life from the lips Of q
man cutting his tombstone
Not word spoke Davy, Standing
erect, he siz.d an imm,n'e sledsN
hammer aud with q powerful blow
from strong arms, dashed tho marble
into fragment. Then, painting with
cyertion, he held ont his brawny hand
to the strangrr-s stranger no longer
"Iye done no better work 10 my
! life tn I've done In the last five
minutes, Hiram O. home, man. and
make Pearls hc,rt glad. She don't
need il, Hiram she dua't need II.
You a.kcl ma about the stone. The
n.ighb'r, drove her u o'd'r'ng it,
twiltin, her that now sh, was rich.
she grud ,ed the stone to her husbands
memory s, she told ma u cut IT,
hut say1. 'D,n't pat dead upon it,
Divy-put lost at sci; tor li'rams
lost brt he'll be t)unl and come back
TO me- She never looked at it Hiram
never AMI there's not an hour, nor
hasn't been for ten years, that she
hasn't been looking f'r you to come
back. Go to her, man, and the Lords
blessing be upon both of you"
$50, grasping the h,rd, brown
hand, Hiram G,ldby took the path to
the little white cottage in which he
had been b,rn forty five years before
The sun set and the darkness was
gathering, bnt little CLEAN Of light
stream I'd from the window OF his
cottage. He drew near softly, and
standing on the seat of the porch
looking over the half curtain into the
neat. but poor sitting room.
"It was not the grand house Pearls
heritag. in New York, but Pearl her
self was there. A slender woman,
with pale, sweet face, and black
hair SIN ,th!y banded and gathered in
20 rich braides at the back OF her shape.
" head. Her dress was plain dark
one, with white rufH.s, cuffs and an
apron.
She had been sewing, but her work
was put asid.', an1 presently she came
to the open window and drew aside
the cart lin 81, di | not see the tall
figure drawn closely ag inst the wall
in the narrow porch, but her dark eyes
looxed mourntully toward the sea-
gIimnering in the half light.
"My darling! she whispered, "are
you dead, aud has your spirit come to
take m,ns where we shall part no
m ,re 7"
Oaly the wash of the waves below
answered her. Signing softly she
said Ills my darling coming? l
feel him so near to me, I could almost
grasp him."
She stretched out her arms over the
low window sill, and low voice an
swere1 her: "Pelrl ! Pearl !"
The arms that had 50 long grasped
only empty air, were filled then. as
Hiram stood under the low window.
"Do not m ove, love-" she whispered
pressing her soft lips to his: 81 al
ways wake when you move
"But now" he said, "you are
already awaie. S.r, Pearl, your trust
was heaven given. 1t ia myself, your
fond, true husband, little one, who
will never leave you again"
"Is it true! You have come
she cried at last, bursting into a
t,rr,nt of happy tear. Il knew You
were not dead. You could not be