The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-16
acknowledgement.
ETHAN BRAND.
~ NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

T,lcling his kiln, at nightAll,
soI ~ -, IiuIe pon played at building
sue vi nh The scattered fragments OF
h0a,si,, T ~ben, on the hillside below them,
SiOII.' sroar Of laughter, not mirth'
SsI L U.S.. siow. and even solemn, like q
y, I .S,k I the bOughs Ofthe forest.
'l ls, ,I What is that7" asked the little
Living bis play, and pressing be-
nv az come drunken man, suppose y
" .,,i the lime.burner; Some merry
iG,ss'tL ,om the bAr.roOm in the village,
ltLl'Jj , ,,S moi laugh loud enough within
!aouTI a,t he should blow the roof Of the
GORE 1,,.. ' Al. So here he is, shaking his
hGa,. .ii Ss At The foot Of Graylock."
f',i VA. ~ father" said the child, more
DI Than the obiuse, middle-aged
t tt,D she does not laugh like a man
t Ei, dad, So the noise irightens mel"
IA snaDft he fool, childH cried his faith
w, ,nay "You will never make 4
IL lid believe; there is too much Of
ai a, mother in you. ! have known the
!oa H.; 49,, nj A leaf startle you. Hark !
, T,.. came. the merry fellow, now. You
i t.II a., W. tbstthere il no harm In him"
''i p,,,,,m and his little SOD, while they
,,,s taking thus, sat watching the same
.as lin hat had been the scene Of
s VI, n Brands solitary and meditative
~ tsDI S,torr he began his search for the
IHi.sn,,jon,bIe Sin. Many years had
y,.pr.si .ipce the portentouS night when
e. !t,i M, vas first developed. The kiln,
t Y, 'vs on the mountAin.side, stood un:
ai"SD,irej, snd was in nothing changed
w.. is.rs bs had thrown his dark ihoughts
~, ,.o' ,bs intense glow Of its furnace, and
ny, s,i,td them, a. it were, into the one
,Son1bt that took possession Of his life.
i !, ~. rude, round, tower.like strue.
,s,s .bon, twenty feet high, heavily
t Xiii If rough s.ones, and with hiilock
S 0I besped about the larger part Of
\, circumference; SO that the blocks and
t,,,m.Dls Of marble might be drawn by
@e,,,'Io,J, and thrown in at the top.
TSs,s W.. an opening at the bottom Of
Il. tower like an oven'month, but large
.O W. 10 admit man in stopping
I'm, Do,,aEs and provided with a massive
En- Joor, VIII the smoke and jets Of
s,ms i.niDg from the chinks and crew..
o,.oltbi, door, which seemed to give ad.
,ni,i,nce inlo the hillside, it resembled
1o,bipg 40 much as the private entrance
otho Internal regions, which the shep.
S,rd, Of the DeleclSble Mountains were
accustomed to show to pilgrims.
There are many such lime.kilns in
mi tract Of country, for the pur-
Uo,s cf burning the white mar.
bis which composes a large part
ii ,he substance Of the hills.
soue Of them, built years ago and long
deserted, with weeds growing 10 the va.
rIuI round Of tue interior, which Is open
10 The ,ky, and grass and wild'aowers
roofing themselves into the chinks oil the
,lones, look already like relics Of antiq-
uiIy, anil may yet be overspreal with the
licienI Of centuries TO come. Others,
Where the lime-burner still feeds his
daily and nighi.long FIRE, afford points Of
interest TO the wanderer among the hills
Tho seats himself on a log Of wood or
fragment Of marble, 10 hold a chat with
lhs solitary man. It ia a lonesome, and,
when the character ia inclined 10 thought,
nly be an intensely thoughtful occups-
ton; a. il proved 10 the case Of Ethan
BRAID, who had unused TO such strange
purpose, in days gone by, while the fire
10 this very kiln was burning.
The man who now watched the Gre was
0. different order, and troubled himself
rib no thoughts save the very few that
ysre requisite to his business. Al fre'
qu.nt intervals he flung back the olashinS
weight Of the iron door, and, turning his
iice from the insuAerable glare, thrust in
huge lOgI Of oak, or stirred the Immense
brands with a long pole. Within the
furnace we're seen the curling and riotons
dimes, and the burning marble, almost
molten with the intensity Of heat; while
without the reflection OF the iirequivered
Olihp dark intricacy Of the surrounding
forest, and showed in the foreground a
bright and ruddy little picture Of the
but, the spring beside iIs door, the ath-
sllc aud ccal-begrimed figure OF the
iuAburner, and the half-frightened
,hiId, shrinking into the protection Of his
LIiher's shadow. And when again the
ron door was closed, then reappeared the
snder light Of the half-full moon, which
IlInly slfove to trace out the indistinct
hapes Of the neighboring mountains; and,
q the upper sky, there was . fitting con:
.rsgItiOn Of clouds, still family tinged
nib The rosy sunset, though thus far
IuEn into the valley the sunshine had
'Iui.hed long and long ago.
The little boy now crept closer TO his
i,her, as footsteps were heard ascending
be hillside, and 4 human form thrust
aide the bushes that clustered beneath
be trees.
sHaIIoOi who is it2r cried the lime.
Iaruer, vcred at bis sons ,imidity, yet
ALI injected by it. Come forward and
how yourself, like a man, or III fling this
hunk Of marble at your head"
"Yon offer me a rough welcome" said
/ gloomy voice, "a the unknown man
lrts nigh. "Ye,I neither claim nor de-
'irs kinder one, even al my own ire
lile.'
To obtain dislinct view, Bartram
threw open the iron door Of the kiln,
Eh.uCe Immediately issued a gush Of
itrCe light that smote fall upon the
,lfAugerfs lace and figure. To careless
ysthere appeared nothing very remark
able in bis aspect, which was that Of a
MN in a coarse, brown, eonntry-made
Iuit Of clothes, TALL and thin, with the
,aH and heavy shoes Of wayiarer. As
h advanced, he fixed bis eyes-which
nre very bright-.intenlly upon the
brightness Of the furnace, rs II be behsld,
0isIPecItd to behold. some object worthy
Oi mole within il.
Good evening, stranger" said the lime
burner; whence come you, so late in the
DAY.
Il come from my search" answered
The xayilrcr; "iOr, At Last, 1t Ia tinished|
4Drlnkl-Or crsIyipmultered Bartram
y himself. II shall llSvs trouble with
The !rlov. The sooner drive him away
lhs better
The little boy, all 10 tremble, whisper
Cd 10 hid father, and begged to shut the
aoo' oil the kiln, so that there might not
y 30 much lighI; for that there va, come.
Thing 10 the mans face which be was
,lfa'd to look st, yet could not look away
lfon. And, indeed, even the limebnr.
asf' dull aud torpid sense began to be
Impressed BY an indsscribable something
"a TIA! thin, ragged, thoughtful yisager
Nl'h the griulsd hair hanging wildly
lSCut il, and those deeply sunken eyes,
NhlEh ptaap,nI I'LL. a.. .,ftkfs tka an.