St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-02-17

/ and more recent woe. but IN the midst
of their talk, their voices seemed to
melt into the sound of the wind sweep
ing mournfully among the autumn
leaves; and when the lady lifted her
eyes. there was she kneeling in the
hollow between three hills.
"A weary and lonesome time yOnder
old couple have of it," remarked the
old woman, smiling i'll the lady's face.
"And did you also hear them ?'' eN-
claimed she, a sense of intolerahle hu-
initiation triumphing over her agony
and fear.
Yea; and we have yet more to hear
replied the old woman. ''Wherefore,
cover thy face quickly
Again the withered hag poured forth
the mOnOtonOus words of "A prayer that
was not meant to be acceptable in
| Heaven and soon in the pauses of her
breath, strange muImurings began to
thicken. gradually increasing so as to
drown and Overpower the charm by
which they grew. Shrieks pierced
through the Obscurity of sound, and
were succeeded by the singing of sweet
female voices, which in their turn gave
way to wild roar of laughter, broken
suddenly by groanings and sobs, form
ing altogether ii CHASTITY confusion OF
terror and mourning and mirth. Chains
were rattling, fierce and stern voices
uttered threats, and the scOurge re-
sounded at their command. All these
noises deepened and became substan-
tial to the listeners ear, till she could
distinguish every soft and dreamy ac-
cent of the love songs, that died cause
lessly into funeral hymns. She shud-
dered at the unprovOked wrath which
blazed up like the spontaneous kind
| ling of flame, and she grew faint ut the
fearful merriment, raging miserably
around her. In the midst of this wild
scene, where unbound passions jostled
each other in drunken career, there
was one solemn voice of Il man, and Il
manly and melodiOus voice it might
once have been. He went to and fro
continually, and his feet sounded upon
the floor. In each member of that
frenzied company, whose own burn
ing thoughts had become their eXclu-
I sive world. he sought an auditor foI
the story of his individual wrong, and
interpreted their laughter and tears as
his reward of scorn or pity. He spoke
/ vi NpiiItili ~ vi i NiiN W nv ii'''
broken her hOliest vows, of home and
heart made desolate. Even as he went
on. the shout, the laugh, the shrek,
the sob, rose up i'll unison, till they
changed into the hollow. litful, and
uneven sound of the wind, as it fought
among the pine trees on these three
lonely hills. The lady looked up, and
there was the withered woman smiling
in her face.
''Couldst thou have thought there
were such merry times i'll IL madh0uSe ?
inquired the latter.
''True, true" said the lady to her
self; ''there is mirth within its walls
but misery, misery without"
"Wouldst thou hear more p de
manded the old woman.
"There is one other voice | would
fain listen to again replied the lady
family.
"Then, lay down thy head speedily
upon my knees, that thou mayest ge
thee hence before the hour be past"
The golden skirts of day were yet
lingering upon the hills, but dee!
shades obscured the hollow and tn,
pool, as if sombre night were rising
thence to Over-spread the world
Again that evil woman began to weaV,
her spell. Long did it proceed unan
swered, till the knolling of Il bell stol,
in among the intervals of her words
like Il clang that had travelled far owe
valley and rising ground, and WAS jus
ready to die in the air. The lady
shook upon her companions knees, a
she heard that bOding sound. Strong
eI it grew and sadder, and deepene'
into the tone of death bell, knolliny
dolefully from some ivy-mantled tower
and bearing tidIngs of mortality an'
woe to the cottage, to the hall, and Il
the solitary waytarer, that all Nigh
weep for the doom appointed i'll turl
to them. Then came ii measured tread
passing slowly, slowly on, as of mourn
ers with coffin, their garments trail
ing on the ground, so that the ea
could measure the length of their mel
anchOly array. Before them went TIN
priest, reading the burial service, Will
the leaves of his book were rustling il
the breeze. And though no voice hu
his was heard to speak aloud, still
there were reVilings and anathcmas
whispered but distinct, from wome
and from men, brcathed against tn
daughter who had wrung the age
hearts of her parents, the wife VIII
had betrayed the trusting fondness q
her husband, 1.-The mother who ha
. sinned against natural affection, an
left her child to die. The swecpin
, sound of the funeral train faded ava
like Il thin vapor, and the wind, tina
Just before had seemed to shake tn
coffin pail, moaned sadly round tn
q verge of the Hollow between thre
Hills. But when the old woman stil
:, red the kneeling lady, she lifted NJ
: her head.
,. ''Here has been IA sweet hOur's sport
said the withered crone, chuckling t
:. herself.