Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-11-15
OUT OF THE DEPTHS.

~af3 q hAfSt
II was n house built long before the Re,
yolution, tho boyeled brick Of which had
been brought out f:om England when tho
lirst Channcolo,th came over, q younger
son establishing himself In that simili,
tude to his fathers state allowed by tho
now eonnlry-iho slaves, tho crops, the
ost acres, Now tho old manor,house
was Inhabited IN q happy go.lucky
fashion by the Chauncoiorth heirs, who,
although notably, divided on tho great
question OF the doy--a part holding the
United States to DO superior to tho con.
icdera,c states, and o part holding tho
stars and bars TO be the true flag, and
tho stars and stripes to he q spurious
one, and oil having moro or less trouble
about tho ways and means OF subsist,
cnce.
There was not, perhaps, 90 much
bubb'ing in the heart OF Laura Durndon
az in that OF all tho rest Of the youths
and maidens who made Chaunceforth
hall their head quarters IN that October
holiday, She WAS the cousin and init.
mate OF Martha Of the name, and al.
though wont to makea second homo Of
tho hall, 1t was often to experience q
certain inner rebellion, being herself Of
so opposite an opinion from that OF the
majority OF the family who remained at
home there; for John and Russell and
Rhett We're in the service OF the Rich.
mond government. and Bon aud Bur-
leigh were OF the opposing sort, owing
their immunity not so much to theirercat
personal popularity, as to their inability
to be OF use. Just now all the brothers
were together, and the house was full Of
guests, who, not to mincc the phrase,
were rebels, and gloried in the fact.
Laura, however did little glorying.
Once the iercest Of the fierce daughters
OF Bellona, now she was quietness it.
SELF and only expressed herself with
Maryland, my Maryland" aud "The
Bonny Blue Flag" when she was asked
TO sing, ard hardly sang those with her
old fire and fervor.
But it was year and six months ago
that, returning across the mountain one
afternoon, shower overlook her, and
made tho steep descending path so slip
perry that, horsewomln as she was, she
1ismounted, gathering up her skirts,
and leading the old horse by the bride.
Courageous enough, she was getting
over the ground contentelly, when the
handkerchief, blowing of her throat,
gave the horse start; he swerved, and
lost his footing-whether treading on a
round stone, or whether the bare
mountain.side just there let his feet
slide from under him--and he fell, roll.
ing over on his side with broken leg.
1t was some time before she realized
this, and then there was paroxysm of
distress and vexation as if the last drop
had been added to a cup running over
with bitterness. But there was nothing
to do except to hasten home and send
the boys up to him, and she went
gloomily on her way. 1t was already
twilight, and in working over the horse
she had become little bewildered, aud
bad taken the wrong path.
She had walked un hour it may be,
when she became aware that things were
very unfamiliar to her; there began to
be strange awesomeness in all the
region round. And suddenly she stood
stone still, the ground quaking under
her feet, and comprchended, as if she
had received q death sentence, that she
was on the edge of Marshmallow Bog,
whence creature never came out alive.
She had arrested herself on O hammock
slightly more stable than tho rest of it;
behind her, before her, around her, was
the impenetrab!e morass, that drew into
its slimy depths every object that alight-
ed there. A step in any direction might
be ruin. There was no light to be seen;
no sound to be heard, save the whirring
Of some early insect, save the far.
yalloping of hoofs along the turnpike
not Old Snowfoot's; nobody would ever
hear his again.
Was it one hour or five that she had
TODD there? There came at last soft
glow through the air. Dawn9 No; the
moon was rising. She turned to the
asst, waiting for it, thinking of the
vretchedness of her dear father, of her
,dolizing brothers, if no one ever rescued
ler, passing the time in watching for
he unseen rays to kindle lower and q
over branch of the wood behind. Sud
lenly the disk swan up into the illum-
med air. and brood beam touched her
ice, and then the full light of buoy
IN: splenlor lay upon her from head to
DOT, and at the same moment the sound
II horses came to her agaiu, and the
sound of voices, and then halt and
help cry saluting her.
She turned eagerly. Perhaps she
:ouI vet be saved, she who had been
looking death in the face and with all
he force of her young vitality, finding
1t darker and more terrible with every
,rsath She criel out instantly that it
fas she, Laura Durndon, and that she
vas in Marshmallow Bog, and that they
must como no nearer, but ii they could
,hrow her a rope she might be drawn
,ut at the risk OF whatever injury.
ANYTHING" cried she, looking mp wild
ly, "yould be better than being swal.
lowed alive by this blacknes5."
"Never fear" said voice, that seemed
10 her rs il il came out Of heaven.
I'VE will arrange it. Keep up good
heart."
There was hurried consultation.
With cxclamations and instructions and
contradictions; and she understood
Int they were cutting blankets and