Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-02-16

EoNbls Win Ills DOOu companions
The third year of her married life there
came to nestle in Mrs. De Clancys BOSOM
and reviving her heart, dainty little maiden
to whom she gave the name Hope. Her fan
cy had been that the child's gentle hand might
guide its father into a purer better life but
he received his gift from heaven with undis-
guised contempt for he had set his heart up.
on a son. But the advent of the baby was
an era in the household. The faces OF the
negroes would broaden with smiles whenever
they caught glimpse Of "little miss" all of
her wiles were jealousy recounted as part of
the plantation lore. Carl, now a tall, studi-
GUS lad, always spoke Of her as "my Hope"
and was her devoted servitor.
To Hagar her coming was like the genial
sunshine on an ice-bound river, thawing the
frozen springs and causing the stream to flow
smoothly on to the great ocean. Prior to
this she had rendered scant courtesy to the
mistress, but now no other hands were al
lowed to minister to the wants of either
mother or child Her eyes followed Carl
with yearning tenderness, strangely at va
rance with her sharp demeanor toward him
Mrs. De Clancy was not slow to detect the
conflict going on in Hagar's mind, and her
own sorrow taught her sympathy for the
poor heart in its struggle. How many a wo-
manly soul, for the sake of some idol, thus
makes its own Via Dolorosa and treads il
with weary feet. Even this obscure quad
room was the heroine of a tragedy more
touching than that which immortalized the
one who in ancientda watched the fostering
corpses of her sons from "the beginning of
harvest till water dropped upon them out of
heaven" Her manner to the master was a
mixture of fear and defiance. She shrank at
the sound of his footstep, but brought to bay
she turned upon her tormentor with the fierce
despair of wild animal. The disdain meet
ing him in her eyes now larger and darker
than ever in the emaciated face, would have
withered a man less imbruted than Hugh de
Clancy. "Was he indeed made in the image
of God? Could a merciful Father allow one
of his creatures to be so stepped in base de-
baucheries z" questioned the woman who had
sworn to honor him, az she looked upon his
bloated figure and rcd face, from which
peered his wicked black eyes. No wonder
that Hagar, with superstitions inherited from
her mothers race, shrank from the glance Of
his eye, for there was a story among the
slaves that after certain time the men of
the De Clancy race were given up to the evil
one. His life went far to verify this trad-
ton.
After one of his most dreadful orgies. from
which his boon companions fed leaving him
as an accursed thing, Hagar found him in the
gray morning light, lying upon the floor his
hand grasping broken bottle Repressing a
scream which rose to her lips at the sight of
the purple distorted face, and the staring
CLASSY eyes, she stopped and felt the heart
Its pulsations were stilled, and a fierce Joy
illumined her face as rising she looked scorn-
fully upon the figure at her feet. She esought
Mrs. De Clancy's room, and pity replaced
scorn in the handsome face, as she gazed upon
the sleeping mother holding in her arms her
fair-haired daughter. Yet she knew, after
the first strangeuess had passed. there would
bs no regrets for the hfe thus gone out
Mistress. Mistress! wake up. ~ she said.
The tone reused Mrs. De Clancy, and she
sprang from the bed, fearing she knew not
what. Her first thought was of her child,
then of Carl Seeing HaRars palid face she
caught her hands. ''For Heavens sake, Ha-
gar tell me what is the matter?'
Il think Master is dead, that is all"
Mrs. De Clancy sank trembling into a chair,
and through her mind echoed the refrain,
That is all" All the life that might have
been 30 beautiful. All earthly hopes ended.
Her dream of wifely happiness all over, and,
worst of all, her unspoken prayers for re.
lease all answered Truly, death, striking
thus sharply upon life, even when it gives us
our hearts desire, brings with it oftentimes
the bitterness of unavailing regrets.
Hagar touched the bowed head timidy
Her direct nature could not understand this
bitter grief, where there had been 10 love
Miss Nelly, said she, forgive me. did
not think you cared"
"Oh my God, that hurts most of all, that
l could not care for my own husband, the
father of my little child"
II cannot'-began Hagar impulsively, but
quickly checked herself
The two women, mistress and maid rose
and passed into the room made solemn by
the presence of the dead They reused the
NJ 10 a, 4.
clared that he had gone as his father had gone
before him so, after a costly funeral, with
not a single mourner to follow him to the
grave, the memory Of Hugh De Clancy was
put away from among men.
Not so his evil deeds. They lived long aft.
er him to shadow innocent lives with blight
ing curse. Oh battling mystery of inherit
ed evil. To be solved only when We stand
in the presence of Him who in the person Of
his own son expiated all guilt.
Carl, now young man, brave, handsome
and talented, was summoned home from col
lege by the news Of his fathers death. The
best of his race" pronounced the neighbor-
ing squlres after meeting him. Hagar alone
seemed not to share the general Joy at the
home coming of the heir. She Stunned him
as much as possible, and relapsed into the
settled melancholy from which Hopes win
some ways and childish prattle had rescued
her. Often Mrs. De Clancy would surprise
her with tears in her eyes, as she sat watch.
ing Carl furtvely, thinking herself unnotced.
One morning they were all in the library
with Col. Reynop, lawyer, looking over the
papers in search of the will. Mrs. De Clan
| cys instincts had always warned her against
this man, but he had been Hugh De Clancy's
| business manager, and she was compelled to
employ him. He belonged to the strictest
sect of the Pharisees, and his bland tones
and courteous manners were apt to impose on
the unwary. His victims would very likely
discover the web he had woven only when
they were entangled in its meshes. Hagar
had been called in to perform some service
and had not been dismissed.
Look here, young man." said the lawyer,
| pushing up his glasses and eyeing Carl sharp
| ly, Il can find among these papers no record
! OF your mother, nor any account of her mar
riage with your father. Do you, madam"
continued he, turning TO Mrs De Clancy,
know anything of your husbands first mar
riage 2"
The memory of the first bitter days of her
welded life rushed over her like food-tide,
and she answered huskily, II never heard
him speak of it until We were married"
',Ah' that's strange l suppose you spoke
of it after then 2"
Yes once" was the reply.
Did be tell you the name of his wife, or
the date of his marrage"
He told me neither she said in low
voice.
bad bad :" continued he, shaking his
head oracularly. His tone and manner jar
red on Carls sensitive spirit, and he e1elaim-
ed, II don't see why it's so bad It's a mat
ter that concerns mo alone, and is disagreea-
BILE to my mother, so we will discuss it no
further"
but don't you see, young man, you run
the risk of being cut out of your property
by not having such a record ?"
They were interrupted by gurgling half
whisper, and turned to see Hagar leaning
against the wall, her face oyerspread with an
ashen palor, and her eyes fastened with de-
fiant CLEAN upon the lawyer Hope sprang
to her aide and grasped her hands.
"Oh! Nanny Hagar, what hurts you?" she
said, in her sweet, childish voice.
The reply came in an almost inaudible
moan
Paper the paper!"
The lawyers sharp ears caught the words
and noted the slender hand clutching the
string around her neck.
Carl, said he, persuasively, "get the pa
per from her; it may concern you"
Carl looked haughtily into the crafty black