Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-02-06

A5 stood on the rocky bill just
outside of the village 1t was rare
sight, ona week day at that time, to
see the windwheels hanging motion
less, for Miller Gray was an inces-
SAINT worker and successful money
maker. But now, although the
rocky hill yet stands opposite the
little village. and the breezes still
blow over it, the old windmill has
crumble'i away into nothing, and
Joaquin Gray, the miller, has long
since been dead and gone.
Joaquin Gray was misery old
fellow. All his money, it was rum
ored, was hidden down in a deep
vault under the old mill; at least,
such was the supposition that people
made from the fact that on Sundays,
and sometimes late at night, he
would leave his cottage and lock
himself up alone in the mill for hours
together. His wife was dead, but
his daughter Mercy kept house for
him. Although the girl never dress
ed any better than the poorest lass
in the village, still she was so beau
tiful in face and form that her plain
gown so contrasted with her natural
loneliness as really to set her off to
advantage. There was nota sweeter
girl that knelt in Briertown Church
on Sunday morning than Mercy
Gray.
l know more about the girl than
any one else in the village. | was a
mother to her, and I grew to be as
proud of her as if she were my own
child. You see, her own mother
died when the child was but two
years old, and old Miller Gray look
ed out for the person who would
bring her up at the cheapest rates
and that turned out to be me. We
were very poor then, and ! was very
glad to get the little he gave me for
bringing up Mercy with my own
children; but, oh, sometimes, as |
look back and think Of her, | almost
wish that / had never known her, or
that she had never lived, but had
gone to Paradise when her mother
went. She had hard life of it,
poor child, and her story is full of
sorrow and bitterness. had little
stone cross placed over her grave
some time after her death, and at
the foot of it, if you brush away the
grass that grows there, you may see
herman carved out Mercy Gray"
and the words, "At Rest
The girl was only twelve yearsold
when she was obliged to leave me
and commence to keep house for her
father We had grown much better
off since the time when she first came
to live with us, and SO it was hard
thing for her now to live with her
old miser Of a father. He pinched
and ground her down into poverty
as much as the old mill ground down
the grain and corn. But still she
grew up as beautiful and sweet-tem-
pered q girl as if she had lived in
palace. Every one who knew her
could scarcely help loving Mercy
Gray.
It was when she was about seven
teen years old that | am going to
commence with her sad story. At
that time things were beginning to
look little bright for her, for she
had begun to experience the sweet
pleasure of loving and being loved.
She knew it would have to be long
time before she could become wife,
for her father held on to her as
though he were clutching a bag of
gold in his musty old vault. But
still, dare say, she and young Ar
thur Olden were quite happy in the
anticipation of future days, and
never knew of the darkness that was
going to fall around them in so short
a time. Nor how should / have