Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-12-20

have the courage to turn q submissive
back to the chastiser when no should APP
pear Barbara thereupon went away.
| Though loved her not. could not but
| feel pity for woman who had done and
suffered so much on behalf Of this thank
less brother She was grown much older
TO look at during the last year or two; her
face was pinched. and wrinkles had null
cares. This Is an age when gentlemen Of
exalted rank think it no sin to be put to
bed helpless after debauch Of wine or
punch; hope that more sober customs
may shortly prevail else one knows not
| what will become Of US all Yet, though
drunkenness Is in fashion. / think nothing
| can be more miserable for a woman than
to sit. as Barbara sat daily. knowing that
the only man in the world she cared for
is slowly getting drunk by himself In an
other room. which is what Mathew did.
| As to the idle talk about the other will
and the rightful heir. know not what
she believed in her heart. or how far she
| joined in the wicked designs Of her
brother. which were about TO DO frus-
| trated.
Then Mr.. Carnaby. accompanied by his
lady and by the vicar. came In person to
express his horror of the crime and his
satisfaction that it was providentially pre-
vented
I'VE have discussed" said his worship,
''the action which we should take In the
matter At present all we have to go
upon is the evidence of Nan. who Is. she
says, Mathews wife. so that II such be
vertically the case she cannot give evil
dence in the matter at all, and that of the
boy Cuddy. an ignorant. half wild lad,
who knows not the nature OF an oath.
Abduction is great crime. but then
Mathew. whatever were his Intentions,
my child. did actually only run away with
an old woman. and she makes no COM
plant. but rather rejoIces. while he is
rendered ridiculous. To kidnap a young
girl is hanging matter; but then, my
dear, you were not kidnapped. In short,
we feel that to bring Mathew to justice
would be difficult and perhaps impossible.
To be sure. one would not wish to hang
any man for the worst of crimes. and we
had no desire TO bring Mathew before any
court of law or justice. being quite con-
tented that the offender should feel GER
tain of sharp and speedy justice II he
made another such attempt.
''Can we not see him. at least. asked
my mother, placed In pilloryi"
IL would place him In pillory." his
| A L.. \ u
now calls herself his wife--heaven knows
with what right-would lodge a COM
plant. But she will not. He deserves
pillory at the least. And az for the rotten
eggs. would myself bring even basket
of new laid eggs. go that be should want
for nothing And would condescend to
throw them. But she will not complain
She even laughs and boasts that she has
gotten young husband And then,
which is a difficult point in this doubtful
case"-his worship blushed and looked
confused, while the vicar hemmed. and
Mistress Carnaby coughed-"he was run
ming venture across the border. and no
one knows--I say that no one can tell
who may be compromised in this affair as
to what he took across or what he brought
back. for though Mathew hath great
faults, there is no one more skilled-nore
skilled. say" =
mo one, said the vicar, which com
pleted the sentence for his worship.
Wherefore, my dear girl, continued
his worship. 81 propose waiting until the
man returns. when will reprimand. him
with such severity as will serve to deter
him-and any others of like mind with
himself-from renewal Of his wicked
ness"
Mathew did come back, three weeks
later; but although his worship sent the
fugleman, carrying his pike. to the mill
with a command that Mathew should in
stantly repair to him far admonition, and
although the vicar also repaired to Mr.
Carnaby's house in his best gown in order
to receive the offender, and to give greater
authority to the discipline. Mathew came
not. He positively and discourteously
refused to obey.
There, 1t would seem. was direct break
Ing of the law. or, at least. contempt for au-
thority. upon which Imprisonment. dare
say, might have followed But, whether
from leniency. or on account Of that
difficulty connected with the late venture
his worship refrained from severity, and
ordered instead that Mathew, for violence
and contumacy, should do penance In the
church. Here. indeed. was righteous retri
butionI He would stand, | thought. in
the very place where he had caused Ralph
to stand nine years before; he would be
made to rise up before all the people, and
in loud voice TO ask their pardon, and to
recite the Lords prayer hope am not
a vindictive woman. yet confess that ]
rejoiced on learning from the fugleman
that this punishment had been melted out
to the evil doer, We both rejoiced. and
we congratulated each other. because we
thought that Ralph would also rejoice
Little did we know of that great and lofty
mind when we foolishly imagined that he
would ever rejoice over the fall of his
enemy.
There was great excitement in the town
when it became publicly known by means
of the barber, who habit direct from his
worship. that this godly discipline was to
Humble-a substantial man, a statesman.
miller, man supposed (but errone
ously) to be wealthy and a man al
ready 81 years of age or thereabouts.
Why. fer schoolboy or lad of 10
or plain rustic to stand up In this white
sheet was joy enough. but for such a
show of such a man this, If you please.
was rapture indeed for the simple people
| confess that ] for one looked forward
with pleasure to the spectacle.
AlasI who would believe that man could
be found so daring? Mathew refused
contumaciously to perform the penancel
This was great blow and heavy disap-
pointment to all of US; and we looked to
see the vicar excommunicate him. But
he did not. saying that disobedience to the
church brought of itself excommunica-
ton without need of any form of words.
Let Mathew look to his own soul. And
as there seemed no means of enforc
ing the punishment If the offender re
fused to undergo 1t, there was nothing
more to be said.
The behavior of Nan at this time was
worthy of admiration. On Mathews re-
turn. but not until then. she walked to
the mill and informed Barbara that, as
her brothers wife. she was herself the
mistress. but that. being accustomed to
her own cottage. she should not for the
present modest her in her occupation.