The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-03-09
TIE WIDOWS DAUGHTER.

TIE WIDOWS DAUGHTER.
I. was towards the close Of the month
OF May The weather was bright and
salld-ono o. those days which, from
their clear delicious freshness. give add
od buoyancy to the step, strength and
elasticity to the spirit-when the boon of
mere existence is felt as . ioy and
blessing, and the heart, forgetting the
shadows which past grief or impending
calamity fling over II, breathes unmixe6
aspirations OF praise and THANKSGIVING
10 the Author of all good How ap,
proprIate, then, was 3 day Ike this for
mo long projected Jete at Moulton
Grange! What was IL Commemorative
OF? 1t was 10 mark the recovery from
long and dangerous illness of Neva. the
only chllt OF the proud and pompous
owner OF MoultOn Grange young still
feeble, aiiing girl of fifteen. The success
i've deaths OF Ave other children, the long
period which interviewed between the de-
mise OF the last OF these and birth of
little Neva, had aadc her 10 love her
parents an object, il might be said. Al
most OF idolatry. Such aiiluencc of love
was altered over her path. SO forced In
was she By the eager, watcliul care OF
parental affection from tho common
''s'tAAAAN' ". l'S4 A
despite vigilance exercised, disease struck
her down, and the glad laugh was ex-
changed for the low vail If anguish
the bright glance dimmed by the films
OF sickness, the appalled, parents started
a. from dream. What, then, was she.
the only and beloved whom they had so
cherished and csresSed, hurrying, liko
their other little ones, TO the dreary
grave7 There Was agony almos. 10 mad
ness in the thought. All that medical
.Gill could effect WAS rendered, al that
Ceasclsss unremlttlug attention accOmp-
lIsh, offered. Heaven was besought
with earnest supphcating importantly. to
spare their treasure; and Heaven listen
CT u their prayers -
Ncva was prouounce5 ont OF dau ycr:
c'nva.cScencs rapidly followed: and
when entire recovery was established
every friend on their visiting list WIS bid
10 share in the exuberant 10Y which
li.ied the whole household OF Mouton
Grange, from Its ImperiOus master to its
humblest retainer And was Ncya
worthy OF this love? In truth she was
In her sweet face, IN every molulation
Of the low, sweet voice; every movement
of the small rosy mouth told OF the
mind that dwclt within, OF the warmth
ami scnsibilIiy OF the heart beating in
her young bosom. Ii ever there was a
nature from which every taint of selfish
nUsS-that prisoner and Corrupter of
human motives and actions-was ban
ISAed, II ever one utterly exempt from
that cold, circulating worldly wisdom
which, lettering the noblcr and more
generous impulses, shapes each deed IN
accordance only with hard systematic
policy, 1t was that OF Neya Moulton
sensitive, truthful, with the ready tear
for any suffering, the open hand for
every distress, the radiant smile fo-
others Joy the keen sympathy for hu-
1anIty IN all Its varied aspects, from her
parents, to her the first objects in crea-
IIOl, down To the bird, dog and smallest
insect which crawled in her path, the
-ovrlncs, OF hcr nature VS. developed
md exhibited
The j,ss at Moulton Grange was in no
respects dissimiiar to the thousands thar
have gone before IL The appointments
where the outlay of money is the last
point considered, and over which exqui-
site taste prrsiles 10 direct and design,
could scarcely fail to be good. Under
the suPerIntcndence .of Mrs. Moulton
they were perfect. ON tbs occasion,
when her heart vas filed with rapture
and thankfuluess, there was q peculiar
pleasure IN taSklng ingenu ty TO its eI-
Ircmest limit IN manifestIny by every
outward symbol of splcndor and gaiety,
the feelings which possessed her. The
result WAS quite satisfactory even to her
fastidiouS eyes, and those OF the five hun
drrd guests, partakers OF the festiYity
Eut time still leaps ouwards to eternity.
Whether the hours be chroniclei by tho
dial OF Joy or despair, unnOtIced, or bit
terly, weariiy counted, pass they must
The frts ended amidst bonGres blazing.
music, and fireworks. The guests re-
tired 20 their respective homes; come
with heartachcs, which the next morn
3n% sun should chase away; Others If
may be, with Impressions OF q deeper,
perhaps indelibla, character. AS il to
mock at the Instability OF al human
pleasure, and show to the proud and ex-
ult.ng how slender ID the barrier which
divides happiness from misery, and that
IN the midst OF life we arc in DEATH"
when the next sun shone upon Moultoa
Grange it dawned upon a heap of smok-
ing ruins Whether the fire which, in
n few short hours, laid the stately homo
an dust and ashes, was the result OF care
iessness or the work OF an incendiary,
was never clearly demonstrated. De-
siruction, total and complete, was the
consequence. Whilst every inmate was
buried in slumber, overcome by the ia
tigucs of the proceeding night, they were
reused to consciousness by the fearful
announcement that portion OF the
house was IN flames
= a young man, on q NlSlt 10 the rector
of the village, VINO had risen early in
order to reach the early train, was the
first person who gave 10 the Mortified in
habitants announcement OF the peril sur
rounding them. The wind, which
bowledi in terrific gusts, assisted the
work OF devastation, and they had barely
time to escape with their lives, ere tho
noble mansion was blazing in every part.
And Neva, where was she ? The be-
loved, might in a few moments have
been a blackened corpse, but for the
heroic exertions OF Henry Vale the
young man before alluded to- who, on
hearing that she was yet in the house,
only waited TO ascertain he situation OF
her chamber, and regardless OF the
flames, rushed to where the child lay
.ifeless, snatched her in his arms, and
succeeded, despite the imminent peril
which threatened both, in placing her,
unharmed, unscathed in her mothers
arms
Time would not permit the intrepid
Henry Vale to wait to receive the fervent
blessings poured on his head; he had
only moment to spare, and, ere Neva
had unclosed her eyes to consciousness
he was again on his route.
Moulton Grange, then, existed no lon
Ger, and IL was the commencement OF a
train OF successive casualties and evils,
which ultimately plunged the family in
sorrow, poverty, and ruin. \ few days
only subsequent TO the contagTation OF