Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-07-22

| AIu III C4G huCU NnCAO nc WIS u 49,
We had, however, q visit from Barbara.
She came, she said, not ont CT any love 70
me or my mother, who had used words 30
Injurious AS regards herself, but to express
her abhorrsnce OF the crime which her I'M
happy brother had attempted, n her
thankfulness that this madness OF his wac
defeated. she said that She knew nothing
whatever of him; where he was or what ne
was doing; but she hoped that when ne re-
turned he would be ia q better frame OF
mind, and feel the remcrse which ought to
follow suehan action. AS for the pretended
marriage with the old woman, she sand
that was q thing not ~ be considered
seriously. My mother received her excuses
coldly, and she presently went away, after
another attempt to discover whether l
knew q ythipg fresh about "the boy"
She desired to know, she said, not out OF
curiosity, because she was not \ curious
person, as everybody knew, but because
she feared that / might, by representing
the late affair in its worst light, bring
about a hostile feeling and even q conflict
bstween her brother aud the boy, which
could moi fail of being disastrous to tie
latter. My mother reassnred her on this
point, because, she said, Mathew was al
ready we'll acquainted with Ralph's cane,
and having shown so much bravery In the
late affair, which took two men to carry on
one woman, would now most certainly
have the courage TO turn a submissive back
to the c5sstiser when he should appear.
Barbara thereupon went away. Though l
loved her not, / could not but feel pity for
a woman who had done and suffered SO
much on behalf of this thankless brother.
She was grown much older to look at dur
ing the last year or two; her face was
pinchsd, and wrinkles had multiplied
round her eyes with her constant cares.
This is an age when gentlemen Of exalted
rank think it no sin to be put to bed help
less after q debsuch of wine or punch; l
hope that more sober customs may shortly
prevail, else one knows not what will be-
come of US all. Yet, though drunkenness
is in fashion, / think nothing can be more
miserable fora 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 another room,
which is what Mathew did. As to the idle
talk about the other will and tine rightful
heir, / ! know not what she believed In her
heart, or how far she Joined 10 the wicked
designs of her brother, which were about
to be frustrated.
Then Mr.. Carnsby, accompanied by his
lady and by the vicar, came in person 70
express his horror of the crime and his
satisfaction that it was p~rovidentialiy pre-
vented.
1--WE 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,
Matthew's wife, so that if such be yeritably
the case she cannot give evidence in the
matter at all, and that of tine boy Cuddy,
an ignorant, half wild lad, who knows not
the nature OF an oath. Abduction IS q
great crime; but then Mathew, whatever
were his intentions, my child, did actually
only run away with an old woman, and
abe makes no complaint, but rather re-
ioices, while he is rendered ridiculous. To
kidnap a young girl is a 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 i'm
possible"
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 certain
of sharp and speedy justice if ne made an
other such attempt.
"Can We not see him, at least" asked
my mother. placed in pillory?"
II would place him in pillory," his
worship went on, "if the old woman who
$3.50. Ill. Lnw,o1g L., ,r,FA 6aaN.a, 1nnua
with what right-would lodgea complaint.
But she will not, He deserves pillory al
the least. And SIS for the rotten eggs, !
would myself bring even O basket OF new
laid eggs, so that ne should want for
nothing And / would condescend to
throw them. But she will not complain.
She even laughs and boasts that she has
gotten a young husband. And then,
which is 8 difficult point In this doubtful
case'--his worship blushed aud looked
confused, while the vicar hemmed, and
Mistress Carnaby coughed-''he was run
ming a venture across the border, and no
one knows-I ssy that 10 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 skillsd-more skilled,
l say"
mo one," said tina vicar, which ON
pleted the sentence for his worship.
Wherefore, my dear girl" continued
his worship, Il propose waiting until the
with such severity as will serve to deter
him-and any Others of a like mind with
himselfAfrom a renewal of his wicked
ness."
Mathew did come back, three weeks
later; but although his worship e the
fngleman, carrying his pike, to the mill
with o command that Mathew should TO-
stantly repair to him far admOnition, and
although the vicar also repaired 10 Mr..
Caruaby's house in his best gOwu in order
to receive the offender, and to give greater
authority to the discipline, Mathew came
not. He positively aud discourteously re-
fused to obey.
There, it would seem, was q direct break
ing of the law, or, at least, contempt tor
authority, upon which imprisonment, l
dare say, might have followed. But,
whether from leniency, or on account OF
that difficulty connected with the late
ventur, his worship refrsined from severity,
and ordered instead that Mathew, for
violence and contumacy, should do penance
in the church. Here, indeed, was righteous
retribution! He would stand, l thought,
in the very place where be 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. l hope l
am not q yindietiya woman. vet confess
that 1 rejoiced on learning from the fugle-
man that this punishment had been metsd
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 had 1T direct from his
worship, that this cody discipline was to
be enforced On the person of Mathew
Humble-a substantial man, q statesman,
q miller, a man supposed but enormously
to be wealthy and a man already "a years
of age or ~thereabouts. Why, for q school
boy or a lad OF Is or a plain rustic to stand
up in his 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 I for one looked
forward with pleasure to the spectacle.