Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-01-10


Heaven preserve you," responded the
wife; and she turned with feelings half al
dread and half Of hope to the cottage door.
Just such a morning." muttersd an old
woman, who sat crouching In the chimney
corner-"just such q morning. bright as ibis
and black night followed the bright day
IA black, black night"
Now the saints save usr' exclaimed the
young woman; whoever heard Dame Ur-
sula talking away at such rate beforef As
sure as fate something unusual Will happen,
What is II you were saying, grand-dame,"
she added In louder tone, approaching the
thin, withered old hag who had crept slowly
toward the doorstep, and seating hersep
there commenced to humble and muttar
half indistinct words.
storm follows the sunshine-storms and
tempeEt and thick darkness"
The anxious wife followed and sat down
beside her.
''Is there any evil hanging over US: For
mercy sake. tell me II you know" she asked.
Evil, did say evil! l spoke Of the past,
not Of the future-I spoke Of the Gays Of
youth and hope and beauty"
Then, as her wandering memory gradu-
ally linked together the chain of bygone as
sociations, her countenance frightened and
she poured into the car Of her astonished
auditor the narrative Of events which had
taken place nearly century before, and
were generally forgotten-treasured only in
the heart of that desolate and decrepit old
creature.
Youth and beauty and love, said, and
you marveled at hearing such words from
my lips. no wonder, for many year has
passed since these things have been aught
70 me save idle dreams. But the time has
been when /, too, was young-loving and
loved-blessing and blessed. My brother,
your grandfather and myself were left, you
know, In early life as orphans in the hands
OF strangers, and although we had no claim
on them except that Of helplessness, ana
could only repay their kindness by our
complain Of harshness or ill-treatment
among our kind and simple people. was
older than my brother. and as l grew up
10 be tall. handsome lass, the young men
OF the village strove which could make
themselves most agreeable to the light
hearted and beautiful Ursula. I know It is
folly in me to talk so now. and you can
scarcely believe 1t, but eight years hence,
II you should live so long, yhur cheek may
be wrinkled and your eye bleared ike
mine, SO that your laughing boy will scarce
ly credit the tale Of your former beauty
Heaven forbid!'
"And IL net" resumed the crore, the
change may be far more fearful-but where
was I? Oh-a merry romping lass Oh 10,
ripe lips admired by all the village, but
above all the favored choice CT young Al
bert Wessenbery, the handsomest, noplest,
bravest being! / wish you could have seen
him, Mary, in all his pride Of vast strength
and perfection of manly beauty. Words
| cannot express the love with which loveo
him. A lifelong loneliness has proved II:
Well, as I told you. was his choice, ana
consequently the envy of all my acquaint-
| for nn nf ianVflR
Albert Wessenbery was the pride OF the
village. So powerful, so stately, sc de-
voted to me. Well, we'll, our wedding DAY
was fixed. and the bridemaids appointed.
A week before-yes, just seven days pefore
our wedding was to take place-l pade
farewell to Albert for a day only, De-
lieved. Just such a day as this II was
and perhaps that is the reason why the soit'
clear sunshine and the sweet sounds IN the
air have called up all these old memories so
freshly. He pressed me in his arms and
bade me farewell till evening.
II dreaded his going out TO work that
day, for there was dangerous duty to be
done; but he went In spite OF my entreat-
les, and from that hour to this have never
seen him return. / remember but dlmiy
what followed A stunning shock as II
an avalanche had overwhelmed me. Death
to him was worse than death to me. They
told me he had perished in the mine. /
know not whether they spoke truly. have
known nothing clearly since that time.
remember only that the light was removed
from my path, and that the blackness OF
madness gathered round me for awhile.
How long this lasted I know not. When
arose from my bed of sickness my heart
and my flesh failed me, and was as useless
and decrepid as if years had passed over
my head. Since that time have strug-
gled on through long life of darkness and
misery, dragging on useless and tedious
existence"
ooh, say not useless, my good friend;
have you not, while you had strength, given
to others the happiness which tate denied
to your
"My brother gave me home in his
chimney corner, and here have l lived
more years than can count, and for what!
God knows Perhaps l may yet live to see
Albert return. cannot fancy him altered
as I am. I cannot help longing to see
him once more as he was of old. vain
as the hope may seem to you, that nope
has been the only happiness have known
since he left me, the only hope. VI wnal
ether use am in the world? Why should
I live? What other use? what other hope?'
So speaking and shaking her palsied head
she relapsed into her former half-conscious
state, occasionally muttering words to
which her young companion listened with
strained attention, but she could hear nc
more, neither did she succeed in again
rousing the old woman from her apathy.
The artist sauntered idly onward until
he reached the mines. Here finding that the
reflection Of the noon-tide brilliancy from
the crystals was painful to the eyes, he de-
scended into one of the deepest excavations
where be found his acquaintance or the
morning and a fellow laborer at work
The days work was a heavy one, for they
were opening a communication between the
mines, and in heaving up the massive rocks
there was great danger of being buriee
alive beneath their crumbling weight. Sucr
tthings had often happened.
Here is a mass which requires more
strength than we can furnish" said Philip
and he shouted for help.
The desired assistance arrived, and aftel
| an hours severe labor, the huge rock wal
heaved upward. This removal disclosed
solid stratum Of the salt for which they Wer'
toling; but the attainment of the object
their labor called forth no expression o
pleasure from the beholders, for the atten
tion Of every one was riveted upon strang
and unlocked for apparition.
Extended upon this singular couch lay thu
form Of young man, apparently not NOR
than 20 years of age; his limbs were ex
ouisiteIy nodded, and he looked as II bu
yesterday he had been hushed in the deel
sleep of death. 1t was eWdent 10 t1e mlnu
Of sll that many years must have elapsed
since the being they had thus disinterre'
had been overwhelmed with destruction II
attempting to move that massive weight
for many years had passed since that por
tion Of the mine had been worked upon. Blu
was his destruction instantaneous? or di'
he linger on, day after day, in vain hop
for the help that came not? How long hal
that crystallized rock been his mausoleum
Who was he? Where were his kindred?
Here was a wide field for conjecture. Coul,
no one remember that form, which nigh
have passed for sculptured image Of An
tInous? But stranger than all this, the bod.
seemed utterly untouched by the hand 0
) time. The very pliability Of the flesh re
NAMED Destruction had passed harmlessl
by that glorious form, and decomposition
had not come near 1t. There he lay-he
whose existence none could remember, life
IfIIlra opd Observation-Disclosures a q n ware II