Year: 1859




back on the soft hay; her child slept, too
and all her troubles faded away in heavy
unconsciousness, till she was again ava
kened by her husbands grasp, to fine
that dawn was gathering it's light roseate
feeces in the east, and that their flight
was for the present stayed at the door o1
a tavern, lonely and rude enough, but
welcome to Hittty as place of rest, il
only for moment. The sullen mistress
of the house asked no questions and of
fered no courtesy, but, after her guests
had eaten their breakfasts, rapidly pre-
pared, she led the way to a bedroom in
the loft, where Abner Dimock flung him.
self down upon the straw bed and fell
sound asleep, leaving Hitty to the undis.
turbed care Of her child. And occupa.
ton enough that proved; for the little
fellow was fretful and excited, so that nc
hour for thought was left to his anxious
and timid mother till the dinner-bel]
awoke her husband and took him down.
stairs. She could not eat, but, begging
some milk for her boy, tended, and fed
and sung to him, till he slept; and then
all the horrors of the present and future
thronged upon her, till her heart seemed
to die in her breast, and her limbs failed
to support her when she would have
dragged herself out Of doors for one
breath of fresh air, one refreshing look at
a world untroubled and serene.


So the afternoon crept away, and as
soon as night drew on the journey was
resumed. But this night was chill with
the breath of a sobbing east wind, and
the dim stars foreboded rain. Hitty shiv-
cred with bitter cold, and the boy began
to cry. With fierce curse Abner bade
her stop his disturbance, and again the
poor mother had hands and heart full to
silence the still recurring sobs of the
child. At last, after the midnight cocks
had ceased to send their challenges from
farm to farm, after some remote church
clocks had changed one stroke on the
damp wind, they began to pass through
a large village; the lights burned in the
windows, but white fences cleaned
through the darkness, and sharp gable
ends loomed up against the dull sky, one
after another, and the horses hoofs flash
ed sparks from the paved streets before
the church, that showed it's white spire,
spectre-lke, directly in their path. Here
by some evil chance, the child awoke,
and, between cold and hunger and fear,
began one of those long and loud shrieks
that no power can stop this side of stran-
gulation. In vain Hitty kissed and coax
ed, and halfcboked her boy, in hope to
stop the uproar; still he screamed more
and more loudly. Abner turned round
on his seat with an oath, snatched the
child from its mothers arms, and rolled
it closely in the blanket.


"Hold on minute, Bent" said he to
his companion; :this yelp must be stop
ped;" and stepping over to the back of
the wagon he grasped the wife tightly
with one arm an with the other he drop
ped his child into the street. ''Now
drive, Ben," said he, in the same hoarse
whisper,-"drive like the Devil!"
as her child fell, Hitty shrieked with such
a cry as only the heart of mother could
send out over newly-murdered infant.
Shrek on shrek fast and loud and long,
broke the slumbers of the village; moth
ing Abner could do, neither threat nor
force, short of absolute murder, would
avail,-and there was to much real estate
remaining of the Hyde property for Alb
ner Dimock to spare his wife yet. Ben
drove 6end-fashion; but before they pass
ed the last house in the village, lights
were glancing and windows grating as
they were opened. Years after, I heard
the story of such midnight cry borne
past sleeping houses with the quick rat
tie of wheels; but no one who heard it
could give the right clue to its explana-
ton, and it dried into legend. ~.


T ~