It OJLLAR PER ANNUM INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA:
ttjnrdas tf lormn S. September ID, 1837.
jstltdcb Ihetrg.
NIGHT.
BT W. LONGFK.LOW.
■wje U done, and the darkness
' Fail* from the wm;s of ght.
As 4 :#tber is wafted downward
From an eagle in its flight.
I see the lights or the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist.
And a feeling of sadness comes oe'er me,
That my heart cannot rasist.
A feeling of sadness and lougiag
That is not akin to pain.
Bet resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles rain.
Come, read to me some poem.
Some simple and heartfelt lay.
That shall soothe this restless feekng.
And banish the the thoughts of Jay.
Not from the grand old masters.
Not from the bards sublime.
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of time.
For like strains of martial music.
Their m.gbty thoughts suggest
Lie's endless toil and endeavor ;
And to-night I long for rest.
Eead from some humble p-*t,
Whose sngs gush from his heart.
A* >howers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start.
Who through long days of labor,
And night* devoid of ease,
St.ll heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.
S-'h ongs have power to quiet
The restle-a pulse of care
And c me iike becedictioa
That :.11ohs after prayer.
Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of my choice.
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.
And the nights shall be filled with music,
And cares that infest the day
S'aa.l fold their tents like the Arabs.
And silently steai away.
,511 f 1111) <L aI c.
THE COUXTER-STUOKE.
Jast after breakfast one fine spring morning
in 1131, ar. advertisement in the Times for a
-curate caught and fixed aay attention. The
-ulsrywas suffiiently remunerative for a Wach
tioc ar.J the parisli, as I person illy knew, one
of the mis; pleasantly situated in all Somerset
's re 11 av mg said that, the reader will readi
r u Jerstaud that it could iiave beeu a hund
rci u T.iunton. I instantly wrote lacios
jtestimonials, with whi.-h tbe Rev. Mr.
T: i-v the rector, was so entirely vti'tied,
that t.,r return-post brought me : pot ve
g.iCruueiogged witu tile slightest objee
to* to oae or two subsidiary ileitis 1 aud >t;p-
L'.'.ed for. and accoinpani.-d by au invitation
to nixie the rectory my hone tiil I could con
vrent'v su t myself cS-ewberc T: - w s
both g.mi and handsome : and the next day
!but o:e I 'ook coach, with a lijiit heart, lor
itay 3f* destination. It thus happened taai I
Ci.i ae aeqaa.nted. and iu some degree mixed
c? *i*h the train of events it is my present
p:*p~se to relate.
Tt;e reel or I found to be a stout, port Ji
gs:::.saan. whose years already reached be
'.'ten sixty and seveaty. So uiany waiters.
* :..o.uh taey had plentifully besprinkled his
U.r *ia grey, shone out with nidriy bright
ness a hi- still handsome face. and kceu. kind
iy bright hazel eyes: and his voice, hearty
*ai r.tigiag, had not as yet one quaver of age
n : I uiet him at breakfast on the morning
i-'tcr my arrival, and his reception of me was
sost friendly. \\ e had -pokeo together but
for a few cunntes. when oue of the French
r.sdows, that ied from the breakfast room ia
to a si rubbery and do wen-garden, gently ojwn
d *r i adm.tted a lady, just then, as i niter
*£rd iearned. in her nineteenth spring. 1
tae term almost unconsciously, tor 1 can
pot even uow, ia the glowing summer of her
l'*, dissociate her image from that season of
" •its and joyousness She was introduced to
i*. *it. oid fashioned s mpltcity, as "iny grand
-visiter. Agnes Town ley." it is dttiiciiit to
Uoos n beauty ti rou.h other men's eyes.
I* - i m the present instance 1 feel that f sbvuki
!-. n serahie ia the endeavor to stamp niwxi
t s ;>a- a, dead paper, any adequate idea of
t'r f.-jsa ioveUnea*. tae rosebud beauty of that
g g ri. 1 merely sv. that her perfectly
|b"o.taa head, wrea* ed with wavy hiwje.iwa
' c fg i r . hair, undulated with eohien hght
T - gly b'oujht to my torn i R ipJ;e*'s baio
: '>ed wrrauures of the Virgin—with uns
c -e'ewee, laai ia (.dace of tbe hoiy eaua woo
of the painting, there was in Ag-
I ** Toau.ey & sparkling youth a id life, that
t: -5 iranist the beat and giare of a crowded
1 " •as or of a Un-atre, irresistabiy soggested
•*- reca.ted the freshness and jieriutue of the
Qc *"- -g—of a cloud teas, rosy morning of May.
far higher charm than lent u re-beanty.
. s sweetness of dispositi jo, i
V* 4 f*Miea**of raimi and letups, was evi
ia every iioe of her face, hi every ac
v**'- of the low-fatcbed. silver voice. that
thniagh hps made only to smile.
Let a* era. that I was geatiy struck by
40 f'fciarkaliie a combination of rare endow
, and this, 1 thins, tbe suarp-eyed rec
y* oust have perceived. or he ought not per ha j-
immediately communicative with
rti pfr-l to the prospects of his wioi ned gratnF
vy-d as ae was toe moment the young lady.
*****•" pressing at tae breaafast-taoie, had
•ithdraww.
xv * thai! have gay do ags. Mr. Trrrel. at
7* ***** shortly.- he said Next Mowdav
-r** *-A, ■• r Gil. 1-e
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
Agnes Townlev's wedding-day."
" Weddiug-day 1"
" kes," rejoined the rector, taming towards
and exainiuiug some flowers which Miss Tow u
ley had brought in and placed ou the table.
"Ves, it has been for souie time settled that
Agues shall on that day be united iu holy
wedlock to Mr. Arbothuot."
t" Mr Arbuthnot of Elm Park ?"
" A great match, is it not, iu a worldly poiut
of view?" replied Mr. Tovvuley, with a pleas
ant smile at the toue of my exclamatiou.—
"Aud much belter thau that : Robert Arbuth
not is a young mau of high aud noble nature,
as well as devotedly attached to Agues. He
will, I doubt not, prove iu every respect a
husband deserving aud worthy of her; aud
that from the hps of a doting old graudpapa
must be esteemed high praise. You will see
him presently."
I did see him often, and quite agreed in the
rector's estimate of his future gramtsou-in-law.
I have not frequently seen a tiuer looking
youug man—his age was twenty-six ; aud cer
tuiuiy oue of a more buuorable and kindly
spirit, of a more genial temper thau he, has
never coiue within observation. He had
drawn a great prize in the matrimonial lot
tery, and 1 telt, deserved his high fortune.
They were married at the time agreed upon,
and ihe day was kept not only at Elm'a Park,
and its ueighoorKuoU, but througtiout "our"
parish, as a general holiday. And, strangely
enough —at least 1 never met with another in
stance ol tne kind — In id by our entire
leiiiaic cuiuiuuu.ty. high as well as low, that
the match was perfectly equai one. notwith
standing the wealth and high wordly posit.on
were entirely ou the bridegroom's sulc. In
fact, that nobody ie.v> iu the social scale than
the representative of an old territorial family
ought, iu the nature of things, to have aspired
to the hands of Agues Tovvuley, appeared to
have beeu a foregone conclusion with every
body Tliis will give the reader a truer aud
more vivid impression of the bride, thau any
words or colors I might u<e.
The days, weeks, months of wedded life,
flew over Mr. and Mrs. Arbulluiot without a
cloud, -ave a few dark hut transitory ones
which I saw now and then flit over the hus
band's countenance a the time when lie should
become a father drew near, and came to be
more and more spoken of " I should not sur
vive her," said Mr. Arbuthnot, one day in re
ply to a chance observation of the rector's,
"nor indeed desire todo so." The grey headed
man seized and wanuiy pressed 'ln husband's
hand, and tears of .-sympathy ;i . i 1 s eyi* ;
yet d.d he, nevertheless. a.- tu duty l*>u;d,
utter grave words on the siufnhnss o. despair
under any circumstances, and the duty, in all
trials, however heavy, of patient *ub:ui*-iou
to the will ot God. But the venerable gentle
man spoke in a hoarse aud broken voice, it was
easy to see he felt with Mr. Ar'uthuot that
the reality of an event, the are } o> o.lii v of
wiiich shook them so terribly, were a cross
too heavy for huti.au sireugth to mar and
live.
It was of cours- d'-cid.ed "hot the expecte i
heir or heiress .Id 1 e eutrus d to u we -
nurse and a Mr- Dauby, tire w ft of a not;
living nut v iy fu: fcm the rectory, n n e. -
d for hat pur|ose. limdfrequ ulv HCI
t vt a.au ; und her n one, as the recto
an I w.. o.e evening gcssij ing • -. -,.r •, .
> some subject or other that I forgot cam
u '
"A .ik-iy person, v I . ark d ; "neaiihy.
very good looking, and on- n.g .t oatn
a tru-heartt-d creature But tinre .> vviinai
a timidity, a frightenedness in her manner a:
times which if 1 may hazard a perhaps unchar
itable conjecture. speaks i..fortria; smart .ij.--
band of hers."
" Yon have hit the mark precisely, my dear
sir. Danby is a sorry t'eliw, and a douiesl >.
tyrant to boot, llts wife, who is ready a
good, but metk-hcarteti person, lived witii u
ouce How old do you suppose her to be
" Five-and-tweuty jierhaps."
"Six years more than that. She has i son
of the name of II irjrer by a fdiiuer marriage,
who WiiS iu his tenth year. Aune wasn't a
widow long. Dauby was caught by her g.*wi
look-:. and -!e by the boit of a we : l provided
home. Unless, however, her husband give*
up hi? corn specula rious. she will not, I think,
have thai much longer '
" Com speculations! Sorely Dauby has
00 rae ns adequate to indulgence iu such a
game as that r *
" Not he. But about two year? ago he
• vrght. on credit. I believe a considerable i
quantity of wheat, and }<rioes happening to fly
-widen I v up just then, he made a large profit
This has quite turned his head, which, bv the 1
bv. was never, h Cockneys says - quit." right
ly screwed on."
The announcement of a vidtor
•joyih'tig further the rector m goi have to s- v.
and afterwards went Ikmo*'
A <ad accident occurred atoat a m-snth '
suweiiient to the foregoing conversation
Tiie rect r was cut riding ui>on a usually quiet ;
fi rse. which ail at •mo' toolkit into its h-a-1 to
-dy at a searecrvw. it ißast have *ea a
of times, wihl tberel-y threw its rider
Help was fortunately .it hand. ate - , the rev
erawd gentleman was instantly conveyed home,
when it was f>un i that h.s left th ; gh was br>>
ken Thanks, however, to his teni|<erate hale
its,it was before long authoritively pr>r.oac
e*l that, altb ogh it would be a considerable
t.rne b-f vre he was released from confi.iement.
it was not probable that the lusty winter of
hU life would be >horte.*d by what had hap
pened Uufortnratcly. the accisient thre.ite--
cd to have er;! consequences iu amXher quar
ter. Immediately af-ter is (vcun-ed. one Ma
thews. a busy, thn k-headed lout of a butcher,
rode furiousty off to Rbrs Park with the news.
Mrs. Arouthuot. who dady looked to be coo
• ui. was wuikdi* with her basbaud ujiou the
1 awn ID front of trie i*>ose. when toe great boriy
biock oead rode up. aai binrted ooi that the
rector had been thrown frvm bis horse and it
was leaned hilled P
Tbe shock of sacfa an announcement was of
course overwhelming. A few hoars afxerwnrds
Mr ArbotbrN ?*■*• I" rib to t beii'by tna'e
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY. PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
child, but the young mother's life, assailed by
fever, was for many days utterly disposed of—
for weeks held to tremble so evenly in the bal
ance, that the slightest adverse circumstance
might turn the scale deathwards. At length
the black horizon that seemed to encompass us
so hopelessly, and and afforded the lover-hus
band a glimpse and hope of his vanished and
weli-uigh despaired of Eden. The promise
was fulfiilled. I was in the library with Mr.
Arbuthnot awaitiug the physician's morning
report, very anxiously expected at the recovery,
wbeu Dr. Lindley entered the apartment in
an evidently cheerful mood.
" \ou have beeu causelessly alarmed," he
said "There is no fear whateveijof a relapse.
Weakness only remains, and that we shall
slowly, perhaps, but certainly remove."
A gleam of lightening seemed to flash over
Mr. Arbuthnot'* countenance. "Blessed be
God 1" he exclaimed. "And how," he added,
"shall we manage respecting the child? She
asks for it incessantly."
Mr. Arbuthnot's infant son , I should state,
had been consigned immediately after its birth
to the eare of Mrs. Danby, wiio had herself
been confined, also with a boy, about a fort
night previously. Scarlatina being prevalent
in the neighborhood, Mrs Danby was hurried
away with the two children to a place near
Bath, almost before she was able to bear the
journey. Mr. Arbuthnot had not left his wife
for an hour, and consequently had only seen
his child for a few minutes just after it was
born.
" With respect to the child,*' replied Dr.
Liiidiev, "I am of opioioa that Mrs. Arbuth
not may see it in a day or two. Say the third
day from this, if all goes well. I think we
may venture so far ; but I will be present, for
any untoward agitation might be perhaps in
stantly fatal."
Tins point provisionally settled, we all three
went our several ways ; I to cheer the still
suffering rector with the good news.
The next day but one, Arbuthnot was in
exuberant spirit* " Dr. Lindley's report is
even more favorable than we had anticipated,"
he said ; "and I start to-morrow morning, to
bring Mrs. Dauby and the child " The
postman's subdued but unmistakable knock in
terrupted him '"The nurse he added is very
punctual. She writes alucst every day." A
servant entered with a salver heaped with let
ter*. Mr Arbuthnot tossed them over eagerly,
and seiz ug one after glancing at the post mark
tone it eagerly open muttering a he did so :
" it is not the usual hand writing; bat from
her, no doubt."
" Merciful God !" I impulsively exclaimed,
as I suddenly lifted my eyes to hi*. " What is
the matter ?"
A mortal palor had sprea 1 ov-*r Mr. Ar
buthnot's before an mated feature*. a . i he *a>
glaring at the letter in his hat. J as i" a billa-k
had suddenly confronted him. Another mo
.nent, and the muscles of hi* frame appeared
to g.ve away suddenly, aud i.e dropjjed into
tip- eay chair from which he ha 1 arisen to
to take *ae letters. I was terribly alarmed,
rd iir*t loosening his nerkercheif, for he
- • ed choking, I said ; " Let tue call some
lie aud I turned to reach the bell, when
e i ;>ta::*jy v.z- d my ariu*. a d held me w.tii
a grip of iron. " No—no—no— ! lie ho-arse
y gasped : water—wat. r!" Tiiere was for
nat-ly some on a side table. I handed it to
in, ami he drank eagerly. It appeared to
ri-v . • iiau a little. lie ti.rust the crumpled
.ettcr a.to his jevket, and said in a low, quick
whssjKT. " There is some one coming ! Not
a word, remember—not a won! !" At the
vi ne t..ue he wheeled his chair half round, so
that his back should be towards the servant
j we heard approaching.
I am *eut sir," said Mrs. Arbctbnot'*
maid. " to a-k if the po>t has arrived "
( 1 Yes." replied Mr. Arbuthnot. with won
derful mastery of his voice. "Ted your m.s.--
tr.ss I sliall le with her a!:uo*t immediate iy
and that her—ber son is quite well. '
S " Mr Tyrrel," he combined, a* *oon a* the
*ervant out of bearing. " there is 1 think,
a liq teur -land ou the sideboard in t!ic diuii g
room Would you have the kindes* to bring
it to me, ut.ob-rved—uiiud—that—cuobserv
j ed by any one T"
1 did as he requested : and the distant I
1 placed the liqueur frame before bits he sitzed
' the braa.iv caraie, aud drank with tierce ea-
gerness ,r For g.>':ie*s sake," 1 exeiaii'ged,
consider a liat you are about, Mr. Arbutb
not, yon will make yours-Jf ifl.-
•' No. no." be an-wertd. after finishing his
? draught. "It seemed scarcely stronger thau
' water. But I—l am better uow. it was a
pasm of the heart ; that's ai. The iciter'"
| added, after a lorg and painful paose. duri:.g
I which he "eyed me, I thought, with a kind of
suspicion—tbe letter, you saw rat ciien just
i now.comes from a relative, an aunt, wbo is
ill. vtry and wishes to see me iusUuilT.
I did understand, or at least I feared that
' I did tx> we' 1 T however, bowed acqn:e?ei:ce
and he presently rose from his chair, and strife
J alout the dtqvartment in great agitation, until
i his wife's l-edrootn bed rar.g. He t:;ea stop
}n.-d suddenly short, shook himself and lo>)kt J
aiis ous'y at tbe reflection of his au<i
vary ing countenance iu the magmtceu: chsoiocy
* Ido not, I tic.cii—or at east sha'.l not
• in a darkened ro-. ra—>dder. more out of his
sy—that is more agitated—than one might.
I t!n one must appear, after hearing of lie
dangerous illness of—of —an aunt ?"
•• Von look better, sir, than VOQ did awhile
since."
1 " Yes. yes mnrh better, much better
lam glad to hear yon say so. That was my
wife's beii. She is anxious, no doubt, to see
j aae."
He left the department ; was gone perhaps
ten minutes ; aud when he retarnud, wis a
thought less nervous than before. I rose to
go " Give my respects,"" be said, " to the good
rector ; ao<i as au espxial favor. 0 he added
with strong emphasis. " let ae ask of you not
to 3K-nt:OQ to a living soul that too saw me
" so ar manned as I was jnst cow ; that I s*ai
i lowed brandy. Jt m ! <J appear weak so
" REGARDLESS O* DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
I promised not to do so, and almost imme
diately left the house, very paiufuFl? affected
His sou was, I concluded, either dead or dy
ing, aud he was thus bewikleredlv easting about
for means of keeping the terrible, perhaps fa
tal tidings from his wife. I afterwards heard
that he left Elm Park in a postchaiae, about
two hours after I came away, anatfeuJm by
a single servant !
He was gone three clear days only, nt the
end of which he returned with Mrs. Danby
and—his son—in florid health, too, and one of
the finest babies of its age—about nine weeks
only—l had ever seen Thus vanished the
air-drawn Doubting Castle and Giant Despair
which I had so hastily conjured np . The
cause assigned by Mr. Arbuthnot for the agi
tatiou I had witnessed, was doubtless the true
one ; and yet, and the thought haunted me for
months, years afterwards, he opened only one
letter that morning, and had sent a message
to his wife that the child was well !
Mrs. Danby remained at the Park till the
little Robert was weaned, and was then dis
missed very munificently rewarded. Year af
ter year rolled away without briuging Mr.
and Mrs. Arbuthnot any additional little ones
and no one, therefore, could feel surprised at
the enthusiastic love of the delighted mother
for her handsome, nobly-promising boy. But
that which was did astonish me, though no one
else, for it seemed that I alone noticed it, was
a strauge defect of character which began to
develop itself in Mr Arbuthnot. He was pos
itively jealous of his wife's affection for their
own child I Many and many a time hare I re
marked, when he thought himself unobserved,
an expression of intense pain flash from his fine,
expressive eyes, at any more thau usually fer
vent manifestations of the yonng mother's
gushing love for her first aud only born ! It
was altogether a mystery to me, acd I as rnucb
as possible forbode to dwell upon '.he subject.
Nine years passed awav without bringing
any material change to the parties iuvolred in
this narrative, except those which time brings
ordinarily in his train. Young Robert Ar
burthnot wa? a healthy, tall, fine lookiug lad
of hi? age ; had hi? great-grandpapa, the rector
though not suffering under any actual physical
or mental infirmity, had reached a time of life
when the announcement that the golden bow!
is broken, or the sliver cord is 100-ed, may in
deed be quick and sudden, but scarcely unex
pected. Things had gone well. too. with the
nurse, Mrs. Danby, and h%r husband : well,
at lea>t, after a fashion. The speculative mil
ler must have made good use of the gift of his
wife for the care of little Arbuthnot, for he had
built a genteel bouse near the mil!, always
rode a valuable horse, kept, it was said, a cap
ita! table ; and all tuis, as it seemed, by his
h-ver speculations in corn and floor, for the
ordinary business of the mill was almost en
tirely ueglected. He had DO children of his
own, but lie had apparently taken, with much
cordial.ty. to his step-son. a tine lad, now about
■ ghteen years of age. This greatly grieved
the boy's m ither, who dreaded above all thir.g<
r h:t her son should contract the evil, dissolute
ha! its of iiis father-in-law. Latterly, she had
become extremely solicitous to procure the
lad a permanent situation abroad, and this
Mr. Arbuthnot had promised should be effect
ed at tiie earliest dpportuiiUy.
Thus !-lood afTa.rs on the 16th of October.
l?4b. Mr. Arbuthnot temporarily abseut
in Ireland, where he possessed large property
and was making |M?r?oiiul inquires as to the
extent of the pot at > rot, not ioug before an
uouueed. Tue morning's post had brought a
Setter to his wife, with the intelligence that he
should reach home that very evening ; and a
the rectory was on the direct road to 'Clin
Park, and her has >ani would be sure to pull
up there, Mrs. Arbuthnot came with her sou
t pa-- the afternoon there, and in some- sbgfit
de_ree anticipate her husband's arrival.
A!out three o'eiock. a cbiefHcrk of one of
Taunton lanks rode up in a gig to the recto
ry, and a-ked to ice the Rev. Mr Townly. on
piessiug aud impoitaut busines- He 'ii
u-her-d into the library, where the rector and
I were a*, the moment rather busily engaged.
Th- elrk s-iid he had been to Elm Park, but
not findii c ei'iier. Mr. Arbuthnot or h - lady
there. <e Lad thought that pernarn tbe Rev
Mr. Tcwnicj might be able to pronounce up
ou the genuineness of a cheque for £3OO. pur
porting to be drawn on the Taunton Bmk by
Mr. Arbuthnot. and which Papbv the miliar
had obtained cash for a* Bath. He further j
added, that the hank had refused payment.
and de-aiuvd the cheque, believing it to be '
a forgery.
•• A forgery !" exclaimed the redve. after!
merely glancing at tne document. " N> quo
ti'jn that it is. ami a very ciuirAly executed
one too. Besides, .Mr. Arbutbaot is not yet '
re'.ar- ed from Ireland "
Ti is tvnv sufficient -. and the '
with many apologies for hi .:tru- on. withdrew
and hastened back to Taunton We were
suli talking over th sad aJar, some
hour- had clasped -rnee the clerk's aepziture '
—iu fact, candles had been brought in. and j
we were every m'-ciehf expecting Mr Arbuth
r. <t—when the OUIKI of a h>r*e at a hasty ga'-'
iop was beard afiproaebing. and f-reseat iy ■
the pair aad haggard face of Dauby shot bv
the window at which the rector a r ..j mv-lf
were standing. The gate bell was rung al-'
iuo?t ireutediately afterwards. and but a brief'
interval passed before " Mr. Imnby" was an- ?
noonoed to be in waivag. The servant had
hardiy gaiaed the passage with le-Ve to show j
him :u. when the impatient vi-lcor rushed rude
ly into the room in a Mate of great, and it
seemed ai.gTT, excitement
•• Waal, s r. is the meaning of this ill-man
nered intrusion ? demanded the rector sternly.
" Yoa nave prouoonced the check I paid
away at Ba:L to be a forgery ; art I the' ?. .f
are. lam told already at my heeK Mr Ar-i
hetbnot. unfortunately. is cot at home and I
come, therefore, to seek shelter with yoa."
" Shelter with me. sir I" exclaimed the in
dignant rector, mov.ug, as he spoke, towards
the be ,; . " Out of xcj house yoa a-bal". go
this instant."
Tbe ft dw n'aced his bends oroo tbe raweis j
1 vo: fe-*;?rar". ergs t:r? f; Mf
bloodshot eyes keenly in his face.
" Don't I" said Dauby ; don't, for the sake
of yourself aud tonrs ! Dou't !1 warn you ;
or, if you like the phrase better, dou't for the
sake of me and mine.' 1
" Yours, fellow ! Your wife, whom you
have 90 long held in cruel bondage through
her fears for her son, has at la3t shaken off
that chain. James Harper sailed two days
ago from Portsmouth for Bomboy. I sent her
the news two hours since."
" Ha ! Is that indeed so ?" cried Danby
with an irrepressible start of alarm. " Why,
then But no matter : here luckily, come
Mrs. Arbuthnot and her son. All's right I
She will, I know, stand baii for me, and, if
need be, acknowledge the genuineness of her
husband's cheque."
The fellow's insolence was becoming unbear
able, and I was about to sieze and thrust him
forcibly from the apartment, when the sound
of wheels was heard ontside. " Hold ! one
moment," he cried, with fierce vehemence.
" That is probably the officers ; I must be
brief then, and to the purpose. Pray, madam
do not leave the room for your own sake ; as
for yon, young sir, I commaud you to retain !"
" What ! what does he mean ?" exclaimed
Mrs. Arbuthnot bewilderly, and at the atce
time clasping her son—who gazed cn Danby
with kindled eyes, aud au angry boyish defi
auce—tightly to her side. Did the man's
strange words give form aud significance to
dark, shadowy, indistinct doubt that had pre
viously haunted her at times ? I judged so.
The rector appeared similarily confused arid
shaken, and bad sunk nerveless und terrified
npon a sofa.
"You guess dimly, I see, at what I have to
say," resumed Danby, with a malignant sneer.
" We!!, hear it, then once for ail, and then,
if you will, give me up to the officers. Some
years ago, be continued, coldly and steadily
—" some years ago, a woman, a nurse, was
placed in charge cf two infant children, both
boys ; one of these was her own ; the other
was the son of rich, proud parents. The wo
man's husbaud was a guy, jolly fellow, W!K>
much preferred spending money to earning it,
and just then it happened that he was more
than usually bard up. One afternoon, on vis
iting his wifs, who he had removed to a dis
tance, he found that the rich man's child had
jickeued of the sma:!-pox, and that there was
no chance of it? recovery. A letter contain
ing the sad news was on the table, which he,
the husband, took the liberty to op-n and
read. After some reflection, sugge-ted by
what he had heard of the lady-mothers state
of mind, he recopied the letter, for the sake
of embodying iu it a certain suggestion
That letter was duly posted and the next
day bronght the rich man almost in a state of
distraction ; but his chief and mastering ter
ror was lest the mother cf the slrcttdr dead
infant should bear, in her then precarious state
of what had happened. The tidings, be was
sure, wouli kill her Seeing this, the cunning
husband of the uurse suggested that, for the
present, his—the cuouing oru's—child might
be taken to the lady as her own, and that the
truth could be revealed wheu she was strong
enough to bear it. The rich man fell into the
artful trap, and that which the husband of the
iiad speculated upon, caine to pass ev~i:
beyond his hopes The lady grew to idolize
her fancied child—sne has fortunately, bad no
other—and now. I think, it would really kill
her to part with him. The rich man could not
find it in his heart to deceive his wife—every
year it became more difficult, more impossible
to do so : and very geuerou-dy, 1 must say
has he pani in the purse for the forbearance
of the nur-c's husbaud. Well now, then, to
sum up ; the nurse was Mrs Dauby ; the rich
weak husband Mr. Arbuthuot ; the substitut
ed child, that hand>orae boy—sty ton ?'
| A wiid scream from Mrs. Arbaiiroot broke
the dread silence which had accompanied this
frightful revelation, echoed by an agonized
■ cry, half tenderness, half rage, from her hu 4 -
barvd, who hud entered the room unobserved,
and new dapped her pass.ocateiy in his arms.
1 Tue carriage wheeb we had heard were his.
■ It was long belore I could recall with calm
ness the tumult, terror, and couforiou of that
•one. >r. .Arbuthnot strove to bear his wife
' from the amrUneut. but she would not be forc
'ed away, and kept imploring with frenzied
vehemence that Robert—that her boy should
not be taken from her.
j " i have no wish to do so—far from it,"
said Dauby, w.th trieeful exultation. " Only
• folks must be reasonable. and not threaten
■ their friends with tbe hulks "
** Gitt him ai.ytbinr. anything hr,'<e j a
the unhappy lady. " O Robert ! IW.-ert !"
she added with a renewal burst 'Ji hvstere.-ai
1 gnVt. " how could you deceive me so r*
j " I have been imnisfod. A goes." be aaswer
■ ed. in i husky, broken v_iee, " for mv well in
tended bat cr.m'.Pii weakness ; cv*?elly punish
el by tbe consciousness that this
discovery mast one day or other be sorely
•made What do von want?"* he afte* - ewnile
added, w.th recovering firmcess. addressing
Datlnr,
' " The ackn-wledz mee.: of tbe little bit of
( papr ia d*pfctc, of course ; and say s ger;u
--• ine one to the same •mount.*'
Ye. Vrs " exct&iined Mrs Arbcthoot. tii!
■ widely soliblng. and ho 5!!:! g the terrified
I boy straii'tsg in her emorace e- if he feared
1 he r;rb* b w-?n. r i,p.-| fr>m her by force.
' ** Anvtbtne —ray him anything V
At th* moment. dmrrhHl rt> lock toward*
thede-or of he apartment. I saw that it was
partially opened, and that Danbc's wife was
listening tb-re What might that mean ?
Bo* what Of hopeful roeacibg iu a case
| could it have ?
" Be it so. tore." saH Arbuthnot soothing
ly. Daaby call to-morrow n tbe Park.—
• And now, begone at oece. r
'• I was tfaakiag," resumed the rasc*l, with
swelling audacity, " that we might as well at
the same time come to seine permaceat ar
raiigeaect apoa black at*d whit*. Bat never
raiad ; I can always pot tbe screw an ; ucieß
j indeed, yoo vret tired of the roowg gawtiensn,
: ia that case. I doab: not he will nrree a dgaifsl
tri sfr*'?r*e Ab it-c ' do
VOL- XVIII. ISTO. 14.
yon here
Begone.or I'll murderer you! Begor! do yoa
hear ?
Ilia wife had entered, and silently confront
ed him. " Your threat*, evil man" replied tha
woman quietly, " hare no terrors for me now.
My sou is beyond your reach. Oh, Mrs. Ar
buthnot," she added, turning towards and ad
dressing that lady, " believe not."
Her husband sprung at her with the bound of
a panther. " Silence ! Go home, or I'll
strangle'' His own utterance was ar
rested by the fierce grasp of Mr. Arbnthnot,
who seized him by the throat, and hurled him
to the farther end of the room. " Speak on,
woman ; and quick ! quick ! What have you
to say ?"'
" That your son, dearest lady," she answer
ed, throwing herself at Mrs. Arbothnot'f
feet, "is as truly your own child as ever sea
born of woman V
The shout of half-fearful triumph sems ev a
now as I write to ring in my ears ! I felt that
the woman's words were words of truth, but
1 touid not see distinctly ; the room whirled
around, and the lights danced before my eyee,
but I could hear through all the choking ecsta
ey of the mother, and the fury of the baffled
felon
" The letter," continued Mrs Danby,"
" which my husband found and opened. wou'd
have informed you, sir, of the swiftly ap
proaching death of my child, and that years
had betn carefnlly kept beyond the reach of
contagion. The letter yoa received was writ
ten without my knowledge or consent. True
it is that, terrified by my husband's threats,
and in some measure reconciled to the wicked
imposition by knowing that, after all, the right
chiid would be in its right place, I afterward?
lent myself to Dauby's evil purposes. But I
chiefly feared for ray son, whom I folly belie v
ed he would not have scrupled to make rtr
venge for my exposing his profitable fruud
I have sinned ; I can hardly hope to be for
given, but 1 have the sacred truth."
All this was uttered by the repentant wo
man, but at the time it WM almost wholly en
beard by those most interested in the state
ment. They only comprehended that they
were saved—that the chi!J was theirs ic the
very truth. Great, abundant, but, for the
moment, bewildering joy ! Mr. Arbuthnct
—his beaarifu! young wife—her owu true boy
how could she for a moment have denoted
tf at was h-r own true boy— yeu might br
read that thought through a!! her Tears quick
ly a- they fe!i —the ag'-O and haif-stcnccd
rector, whi!t y c t Mrs. Dauby r -'i" vpeakiap.
were exclaiming, sobbing ii. each other'a arc*
aye, ar.d praising God too, with broken voice*
and incoherent words it may be, but certainly
with fervent, p?ou. grateful hearts
When Le had 'iine to look about as, it was
found that the felon had disappeared—escap
ed. It was well, perhaps, that he had ; bet
ter, that he hoe cot been heard of since
How Ou B:u.r WA BAPTISED. — people
Lave a hard time of it in thi* little aorid of
ours. Ettn in mutters of rtiigioa there is a
vast d.Sftrecce between Lazara* and FEres, a-,
the following anecdote, sent as by a friend, wiU
illustrate •
Old Biilr G. had attended a ftreat revi**.'.
and, iu cocifuou with man; others, he w>o
converted, and baptised. Not many weeks af
terwards. one of his neigolx>r met him reeling
home from the Court ground, w.th a considera
ble '"brick in his h<fl."
" Ilalio, Uncle Biiiy," said the friend, " 1
thought voa had ;ouei the church ?"
" fco 1 did." answered Uncle Billy, nmkir?
a desperate effort to stand stiii, "So i did,
Jcemes, and would "a Uen a good bap"..' if
thej hadn't treated >ae so tvrria-iin' mean
at the water; Didn't yea near about it
Jeemes ?"
" Never did. u
" The: I'll teii rc:; lx>ut it. Voa set when
we come to the haptiZi'i' j,; a . har aid
Jenks, the rich old Sriaire. wo to le dijiped
the same. Well, the miu>ler tnck the "Squire
in fast, bat I didn't min i that much, as 1
thought 'twould 1-e tact as eooi wbea ! cum ;
so he 4*.-t 'nim in, he lifted him np keerfcl
and wiped ha faca, and led him out. Ther,
cuai my tar., utd instead of liftia'm*- oat l.Se
he died the Scjuire. he cure me one -k-'n, ax*!
left me .raw; o' about on t~.e Lvitom iike aVi
/'"itu Mid tu-Ur'
• Drcketr perpetrated, years arro. or* • *
the beet ;ii' n rteord Mr Bragy's nephe *
wa; the philosophy of a tea-ket
tle snd describing the application as a nv
tive.
" For which." remarked the uncle. *t hr*
prisc-pally to tha:;k— what we* hi# name
" WATT W as hi; rare 4-." replied the !wu
I * It wa* N'ai-ik-cn whv ays : ' Strange
as it may appear, wi,eu I waut aoy good Lari
; work d"W- I chooee man—provided bis ed
. acation hau beea soluble —With a ior.j n,iv
H s breatuing is bold aai free, and his bra •
: as weii a his longs and h<-srt, co i and clea
ts nrr obeer radons of men. 1 hnv* airaost iz'*-
riahij found a long u-n* a id n ad together.
-
5 rH<*w?w-t liefntr asked of what bea: th.- bi*>
wss mot danecroos. answered : " Of wili
beasts, that of a slanderer : of tame that cf
; a fhtterer "
W&rCi- yt "each the bee to build a eel .
'or the btri better nest ? TbeT ach n-.
'however. wi*drc* by modest and wknt eian:
• p*!e*
a®* One of the boys tells of a mrccro
made bj U ac":e Be a It not oclj scared off
every crow that it saw. but ora crow w&s to
frightened that be brought back the or- .
stole three days betcre.
•9* Hoaeetjr iaaaer* fonjaer'y ic tra
cast fa nan who putd !*r Via etec** e?
an! •':* -- hS bt k