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oi Jii dsA Two DOLLARS PER ANNUM ] BY DAVIS <fc CREWS. THE SNOW SHROUD Tin MY MAItV ltVIKKS. " ^ llOl "Oh, dear, there's so many to wash," i <r,>i Said little Nelly Barton, as she surveyed |aU With a rueful glance at the long table full I of dishes. ver About two years ago, her mother died. Ion Mrs. Barton was a tender, gentle woman, wei living only in the happiness of her beloved Bui tones, and she had made tho first eight nm Vears of her daughter's life very bright.? was When she died, the bitterest pang was the chsi Ihought of leaving her only child, to the nig lender r.iercies of a world which is not al- j^. \vays disposed to be merciful. When the doC hand of death was upon her, site called the Wai littlo one to her bedside and kissed her sat, long and fervently, brushing back her thick gaj Curls with her pale hand, atid looking into iiCt her eyes with a steadfast gaze of hopeless mj| love and sorrow. to . "Oh," she faltered ; "I can give up every tler lliitirr nlsr* f?nf T tvisli T nmtlfl v/m Ci.. b - jvw oin with me. I cannot boar to leave you in tab this cold world, motherless, my child.? her lietter for you if you could sleep here in are my bosom and never wake up again. I [,c<j wish wo could be buried together." vrat Mr. )5arton was a kind hearted man.? put His sympaties were <|tiiok rather than deep, the Perhaps this was why he never understood <JiJ the woman, who, for ton years had been jn<> his wife. Iler nature was very different, sin Iler feelings deep buried in her woman's up heart. Sometimes, like diamonds in the I 'in the winding* of a gloomy mine, they hro would Hash out for a moment, giving the Wo beholder a sudden startling glimpse of the wit richness hidden within. Her love was like hoi the course of a subterranean stream, which foil you could only trace by the sweet fragrance nrr.-: of the flowers, the rich verdue of the grass sor above it. Iler husband saw those things her from a different point, therefore her words sin .seemed incomprehensible. lie had been Tin sitting at his dying wife's hedsido, his face Tin bowed upon his hnnd<, and tlie tears trick- j the ling down his fingers, but lie raised his ] the Iicad, now, and said, "I don't like to hear : her yon say that, Sarah. If you must die; it ! her isn't right to wish the child dead too. 1 i 4 want (something left for me. After you . oft' arc gone, 1 shall love her better than any- Slu thing else in the world." .Joy A fain't sad smile crossed the dying wo- ; jusl man's face. She knew her husband better j ink than he knew himself. "You will be com- . he:i foiled," she tmiruiured in her low tones. ' but slio did not remove her stead}' ques- swt tioning, sorrowful gaze from her child's ?t face. She died with her hand? twined in tein ber girl's thick curls. c.0l Mr. Barton was loud in his lamenting-; tho over the <lea?l, 1?nt .Nelly was wry quiet.? ; call No one ever saw her weep ; ami smile pert- j pie even remarked it was strange the child ; c.hn didn't eeem to care more for her mother. ! hen lint there were others, shrewd observer?, her who noticed that for months afler a smile : her never crossed her face?that she scarcely fill tastdl food?and grew so thin and pale, 'el' one might almost have thought that her j c'"' dead mother's kisses had drawn half the ^ life from her childish veins. tie For a while Mr. Barton did seem absorb- ovc ed in his child and his crief; but as time e(l passed on his wife's words came true?he wai was comforted. ut He needed a liniici-lreener c-i.llf Tim i ? J?. - J. * sister, who had come to liiin when his wifu She first died, could remain no longer. Ho Ij*. must procure some one to take her place. Oh, It was with this view he first called upon swe the widow Benn9tt; but she was not wil- tho ling, she told him, to leave her own home flal to become his housekeeper ; and it all end- ed ed in his asking her to become his wife, up< and bring her own three children with her. l?ar She was a dominant, artful, and some liftc said, a hf^rd woman?very different from fou tho first Mrs. Barton. Little Nelly's life she under this new rule seemed moro weary er's and desolate than ever, though so long as her lier father lived she was secure from posi- gen tive ill treatment; There was not wanting ove those who whispered that Adam Ben net's 1 buxuiu widow did not make Mr. Barton's moi life a very happy one. lie certainly did she seem to grow old very fast. Be that as it her might, he was under his wife's full control; had and they had not been long married before fool lie made his will bequeathing to her all his net property. She had managed well in secu- Nel ring tins hold in good season, for she had > not been Mrs. Barton quite a year, when Wli Mr. Barton fell ft victim to fever, and was inst laid in peace by his gentle first wife's chu side. - my Mrs. Barton had kept Nelly with her of t|,e, couiise. She had too high ft regard for t|lo, public opinion to do otherwise, but she wj|| made the orphan pay, many times over, in t|ia) bard toil, for her morsel of food and her ,IW1, bed in tho attic. "Was an errand to be now dor.e, Nelly was summoned. Nelly made anj (IkA Ko/1q VaHw /?lrtn??/1 *1.? 1 XT II >..w .rvu0) wiuaucu kll? Kllives, INCliy washed the dishes, and then, at night, Nolly i,e sobbed herself to sleep in her comfortless 8jinj 'attic; * prayer that she might die bo- ? .{or* rooming and go to her mother.? tjl0 But this part of this story no one but j10|T One abovo. wiU Slid had passed a weary Christmas, for ^ Ft yrti? the third Christmas, day died. The firat one, the snow pressed heavily on a ??w tr?adb grave, and covered up the in- ^el| scription on n white tomb stone, " Sarah wa|| Barton, wife of Stephen Bsrton^nged 34." say, j se'ioiid^Ohiistiuas wu* but a few weeks :r her father brought his second wife ne; ami on this, tlie third, ho too was 10, uiul his child was alone on the desoj earth. W-lly had worked hard all day?she was v tired hut now she must clear oil" the <r table which hail groaned under the glit of good cheer round which Mr. rton had leathered her relations. Nelly st not go to hod till the last dish was died?she knew that. She got a high lir and set it boloro the closed door leap into the parlor. Then climbing upon die looked through the glass over the >r, into the cheerful room. Oh, how rm and bright it was! Her step-mother , with her friends, before the fire, ller ly dressed children were gathered round I"'1 Tl.nrn 1 11?1.? 1 A.iv<v ? i?o ? ?! mill OIMI ll??IIO IIIIU j rtli for the living, but there was no one j 10 ?peak a loving word to her. Could the j id see her from under the grave mounds? : sy B came back ami looked again at the | le. She sighed and'said once more, in j 1,1 low sad voice, "Oh, dear, there j " so many !" That was all. Then she ' w< fan her task, and did not pame untill it !l' * done?the last <lish was washed and Rtl . away, and the table placed back agr.inst ^ ! wall. It was only nine o'clock but she ' cn I not go into the parlor. They had nolh j w' for her?she hail nothing for them.? | j took her candle and climbed wearlv j stairs to bed. j w' v?on sleep closed her eyelids, and '*,n night with it dream*. At first they re pleasant onus, llc-r mother seemed h her again, ami life was bright and ' K'ful. lint even in her sleep, trouble ! owed after the joys. She lived over : let tin Iter wrongs, lier oppression, her long j r?l row. Then a voice suenied to speak to ed, It routed her from her slumber.? m? j thought it was her mother's tones.? an [>v seemed calling her to the chttrchvard. Wil told her that the earth un<leriieath vui s grave sod was troubled. If she went en re, she thought her mother could hear moan?her mother, who secmcl calling ! pri again to her bosom. 'Come, come, coin-:called the far voice. The child started up wildlv.? ' <:a: i rose from bed?she hurried noisi-lessl v I'' vn stairs. She opened the outside door ! ^vi L as the the clock struck the hour of I'ii blight. The house was still. Xo one sti nd the light fi?nl?lcps. She closed the >r behind her and hurrieil oil. Tii?? wiu-ls >1.1 tl> 1 .1 i- i. - - -< i -.-5 ?" " ' "'or"i<ir(i.ss j he hard earth cut an ) goaded her bare, Wl der feet, lint she was insensible to the 'l0 d or pain. She hurried on. Only 0110 Wl night was in her heart?her mother hail t'" ;d?she was going to her. \eross the li :1.1s t?ho sped?into the irohyard gi'u?on, these two graves eatli the willows?on, ut.til she pressed slil fcvertal hrow up >n the bare sod abive 001 mother's heart. And then the mercisnow began to fail. It covered up the ers on ihc headstone, which the pour :l s id had been tracing with her fingers.? * jlded over the two graves its white man l',! of peace. It lay like a snowy veil l"' r that young victim's brow. It cluth t:i' like a garment her shining limbs. Ii > more merciful ?to Iter than the world, she heeded not its ministry. VII her senses were locked save one.? rul i listened?eagerly?breathlessly?wild ',lv She listened for her mother's voice.? anl , was it fancy ? Out of that grave ^2' et low tones seemed to rise. She a'H light?it.mav have been rmlv tlio Know 0,1< w m * ' """w I ces?but she thought a soft hand rest 1 upon her hair; she felt a spirit kiss ^re5 >n her forehead. She la}' on the cold o earth 110 longer?her head was 8W< ? i ;d to a soft loving bosom. She had nd rest at last, and she murmured, as *es: had so many times done at her moth knee, "God keep little Nelly, and take to heaven when she dies. Ami gentle ^'u tie fell the snow?over the two graves? r the sleeping child. 'hey called in vain to little Nelly in the 1 ruing. She was not in the kitchen; ',ar was not in the yard ; she was not in ',as little bed in the attic. The clothes she ain 1 worn tlie day before hung across llie Su'^ t of her bed. Her shawl and bon hung in the passage, but where was a ly ? tail Vh, hurrying feet of Mrs. Barton! ? lat strange terror, what late awakening \? inct leads you across the fields into the ^"'e rchyard gate ? Your face is white, lady??but you shall see something 1 e, whiter still. Aye, kneel now?let *? ' >c tardy tears have free course. They l'ie not melt the shroud of snow from off colj ; dead child's face. Your voice cannot 8a*' iken lier, bo its tones ever so lender l',c The sun may rise, care and sorrow ca" toil go on, waving a web of life as ire, sho shall toil no more. They can "l(k idle awhile now. The achin<r feet ?'ie I liavo a long rest. ' >n earth she l ad hut few friends, but Almighty pitied her. lie called her 10; the angels waited foi lier?they ^ not teach her their new song to day; snow was merciful?it has woven her hitcr shroud than mortal hands could ion. Father, mother, child, stand to- 4 ler before the eternal throne?tbey Ic together where no voice 6hall ever "I aui weary." Nellie is gone home. law jmiso to pay attention lo it.'' ' Ol' course I will uncle, for I always like hear of tlie printers.' The judge seemed wrappod in study f??? me moments, and then began : 4 I once knew a man,' said lie, 'who lived a little town in a western part of Viginia e was of respectable family, but not very ;althy, and tlie youth, for a youth lie was the lime our narrative commences, expres >1 a desire to learn the printing huisiness. is par en Is having 110 objections to it, he tered an ollice in tlie town of \V licit was carried on' by a young man bv i; name ot .M . IIo continued in tin ice some two years, at the expiration o! iic!i tlie office was sold out to anotliei :n. The former proprietors of the estal> linient immediately purchased anotliei ice in the interior of the State ami tin ling man wishing to finish his trade witli ?se he had commenced with immediately 1, and joined his old employers. Tiim led on, and his apprenticeship was finish , when he returned home. There In ;ets his old friends and former associates <1 particularly a young lady to whom lie is very miieh attached. 11 is visits were ry often and in less than a year they wen raged to get married. lie in the meantime had purchased :i inting office, and was publishing a week paper, and hy applying himself closely the office, ami many friends, and as is tlu se in publishing :i paper, some eneitiie*. iosc who were his enemies had sought. i*ry means within their power to injure n, hill in spite of all tlie}' coilM d<>, h? !1 prospered in business. Kill, although he was en^a^ed, some <>1 ladies of ill'* place, who had set themves up :is aristoc-iarv, sought an interview t!i the young lady's inotlier, and hv false ods and tni-reproHtnialions, sueeeded in lining the unsuspected parent over to ir side, and hy her interference with r daughter, tlie marriage was broken riiis was more than the young man could nd and at the end of tlie volume, he disilinued tlie publication of the paper, and L lor |i:ilis unknown. Veins rolld on, we 11 in I the young printei uecessful lawyer, residing in tin*, city o :w Orleans. He li:ul there gained a iiann it will ever stand, not only being at litenlial member of the bar, but a respocde ami honored citizen of the " Crescent y." A.s this young lawyer was sitting in his ice one afternoon, reading, ho was inferred by a gentle rap on the door. The ryer answered the knock with his pleasi come in." The door opened, and the ure of a female entered. She see mod mt thirty years of age; she had been i of the most handsome of her sex, al nigh time has cast its shadow over the .lines of her features. Are you not a lawyer?' she enquired in jet musical voice. < I have the honor to belong to that prosum,' replied he. I have a case I would he happy to have 1 attend to if you will do so,' she added shiug. What is the tenor of it?' Il is a divorce case. My husband, shortifter our marriage, took lo drinking very d and having squandered all our means, ' now abandoned me altogether, and I forced to take in sewing to support myarul child.' I wi II do what I can for you inadain, I I think there will be difficulty in? obling one.' The I ally gav? him her name ns Mrs. ung, and said she was boarding with a nd at number ? Chesnut street, and n left the office. ^ftor she had gone, the thought occured lim that he had seen the face before and more he thought of it the more ho was vinced that such was the case, and to sfy his oiiriosity he resolved lo visit her loiiowing clay. The next afternoon lie ed at ? (Jhcsnut street; and found tlio son ho was in search of sitting in a very :!y finished apartment with a swett, rosy eked boy by lier side. Vfter talking on the difTerent topics ot day lie ventured to ask her if she was a ive of the State. No, sir, I was in Virginia, and resided re till shortly after my marringo' sin wered. Did you not at one time reside in tlx ?ge of M ?V I resided there several yenlfs, said the ob she scrutinized the features of th< yer. ' >