Miscellany: The Slave-wife

Amongthe nunierous facts which our "peculiar instilution" is continunlly de. dcveloping - facts, which from the wild daring on the ono hand, and tho dcep malignity on the other', outvie tho most extravagant romance, - may bc found evidence that truth is, indeed, stranger than jlction. The following story was related to me by onc who welï knew the partios; and I give it, as nearly as possiLle in his own words. "I have been," said he, " sojourning for several weeks at Dawn, Upper Canada, which you well know, was settled by n Colony of Fugitivo Slaves, observing the regenerating infiuence of a free atmosphere, which is daily working out n phenomenon more wonderfut than the dreaming alchemist ever imputcd to the philosopher's stone - transmutation of chattels into men. Tliosc facts stand1 out ngainst the decp black ground of Slavery like miracles wrought in liglitning, and fraught with an interest strong and deep 3 the eternal interests of humanity. - ïherc areamong these pcople some fine specimens of tho race ; whom itwould do our negro-halers good to know - and many wliose fine manly character - ny, and intellect also, would put to the bhish our traducers, of the colored race. Of all these none pleased me botter, or in'tcrested me more deeply, than Laco Ray. He was, I think, as fine a specimen oi the physical man, as I ever knew. Tall, Kjuscular, nnd every wayioned, he liad thc largo expansión of hest and shoulders that oro seon n thc )cst representutions of Hercules. He vas quite black, the skin soft and glossy; )ut the features had none of the revoltng characteristics whicharc supposed by ome to he inseparable from the African 'isage. On the contrary they wërë reïuirkably fine - thc nose öquilihe; thc nouth even handsomc; the forehead sinjuláply higli and broad. Superaddcd to his was a noble intellect, with a poffer of language and expression which under ïappier circumstances, niight have pvouced the poet, or the orator, nnd whidi under every incuftibrancè; rose at times o the lofticst clo(iueriee. 1 had oftcn )ecn,astonishod at the spontancous ekétJse of this power; and thc rndc men mong whom he dwelt likewise feit, anduietly yielded to the swny of i mnstcr pi rit. Although he had hoen in Dawn nly aboul two year.s, he had y et aequired no small degree of influenco arñohg bis copie; and bolh for intogrity andability ie was highly esteemed. But notwithtanding all this I observed that a deep hndow seemed to rest upon bis hcart, ik! that there was a void in bis boing vhich nothing appcared to fill. These ondoncics beoome more dhstinct as l knew him botter, and I was convinced liat some very painful circumstance connected with bis fonner life, hung like a ■all above bim, darkening the glad sunbine, and making bitter tbc free air bc brcathed. I detormined to learn bis bisory f rom bis own mouth the first opporunity tbat presented itself. Fortune soon avored my wishes. I had been walking tbrough the fields of various acquaintance.s,conversing with them as they worked, or listening to the inppy song, or the merry whistle that rang out on the clearair of a fine spring norning, when, at about nine o'elock, I eancd over the rude fence that enclosed the field where my friend Laco was at work. He was at the lower end of tbc ot ; and I 6tood listeaing to the native melodies that resounded on everyThere was in this music fullness of oy that spoke at once of the consciousness and love of frecdom; yet not unmingled with occasional notes of the sweetest and deepest pathos, that whispered oí' friehds left far bchind, yet groping darkly in the land of bondage; or may be it, uttercd the sadness which belonged to memory ; or j)ictured forth sliadows which tho long-brooding wing of Slavery yet left resting on the free soul. It was inünitely touching; and I could not listen to it without tears. As Laco drew near, I 8av that he was unusuallysad and disnclined to talk; and, after passing the compliments of the morning, hc droppcd his eyes to the ground and appeared quite absorbed with his business of planting. - l wailed, deliberating within myself how I should best enter upon the subject, until he had ad vaneed to the end of the row, and stood opposite me. 'Wcll, Laco, I said, extending my hand, as he was about turning to commenco another row. This is avery fine morning, but you are not quito in the spirit of it. You seem unhappy. Has nny thing happenod to distress you V (No Massa, no. Nothing happen to Lnco now. Nolhing now ever happen to him,' he replied, turning upon me a look of unutterable sadness. 'Why do you say that,Laco? you surely are happy now you are free - you cannot be insensible to the beauty of this lovely morning ! Tho free sunlight is shining abroad. The birds are singing. They are happy; all are happy. Why should not Laco sing and be happy too?' 'The birds,' he answered, 'are singing songs of love. Each one has a bird in j its nest, but Laco's nest is cold and silent. Why then should ho sing? The free are singing the song of liberty; but tho lighi of Laco's frcedoin is put out. The sun is shining vcry bright; but he never rcach es hcre,' iiö added laying his hand on his brcast, and siniling with the expression o one who feels that he has already met the worst. MVlftgsa vcry good; but he nevei make darkness iight; he never make the dead live again. It's no use talking massa. Laco better work. lf hc wouh v eat, ho must make corn grow. Talfcinf : never helped him, and he turncd away ■ as i f resolved to say nothing more. I 'Excuse mo Laco,' I urged, as I sprang over the fence and stood besido him, ' am your friend. Spcak to me frcely a a friend; a brother; and the. confidonc may relieve you. I see your story is i 1 true one. 'Ah, ![assa, so slave storics always be i But (-ome to the cabin, Massa ; and Láp f willtcü yoü, what he has whispered nnl; - in the grent eur of night, wlien (tod am angels alone are waking.' He thre f down his hoe in the furrow and spran , over the fonce at n single bound, I folio w - ing hfm; and with a few more steps wstood in the log ciibin whcre hc Bpè'rit the solitnry hours of rest. A draught of cool milk and water refreshcd us; and seating himself on the ground near the rude bench hc had ofTered me, after a pause of somo minutes mark'éd by profound emolion, ho thus rclated to me his simple but hcart-lhrilling story. "I was raised on the plantation of J. G and pcrhnps few slaves had a kinder mastcr. At the age of twenty-lwo, I marriojd Clusy Davis, a girl of twonty. Slie was white. At least no one would suspect that s'ie had any A frican bloodin her veins. Some have said that the onl v trace was in her oyes; and they were largc, and soft, and brillianf, allhough vcry black. I believe no onc ever knew Clusy without loving her - she was so sweet, and kind, and gentle - and no one eversaw her without admiring her beauty - which I may say now, I never saw the lileo of, in the fairest lady that over gláddened the heart of a free man; for it is two ycars this day since I laid her in her lonely grave away out there in Maryland; and nothing but her sweet soul is léft." Ho bowed himself to tho ground; and l knew by the convulsive heavings of bis erouching form that he wept bitterly. Tlie unwouted indulgenco nppeared to relieve him. Ho arosc and went out a few moments and when ho relurned to his seaf, all trace of tears had been carefully washed away; and he resumed his narrative. "I had long been tenderly ottacliod to Clusy. We had loved even from childhood; and for about three months after marringo we were happy as the birds. - Until that time I had thought little, Ihough I had seen much of the evils of Slavery; for I had begun to love so early, and this so entirely took up my attention, that I had little time to dweil on the sorrows of my leas fortúnalo companions. [ had won tho favor and confidence o my master and mistress. I always hac enough to eat and drink, and I was al ways well clothed. Upon my marriageiy, or runner of the plantation, to tbat re ' coachman, nnd as Clusy was tho ec nal attendant of her mistress, this of ngement added much to our happinsss, bl : we generally travelled together. Both to irties vero mutually pleased with our cc nv relation; and for a time all went on fo ippily. Clusy was a greal favorite with m jr mistress; they had indeed been si 1 together, andwcrs moro like sislers, te lan mistress and slavc ! Our masler bi id mistress wero married about a year lo jforo we werc; and Ihey alrondy had a ni ne Iiltle boy, of which the young m ints wero very proud. Our couriship sa id advanced together. Yoar in, and O earout,vevent incompany to the ri )ring plantation of Col. Davis. We hi lared each olher's secrets. All our lit. A e lovc-quarrels; all our hopes, and all l ar fears, were freoly communicated; an sj thewarmth and confidence of mutual C ve, we at timos forgot we wero master ti nd slave; wo forgot that there was a S ui f lay betweon us wido and deep as that tl rhich separatos chattels from men. - 1 )lusy and I wero very happy. All om f ,-nnts wcre supplied. We were tl cd in the present, and without caro for p he future. Wc considereti ourselves the S nost favored of mortals. We soon found n liat we stood in a faise position. What t s truc, can never come out of t ïood ; what is right can never come ut of wrong. I have known Slavory i n its best form ; but there is no good c n it. ' "At lenglh I observed that Clusy was 1 jetting pale; and I olten futind her in i ears. I askcd her he cause; I urged I ler to teil mo ; but sho would dry them nstantly, and say that she was nol well, l jr that she was so lonesomo she could nol i iielp crying when I was gono. I saw Llmt this was all pietence, and sought in vain for the truth that lay under it; and when at last, she could no longer hide j from me tho fact of her unhappiness, she rcsolutely rofused to teil tho cause. I could fnd no relief to my anxiety. - StrapgOj indistinct visions of wrong hauntcd my bed at r.ight, and niy work by day. A new feeling of insecurily carne upon me. I feit afraid oí" I knew not what. A dreamy consciousnesa of my fulso position began to present ilself ; and a vague sense of the horrors of Slavery oppressed me. When I slcpt it lay upon my brcastlikea night-mam; and when l woke it started at me wiih the eycs of a fiend, making hidcous faces in thedark. It followcd me every where. It lookcd out from the corners of tho road. It mounted the carringe box and sat besi-ie me. This spirit of unrest hautitcd me forever - a strange intimaiion of tho approach of some unknown evil. llseemed to me that spirits wcre continually whïspering words of warning; andlOUgh I did not underslnnd their mcanng, I feit 1 hei r power. In this mnnner iree months wore heavily away. Clusy 11 llio time geding pnler, weakor, and loro silcnf, until, at lengll), she tretnbled s I approached her; and an act of tenernoes on my part seemed to terril'y ïer, so that I began to lose all pleasure in ïor society; and al length seldom visited ïer. "One holiday - it was the Fourth of uly, I hnd resolved to go to a carouse, vith my fellow slaves, and drown my oubles ín whiskey. My master was ven more complacent than usual, and jave me a generous tvllownncc of inony. He warmly encouraged my going, s masters always do, because whatever nks the man secures Ihe slave; and it eems hehad nnother ronson for wishing ie absent. I had left tho planiation nd set outtojoin my eompanions nt a mail ale-house about half a mile farther, vhen my purpose was arrested in a very ngular mauner. While loitering thro' ie meadow, whistling, not 00 mucli for ie want of thought, as to drown thought, come accidentally to a large magnolia ree, where I had first met Clusy, when ve wcre both children. I threw myself nto the refreshing shadow, when the imes past and long forgotten, seemed to riso bcfore me. There we had often )layed together in childhood; und when sheenme to tho great houso, to the tree always accompanied her; and hero we always pnrted. Here too, slie ofíen came, to meet me in the long starry eveings, after our work was dono. Ilere, my niother blessed us, but a few days tei 'ore her death; and I remembered well si i hand, as it was clnsped bctwecn the ny and shrivelcd ones of my molhcr. foi hougl)t then that sho wept becauscshe s going to die; but 1 know it on sorrow, Ihalshook her so fearfully, - a ;re, too, beneath this very tree, we ki with liand fast locked in hand, on the sti a of our marringe, and here the ríe er blessed ub, and called us one. All ne ;se things became presont with me. - L ived again in the past; and my spirit in [urned to its former place. I pc my design of a frolic. I thought oniy T Clusy; for Lore and Failh once more wi jssomed in my heart; and I hastened fl reach the path ivhich led to the pretty ni ttage that her loving mistress had built r her. I ran; I fiew alongits winding; C id, almost breathless, I reached the viuy adow of her porch. I would clasp her d my hearf, which was throbbing with S it onc great pulse, for her alone; my lo ve mv wife. I would assure her of w y love; I would make amends for al' se y former coldness. I wns nearly de ne with the violence of my feelings. - lh Ir, God ! what did I sec ! My master m shed from the cottage ns I drew near ; in s face liushed, bis eyes tarribly bright. h sif by the help of a flash of lightning, 01 saw ihe truth. Too horrible it is to eak of! 1 had never been jealous of s[ lusy; wliy lmd I not? She was fc ful. She wns in hor master's power. - b he waá in the power of every white man lat chose to possessher. She was no u nger mine. She was not my wife. - t nd the babo thht slopt upon her bosom; v int, too. A thousand devils seemed to - ossess me. I rushed into the house. - C he lay there almost lifeless. I know b ot what I did. T know not how long a c me had passed. 1 only remembered h ïat Clusy Jay stretched upon the floor, n nd the het blood that gushed from her t ïouih and nostrilf. was wetting my feet, r nd stood in puddles upon the ground. - V horriblo thonght that I had murdered s ier took possession of me. I lified her j ïp nnd boro her icTa. ncighboring f bathed her hoad; her hands, l 1 d her with cold water. For minutes i bát seemed hours, yeara, ages, I watched I o seo whether she would live or dio. At engih, slowly and faintly, sho opened I ïercyes; and the horrid guitiof murder, I iko a great woight, was lifted from my ] iouI. I wept; I prnyei. Icoveredhár lanas, her arms, her very foet with kiss?s. I blessed her with blt?ssings that i ;eemed wrought out of my hearl's jlood. " She appcarcd very wcak ; too wcak o uttèr a sound, though she oftcn strovc o do so ; but she feebly pressed my hand ; md when she lumed those large, living, iruthful cyes full upon me, looking into ny very soul, 1 knew that she wss guilt83s. Whatcvcr othersmight have done, ihe had done no wrong. At length 1 ecame comjfletcly exhausted. I sank iown beside her, weak and helpless as a :hil.l ; and, side by side, wíth cheek rosting against chcek, we slept together. Clusy was the first to wake, 'Xaco,' she whispcred, 'rise I pray you ! massa will be very angry, if we are scen hcre Rlgétherr'! " W hy, what do you mean V' 1 cried, starting up in alarm, you r.re my wifeny own witc : JJid not massa oí liimself, say - What God halh joined the ïtlier, let no man put osunder? I yo not leave you, for you aro ill." Inn O, you must, I shall die soon, Lnco; not y soon - and then you will havo no - { ■e trouble - your baby will never see wo light. It is yours, sho addcd, in a bor ov whisper, and 1 htxve kept it pure sist your sake. After a short pause shc are imed; I believe I must teil you now, ry ! :o; I thought I never should, but I lift e I must. I shall never gefr another of nee. Let go us to the woods, I dare ' spenk here.' Sho altemptcd to rise; thai feil back quilo exhausted. 'Can you can y me?' she whispered faintly. I took had in my arms nnd bore her to the ' d. She wnsso light and thin it gei liko carrying a shndovv. 'Clusy,' I VV1 d in ngony 'how much you must have see sred ! And why, why could I not ran e known it V clin I will teil you;' she nnswered, 'but apli i nnd be quick, I piled together a brij p of fresh leaves. and laid her gently on n. 'Sit down by me now, Laco, and stw i your eyes away: for you must not ove : at mo whilo 1 am lelling.' ra' O, I wish some of the fine ladies, who me ik that the slave woinnn has no tha ; no sense eiren of decency; could re seen wilh what a shrinking wi' y she told the revoltin lale; and when cr ras finishcd how sho hid hor head in my mc om, nnd wept so piteously ! It was "3 ommon 6tory, I have since found. - Lc :r master was enamored of her beauty. ca i had sought in vain towin her favor; Hj first by entrenty, by presents and ur y, then by violence, and tho r c ireatment.' SP 'And whv did vou not teil me de'And why did you not teil me tlus befofe, Clusy?' 1 asked. 'O,' snid-shc, looking up in my face, and at the same time clinging to me with a convulsiva 6hudder, 'lic said ho would kill you, if I ever told : and massa very strong ; massa very cunning; massa very rich. What could poor slnvo do l I never should dara to teil now, only the Lord Jesus Christ camo to me last night in my dreams, nnd srv I must. Ilesay poor slavo woman como to him presently. There is no selling; thore is no buying where iho Lord Jesus is; there is no flogging to make poor women wicked, no more.' 'Hesurely has not dared to flog you, Clusy !' I interrupted. 'Look here,' she answered, with a shudder, 'see if Clusy teil ihe truth, or no. She drew aside f rom her back the one losso gnrment, nnd O, my God .' that sof: white skin was etit up and crossed anc senmed in all direclions; and there were deep ridges, and running sores. And all ihis ahe had borne without complaint, foi my sake - for the love of virtue - for ihc inborn love of purity - O, God! it waf hard to look upon, and think l had no power to heli) her!'lie paused, unablo for some time lo speak farthcr. lio shook from head to fuot. and groans burst from bis heaving bosorn. At longib ho grew calm and continued. 'We resolved to apply tor advice to tho minister wlio had mnrried He was a Presbyterinn. IIr. and 31 in. C , were membora of bis churcb. - Clusy and I, also, wero bnplized members of bis flock. I bore my wife to the cottage and laid bcr on the couch; and hnving sumtnoned nn old woinnn to attend to ber, and to inform bcr mistress that she was ill, I went in pursuit of tbe , minister. I had tbo good fortune to find - him. I told him my slory, in wordsthat 1 seemedtoburn me as I uttored them. - r And wbnt do you thinfc be said ? He , snid therc was no help - that I must sul- mil.' Tbink of tbat, Chrislians ! a min3 ister of the Gospel in high standing, de1 liberately in6tructs ona member of bis t church to sin, that anolher member may J be accommodated in sin ! Tbink of thal , husbands - ye who have beds you can cali ■ your own ! ye who have honor to lose - r 1 must submit to seo my wife polluted !- ;- l must submit to see her scourged, bct cause she would not yiold herself willings ly! And she must submit! Think ot that, wives! Think of it, all ye modesl and virtuous women, who have husbands, Q and brothers, and friends, and the laws, te . wall around and proiect your purity, se I that a shadow of evil may not approacli L you- a gcntle and lcvcly, and delicaU r woman - ay, and as modest and virtuoiii „ as nny of you- although she had beer [ taught by her own pure and loving natun k _although sbe was shielded by the mod a esty of innocence - she who has borní k repeated stripes and bitter sorrow, rathe p. jhan pollution - sbe wns told by her min e ster - her spiritual guide and pnttèrh.thn II she must commit a damning siñj tlmtsb !- must bave no conscience of her own- that her master wns answerable for he 3, oflences Í She was told thia by the ver; % man who had placed on ber brow the seaifbnptism - who had mocked her with , tho rito ofmarringe! Think ofthis, all t ye virtuous - all ye pious women of the i land; and ifyour virtuo, your piety, are ] iot n mere shnm - are nol a damning lie f - give specdy help to tho thousands of , .vomen - all of them your sisters n the ( jonds of Hiimanity - many of them your sisters in the bonds of Christianity - who , ire daily prostiluted on the altar of t y ! while the bleak-hearted.lying Priests. E iftuptheir bloody hands in comecration j )f the rite ! i 'Is it strange that I hated religión - j hat I hated the very form of inan I for 1 ] ;ame to believe that a devil incarnnte , ïad taken possession of it ! , 'I dreaded to communicato this . ;ence to Clusy ; hut she was prepared. When I told lier all,a superhuman strength , eenied to possess her. The poor, , ant, weak, almost dying woman, was , ;hanged at once into the lbrm of a seriph. Her eyes shone with a terrible u-ightness, as she rose up and sat erect , n her couch, her long black silken hair treaming, with a contrast almost terrilHc, ver her pale features. Her eyes were , ■aised toward heaven; and for some ( nents seemed conversing with the spirits that dweil there. At length she turned her eyes upon me, with a dignity and majesty I cannot describe although it astonished and teTrified! me ; I thought ï had seen a spirit. - "Then he is a liar," she said - "and the Lord Jesus Christ never sent him. He came from Heil; and hc will return to Heil again. But the innocent will triumph ! God never will forsake his children !" A radiance not of earth overspread her features. She sunk gently down upon her couch, as if the hands of angels had supported her. I could almost feel the breath from their fonning plumes - for I knew they werc watching her, when she slept so sweetly, a lamb among pi-owling wolvcs. Yet in the simple faith she resled securely; for God kept her. 'I will nof, and I need nof, recount here all the disgusting steps in this arïiiir. Clusy and I were happier than we had been: since we had no secrets from each other. In the deepest trouble we could kneel down andpray together: - and we were not left entirely without comfort, bitter and heavy as the yoke of bondage was. For God drew near unto our souls in the day of trouble ; and our good mistress, to w-hom the whole aflfair beeame known; not only feit for ïïut shared our sorro xvs. I should have told you that on the Sabbatli following the Fourth of July nlluded to, tlie ïtev. Mr. Lovegold broke the bread of life, and administered the com munion. The seducer, the adulterer - the terifold murdercr was thcre, nm) partook of the holy feast - not only unrebukcd, but with the smiling approbation of his kind pastor. Our coaster, finding that I had become apprised of his conduct, threw ofl' nll disguise, and openly delared that after the birth of her chtid, Clusy should be his exclusivclv ; threatening, if I made tho least opposition, té ! scll me into Louisiana. To the birth ol ? onr child - that event so pleasing to mos ! parents, we lookcd forward with the mos - agoriizing fears. How we wero sustafn - ed I know not; hut it really seemed a; 5 if an angel had entered into the henrt ol my wife; for what else could have sup 3 ported her ! From day to day she borc s punishments which I cannot repoat - e which I darè not even think of - with i imrmr trpntlmmss which was nervcd tfsuffer uil tliings, but to yield nothing.- ( She endurcd with the spirit of alamb; hut ( shc rcsisted with the heart of a lien. 'Il was earlv in tho montli of September that Mr. C, in attempting to extort a promise from Clusy lo favor her wishes, beoame po exasperated by her refusal, that he ordered tho overseer to bestow forty lashes on herbnek, whidi had nevcr heen permitted to hcal. She in vain plended that fright and agitation had made her V(?rv ju - thnt she could not even stand. She wasbound to the stake; and while cruel and vulgar men mocked her agony, there our habe icas bom ! Had I been there, all the devils in Heil could not have kept me from defending hrr. ButJ I had been purposely sent at sonie dis-j tance from home, nud on my return, I foundthe wretched mother scarrely olive, and the dead child lying beskie her. 'Oh, bless and praisc God !' were the first faint words she uttered, that he hnts taken óurbabe before she knew what itj is to be a slave-woman!' Think, ofi thisj ye wives, whosc maternal anguish . is alleviated by all that love, and 1 ship, and nvt and science can do 1 think j if ve would see your own daughiers ' fer the likt,; and inasmuch as ye would not, strive to redeem these abo, from the bitter degradation - the cruel sufTering ! 'Although extremely wenk I found my wife perfectly sane. Her mistress hadJone ever y th ing that could then be done to promote her safety and comfort. - When I nrrivcd she was holding pale hand of thesuflerer betwecti both of hers, txnd bathing it wilh her tears. She lovect poor Clusy with a sister's love; but she couïd do nofhing to save her, Threc weeks from that night,T escapedf with my wife; for her mast er had begun to renew his I nsked her if she dared to undertake the journey, in her then freak sfate. I fold lier of the bloodhounds, of tho rifle shots, of the namcless tortures that would await u?, if retaken; for Clusy had been kindfy denlt with nlmost all her life, and fcnew very liüle ofslavery. 'I can die,' she replied ; l am rcady and willing; and I must diesoorv; but I cannot live here. That answer determined me. I bore her in my arms that night, to ihe heart of a thíck swamp, and on the cold wet earth we nestled togethcr. There was no terror in the numcrousserpents and reptiles that crept aronnd and crawled over us. They were not so cold and venomotis, as the heart of the slaveholder. We seldom stirred abroad by dny ; bui at night we crept from our hioing place, foumi out thenorth sfar, and" resirmed oirr journey. W,en she was overeóme with fatigue which often happened, I carried her in my armsj and 1 really began to hope that the prospect of Iiberty would be the elixir of life, and complete! y restore her ; but I found that there is no medicine to heal a broken heart. Tnip, she seemed at times, much stronger- her eyes grew brighter everyday; and her fa'ir check wastinged mth a deep spot of red; but when we had rcached the norihern boundary of Maryland, she could go no fa ther. me down.'' she whispcred- It ia useless to strivo on, I haYC pantoJ for freedom. I have struggled hard for it ; but I can struggle no Jonger. Pile me a bed of leaves, and sit down beside me ; for I feel thnt 1 am dying. There, let the north wind blow upon my cheek, for it is the breath of the free ; and lot me look once more upon ihe bright star we have followed so long. It has been our only friend. Do you fhink it will shine in heaven, Laco ? Ah, now I hear angels singing songs of freedom ! I shall never suiTer any more ; I have no pain - no sorrow. God wil] send a good spirit to lead you, my husband, into the land of Iiberty ! O, God, pity and forgive poor masprt ! Oh, Lord l bless dear, dear, Missisl Is their a cloud apon the moon ? It is dark - dark. And, now a bright lig'.it is springing ip wilhin nio, and through it 1 ste Heaven ! Never mourn for Clusy ! Sho is frbe ï free ! ! She nnirmured a fewüdistinct words of praise and prayer j thcn her Iips were still ; nnd I saw that without a struggle tlio iree sou] Imd departed. " In the cïeop Ionelincss of a -widowecï heart, I sat by lier till niorning, and then by the help of n small flat stonc, but most] y witli mr hands alono, I hol' ovtd out a grave ín the sandy earth. There I buried hor. Thcrc I snt all i day, so absorbed in my sorrow that I saw nothing of the flighi of time, until it was dark again. The mclancholy bwl camc out and möurned with me. It seéinéd then as if I had companionship - as if an intelligent being had spoken to ine ; and I, for the first time, gave ulter anee to my grief aloud. At length a whippoorwill came and sat upon the new grave, and sang her plnintivo song. - I thouglit the pure spirit spoke to me in the voice of that gentle bird : and then the angel of peace dropped his wings upon my soul, anti I slept. "1 left her there sleeping in the ïonc ly woods of Maryland ; but I brouglif wilh me a shadow, whiph no earthly sun can chase away. Teil my story," he adfled as he rose from the ground - "publish it abróad ; for i f any woman can hear it without a wish, a determination to labor with all her might to abolish the si.wf.ry of wümax, I impeach her virtuc. Shc is not tri-e- -she is NOT