The golden ladder, or, The stolen jewel
page: Illustration (TitlePage) [View Page Illustration (TitlePage) ] THE GOLDEN LADDER; OR, THAT STOLEN JEWEL. By MRS. SARAH A. WRIGHT, Authoress of " 2he Gem of the Lake," "Secret Duel "X'fe, ot, "Beatgy of Fairfaax? "Improper tse of the Tongue," etc., e. "OH, LOVE WHAT IS IT IN THS WORLD OF OURS, WHCH MAKES IT FATAL TO BE LOVED? AH I WHR -WITH CYRESS BRANCHES HAST THOU WREATHED THY BOWERS, AND MADE THY BEST INTERrKOC'l:l A SIGH? AS THOSE WHO DOTE ON ODORS 'PLUCK THE FLOWERS, AND PLACE THEM ON THEIR BREAST-BUT PLACED TO DI.-- THUS THE FRAIL BEINGS WE WOULD FONDLY CHERISH, ARE LAID WITHN OUR BOSOMS BUT TO PERISH." NEW YORK: AMERICAN NEWS COMPANY, 119 AND 121 NASSAU STREET. 1871. page: [View Page ] Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by SARAH A. WRIGHT, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. THE MASONIC FRATERNITY, WHEREVER DISPERSED, TO WHOM I DEDICATE THS VOLUME, AND AT WHOSE HANDS I HAVE RECEIVED MANY ACTS OF KINDNESS, AND WHOSE ESTEEM I AM ALWAYS ANXIOUS TO DESERVE. page: [View Page ] PREFACE. IN launching a vessel, the constructors thereof, when time and tide are favorable, remove the shores that restrain her, and let her glide at once into her natural element; and I, emulating the idea, now that my work is done, and my book completed, urge it forward upon the wide sea of public opinion to sink or swim; to by its merits, steer itself safely into the sunny haven of an- other edition, or, over-freighted by faults , founder in tie terrible storms of adverse criticism, or be wrecked upon the sharp rocks of general disapprobation. But, as no ship is allowed to depart without a correct manifest of the cargo aboard, I, to correctly follow out the simile here used, necessarily deem it best to pre- sent to the underwriters-the press and public--an inventory of the freight my venture bears. That " truth is stranger than fiction" is a time-honored aphor- ism, therefore I have chosen to base my story upon incidents which actually occurred, rather than to search in the wild and mystic plains of romance for a, foundation upon which to rear an edifice. Besides a wish to gratify my readers, I have had in so doing what I consider is a holy aim in view. To the best of my ability I'have endeavored to depict the misery and long-suffer- ing, the heart-burnings and tortures to which all subject them- selves who become votaries to the insatiable deities, wealth and position; and no phase of this state can be better exemplified than by delineating the life of one who, by once kneeling at the shrine of Dives, made bleak and desolate what should have ,.* , page: 6-7 (Table of Contents) [View Page 6-7 (Table of Contents) ] 6 tPREFAO E. been the brightest and happiest period of her existence. In Annah Morgan the reader is introduced to no mere creation of the author's imagination. The lady so designated still lives. Some may deem, so censorious is the world, that I have over- stepped the bounds of truth and probability, by painting in so dark a shade the character of Marcellus. That a man so vile did exist may seem scarcely feasible to persons who have, been accustomed only to associate with those who are pure and gentle of heart; but, alas! many there are in this world who can testify to the existence of such fiends in human shape-many whose lives might have been pure, peaceful, and pleasant, had they not staked and lost their all in attempting to ascend -to the pinnacle of Fame by the Golden Ladder. In cheerful contrast, I have endeavored to show, to the best of my ability, how much more may be attained by those who practice the cardinal virtues, the greatest of which is Charity. This, the most redeeming feature in the nature of " poor hu- manity," is more correctly delineated by Freemasonry than any other example I could possibly find. Because the brotherhood cloaks its good deeds from the prying eyes of heartless scoffers, and prefers to keep secret rather than to parade its charitable actions, many doubt its value and sincerity. But there are thousands now living who would have foundered and sunk beneath the turgid waves of affliction, had not a Mason's hand been extended to pluck them forth from the rapid-rushing tor- rent that would have carried them to destruction. And now, having baptized my bark, I launch her forth, trusting that she will merit and meet the approbation of the public, to whom courtesies THE AUTHORESS. CONTENTS. IAPTR - PAGE I. FOR BETTER OR WORSE .......... .............. 7 II. WIDOW AND HER SON ......................... 17 "I. ANNAH'S RrVAL ............ .......... * 26 IV. CHANGING BASE ............................. a7 V. KISSING THE ROD ............................. 47 VI. BENEVOLENCE a...................... ......... 56 VII. "AsHES TO ASHES" '... 66 VIII. TORN ASUNDER ..... ........................ 76 IX. "A NICE OLD MAN" ............. ...... 89 X. "ZURA" ...Ob a .. a b I ... 96 XI. THE LOST SLAVE .............................. 105 XII A NIGHT Or TERROR ..................... .. 1il XIII. SHELTERED .......1.A..a. .............. .6 16 XIV. TrEi GREEN-EYED MONSTER . ...................... 140 XV. A MODEL HUSBAND ........ . 155 XVI. MORGAN'S MACHNATIONS .................... .. 170 XVII. FOUND AT LAST 1..9.......... ............ 179 XVIII. SUNSINME AND SHADOW ..................... 188 XIX. "COMNG EVENTS", J ...:.................. CS5 XX. THE STORM BURSTS ........ .... 2G7 XXI. RES ANGUSTA DOM .. a ..., ......... .... 218 XXI l. TiE SECRET DISCLOSED ... .................... XXIII. ANNAH'S PROBATION ...................'...... 242 XXIV. SEEKING SOLACE ..............................59 XXV, A HOSTILE MEETIG , ..................... 267' XXVL. A GALLANT DEIID ............... .... ..... 278 page: viii (Table of Contents) -7[View Page viii (Table of Contents) -7] viil C-ONTENVTS. CHAPTER PAGE XXVII. FILLED TO THE BRIM .......................... 289 XXV111. "UP IN A BALLOON". ........................... 303 XXIX. GALE-DRIVEN ................................. 309 X XX. How THE LADDER WAS REARED... ................ 23 XXXT. PREPARING FOR COMBAT ...................... 340 XXXII. BOWED DOWN. .................. .................. 50 XXXITT. THE RETRIBUTION ........... .. .... 866 XXXTV. PORT AT LAST ........................ ....* 371 37 IiCHAPTE I. FOR BETTERI OR WORSE. And then they laid their bribe at her feet, -'Tis the same old tale that often is told- They played on the strings of her heart's conceit, And dazzled her eyes with gold. WHAT a beautiful starlight night!" said Annah Foy, addressing her friend, Julia Morrison, as they strolled up and down an old piazza. "Yes," replied her companion; "this scene re- minds one of Dido- 'In such a night Stood Dido, with a willow in her hand, Upon the wild sea-banks, and waved her love To come again to Carthage.'" As these words escaped the lips of Julia, she glanced at Annah, who stood with quivering lips, and tears lingering in her bright blue eyes, as she threw back a cluster of auburn curls which drooped A - over her fair forehead. Just then Julia noticed the page: 8-9[View Page 8-9] 8 rTE GOLDET LADDER. brilliant diamond star that gleamed on the slender finger of her friend in the moonlight, As often as she had seen this love-token, she had never before thought of its pure value. She saw that Annah had some secret -to unfold, as she was her bosom companion and adviser, and could read every emotion of her soul. "Why did you so particularly mention the Queen of Cartilage a few moments ago?" asked Miss Foy. "Because I knew you were in love, and the moon and stars always revivify these thoughts in our minds." "Yes,"' replied Miss Foy, "that is true; and for the last half-hour I have been trying to nerve myself to tell you a secret, but I fear your decision." "Really," said Julia, "do you? But I did not suppose for a moment, Annah Foy, that you would ever keep anything from me that pertained to your happiness or future prosperity. You know that we are true friends, and true friendship never wavers. Besides, you also know that Adrian Castle left you under my charge when he went to the Indies." At the very sound of Adrian's name Annah appa- rently trembled. "Oh, Julia t" cried the fair girl, "that is just the subject that I was trying to broach, but I could not gain courage enough to do so." FOR BEIT&'.M OR WORSE. 9 "Well, what is it?" asked the sprightly Julia. "I am always ready to aid my friends," she added. At that instant, Annah held forth her beautiful hand, and said, referring to the brilliant that shone upon her finger: "Next Wednesday, next Wednesday, Julia, I re- move from my finger this elegant ring;" and, as her lips uttered the words, tears fell from her eyes upon the sacred treasure she so highly prized. "What do you mean, Annah?" asked Julia Mor- rison. "'That ring is the token of love and an engagement between you and Adrian Castle, at least, so I have always understood." "Well," replied Miss Foy, "so it was, Julia, but that vow is broken-broken indeed!" "By whom?" asked the intrepid girl. ":By Adrian," replied Annah, trying to look angry; ' and next Wednesday will be my wedding- day." "Wedding-day!" repeated Julia, as she turned deathly pale. "Annah Foy, you certainly must be bereft of your senses! To whom, if I may ask, do you intend to give your hand?" ! "To Marcellus Morgan," replied Annah, gravely. "Do you intend to reject Adrian Castle, and to; marry Marcellus Morgan?"' "I have never rejected Mr. Castle, Julia," said page: 10-11[View Page 10-11] '10 THE GOLDETV LADDER. Annah, with a pensive air. "He has broken his engagement with me, and I am now at liberty." "I do not believe it," said her friend, with energy. "This is an intrigue of Morgan's, and at some future day you will repent this hasty marriage. I know that your old Aunt Betsey favors this union with Mr. Morgan; she is one of the worshipers of Aaron's 'Golden Calf.'" "No, no, Julia," said Annah, "not a calf, but a ladder." "Well," replied Miss Morrison, "I have read of the calf, not of the ladder; therefore I thought that perhaps the old lady wished you to become one of the idolaters." "Ah!" said Annah, smiling, "she did tell me the other day to ascend the Golden Ladder in my youth, and not await for 'Oriental honors'-to accept Mar- cellus, whether I loved him or not." "Fine advice," said Julia. "She was thinking of Mount Pisgah, no doubt, and wished old Moses on the ladder to view the Promised Land, as she is so holy and desirous to go to that beautiful country some of these days." "The secret is unfolded, Julia," said Miss Foy, ' next Wednesday is to be my wedding-day, and as you have always promised toe one of my brides- maids, I desire your attention." FOR BETTER OR WORSE. H We cannot describe the astonishment of Julia Norrison when she perceived that Appah was in earnest; however, she consented to play her part on the bridal day. "Well," said our young friend, "do you know that I we have been in this heavy dew more than three hours? Let us retire, my lady fair, and dream upon the merits of your intended lord, and the rural scenery of Poplar Hill." The two young ladies retired; but only to rest, not to sleep, for in one week more the gay and happy Annah Foy was to become Mrs. Marcellus Morgan. The weather was beautiful during the latter part of August: the sparkling diamond, Adrian's present, had been removed, and Marcellus's plain ring placed upon Annah's finger; yet she had whispered when she removed this love-token, "I will keep this treas- ure, although I shall not wear it. It shall never give my husband pain. I know that Adrian loved me when he placed this little star upon my finger, and, as we shall never meet again, it makes but little difference, now that I shall soon be Mrs. Morgan." She placed this precious treasure in a small gilt box and locked it in a bureau-drawer, where she sup- posed no eyes except her own would ever see it. The wedding-day arrived. The flowers were arrayed in their richest bloom, and green brancheswere weighed page: 12-13[View Page 12-13] 12 THE GOLDEN LADDER. down with tempting fruit. Birds warbled their eu- phonious melodies, and Nature was altogether lovely. Upon one of the noblest plantations in America the bridal procession formed. This was the Morgan homestead. By the request of the old people lMar- cellus and Annah were married there. The edifice was of the Gothic order, substantial and capacious. The lawn, upon which the gay group were assembled, appeared as if Flora and Hebe had strewn flowers on the brilliant pathways of Hymen; although, as if to mock the spirit of Hope, in front of the door of the mansion stood a weeping-willow, whose pend- ent branches overshadowed the bride-symbolical of melancholy. Our heroine was gladdened by the sunlit charms of creation, yet the willow awakened transient emotions of sadness. The bride and groom elect, just before the arrival of the minister, walked to a pleasant garden to survey the rising and swelling surf of the ocean, and, as Annah stood gazing upon the beautiful scene, she repeated the following exquisite lines of Lord Byron: "Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean--xoll! Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain; Man marks the earth with ruin-his control Stops with the shore ;--upon the watery plain The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain A shadow of man's ravage, save his own,e When for a moment, like a drop of rain, FOR BETTER OR WORSE. 13 He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffin'd, and unknown. "Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form Glasses itself in tempests: in all time, Calm or convulsed in breeze, or gale, or storm, Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime Dark-heaving, boundless, endless, and sublime, The image of Eternity--the throne Of the Invisible, even from thy slime The monsters of the deep are made; each zone Obeys thee; thou goest forth dread, fathomless, alone." "Surely, Annah," said Morgan, pressing her hand within his own, "the view of the ocean has called forth a burst of poetry. I never heard you so elo- quent before; you may be a poetess yourself some of these days." The surging waters first appeared dark, until, crested with silvery foam, they broke upon the beach white as the driven snow. Leaning upon Morgan's arm, Annah returned to the house as the minister rode up to salute them. Her orphan, virgin heart became tremulous. Dis- tant billows boomed, and the willow bowed porten- tiously. Tears of joy and sorrow were co-min- gling. Still the goddess of Nature had donned a wedding-garment, ana everything for awhile wore an auspicious aspect. A few moments before Annah was led to the altar, she glanced once more at her fair hand, and could not help but draw a sigh as she page: 14-15[View Page 14-15] " THE GOLDEN LADDER. missed Adrian's ring. The nuptial ceremony had scarcely been solemnized when the unclouded hori- zon became black; thel sun withdrew his radiant beams; vivid flashes of lightning darted to and fro; the thunder reverberated with deafening peals, as large drops of rain fell around, causing many a fra- gile flower to droop its head. Solar radiance sud- denly dispersed that evanescent storm; but ele- mentary strife, occurring at any momentous period, always seems a premonitory sign of woe. "What a storm!" exclaimed the trembling bride- to her friend, Julia Morrison. "A storm, indeed!" returned that young lady, with peculiar accent, as though she considered it an evil omen. Morgan's father affected aristocratic airs; he at first excused himself from being present at the mar- riage-feast, on the plea that his feelings were so exquisitely sensitive, that the slightest apprehension of his son not proving fortunate in the step he had taken, would bring his gray hairs in sorrow to the grave. So the old gentleman complained of indis- position, and kept aloof. Nevertheless, he resigned to Marcellus a handsome estate, and on the follow- ing day the wedding-dinner was to come off at Mar- cellus's own home, "Poplar Hill." This was a fine forest plantation, surrounded with oak, chestnut, FOR BETTER OR WORSE. B 15 and maple, located in a neighborhood called the "White Marsh." Annah was a stranger to this part of the country, and to most of the guests. The wedding-party had all gone on in advance to hail the bride and groom with the usual salutations. When the young husband started for their new home, forsaking the usual road, he took-a circuitous route. The distance was not more than five miles, but, by Morgan's manceuvering, they drove over twice that extent of ground. Weary of riding, the bride gently observed: - "The company will be dissatisfied at our absence, and wonder what has become of us." "I wish you to see the neighborhood," replied her husband, "and to have your opinion of the ' White Marsh.' " "The houses excepted, everything appears dark," rejoined the young wife, listlessly. "Let us increase our speed, or we shall be too late for dinner. I feel tired, and must confess I am hungry." "My horses, madam," cried- Morgan, with asper- ity, " must not be over-driven." However, he- gave orders to move faster. As they approached, tall poplars appeared as though they were looking over the smaller trees ina order to view the bridal group. When they arrived, three or four colossal negroes took charge of the page: 16-17[View Page 16-17] 16 THE GOLDEN LADDER. horses, while dusky faces peeped from every loop- hole and casement to catch a glimpse of their new mistress. Mrs. Morgan could not but admire her new abode. It was a sublstantial, commodious building, located amid enchanting forest scenery, and every way desirable. When Marcellus led his wife to the portal, her heart beat faster as she heard him rapturously ex- claim : "Welcome home, my jewel!" Marcellus had often called Annah by this name in the happy days of courtship; he also knew it was a favorite pet name that Adrian Castle called her by; but, as he had beat the bush and caught the bird, he was not jealous, knowing her -young lover was far away in the East Indies. The wife gazed around. And this was indeed Poplar Hill, of which she had heard so much and so often! The festival passed off with eclat. Morgan senior made his-appearance, and, instead of looking like an invalid, exhibited every' symptom of rude health. He toasted the bride so frequently that he really became sick from a wine-fever. At last the time arrived for the jovial guests to depart, and, a few days after their exodus, the household resumed its pristine calmness. CHTAPTER II. WIDOW AND SON. WEAVING the pair to enjoy the honey- moon, we will take a glance at Annah's step- I mother, Mrs. Mary Ann Foy, who is, as yet, a widow, who has but one child, little Andrew, a bright blue-eyed boy, eight years of age. He had no recollection of his father, having been very young when he lost that inestimable treasure. Andrew naturally asked many questions concerning his de- ceased parent, and would often mention the name of "Sissie Annah." -It was yet vivid' in his mind how she romped, played, danced, and sang for him every evening when she came from school; therefore, it was very natural that, although very young, he should re- member her. Annah Morgan, from childhood, was always fond of pets; birds, flowers, or something, she idolized. She had a cage of red-birds, and little Andrew always made his nurse take him to meet his "Sis- sie," in order that he might tell her ,that he and "Rose," who was the colored girl, had fed the bird- page: 18-19[View Page 18-19] 18 TZHE GOLDEN LADDER. ies. And for a long while subsequent to the death of her father, and after the family had been broken up, and she had gone -to live with her aunt, little Andrew continued to speak of her. Perhaps the reader might be interested in a short digression on the birthplace and life of our hero- ine-'previous to the demise of her father, and her removal to the aunt who was such an admirer of the "Golden Ladder." Annah's kind stepmother, Mrs. {Mary Foy, was fond of relating historical events; she will no doubt amuse the reader, as well as her son, by rehearsing little incidents connected with the birthplace and life of Annah Foy, when a child. It is always well for people to know who their an- cestors were, and from whom they sprang, as there is so much codfish aristocracy in this age, and so many admirers of the Golden Calf. Money out- weighs talent, merit, birth, and every other pure quality, with the great majority of mankind. There- fore, Mrs. Mary Foy was determined that her son should know from whence he sprang, and who his ancestors were. Andrew usually asking many ques- tions, his mother thus commenced: "My son, you were very young when your father died, but I will try to instruct you in regard to your family, birth, etc. But you must not be over-anxious a- WIDOW AND SO. . 19 to hear the end, as there are many very thrilling in- cidents connected with most families, as well as pleasant scenes." M"other, what sort of a man was my father?" asked Andrew, one evening, a few years after Annah's marriage, as they sat all alone beside a good, old-fashioned oak fire, wlich burned on the brass andirons and looked so cheerful. "Well, my child," said his mother, pushing aside hergold glasses, "your father was a widower, and my guardian, when he led me to the altar. Well," we were married, and lived in one of the most beau- tiful villages situated on the shores of the Atlantic, 'Drummondtown.' "This romantic spot is the county-seat, and it con- tains many fine specimens of architecture; churches, with their loud-tolling bells and tall spires, remind- ing us of the rushing tide of city-life, and of the ' last solemn knell;' besides, many other fine edifices give token of the wealth and taste -of the inhabit- ants. This village possesses its shady groves and silent glades, where is heard the constant gurgling of cool running waters, and the warbling of birds among the branches of the mock-orange, tulip, and magnolia, while the odor of a thousand flowers is wafted upon the breezes far and wide. The yards are most beautifully pebbled, and mantled in green, page: 20 (Illustration) [View Page 20 (Illustration) ] 20 THE GOLDEN LADDER. which could not fail to charm the senses of the most fastidious traveler. "So many varieties of fruimits are seldom found in t a country town. Nothing, or rather, no place could be more delightful than this charming spot, whichh, in fact, contains only about trwo thousand inhabit- ants. It has two principal streets, 'Back,' and 'Front.' There are cross-streets, but your father lived in one of the most -elegant houses in town, situated just upon the hill, on 'Back' street. We preferred this quiet locality, being both fond- of re- tirement. "No one could behold this little town and refuse to admireits picturesque beauty. 'Nature had been lavish in its gifts, and hoar Ocean lent his sublime majesty to enhance the glories of the scene. The Garden of Eden must have been well stocked with shrubberies and fruit-trees, to give the gardener constant employment. Honeysuckle and clematis perfumed white, sparkling, serpentine walks, shaded by many different kinds of trees. I have heard that there is a hybridal production farther south, which possesses animal life. Although rooted in the ground like a plant, its stem and leaves exactly re- semble the body of a locust. "Even the court-yards at Drummondtown were mantled with beautiful verdure, as though the mossy page: -21[View Page -21] WzIDOW AND SON. 21- grass had bqen transplanted from the mountains of Vermont to Virginia. A"Ah! my son, those were happy days. Your father possessed several plantations, a mansion in town, a store, and large manufacturing interests. He enjoyed great prosperity; he was rather extrav- agant, having been cradled in luxury; but Fabian, your father, was addicted to no kind of dissipation, and, my- dear boy, he was a " she stopped in- voluntarily, and the words died upon her lips. "Why do you not explain yourself, mother? Why this pause? Surely you have always spoken to me of him in the most exalted terms." "At a future day, my son, I will tell you all; but now do not question me." Proceed, mother," said the lad dolefully. "Your grandfather was a rich man, and, although he had five daughters, yet the only son was his es- pecial pet--this only son was your own dear father. Nevertheless, Fabian was not a spoiled child; his talents were of a superior order. Well, after twelve months had passed, your eldest sister, Sissie Annah, as you used to call her so sweetly, was born. God bless her! I think I see her now. Her head w s covered with the most beautiful light curls, and she grew up healthy in mind and body. Whenever your noble father returned from New*York or Philadel- ; I page: 22-23[View Page 22-23] 22 THEL GOLDEN LADDER. phia, after an absence of some weeks, she always endeavored to be the, first to greet him and wish him welcome home; and gladly would he caress her in return, for she was the gem of the household. "One day she had been punished, and she told her papa; he kissed away her tears and gave her a beautiful present, so she forgot her trouble. I men- tion these trivial circumstances to show how well I know Annah's history. Let me see; I was only about fifteen years of age when your father was married to his first wife. He became my guardian, and she always called me ' Cousin Mary.' But, alas I after your father's death the lambs were soon scattered from the fold! Annah was very fond of history; she excelled in every branch of literature, but historical events were her delight. She soon importuned her father for the biographies of Napo- leon Bonaparte, Cromwell; Christopher Columbus ; in short, she was conversant with Plutarch, Virgil, and Horace among the ancients, and with, every modern historian and chronologist." Here the narrator, or rather the desultory talker, mused for a few moments with her chin resting in one fair hand. Andrew thought that he saw in her soft blue eyes bright and sad reminiscences of the past. He preparbd himself to receive a new and WIDOW AND SON. - 23- precious fund of information, when his mother sud- denly exclaimed: "You are- the living image of your father, my son, and I do sincerely hope that you may be a good-"She paused again and changed her con- versation. "A what?" asks Andrew. "Ah! never,mind, my boy. Time will unfold many things which are now mysterious." "Why, mother," said the youth, "how strangely you talk. Whenever you speak of my father, you suddenly stop and will not explain yourself." "Time-time, my child, is all I want. It is not advisable always to tell all we know; however, I am sorry for your sake that I have! not your father's , daguerreotype, for a very sufficient reason, that when he was alive sun-pictures were not so common. I had but one small one, which was broken and fell from the case and was lost. Oh, my dear! thou- sands of dollars would I give for a likeness of him, now. He was such a good man; so devoted to his--" Another pause. ' I wish I could forget him; but impossible. No, never! never! When I Daguerre first talked of fixing an image, his niece concluded that the great philosopher, was crazy. What an invention, truly, was this! yet the photo- graph is superior and muchl more durable, and when -- I ! page: 24-25[View Page 24-25] 24 THE GOLDEN LADDER we gaze upon even the reflected features of those we love, how happy we are! It raises our drooping spirits, as we pass through the scenes of adversity which so many people are subject to during life, to view such pleasant reminders of erstwhile prosper- ous days. When Napoleon the First was in his mother's arms on the island of Corsica, no vision of the barren rocks of St. Helena visited his imagina- tion; so you see, my son, that this is a world of change.- I will refer to your father again, as he spoke of his little jewel, this, my son, was your Sissie Annah. Even his executor was importuned to see that his daughter, Annah Foy, was properly educated and cared for, and your uncle, Colonel Clifton, who was appointed to that position, prom- ised your anxious father to be faithful. He gave many instructions relative to her, previous to his death, and he also implored me to watch over her; but circumstances were such, that it became impos- sible for me to strictly obey that behest. "I will speak to you again at some other time," concluded the gentle-mninded lady; and Andrew withdrew, hoping at some future day his mother would reveal the secret connected with his father's life. When children lose such a parent as Fabian Foy was universally acknowledged to be, then they be- WIDOW AND SON. 25 come conscious of, the worth of the one -they have lost. There are some children almost if not quite as well off without fathers as with them. Such was not the case in the family of our heroine. Months of affliction were endured, the chain was sundered, and with it the holy links of love destined to separate these children. "The jewel" was a pet name given to Annah by her father, when a babe; therefore she retained it, more or less, for many long years in her family. J page: 26-27[View Page 26-27] CHAPTER III. ANNAH'S RIVAL. JUR readers will have to watch the move- : ments of our heroine, as astronomers watch the revolutions of a radiant star, partially eclipsed; when the occultation is over, our jewel perhaps may blaze forth with celestial glory, like one of those that adorned the breast-plate of Aaron. We will now return to the young wife, as she is all alone. Annah endeavored to be happy. She thought thatshe could be; apparently there was nothing to render her otherwise. She was very domestic. Heretofore she had been devoted to books; house- keeping cares were, therefore, something novel and pleasing; and then it was like a new existence to escape from the tyranny of her harsh and mercenary Aunt Betsey. At this time her husband appeared to be exceedingly attached to her. It would, per- haps, have been scarcely possible for a human being to be otherwise. When Annah Foy became the wife of Marcellus Morgan she was a rare specimen of the perfection attainable by the human family. ANNArS RIVAL. ' 27 1Knowing herself to be a wife, and thinking that she might become a mother, she endeavored to enjoy the good and reconcile herself to all that was unpleasant. She often thought of Adrian; but, believing him to be false, stifled every emotion of -her soul, to love Morgan and be all to him that she had promised at God's altar. The parents of Marcellus were wealthy, but mer- cenary. They applauded the exquisite neatness of Annah's menage, and her strict attention to her, household duties; but they bitterly condemned what they styled her extravagance. They filled the neighborhood with complaints in this regard. Annah was also forced to perceive the penuriousness of her husband. She could not fail to hear in what manner his parents condemned her, and it rendered her very unhappy. Dreading to be the cause of contention, she endeavored to manage affairs in a manner pleas- ing to his lordship and his relatives. But. one who seeks to please many has the hardest of task- masters. A week after the marriage of A-nnah, her husband received from her guardian the property belonging to his wife. She never knew in what manner it was * applied. Once she ventured to make some inquiries in regard to what was so justly her own--left her by the best of fathers; but the manner in which she . page: 28-29[View Page 28-29] 28 THE GOLDEN LADDER. was answered discouraged, nay intimidated, her from ever making a second attempt. Morgan in a short time became very cruel to her. Had she been of the same mould as himself, perhaps he would have treated her differently. As it was, he could not forgive her superiority in every respect. This is one of the greatest banes to happiness in married life. A refined, intellectual woman, tied for life to a man in every way her inferior, is a far more wretched and more pitiable object than the most superior of men to the most inferior wife can ever be. What, on this head, says the- shrewd Briton, who astonishes us with his delineations of character and caustic wit? "Much of the quarrels and hatred which arise be- tween married people come, in my mind, from the husband's rage and revolt at his discovering that she who is to rminister to all his wishes, and is church- sworn to honor and obey him-is his superior ; and that he, and not she, ought to be the subordinate of the twain." And in these controversies, we think, lay the cause of Morgan's anger against his lady. When he left her, she began to think for herself, and her thoughts were not in his favor. After the illumination, when the love-lamp is put out that anon we spoke of,.and by common daylight you look at the picture, what a daub it looks! What a IANNAH'S RIVAL. 29 clumsy effigy! How many men and women conie to this knowledge, think you! And if it be painful for I a woman to find herself wedded for life to a man and ordered to love and honor a dullard, it is worse still for the man himself, perhaps, whenever in his dull comprehension the idea dawns that this wife is in truth his superior, that the woman who does his bidding and submits to his humors should be his lord, that she, can think a thousand things beyond his muddled brain, and that in the fair head pillowed on his breast lie a thousand feelings, mysteries of thought, latent scorns and rebellions, whereof he dimly perceives the existence, as they look out fur- tively from her eyes. Treasures of love doomed to perish without a hand to gather them; sweet fancies and images of beauty that would grow and unfold t emselves into flower; bright wit that would shine like diamonds, could it be brought to the sun; yet the tyrant in possession, crushes the outhreak of all these, drives them back like slaves into the dungeon and darkness, and chafes without that his superior is rebellious, and his sworn subject undutiful and refractory. But alas! Annah was not refractory--she was now married, and too well she knew her duty to shrink from the execution thereof. The fine flower-parterre at Poplar Hill became the chosen retreat and consol- page: 30-31[View Page 30-31] 30 THE GOLDEN LADDER. atory refuge of the disappointed and crushed young creature. The morning and the evening sun beheld her there; each flower was a well-known friend; V there she often mused upon the wishes of her aunt, and wondered how people could sacrifice so much for GOLD, and the thought of the future often made her tremble. "A change came o'er the spirit of" the choice, and Annah's moody husband was seized with a fit of sociability. She, already accustomed to his ex- hibitions of absurd caprice, ceased to wonder at aught she saw or heard, and prepared to do, unceas- ingly and without a murmur, her duty. "Now came another sort of life- And every evening ballsor rout." In a modified manner, Annah applied these lines to this new phase of her brief married experience, re- calling, at the same time, some others that had once made her smile at their unaffected egotism. "Through all this weary world, in brief, Who ever sympathized with grief Or shared my joy, my sole relief? Myself 't Our heroine, for a time, felt the relief afforded by the excitement of this hospitable change in the role of the penurious family. Not a day elapsed without some social recreation. Mrs. Morgan beheld with ANNAH'S RIVAL 31 wonder her husband in a new light; she had not 'known that it was in him to be so courteously agree- i able. Although a woman may not be in love with her husband, nay, may not even love him (for to be in love and to love are two very different. cases), yet her heart may throb painfully at the idea of a rival. Among the first to welcome the bride to her new habitation was Lucretia L--. The eyes of Lucre- tia were blue, her chin that of a Bacchante, her nose aquiline, her forehead low, her complexion that of a lily, her figure that of a Juno. In a casual observer, perhaps, her lofty, commanding personnel would inspire awe rather than warm admiration. Poplar Hill seemed to be no strange abode to this mysterions inmate. When she honored that place- with her presence-which, in fact, had become a circumstance so frequent as to cause her absence a thing to be remarked--she issued commands for her comfort like one who felt herself to be at home. Her bewildering eyes seemed to hold frequent and my:sterious converse with the cunning, serpent-eyes of Marcellus. Mrs. Morgan felt uneasy, and her lone heart asked herself the question that delicacy forbade her lips to frame; to her husband, "( Who and what was this woman? Whither came she, and wherefore was she here?" This; as well as the page: 32-33[View Page 32-33] 32 THE GOLDEN LADDER. character of the man whom she had married, was still beyond the comprehension of Annah. One evening the parlor was filled with dancers. Annah stood within the deep embrasure of a win- dow; beside her reclined her husband upon an ot- toman. He lazily watched the waltzers. Lucretia floated past in the embrace of her partner. She shot a glance at the supine host his eyes followed her. Half unconsciously he murmured, "By the living gods, some such divinity must have inspired Prior when he wrote: 'Ringlets of pearl gave roundness to her arm, And every gem augmented every charm 1'" This look and the tell-tale intonation of his deep voice, sent " a shaft of light" into the brain of An- nah; she felt as if an icy arrow had c]eft her heart. She had seated herself; involuntarily she arose; but Marcellus, encircling her waist with his arm, drew her, not ungently, back again. His penetrating eyes for an instant studied her face; he imagined that he saw therein something to flatter his self- love. "What! already jealous?" he whispered, with a sarcastic sneer, which he endeavored, but ineffect- ually, to conceal. "My beloved Jewel forgets the wish she expressed only yesterday,' that her hus- ! A NAH'S RIZVA. 33 band was as renowned a warrior as Alexander.' Per -Baccho/!"-M-r. Morgan was unable to express himself without expletives--"I feel as great in pos- sessing a Roxana and a Statira!" "What do you mean, Mr. Morgan?" asked An- nah, faintly. "Softly, mio car'ssimo /" returned Morgan. Then, affecting a sanctimonious manner, he asked: "Is my lady-wife well versed in Scripture?" "With its spirit, not its mere letter," replied the disconcerted Annah, scarce knowing what she uttered. "Was not Abraham a righteous man?" "Who doubts it, Mr. Morgan?" "Not I!" replied he sneeringly. "He was wise withall By-the-by, how many hand-maidens did Sarah allow the great patriarch?" "Mr. Morgan, permit me to- retire, if you please; I dislike this conversation." "Pshaw!" retorted Morgan. "I feel an irresist- ible inclination to test your biblical knowledge. Was not Jacob a holy man to serve old Laban so long and faithfully for the sake of two women, who both became his wives? King David did not hesi- tate to place his friend in the front of the battle, when he took a fancyv to the Captain's dame; and ) the wisest of the sons of men kept a harem like the Grand Sultan." 2* page: 34-35[View Page 34-35] 34 THE GOLDEN LADDER "Mr. Morgan, the drift of your remarks is unin- telligible to me. Could you :not choose a different subject, if we must converse?" "I have done for the present," he answered, roughly pushing her away; then, rising, he saun- tered through the crowd. When his wife next saw, him, he was threading the mazy waltz, with Lucretia clasped in his bold embrace. Mrs. Morgan could not help hearing the inuendoes with which the various guests interlarded their con- \7 versations. She could not help seeing the glances, which were directed toward herself, and at the couple then gyrating on the floor. Commiserating glances were bestowed upon her, and meaning looks and covert smiles abounded -whenever Lucretia's name was lentioned. That night Morgan's passion seemed to have reached its climax. Pure and gentle ; as was his wife, that night her scintillating eyes be- stowed upon him a glance that he never forgot. On the following morning Morgan affected uncon- sciousness of what had passed the previous eveling. i He met his wife with the blandest smiles, expressing profound regrets for her pale and languid appear- ance. He complained also of a tedious headache, saying, with an air of contrition, that he had takenr rather too much wine the previous night. He sipped his coffee, and read, or pretended to read, the paper. ANNAH'S RIVAL. 35 Mrs. Morgan glanced at him; she thought of the storm-clouds that darkened the sunny sky on her bridal morn, and she shuddered. The spoon she had carried half-way to her lips fell from her nerve- less hand, striking the delicate Chinese porcelain It breakfast-cup and breaking it into pieces. "You are nervous!" said Marcellus, with un- wonted kindness of manner, while he inwardly won- dered how far his wife was really aware of the extent of his shameful conduct on the previous evening. Ah! she knew far more than he dreamed, far too much for her peace of mind; she could almost have wished herself the simpleton hier hus- band seemed to imagine her to be. Yet she spoke steadily, and with consummate grace and dignity. "Mr. Morgan, I regret that circumstances compel me to say such words, but that person whom you term Lucretia, must quit this house." "She has already left it, Mrs. Morgan," remarked Marcellus, nonchalantly; then, lightly humming a popular, air, he sauntered out of the room. The" wronged wife was incredulous; but several days rolled on, and the beguiling syren still remained absent. The evenings became again quiet; the en- tertainments ceased altogether; the harp was " mute on Tara's walls;" the banquet-halls were indeed deserted. , A. page: 36-37[View Page 36-37] 36 THE GOLDEN LADDER. Marcellus became again silent, and daily grew more and more taciturn and morose. Again Annah turned to Nature for companionship and consolation; again the garden was continually haunted with her gentle presence, and with her own delicate hands she often worked, and watered her flowers; and the shrubbery at Poplar Hill was quite sufficient to dispel all sad moments, if it were pos- sible to do so. ', A CRHAPTER IV. CHANGING BASE. UiUR heroine was too pure,to even yet ,w perfectly comprehend the baseness of her - hudsband's character. The sacredness of the marriage tie, he mocked at. The money which Annah possessed,' not her talent, goodness, and beauty, had been the bait that had lured the heartless roue into matrimony. The chains already galled'him; he longed for his lost liberty. As a married man, he owed a duty to society, which that peculiar institutibn never thinks of i claiming from a celibate. He could hardly refrain from an audible oath whenever his glance rested upon the ring of gold which encircled the slender finger of Annah's left hand, although it was much inferior to Adrian's gift. His fits of passidn and moroseness became so frequent, that to her they suggested hereditary insanity. She, herself,-could scarcely credit some scenes through which she passed, and, in reaction, the plausibility of her husband would almost per- page: 38-39[View Page 38-39] 38 THE GOLDEN LADDER. suade her to the conclusion that she had been dreaming. One night he locked her in a small unlighted room, where he had chanced to find her indulging in the "luxury of woe"--tears. In some moods these maddened him, and as their conversation had not been of the most agreeable character just prior to this, as Lucretia's visits had been the theme, he was more than usually angry. As Annah sat in the dark room, musing on what had passed between herself and Marcellus, she heard a footstep, that she instinctively knew was her husband's, approach the door-then the key was gently turned in the lock and Morgan retreated as silently as he had advanced. Annah's prison was a sort of off-room, a receptacle for all sorts of odds and ends, to which she had fled that night, expecting to remain undiscovered; but her jailor had found her out. Annah was timid, and impen- etrable darkness universally reigned. She threw herself upon an old lounge and anxiously watched for the dawn, until her eyelids ached with inter- mittent slumbering symptoms. At length nature triumphed, and she, slept profoundly. On the fol- lowing morning the door was opened by Morgan. His evil eyes twinkled when he met his composed wife at the breakfast-table. He had opened the CHANGING BASE. 39 cage, fand had found the bird quiet. He had no notion that she possessed so brave a spirit. That; day a carriage drove up to the door. Annah beheld Lucretia reclining among the cushions. She . was clad in deep mourning., Handing a note to the servant, she gave orders to drive on, and again dis- appeared from the astonished gaze of Mrs. Morgan. The note, to the amazement of the mistress of the house, was addressed to herself. It ran thus: "MADAM :-I sincerely regret the thoughtless con- duct of Mr. Morgan, and, believe me, have more than once severely lectured him upon his gross dereliction of courtesy to a young and lovely wife. I am on the eve of departure on a long journey. We shall, probably, never meet again. Permit me, then, to take this opportunity of wishing you many, many years of health and happiness; and, moreover, to add that I trust your husband will profit from my salutary admonitions. "LUOCRETIA." The note fell from the hands of the astonished wife. "Was there ever before such a piece of audacity?" she asked herself. That evening, Annah stood beside a window watching the stars; wandering meteors and fire- flies gleamed in the dark-blue atmosphere, so much page: 40-41[View Page 40-41] 40 THE GOLDEN LADDE R. resembling each other that it seemed almost impos- sible to distinguish them. "Ah!" she exclaimed; unconscious that she thought aloud, "thus inexperienced maidens are deceived in men, mistaking for heavenly bodies mere falling stars, or ephemeral phosphorescent exhalations." Thus a sadness came over her, and she thought of Adrian, then far away. "You will soon enjoy an opportunity of studying, the stars under a new aspect," said a harsh voice beside her. Turning, she beheld her husband. She asked' no questions; well knowing that they would most likely remain unanswered ; that the gentleman would not speak until it so suited his whim. It so hap- pened that it pleased him to open his oracular lips speedily, and briefly. "I have purchased a plantation, Annah, and you may prepare for a removal. I am sick of Poplar Hill," he said. That was the amount of the information deigned to Mrs. Morgan in regard to the projected change of abode. She asked ,no questions, and no one volunteered instruction. It seemed that Mar- cellus had been for some time looking for a farm, and he had just closed his bargain on the very morning his fair damsel left. -.This beautiful place 6CANGING BASE. 41d was situated on the banks of the Rappahannock. His family, accordingly, were removed. The loca- tion was very pleasant. The house, a large three- story building erected on an eminence, commanded an extensive view of water, hill, and dale. That romantic spot might well have been hailed as the garden of the country. Annah, upon arriving at her new abode, fostered hopes of enjoying some tranquillity. She imagined that the same pride which she fancied had dictated this removal into a strange place, would prevent Morgan from committing himself so far as to incur public obloquy here, as had already been the case elsewhere. The unhappy wife anticipated a blessed immunity from future miseries, and, for a while, her expectations were realized. The dreaded scrutiny of curious neighbors ren- dered Morgan sufficiently cautious not to hazard an expose of family difficulties in that part of the State; but after Lucretia left the neighborhood, Morgan was unhappy. He affected an urbanity of demeanor that so far encouraged our heroine, that, after the expiration of seveial months, she began to experience a sense of security. She became thoroughly domes- ticated, while botany and horticulture served as intellectual recreations. She even planted an odor- iferous shrubbery, and edged with her own delicate page: 42-43[View Page 42-43] 42 THE GOLDET LADDER. hands the mathematically-shaped parterres, luxu- riantlv enameled with every rare flower of native beauty, while in the greenhouse flourished exotics of surpassing loveliness: Every undulating, or serpentine path was tastefully pebbled with an artistic finish resembling mosaic work. Although the roof of the building was red, at a short distance the whole elevated structure appeared like a palace of glittering white marble. On entering the vestibule, and elaborately orna- menrted apartments, the most ordinary persons were enchanted. The conservatory, teeming with count- less fragrant blossoms, vied with oriental floral redundancy. The magnificent parlors, decorated and furnished sumptuously, where friends and neighbors often met under the hospitable roof of an ostentatious Virginian planter. Reveling in reckless profusion, Marcellus seldom vented his spleen: upon Annah, who was ever ready to conceal any ebullition of his temper, which could never be suppressed for many hours together. A good wife is always ready to smother in her own gentle bosom, not only the indiscretion,[ but even the guilt of a husband-his degradation is no glory to her. We need not marvel, then, at the submis, sion of a lovely, talented woman, endowed with an enviable reputation. Annah compassionately argued e' CHANVING BASE. 43 that her troubles were caused by the animal rather h than the man. Harley's description of the creation of man, is beautifully original, and suggestive of many rational deductions. According to this author's theory, every human being possesses two distinct spirits, one of light, the other of darkness-Good and Evil. All pure thoughts and actions are inspired by the "Holy of Holies." All that is impure, mean, ava- ricious and sensual emanates from the fallen one. Thus, in Marcellus, whatever redeeming points he possessed were all counteracted by the demon within. The diabolical influence of such a being upon a susceptible, refined, too sensitive, and highly nervous spirit could not fail to be wretched in the extreme. Morgan could not wear the mask for any length of time. Occasionally the wicked part of his nature would predominate, and gross advances to modest ladies, too modest to complain, gradually depopulated the avenues of Fashion, as the various broad roads leading to Morgan's mansion had been- facetiously styled. As the excitement of a new residence and new faces subsided, so the cloven foot began to show itself. Ev entually Annah's new Eden wilted to a desert, a flowery, region was trans- formed into an arid Sahara. page: 44-45[View Page 44-45] THE GOLDEN LADDER. - 'Thus Mungo Park was not more isolated in the unklnown solitudes of Africa than was Annah Mor- gan among the deserted groves of Oak Lawn. The picturesque plantation lost every charm, when sym- metrical forms and smiling faces no longer glad- dened the sight. Annah was fast becoming too much disheartened to endeavor to preserve its beauty only to grace a solitude. Kolzbue, the German philosopher, truly observed, "The people, and not the place, inspire emotions of indelible delight." The Baptist church had years before received Annah As a member. The sanctimonious Pilate Patter, who had married Mrs. Mary Foy, the second wife of Annah's father, presumed to censure Mrs. Morgan's love of gay apparel-as if all people were bound to wear the Jesuit livery, because he did; viz., a stiff white cravat, and a black domino. There is decidedly, at all times, a very black appear- uance about some "pale faces," as the American Indian would term our whitened sepulchres. We would not dare whisper a word against ministers of the Gospel, for we know there are good men among this class; but, at the same time, there are the basest hypocrites, and Mrs. Mary Foy, Annah's kind stepmother, was so unfortunate as to marry such a man. CHANGING BASE. 45 Thus we find Annah musing on the past and present, secreted in a forsaken arbor, over-clouded with the fragrant wild jessamine. She at times would remain motionless for hours, meditating upon her father. The rural beauties of Locust Grove, in her appreciation, far excelled the romantic splendor of Morgan's new plantation. What charms would the, enchanted estate have pbssessed for Beauty, if the Prince had always remained a Beast? She, of whom we write, was even denied the consolation derivable from books. The petty des- pot studied to afflict her mind, and undermine her: health.' He considered that the world contained no works superior to Jack -Sheppard, Dick Turpin, Claude Duval, Fistiana, or the Manly Art of Self- Defense, and certain not-to-be-mentioned publica- tions in yellow paper covers/ Mrs. Morgan could by stealth enjoy her favorite authors, Plato, Homer, Virgil, Addison, Milton, Shakespeare, Bulwer, Dickens, and many other ancient and modern mediums through whom the. immortal spirit of genius never ceases to commune with mankind. The trapper, Marcellus, would lie 'in wait like a fox, to watch whether Avnah received any mental I page: 46-47[View Page 46-47] CHAPTER V. KISSING THE ROD. DESPITE the ancestral dignity pertain- ing to the Morgan family, Morgan had been brought up, with his obtuse brothers and sisters, to obtain the advantage over every one whom it was possible they could; to change cents into dimes, dimes into dollars, and dollars into eagles, honestly or dishonestly, which- ever way proved most profitable. He was one of the admirers of the Golden Ladder, and there are thousands of others of the same type. Had Marcellus been enlightened by education, Annah imagined that his character would have improved; consequently she pitied him, and en- dured a martyrdom, hoping ultimately to hail his reformation. A knowledge of human nature would have convinced her that education only renders an inherent knave more subtle and refined in cruelty. We have many examples of such erudite monsters among the Roman Emperors, Popes, Kings, and Jesuists, who, with the additional panoply of a mock religion, have subverted morality and independence. f N I page: 48-49[View Page 48-49] 48 'THE GOLDEN LADDER. Annah being naturally energetic, it was not in the power of Morgan to subdue her vivid imagina- tion. The broken-hearted Byron, ridiculed by a heartless mother-for a natural deformity, sought, among the wild scenery of creation, spiritual con- solation. The spirit of creation responded, and imbued his glorious mind with her divine mysteries. Thus Annah imbibed from the same source similar alleviation. Morgan's low practical jokes were sometimes too much for human endurance, and what he frequently commenced in a spirit of tantalizing ferocity, often ended in a cruel exhibition of power. One day, as Mrs. Morgan entered her room on a return from a visit to a sick friend, she beheld Marcellus sitting at the window, as though he had been watching for her. An angry frown rested upon his brow. He spoke in a bombastic style. "Oh verily, ma chere ami, thou hast not been sufficiently baptized; and, as to-morrow is church- day, what is efficacious once must prove so a second time," he cried, and he dashed the contents of a foot- bath over her. His only excuse for such vile conduct was that Annah had made too long a visit to her sick friend, and had not returned in time to head the supper-table. Faint from fatigue, she suffered severely from so unexpected an immersion, and , KISSING THE ROD. 49 shivered 'from agitation as much as from the effects, of the water, - "This is the cure," said he, "which they use up North-cold water cure!"-and, seeing Annah shivering, he continued: "You look cold, my lady, as though this cure did not agree with you, and as they are going to free all the slaves, we are to be drawers of water and hewers of wood, so you may as well learn to make a fire and dry your sweet self. I see this bath does not agree with your ladyship; yet it is good to circulate your blood." Mrs. Morg:an moved away noiselessly, and retiring to her dressing-room, wrapped herself in a heavy, thick shawl and threw herself upon a. lounge. Well she knew that all was not over, and useless was it to contend with her heartless tormentor. Morgan was absent but a moment; when he returned, he bore in his hand such a w7tip as he used for his slaves. '"Up, up, madam," cried the furious man. She did not move; indeed, she could' not have done so had her life depended upon loco- motion. Seizing her by the arm, he dragged her from the lounge and threw her violently upon the floor. What he would have done next, God only knows, had not a loud knocking, and the voice of gay laughter in another part of the house, attracted - his attention. The curiosity of the monster was * O ' , , 'i ^ . / ' ' "^ page: 50-51[View Page 50-51] 60n THE GOLDEN LADDER. excited to discover who would dare to laugh with- out permission in his house, and, after a moment's hesitation, during which the noise increased, he strode angrily off, forgetting to lock the door, ! and only stopping to mutter, with a horrible oath : "Lie there, madam, and I'll finish you when I - return." Annah had been stunned by her fall, and it was some moments before she was able to stir; but fear restored the use of her faculties, which she at once i concentrated upon one frantic effort to escape[ -I With a silent prayer to the God of the fatherless, she sped from the room. How she succeeded in getting out of the house, she could never distinctly recollect; but instinct seemed to take the place of reason. On, on she sped, swift and sure as the X bird that escapes from its cage into air and liberty X Annah rushed onward, until she had reached the shelter of the forest. The air was damp and chilly; the sky was dark; the night was desolate, and desolate as death was her young heart. On, on she went, whither she knew not, cared not, only let her escape from the demon she had left behind. On, on-until, at last, overcome with terror and ex- haustion, she sank down beside a fallen tree, unable Ji to move further; unable to think, and, indeed, ! KISSING THE ROD. 51 scarcely caring what became of her-- scarcely conscious. She was aroused from the lethargy that was stealing over her, by a superhuman wailing that sounded close to her ear; her very heart stood still with fear. Something-she was too horror-stricken to perceive that it was an owl, the bird of night- something flapped its cold wings in her face; a feeling of helpless horror crept over her, as she recollected the proximity of her hiding-place to the graveyard, whose marble monuments had become dimly visible to her eyes, now grown accustomed to the darkness. In vain she attempted to rise; her extremities were benumbed with cold, from the effects of the damp night air, after having been deluged with water. Cold drops of perspiration oozed from her pores and stood in dewy beads upon her pallid brow. She wished, oh! how she wished, that she could faint away and remain forever insen- sible to the horrors around her ! " Oh, was I but born for this? What to me is life? Father, mother, help! help your dying child!" faintly murmured the broken-hearted wo- man. She believed that their sainted forms were near her, that they were her guardian angels, and, at a future day, she would be liberated from Mor- . gan. page: 52-53[View Page 52-53] 52 THE GOLDEN LADDER. Gradually a feeling of indignation entered her heart, as she reflected that the man who assumed the character of her protector was, probably, at that moment reposing upon a bed of down; that even the slaves were all tranquilly slumbering in their little cabins, while she, houseless, alone, was ex- posed to peril. The dread of passing the night in the woods at last overcame her fear of her husband, and, knowing from experience that his frenzy had probably by this time expended itself, slowly and painfully she made her way back to the house. She succeeded in effecting a noiseless entrance, and, in a distant room, sought repose for her chilled and weary limbs. Let the most romantic maiden contemplate for a moment the events related in this most authentic narrative-contrast the days of courtship with the realities of matrimony. Oh, ye fair daughters of America! only make use of those charmed faculties you possess of optical power, and scrutinize the idol closely before you blindly fall down and worship it. Test the worth of thy wooer, analyze his moral and intellectual developments. Remember, oh, remem- ber, all that depends upon your choice. Remember that neither wealth nor -heraldic honors are worthy to be considered as inducements to an intelligent and virtuous woman to part with her liberty for KISSING THE OD. 53 life, to become the most degraded of slaves to a- - What is it?-a hideous nondescript-a lusus naturge quickened by the spirit of a foul fiend-a pretended mank If there be really any truth in the science of phrenology, examine the head of the candidate; observe which mental circle of the brain is most fully developed. The mere animal protuberances, or, knowing faculties (characteristic of the low Hibernian) forming a vast periphery of excresences in which destructiveness, amativeness, and alimen- tiveness are most conspicious. There! we have a cast of Morgan's headpiece. A correct phreno- logical chart of a suitor's cerebral organs is as necessary to a young girl as charts are to travelers in strange countries. That very gentlemanly decapitator of queens, King Henry the Eighth, could never have excelled Marcellus Morgan in doing things coolly. Besides, the royal Blue Beard always took good care to behead his partners upon strictly legal prin- ciples; added to which, the conscientious monarch abhorred any approximation to concupiscence; to avoid which, whenever he took a fancy to a new lady, he employed Cardinal Wolsey, or any other pander, to make a saint of his former wife-while he, out of motives of chastity, i . page: 54-55[View Page 54-55] 54 THE GOLDEN LADDER. "Made her a good woman, And cut off her head." Marcellus set law at defiance. His prototype could only have been found among such demoniacs as Dionysius, Caligula, Heliogablus, or Nana Sahib. As a lamb before its shearers is dumb, so Annah silently crept to the couch, which might have been truthfully termed a bed of torture. Like a moth fascinated by the flame, or like a bird charmed by a serpent, the bewitched woman obeyed all her hus- band's caprices. She entertained a bigoted belief in the despotic supremacy of a husband; just as old fogies in Great Britain argue about " the Lord's anointed," that "Kings can do no evil," and many such unmeaning quaint sayings in which antiquated loyalists indulge. Although Mrs. Morgan had never romantically loved her husband, yet her self-respect was unshaken by his barbarity. She possessed that sacred talis- manic treasure-the most perfect boon that} man can win under heaven-a loving heart. Annah's would have responded to Moore's rhapsodical stanza, "Oh 1 what was love made for, if 'tis not the same Thro' joy and thro' torment, thro' glory and shame. I know not, I ask not, if guilt's in that heart, I but know that I love thee, whatever thou art." All pusillanimous submission to tyranny is super- erogatory. Mrs. Morgan should have remembered KISvSING THE - ROD. 55 that respect, like charity, "begins at home," and, also, that "self-preservation is the 'first law of nature." She augmented her sufferings by "kiss- ing the rod." as page: 56-57[View Page 56-57] CHAPTER VI. BENEVOLENCE. ARY, the gentle, blue-eyed widow of Fa- bian Foy, had now been for some length of time the wife of Pilate Patter, a Baptist minister. Scarcely desiring to take again upon herself the bonds of matrimony, yet, as the second candidate persevered in his suit, her moral courage to say "No," was overcome by his impor- tunity. Mary's son, Andrew, was the greatest comfort and happiness of her life. Brave and manly, he still re- tained the vivacity and affection of the boy, but his mother had learned to look upon him as a man. They still retained the habit of sitting beside each other in the summer twilight, or by the winter even- ing fire; the bold boy affectionately listening to the mother's conversation, not, perhaps, without some- times a mischievous sparkle of the eye. Once the lad expressed a desire that his mother would acquaint him further with the history of his family. "Well, my son, as you are so anxious to hear more, BENEVOLENCE. 57 I will recite a circumnstance which once happened at a gentleman's house. There was a plantation ro- mantically situated among hills, and bordering upon the sea-shore, where dwelt a worthy citizen. The crested waves of the dark-blue sea might be seen from the windows of this mansion, and 'the rolling surf ,seemed to sound a diapason to the Great Crea- tor who made the sea and all that therein is. The flood-gull dipped ever and anon into the blue bil- low, or, hovering over, seemed to watch the rush of the mighty waters upon the white shore, whose eter- nal sand appeared to say, 'Thy control stops here.' "Forest trees spread their foliage over the hill- side, shielding the glassy carpet from the too pene- trating rays of the sun. At one spot, a beautiful grove grew almost to the water's edge. The weep- ing willow, the loctst, and the sturdy cedar were there; each testifying to the power and glory of God. All the beauties of nature seemed there dis- played in the most luxuriant profusion. "One morning in June, some years ago, the owner of this delightful spot might have been seen seated beneath a spreading oak. With eyes full of intelli- gent appreciation he watched the sun rising over the smiling scene. His pious heart sung a silent hymn in praise of the Giver of all good gifts. While thus meditating, he was disturbed by an approaching va* '3^, page: 58-59[View Page 58-59] 58 THE GOLDEN LADDER. footstep. Looking toward the spot from'whence the sound proceeded, he beheld a man approaching. As he drew nearer, Mr. A perceived that he was a stranger, but nevertheless rose to meet him.' They met each other, and the stranger smiled. Theireyes seemed to penetrate each other's thoughts, alnd, in an instant, the hand of friendship was offered by, each to the other. , "In that grasp of hands there were volumes to be read, which each one understood. Mr. A , the planter, then asked a few questions, which were readily answered by the stranger, who proved to be a a native of New York in search of employment, and who, having heard that Mr. A was one of the most philanthropic citizens of the county, had taken the liberty to call upon him for advice and assist- ance. -* "The gentlemen walked together to the' house, and the stranger was introduced to the family and requested to make himself perfectly at home. He gracefully bowed, and in appreciative language ac- knowledged his thanks, and also the fact that he had not yet breakfasted, although it was now after nine o'clock, and he had walked a long distance. Break- fast was immediately ordered by the hospitable mas- : ter of the house, and Mr. Gowin did ample justice to the tempting viands spread before him. 10 BE2E VOLENCE. 59 "He was a tall maan, with black hair and eyes, and a dark skin. His fine face gave evidence of intellect; in fact, he was a man of fine talents, although a mechanic in search of employment. " When he had satisfied his appetite, Mr. A-- invited him to retire to a room to refresh himself with an ablution, or perhaps a nap, which offer was gladly accepted. Woman-like, no sooner had their guest disappeared than Mrs. A plied her hus- band with all manner of questions in regard to him. Mr. A-- curtly replied that his lady was to treat the gentleman well While he remained, and ask no more questions-a request Mrs. A immediately complied with by desiring to know how long the gentleman was to remain with them. E Mr. A , in despair, summed up the whole matter by saying that the stranger was from New York, was in search of employment, which, if obtained, he would prob- ably leave immediately, and, if not, might be with them a long time, "' Why did he not go to a hotel, then ?' inquired the indefatigable Mrs. A . 'I am sure we do not keep a public-house ?' "Mr. A-- love. his wife very much, and her seemingly mercenary predilections were all the faults he could find with her. When she thus spoke, Mr. Ar! chided her for being so unwilling page: 60-61[View Page 60-61] 60 THE GOLDEN LADDER. to entertain strangers, and gave her such a keen rebuke, that she said no more. "All went on as usual for some days. The planter used his influence to obtain a situation for his new friend; but it seemed there was no opening at that time in his line of business. Weeks rolled by, and Mr. Gowin could not succeed in procuring employ- ment; but he was treated with all respect and courtesy. The planter seemed delighted with the society of his new acquaintance. They rode out in company, together they daily went fishing, sporting, or in search of amusement and instruction. Mr. Gowin declared that never before in his life had he so thoroughly enjoyed himself. Every morning and evening during the summer, the planter and his friend might be seen on the hill-side, where first they met. There were comfortable seats arranged beneath the trees, and no noolF on the plantation seemed so cosy and so beautiful as this. In the morning the gentlemen would be there to behold the sun rise out of the bosom of the blue waters, to spread his illuminating rays over land and sea, and there they listened to the sea-birds, and enjoyed the cooling zephyr as it came rustling through the green leaves. "If you have ever wandered by the shores of the Atlantic, and viewed the ocean in all its grandeur, BENEYOLEZVCE 61 you could better imagine than I can describe the scene I would fain paint in vivid words. At even- ing the stranger and his friend were again there, as though they were ambitious of astronomical erudi- tion. By moonlight they gazed on nature's pano- rama, and owned that -every twinkling star bore testimony of the Groat Supreme. 'Forever singing as they shine, The hand that made us is Divine ;' that every rustling Heaf spoke of a Power that man can never sufficiently comprehend; yet whose6 ex- istence we all acknowledge. "Many were the delightful and instructive mo- ments here passed by the friends. From beneath that umbrageous tree, all the surroundings seemed to be good; all they could behold of heaven and earth were but speaking evidences of the, almighty power and goodness of Him who contrived, created, and upholds the vast machinery of the universe, from the tiniest flower to Orion, rising in the south, clothed in gigantic majesty; from the veriest ball of earth to the sweet influences of the Pleiades and Charles's Wain there was evidence of God's omnipotence. 'Twas there, on that enchanted mound, that our friends could call to mind more vividly the words of the Bible, where that holy page: 62-63[View Page 62-63] 62 TTHE GOLDEN LADDER book says: ' The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firma-ment showeth His handiwork.' "Time flew on eagle's pinions. Three months had elapsed, and the stranger had yet no employ- ment,; still there was no difference in the cordial conduct of Mr. A , though Mrs. A began to act strangely. She again commenced catechis- ing her husband as to the probable period of Mr. , Gowin's stay. "' So long as he lives?' replied Mr. A ,' pro- 7 vided he desires to remain, and cannot obtain X employment.' "Mrs. A , looking rather cross, remarked : "' Why, surely, Mr. A , Mr. Gowin must be a brother in disguise. I once heard your mother say she had a son who went to sea, and never returned.' ("' He is my brother,' curtly replied Mr. A "' Oh! dear,' exclaimed Mrs. A , all in a flutter, 'why did you not tell me so when he first came, husband, and teach the children to call him uncle?' X "' Oh! never mind about that,' said the planter, smiling. 'The children seem to think a great deal of him even now.' "Mrs. A sat silent a few moments, as though musing upon what her husband had said; then she remarked: "' No-he is not your brother; you are only trying . . I BENEVOLENCGE. 63 to tease me. Because the strange man has been here so long, you really feel ashamed that you are robbing your children; for I am afraid your unbounded charity will bring us all to poverty.' "'No, my wife,' mildly replied Mr. A , 'our charitable deeds will only build us up in this world and in the world which is to come. What was the last commandment our Saviour gave to the disciples ? was it not " love one another ?" And you know, wife, faith, hope, and charity are indispensable. As our friend Mr. Gowin cannot obtain employment, it is our duty to be kind and assisting until fortune smiles upon him.' "'And when may that be ?' asked the wife, looking completely out of patience. "3Mr. A called his children together, and said to his wife: 'My dear, you love your children, do you not ?' "' Certainly I do,' replied the wife and mother, with a mingling of affection and asperity in her manner. " 'Well,' said the planter, pointing to a little blue-eyed, curly-headed boy of about eight sum- mers, whom he knew his wife idolized,' do you know what that child's end is to be ?' " ' Of course not.' "'Well, continued the husband, with a grave page: 64-65[View Page 64-65] " THEZ GOLDEN LADDER. countenance, 'when that boy shall have reached man's estate, at any day or hour, he may need the hand of friendship. What is so uncertain as life? In a few years these bodies of ours may be moulder- ing into dust; green grass may be growing over our graves, and a lettered tombstone be all to tell that such as we have been. As spirits are permitted to know and see what transpires in the material world, would you not bless the hand extended in kindness and assistance to one of your children? This little darling of your heart may need a friend indeed, e'er his mortal career is completed; let us at- least try that the merit of our good deeds rather than our sins be visited upon his- head. We, it is true, may leave him money; but riches ofttimes take to them- selves wings and fly away; and would you not bless God, if retributive justice sent one friend to aid your boy?' Turning to the awe-stricken children, Mr. A added: Run off, little ones, I have done with you for the present.' "Mrs. A gazed at her husband in astonish- ment. He seemed very much affected as he con- versed; tears stood in his manly eyes. She turned away and said no more. He had read her a lesson, and she profited by it. The manner and language of her husband made a deep impression upon her heart. She knew that although she now possessed worldly BENEVOLENCE. 65 wealth, yet she had no proof or security that it would last forever. "Ah! were all the world pure-hearted, what a glorious planet we would inhabit. If every man prac- ticed that which is good, we would not see so many care-worn faces. No, no!--many drooping mortals would be revived, and, brilliancy return to the eyes and color to the cheeks of poor waifs of humanity. For what can sooner destroy a human being than- the misfortune of poverty? There are hundreds and thousands of unfortunates daily sent headlong to destruction because poverty is their portion. There, perhaps, is not one kind heart open to them, nor one hand to offer them assistance. Such deplorable situations are often the cause of men and women throwing themselves away, when, perhaps, a few pitiful dollars, a little kindness in some way be- stowed, might have saved their bodies from polln- tion and- their souls from destruction.' page: 66-67[View Page 66-67] CITA PTER TII. CASHES TO ASHES.' F'TTa, Andrew, Mr. Gowin did not obtain :^ ^ Hi a situation, but was unfortunately taken ill. He had arrived in June, and had passed' the winter on the plantation. The next spring he was ill for some weeks. He was treated' by the best physician in the county. Mrs. A-- could not account for the great interest her hus- band evinced in the stranger, so she one day asked her husband if Mr. Gowin had ever paid any board. "'Why do you ask that question, wife?' asked the planter. "' Because,' said she,' from the manner in which you treat him, and from the attention he receives, one would suppose that he was remunerating you largely; or at least, had promised to leave you a fortune at his death.' "' Have you forgotten, my dear, what I said to you some months ago, about our little son?' "No."' "' Well, I do not wish you to forget it, and never again speak to me about my own business. Mr. 4"ASHES TO ASHES." 67 Gowin is a gentleman, and he is, and ever will be, we]come to a home in my house until he can better himself. He is now ill, poor man, and may never recover. If he dies here, he shall be respectably interred. ' "' I am sure,' said the wife, ' there is some secret about this strange man; all this hospitality is very well; but there is a mystery after all. I know that you are a kind-hearted man, husband. No one ever asked for and was denied what it was in your power to grant; but this is wonderful! Here we have had a strange man from New York living beneath our roof for many months; he has never paid a cent -of board, and yet you say he can still remain. If he dies, you will be necessitated to meet his funeral expenses. There is some secret reason. I am assured of that.' "'Have you not all you need and want, my dear?' asked the planter. "'Yes!' replied the wife; 'but that is no reason why you should give away the balance.' "Mr. A smiled on his wife, and said he had once read a volume called the 'Good Book,' in which was Something to this effect,' Let not thy right hand know what thy left hand doeth.' You, my wife, are a member of the church, and I am not. You object to many things I do. Which of us will have the page: 68-69[View Page 68-69] 68 THE GOLDEN -LADDER. highest seat in heaven, or rather, the heaven about which you talk?' "Mrs. A said nothing, she was silent for- awhile. "' I believe,' continued Mr. A , that the king- dom of heaven is in a man's heart. So said Christ. When a- human being does his duty to his fellow- men, then he is happy; and when he does unto all men as he would like them to do to, him, then he is a Christian. Let our faith shine in our own souls, and our light will shine out upon the world. Never again speak to me on the subject.' "There the conversation ceased, and Mr. A. walked up into the room of his sick friend, whom he found very ill. "'Are you feeling worse, Gowin?' asked the planter. "'Yes,' replied the stranger. 'Mr. A , I am tending toward the close of my earthly career, and never again shall I behold my native place and my former friends. Will you be so kind as to write to my brother?"' "Did he die, mother?" interrupted Andrew, who had become painfully interested in this story. "Be patient, my son; the sequel to myetale will inform you," replied Mrs. Patter. Then she con- finued her narration. i- "ASSIES TO ASES." 69 (' Certainly,' replied Mr. A---; ' but we hope to see you better in a day or two.' "' No!' said the sic'- man, I I shall live but a short time longer. All tha- now agitates my mind is that I am not able to compensate you for all your great and varied kindnesses to me. When I left New York I possessed but a few dollars; I was recommended to come to this State anI county by one who had been here. You are aware how I have endeavored to obtain employment, and that I have signally failed.' "' Never mind about that,' said the planter, 'you are welcome to all I have done for you; not a cent would I receive from you in repayment if you had it. I will write to your brother, but hope, e'er he receives the letter, ycu will be much better.' "The letter was written, sealed, addressed, and sent to the office, and after a little farther conversa- tion Mr. A left his friend to what he thought .necessary repose. " Mr. A sat reading in the library, when he heard a soft footstep stealing down-stairs. He won- dered who it could be, knowing that he had left no one up-stairs excepting the sick man. As the planter raised his eyes he 'eheld Mr. Gowin, dressed in black, hat on, and umbrella in hand. He was com- ing down the steps, -'ut trembled in every limb, and looked as though he was about to fall. page: 70-71[View Page 70-71] 70 THE GOLDEN LADDER. "' For God's sake, Gowin!' exjclaimed the planter, ' where are you going?' "Mr. A-- saw that he was in the agonies of death, for his eyes were: glassy. ",'I am going, for the last time, A , to sit un- der the old cedar on the hill-side, where first we met, my brother.' "'My dear sir,' said the planter, ' go back to your room; you are not able to walk to the sea-shore.' "' Oh! yes,' said he, tottering on. , A jumped up and caught him by the arm. "' I will go too,' he said. "' Oh! A ,' said the dying man,' how dearly I have loved you; and that spot of earth where we first met will live in miy memory throughout eter- nity.' "By the assistance of Mr. A they reached the spot, and the poor man turned away and said: "' It is enough! Carry me back, and let me die!' "His friend helped him into the house and to his room, but he only spoke a few words ere he breathed his last. "Ohl how solemn is the hour of death! Yet there is no death, for the soul is immortal; but each one of us must pass through the same ordeal of change. "Mr. A shed tears of genuine sorrow over the "ASHES TO ASHES." 71 stranger, for he had become very much attached to him. "There were no relatives near to bid him farewell, or imprint a parting kiss; but the hand of the good man clasped that of (the dying-one until the breath was gone and the soul in another state of exist- ence. "Then servants were dispatched for the neighbors to prepare the body for the tomb. "Just before the gentlemen arrived, Mrs. A ran up-stairs to ask Ler husband if she could be of any assistance. Mr. A desired her to help re- move the coat and vest from the dead body. She complied; and, as she laid the vest on a chair she threw up the collar, and as her eyes lighted on a glittering badge she [started back. "' Ah! husband, I have discovered the secret of your friendship for -his poor fellow. You might have told me before, for surely the mystery was not one to be ashamed of' she cried. "'Give me that vest, dear. What mattered it to you what bond of unity existed between Gowin and myself?' "Mrs. A-- did not reply; but she busied her- self seeking small articles of linen, necessary to dress the corpse, which were obtainable in the trunk of the alien. Presently a band of blue satin i J page: 72-73[View Page 72-73] 72 THE GOLDEN .LADDER. and some gold lace met her eye; she quickly clutched it, "'See, husband, here is the poor man's ' "'Give it to me, Ann,' interrupted Mr. A , , petulantly. 'Now do go down-stairs,. I will attend to the rest,' he added. "Mrs. A left the room, feeling much better. satisfied to thinlk that she had discovered some- thing of importance; and her husband, after taking what he wished for the dead, locked the trunk; and pocketed the key.- The stranger was nicely shrouded. What the trunk did not furnish was purchased, and, on the third day, he was carried to the family burial-place, which was situated on another plantation, and a long and elaborately- arranged procession followed the corpse. "The scene at the graveyard was truly solemn. "The funeral-service was read by a Methodist minister in a very impressive manner, and some rites were observed that astonished many among the large concourse of spectators. When the coffin was lowered into the grave, Mr. A o and a few other gentlemen excited the wonderment of the bystanders by strewing the narrow home of their late friend with branches of cedar. "'Guess 'tis the way they bury folk up North; some sign, perhaps, that means life withers away ,ASHES TO ASHES." 73 like the leaves of the trees; them Yanks are a queer lot,' remarked one hoary-headed old man, who, in all his years, had never beheld the custom observed at other funerals. ( The service was ended in silent solemnity; the mourners watched the cold clods as they began to fall thick and fast upon the coffin. Ah! how mournful is the sound of the first shovelful of earth as it falls on the 'shell' that contains the mortal remains of one dear to us; hollow and dismal is the sound! "There were no relatives to witness the interment of the stranger, but he was laid in peace under a tall cedar. "The grave was filled up and the crowd dispersed. The last one who left the green spot was the planter; it seemed that he could scarcely tear himself away from his friend; but, after gazing long and wistfully upon the sacred spot, he turned away, with tears in his -eyes, and proceeded homeward.- "The sun was just sinking behind the western hills; his last golden rays were flickering over the earth. Soon, ah, soon! the mournful whip-poor- will began its lonely cry, and all was sad and dreary. The dew-drops moistened the fresh sward of the valley; and the moon had gathered her brilliancy from the sun to shed her rays over the grave of the 4 page: 74-75[View Page 74-75] 74 THE GOLDEN LADDER. stranger. The stars of heaven shone bright over the sod that covered the dead; but cold, cold he lay in a strange land, far away from friends and home. How applicable the sad lines of poor Keats- ' Oh! stranger, scatter roses, And slips of cypress burn; A broken heart reposes Beneath this silent urn.' "Yet, my son, it is pleasant to believe that the cherubim and seraphim of other worlds united with dear relations who had gone before to welcome him to a happier realm-a kingdom where the weary are at rest and the voice of mourning is never heard." Oh, mother, what a long story, and how sadly it ends. Was it ever ascertained who the poor stranger really was, and why Mr. A was so kind to him?" cried Andrew, whose fine eyes were gemmed with tears, called up by the pathetic narrative to which he had been listening. "Yes, my child; but that matters not to you. I told you the story in order that. you might profit by it, for it teaches a holy lesson; it bids us be always generous and charitable to those in need or afflic- tion. Some future day I may give you the sequel," replied Mrs. Patter. "When will that be, mother?" asked the lad anxiously. "ASHES TO ASHES." 75 "When you are old enough to comprehend things which your mind could not yet grasp, and are fitted to assume much responsibility," answered the gen- tle lady, as she kissed her darling child- "Good- night." * I page: 76-77[View Page 76-77] CaHAPThE V111. TORN ASUNDER. My God "! my child!-my child!" a female voice was heard to shriek. "What, in the name of heaven, can be the matter?" thought Annah Morgan, as the outcry thrilled her every nerve; it had awakened her from a peaceful slumber-this cry, issuing from whose lips she knew not. The sun was just coming from his eastern home, and his rays ewly gilded the tops of the tall forest- trees; the sky was clear and serene, not a zephyr seemed astir; all nature was lovely, and a myriad birds sent up sweet songs of praise to the beneficent Creator. "Wh'at a lovely morning!" thought the young wife. "But, oh! there must be something strange going on in'the house. I will dress myself quickly and go down to find out what is the matter." Just as the lady was in the act of leaving her chamber, a low tap was heard at the door. "Oh! Missus, missus, come quick,"' uttered a juvenile voice, half choked by tears. "Come I , TORN ASUNDER. " down, oh! come down quick: Aunt Adah is going away." "Who is there?" cried Mrs. Morgan, springing quickly to the door, and throwing it open. "It is no one but Zura," said a little girl who stood weeping. "What do you wish, Missouri? What is the matter?" inquired her alarmed mistress, "I only want you to come down, Missus, to see Aunt Adah; she is g'wine to Norfolk wid mar- ster." "I guess not," said Annah; but, hastily throwing a morning-wrapper about her, she ran down-stairs, closely followed by the little mulatto girl. As she flew along she heard that voice again cry out, "My child! my child! O God-! what shall I do?" As Annah entered the breakfast-room her eyes first lighted upon her husband, a tall, robust man, with small blue eves and red hair; his countenance bore unmistakable marks of dissipation. He was in the act of buttoning-up his traveling-coat-and beside him, on a chair, lay a horsewhip. He beheld the sudden appearance of his wife with undisguised astonishment. As Mrs. Morgan caught his eye she was almost frightened at the glance he bestowed upon her; but he quickly averted his gaze. page: 78-79[View Page 78-79] " Who is that in such distress ?" inquired the wife of her husband. "It is Adah," he replied. "What is the matter?" asked the lady, in her heart too well suspecting what was going on. How could she help but be on the alert after once glancing at the face of Morgan ? " I am going to Norfolk," he said sullenly, c and I have decided to take Adah along, and hire her out. We can do without her, and negroes fetch a good price there now; there are some rumors about war, and soon they will be worthless." " You do not mean to inform me, Mr. Morgan, that you are about to take that woman from her child ?" said the wife. "Yes, Madam; that is precisely what I have given you to understand. What is it to you, I should like to know ? These negroes are mine !" ' That is true, Mr. Morgan; and that makes it all the more reprehensible in you to separate a mother from her child, particularly one of-" She checked herself, for she saw the demon rising in the coun- tenance of her husband. tHe, however, ahticipated her meaning. Reader, imagine the scene. There stood a charm- ing little girl, only nine years of age. Her hair was long and curled beautifully, her cheeks were like fresh roses, and her young eyes sparkled as she watched her mistress. I The poor child thought that " Missus" could certainly prevent " Marster" from taking away her mother. But she had soon to learn that Aunt Adah, as, in imitation of others, she often called her mother, had indeed to go. While Annah conversed with her husband, the mother stole close to the door, trying hard to sup- press her sobs.' She was a large woman, as black as the African couldi possibly be, and exceedingly homely. Her teeth 'were gone, and she looked at least forty years of age. She had dispatched her little girl to summon per mistress, in the hope that, through her instrumentality, she would be saved a trip to Norfolk. Butlthe poor slave soon perceived that her master cared about as little for what his wife uttered as he di' for her own trouble. Mrs. Morgan, in the most pathetic manner, pleaded for the mother for about twenty minutes, but all in vain, and filnally she was obliged to desist in utter despair. "I want to hear no more!" cried the enraged planter. " I will buy or sell as many negroes as I choose, Madam; and I will put up with no more of your harangues." "Great heavens !' cried the astonished wife, "what can a man be who can thus separate mother page: 80-81[View Page 80-81] 80 THE GOLDEN LADDER. and child, and one whose blood--?"She paused again, and burst into tears. As the little mulattress beheld her mistress weep- ing, she caught hold of her dress and screamed aloud, saying: "Poor Aunt Adah! Poor Mammy is g'wine now!" "Yes," said knnah. "I cannot save your mother.' 'Marster' has all in his power. Missouri, and Aunt Adah, and Missus, aU are slaves." These words enraged Morgan almost to madness, and, in a voice choked with passion, he ordered Aunt Adah to enter the wagon immediately, adding that he would see if he couldn't soon put an end to the tableau. -As the mother was about to obey, she caught her child in her arms and pressed her frantically to her bosom. "Oh, my God! my God! My chile! my chiledl I shall nebber see my little Zura any more," she cried. Mother and child- were clasped closely in each other's embrace for a moment, and one last kiss was imprinted'upon the lips of the little girl. The young mistress wept' as profusely as either of her servants, and her tears were the evidence of sin- cere grief. TORN ASUNDER 81- As the mother and child were indulging in this last embrace, the infuriated Marcellus, rushing toward the spot, tore the child from the arms of its parent, dashed it away, and, with a horrid oath on his lips, ordered Aunt. Adah to enter the wagon im- mediately. I She instantly obeyed, daring only to say: " Farewell, my chile-farewell, Missus-God bless you!" Marcellus Morgan sprang into his carriage, the driver mounted his seat, and they were soon borne out of sight by the fleet-footed horses. The or- phaned child watched the vehicle that contained the- form of her mother until it was entirely lost to view. Soon, ah ! too soon, Aunt Adah faded away from her vision, and was hurried swiftly along to the steamer Sea-Bird. After the departure of her husband, Mrs. Morgan seated herself at the| table to take a cup of coffee. In a corner sat the litte Zura, weeping and exclaim- ing, " Poor Aunt Adah is gone away-she come back nebber more to Oak Lawn." Mrs. Morgan felt too well that the little girl had but uttered the truth. She -knew that her husband. did not mean to hire out this woman. Her reason taught her that the poor creature was to be sold, and would never again return to the plantation page: 82-83[View Page 82-83] 82 O HEI GOLDEN LADDER. Morgan had said to his wife that he intended to hire out the services of 'the slave, for even he thought that" it would seem too cruel to declare openly that she was to be sold, while there stood his living image in the little girl. The wife had not been blind to the conduct of her husband. Now she sat musing upon past days. The first scene that had been presented to her bridal eyes was that of this same poor little suffer- ing infant lying upon the bare planks of a kitchen floor, in an almost nude state, and screaming with hunger. As Annah beheld it, she exclaimed: "Oh! what poor child is that lying there, and almost crying itself to death?" "It is Adah's chile, Mam," answered one of the colored women. "Adah's child, indeed!" echoed the bride. "Why, that is a white child-it cannot be a colored woman's!" ' "Yes, Missus, it is," answered the old woman; "but, you see, it is got a white daddy." "Why do you allow it to cry so?" asked Annah. "Bekase it wants its mammy, Missus," was the reply she received. "Well, why does not the mother attend to it?" "Ease, Missus, Marster Morgan won't let her nuss TORN, ASUNDER 83 it but three times a day; he say dat is enuff for any young one to nuss." Annah, as she sat at the breakfast-table, recalled all of this conversation that had passed between herself and her cook on the second day of her arrival home as a bride. It had been owing to her kind and feeling heart that the little Missouri was still living. She had given orders that the child should be nursed as often as it evinced hunger. She was young and inexperienced. Her own father's slaves were always treated with kindness and humanity, and the cries of the half-starved infant had startled the young wife. She wondered why her husband should object to a mother nursing her child. These reminiscences effectually destroyed her appetite, and she pushed back her chair from a scarcely-tasted meal. She arranged some proven- der for Missouri. "Go and eat your breakfast," said the mistress to the weeping child. "Me don't want none, Missus," answered the little girl. "You aint eat none, and Zura want tr none." "You need not refrain from eating because I have happened to, Missouri." "I aint hungry, Missus," she sobbed from her corner. page: 84-85[View Page 84-85] 84 THE GOLDEN LADDER. "Poor child!" thought Mrs. Morgan. "I am sure you are telling the truth." Missouri, only nine years of age, dearly loved and deeply grieved for her mother. She had all the sensations belonging to humanity, which, we are sorry to say, some of our Southern friends seemed to think their slaves unpossessed of; but, perhaps, time, and the development of mind, may unfold to them their mistake. Annah Morgan sat sewing beside the window, and her mind wandered back to the days of court- ship; when her husband came like a violet in all his sweetness and modesty-when he almost blushed to hear a double entendre from the lips of any one present. But, oh! what had she seen and heard that morning! Was he- transformed? or was his evil nature but now displaying itself? The wife durst not conclude the sentence, "Can you separate a mother from her child, and one of--?" That was as far as she had dared venture. She had thought that man, made in the image of his Maker, must be, at least, humane. But what her eyes had just witnessed was enough to disgust her forever with slavery, although a Southern soil had given her birth. From this time, she became con- TORN ASUNtDEtR. 85 vinced in her mind that the system was wrong, and: that the bands would be broken at some future day, as surely as the children of Israel were brought out of the wilderness after a journey of forty years. The only child of its mother had been torn from her arms by its own father! Who could tolerate such a law of injustice and of inhumanity? Never- tlheless, so it was. But, thank, God, the light of reason has now taken hold of the mind, and Mrs. Morgan was one of the first converts. The scenes of her husband's life had been a series of dissipation, and when he pretended that he intended to hire out his slave, he knew in his heart that he was going to sell her to enable him to mount a little higher the Golden Ladder. The flesh and blood of the mother of, his child was to be bartered on a public stand, in order to supply his drained pocket. Little 1Missouri, with the elasticity of childhood's affections, soon became reconciled to her loss. She loved her young mis- tress; she soon forgot to weep, and went dancing about the house and yard like a playful little kitten. The planter's wife had already taken her first lesson in the great study of human nature. The slave-mother had given her new ideas of mankind, and she determined to profit thereby. She whiled * away the lonely hours as agreeably as possible. , ' page: 86-87[View Page 86-87] (D TMJK t L W JLADDNLJK. There was but one earthly thing needful to com- plete her happiness, and that was a kind husband. This she began to fear she was never to possess, after having seen, and heard all that had passed between master and slave. , However, time went on after the usual manner of plantation-life. Geese hissed, hens cackled, calves and sheep bleated, horses neighed, and dogs barked. The whole place seemed full of animal life-and, certainly, its master had exhibited more than his share of animal nature. In a few weeks, Marcellus Morgan returned home. His carriage was seen approaching the house, and soon the gentleman himself entered. He appeared really glad to meet his wife; but Annah felt strangely toward him. She inquired what he had done with Adah, and he confessed that she was sold. "I thought you said it was only your intention to hire her out," said his wife, sadly. "Well, I was forced to tell you so, because I was well aware what a time you'd make if I had acknowledged that she was to be sold." Annah sighed, but at last gained courage to observe: " It is not your wife whom you should fear, Mr. Morgan. There is a Being who decides all things, TOKN AS^VSUNDE. o- and 'tis He whom you and I should fear and obey." "Oh! that will be all right," he said, with a grim smile, and not very pertinently to the subject in hand. Annah, well knowing his furious temper, ventured to say no more; but, although she could exercise restraint over her tongue, she could not suppress her powers of thought.I She knew that her husband ' was addicted to many vices, and, although she had married him, she could not close her eyes to his diabolical conduct. He said little regarding his late trip to Norfolk, and his wife made no inquiries, but she had her own suspicions on the subject. Whenever Annah looked at the little mulattress, Missouri, she thought that the time, might come when she also would be a target for the negro- trader. Such ideaE kept her in a state of continual unhappiness. Morgan was lord of all he surveyed and considerably tmore than lord of the fowl and the brute; but, sooth to say, ofttimes not lord of himself. We do not say that this was so in all cases. There are many, ind very many. high-minded an noble-hearted mel in the South, and such are the kindest of husbands and masters. But we do say page: 88-89[View Page 88-89] 88 THE GOLDEN LADDERB. that the institutions of slavery did make a man a selfish egotist; indeed, were we to say that it made him devilish, we would not consider the term any too strong. He felt his superiority over the slave, and at times too strongly asserted his authority over his wife. Had Marcellus Morgan been guided by his wife, he would not have separated the mother and child. If he sold one, the other should have also been sold. But he was crafty enough to watch his opportunity of making a fine trade by selling them separately.. He thought that by so doing he could make more. Mrs. Morgan had no children, and Missouri was treated almost like her own daughter. The master was not kind to any one, or anything, and it is not natural to suppose that he showed any feeling for the little slave, whom he had deprived of her dearest, friend. Whenever her master spoke, the girl would jump as though stung by a hornet. He was so morose, and spoke so loudly and so angrily, when- ever he did speak, that every one feared to hear his voice. CHAPTER IX. "A NICE OLD MAN.". THERE was not a slave on the plantation who did not love Miss Annah. Many were the lashes that she saved the poor creatures. Had she not covered and concealed their faults and short-comings their backs would have been sore from week to week. Alas! alas! Annah had become Morgan's wife under colors of disguise. He had wooed and won a heart to trample upon and, lacerate. We will not describe many scenes which occurred on the plantation, for the feminine heart would sicken at the very sound of the language that neces- sity would compel us to make use of. We will only say that Annah Morgan herself washed and dressed the wounds of many mangled slaves; she soothed with her own delicate hands and kind care those whom her husband had mutilated. Morgan, senior, was of the same stamp ,of man as his son. The latter had a " heritage of woe" in the disposition of his sire. The old gentleman (?) had removed from Poplar Hill to a plantation page: 90-91[View Page 90-91] 90 THE GOLDEN LADDER. beside the sea-shore, leaving his son to manage the old place. All that did not proceed comme il faut, according to his peculiar ideas, he had communi- cated to his father, and the old man came twice a week upon visits of inspection. Anything that they considered had gone wrong was then made right. If m the negroes had not accomplished sufficient work, they were called up, tied, and whipped. This was previous to the purchase of Oak Lawn by Marcellus. The first time that Annah beheld a slave flogged she almost- fainted. She had never seen or heard of such a thing on her father's plantation, although the families only lived twenty-five miles distant from each other. But the reader must remember that there is the: same difference among the Southern people as we find the world over-some are good and others are bad. Could the young wife have preserved upon pa- per the remembrance of what she beheld, we fear that the scenes portrayed in the pages of Uncle Tom's Cabin would have appeared in contrast, as a pleasant sunbeam shining upon the surface of the water. One evening, about sunset, Mrs. Morgan sat read- ing beside a front window; reading a novel, 'tis true, but for all that a very good book. She was so absorbed "A NICE OLD MAN."' 91 in the volume that she heard not- the sound of carriage wheels. Suddenly she was roused by a tall figure passing before the window, and in a moment the old gentleman stood before her. With a frown, he inquired where all the negroes were, that no one had appeared to take his horse. Annah closed her book, begged him to be seated, and went to summon the servants. She could find no one in but the cook, whom she sent to hold the horse while her father- in-law remained, though she devoutly prayed that his visit would not be of long duration. But the old gentleman had been drinking, and was very loquacious. His money and his family seemed never-failing topics of braggadocio with him. It is very extraordinary that persons minus the least merit feel so often self-consequential! Mrs. Morgan said but little, hoping thus to expe- dite his departure. About dusk her husband entered, who, upon seeing his parent, exclaimed, " Why did you not have your horse attended to, Pa ? I see it standing under a tree alone." " For a very good reason," answered his father, there was no one about to take care of it. My negroes are all waiting upon other folks, it seems, and wbhen I come here there's no one even to take my horse. I believe that your literary wife did go and send old Jude to hold the aniimal." page: 92-93[View Page 92-93] 92 THE GOLDEN LADDER. "Well," said his hopeful son, "the fact is that there is so little to be done indoors, we have sent all the hands out into the fields, excepting the cook and waitress." Annah felt all of the cuts meant for her. She had sent the waitress upon an errand. The old man then commenced a series of ques- tions, asking what Guy had been doing, and Cur, and Jim, and Joe, and' so on. Marcellus, in reply, uttered his usual complaints, Joe and Cur had only cut so many logs. Cur had carted only so many loads,: and as for old Guy-"Father, you may as well take him over with you, for it is beyond my power to make him work," he said. "Where is he?" inquired the planter. "In the kitchen," answered the son. Mrs. Morgan sat beside the window, and had seen the poor old negro hobbling toward his cabin, which was not far from the kitchen, with bent head and feeble steps, supported by a cane. Old Morgan made a rush through the kitchen and entered the cabin just as the old slave had seated himself, pant- ing for breath-he had walked a long distance from the woods. "What have you been doing to-day, Guy?" asked the semi-inebriated tyrant, in a voice which threat- ened direful things.: "A NICE OLD MRAN" 93 "Raking up manure, Marster," answered the slave, who trembled violently from two causes, fear and weakness. " Master 'Cellus tells me that you do not rake,up fifteen loads a day, and I told him to task you to twenty." " I do all I can, Mlarster, bress de Lord," said the old negro. " But de roots is so tuff, and de ground so wet and so heaby, dat I kin only git from twulf to fifteen a day." " Only twelve or fifteen a day, eh! you d-d old rascal. I'll teach you!" and with a furious rush he picked up a stool, and dashed it at the head of the old negro, who fell upon the floor. "Now, d-n you, lie there, you old lazy devil." As he went out of one door, Annah entered by another. " Poor old Uncle Guy !" she said, in her soft com- passionate voice; "have they killed you at last ?" "Almos, almos, Miss Annah," the aged servitor whispered. There lay the stool of solid oak split in half. " Good Lord! what a terrible crime," she invol- untarily exclaimed. Come here, Aunt Judy, and assist him to rise; poor old man, surely he must be killed'." " No, Missus-no, Missus, I am not quite dead," page: 94-95[View Page 94-95] " THE GOLDEN LADDER. whispered Uncle Guy; " but I cannot move, my head is broke. Oh my head, my head!" Annah stooped down and examined his head; it wag a sight that made her feel sick at heart. But for fear of being seen by- her husband or his father, she felt compelled to leave. After having given due orders and suggestions for the relief of the wounded man, she entered the house by a side-door, and there beheld her hus- band's father foaming with passion, and swearing that he hoped old Uncle Guy would die before morn- ing. He went out to his carriage fuming with rage, telling his son that if the d-d niggers did not accomplish more work, to send immediately for him, and he would strip them every day, and give them thirty-nine lashes. After his departure, Annah stole again to the slave's cabin to inquire after the fate of poor old Guy. He had succeeded in crawling to his bed of straw, and there lay, groaning most piteously. His mistress conveyed him a cup of tea and a biscuit, but he was in too much agony to partake of any- thing. Old Guy lived for some years to suffer all the wretchedness imaginable, inflicted by the hands of the Morgan family, but, eventually, he passed away from earth, and his feeble frame is now strong, no "A NICE OLD MAN" 95A doubt, in the spirit world. Since then the planter has also paid the debt of nature; but we leave the reader to judge of his fitness for "The celestial regions, Where pure spirits dwell." We only say that Morgan's father lived and died the same man that he was the evening on which he wounded the poor old slave. This scene occurred but a short time previous to the purchase of Oak Lawn by Marcellus-a beauti- ful plantation situated on the Rappahannock River, and to which we have previously referred. page: 96-97[View Page 96-97] CHAPTER X. Z U R A." 813^ ARS had rolled by, bringing many Be changes to Oak Lawn. The plantation comprised a beautiful elevated spot, not situated immediately upon the river, yet not far distant. ' In Virginia the mountainous region is considered the most healthful, therefore the most desirable location, and the plantation of Marcellus Morgan was one among the most romantic on the Northern Neck. The house was a stately edifice, airy and com- fortable as heart could wish. The orchards were elegant and extensive; an acre or two of land con- taining fruit4trees of all kinds was in the spring-time a beautiful and comfortable sight. Shrubs and flowers of various sorts interspersed the grounds,. and filled the air far and near with delightful fra- grance. From spring to winter it was but a succes- sion of flowers and fruits. "How many things by season seasoned are, To their right praise and true perfection." Ah! how truly doth Shakespeare put every senti- ment before us I * ^ ZUIA I . 97 ;' To look upon this delightful spot, one would not suppose that an unhappy head could slumber on' any pillow beneath that roof. Oh! what is all the world to us if there be a secret grief gnawing at our hearts; if there is a secret viper in our home, ready to thrust its venomed sting into our bosoms? Palaces may be the. abode of anything but happiness, and the wisest are oftenr deceived by mere external ap- pearances. Of the numbers who visited at Oak Lawn, few, nay, perhaps none, suspected the true state of domestic affairs beneath that elegant roof. Annah, from a gay, volatile girl, had settled down into a thoughtful woman. Her face still showed the bloom of youth, and her eyes yet sparkled, when her spirits were elated; but when distressed, no heart could suffer more acutely than hers. But in all her joys and sorrows no one seemed to take as much interest as Missouri, the slave-girl. -She' had become so much attached to her mistress as to be miserable when absent from her. Missouri might have been taken for the lady's child, but for her tawny hue and for the fact that she did work occasionally, and Southern children knew not what labor was. Missouri was growing a sprightly girl. Beauty page: 98-99[View Page 98-99] 98 T-HE GOLDEN LADDER. among the true African is rarely to be seen; but the mulatto is often endowed with great personal charms. Mrs. Morgan knew that the worldly affairs of her husband were in a flourishing condition, so, when two years had rolled by, and Missouri still remained unsold, she began to hope that she would be per- mitted always to retain her by her side. In this c6nfidence, she spared no pains to teach the slave- girl everything that she thought would benefit her. There was not a book in the library but Missouri knew its title, and she was well acquainted with the contents of many. There was nothing in, the house that she did not know something about. She fol- lowed the footsteps of her mistress, and in many ways her assistance was of infinite value to our heroine. Missouri had also been taught to speak grammatically. She seldoml mingled with the other servants, save when sent to deliver orders, mes- sages, etc., etc. By her master she was never noticed, excepting when ordered to bring his boots, boot-jack, a drink, etc., and whenever he issued an order, she flew around like a scared partridge. She never would look in his face, but would always turn her head aside, as though she had a secret contempt for him; but for "Miss"Annah she would willingly have laid 'down her life. Missouri was not idle; Z:rMA;." - ;99 she watered the flowers, and culled them for the vases; she fed the chickens and turkeys, assisted the chamber-maid in arranging the rooms, and gathered and prepared all the smaller fruits for the table. She was a smart girl, and of course had her full share of vanity. When her mistress bestowed upon her a pretty new dress or ornament, she would smile and courtesy, as though her very soul was delighted within her; then she would run to a mirror, and turn round and round in simple admi- ration of what its depths revealed to her bright eyes; until her mistress would chide her for her nonsense, and tell her that vanity was a sign of 4 weakness, and the ruination of many. One day her mistress caused her to try on a - pretty, new dress, and, as usual, the girl sought the mirror, and seemed evidently charmed with ; herself. "Missouri," said her mistress, "did I not tell you that you must not be so vain? God does not love l proud children, and he will punish you if your heart continues so full of vanity." The little girl looked in the face of her mistress, looks in and said, seriously: "Miss Aniah, does God love master? If He does, then He must love vain men-for master looks in the glass at himself a heap." page: 100-101[View Page 100-101] 100 THE GOLDEN LADDER. Mrs. Morgan was astonished, yet could not help smiling; however, she chided the girl for her pert- ness, and mildly told her never again to allow her- self to make remarks about her master. Alas! the vanity of Missouri was hereditary. During the first year of her mother's absence, Missouri would frequently ask after her parent and wish for her return. Whenever Mrs. Morgan over- heard her she would say: "You need never look for- your mother at Oak Lawn, Missouri; perhaps at some future day you may meet her at Norfolk." ' Ah! I wish I could," would be the reply. "Do you, then, wish to leave me and go to Nor- folk?" asked Annah one day, as the little girl sat preparing some strawherries for dinner. "No, Miam-no, Mam! I would not leave you, Missus, for anybody in the world!" "Well, you may see your mother sooner than you anticipate," remarked Annah, sententiously. Morgan was so dissipated and disagreeable that his wife often prayed that she might die. Winter after dreary winter she thought she certainly could not survive, and yet spring after spring beheld her still in existence. When she felt that her heart was sinking or dying, Hope, like a ray of sunshine, I . O "Za." 101 would burst upon her, to comfort and in some way revive her drooping spirits. Marcellus Morgan was what was technically called a "hard case," a hard case of the first water --an uneducated, irritable, proud man, who had passed very little of his time at home. The reader may imagine the sort of husband that he made, Like many other characters, both good and bad, he was easily read, and by none more easily than by his young wife; but, alas! like too many other women, she read too late. In less than one year after her fatal marriage, she found that all the splendor of her bridal home could not satisfy her heart. She had a warm, con- fiding, honorable spirit, which looked for and ar- dently desired a reciprocal attachment, but her wishes were doomed to remain ungratified. A gentle, refined nature became irksome to Marcellus. In fact, Annah had never loved her husband as woman should love, since the day upon which ho had torn the slave- mother from her child, and had acted in so unmanly - . a manner. Still, so long as a woman remains a' wife, it is her bounden duty to do all in her power to render her home happy. The marriage-tie is not so easily broken, particularly in the South, where divorces are not readily obtained. Annah -was always saying in her heart: "The time will come page: 102-103[View Page 102-103] 102 THE GOLDEN LADDER. when he will see his errors, and then he will repent and change." - But that period never arrived. Time, the revealer of happiness or misery, was swiftly flying, and Missouri's infancy was past. One day, while Mrs. Morgan sat busily sewing, she 'called the girl and bade her bring a pail of water from the spring. Not far distant from the house was a meadow, where the cows were accus- tomed to graze. It was a beautiful, shady grove, seeded in grass and clover for the benefit of the calves. A running stream meandered through its green depths, and beneath a large weeping-willow was the spring, which contained two boilers, and mineral qualities of a healthful nature. Away ran Missouri to obey the/ order of her mis- tress. In a few moments she came flying back, out of breath, and, as soon as she had recovered a little, she cried out: "Lord! Lord! Missus, Aunt Adah is down by the spring under the willow, and she is crying." Mrs. Morgan, full of incredulous astonishment, determined to go and see for herself whether there was any truth in this strange information. As she approached the spring, she saw a figure moving slowly away, with a hand to its face, as though weeping. ! \ - 4 ZURAg " 103 "There she is!" exclaimed the excited Zura; "I told you so, Miss Annah." But the figure had passed away beyond the reach of their 'vision, and who it was, or where it went, no one could tell; but it certainly bore a striking re- semblance to the mother of the girl, for even her costume, dress, bonnet, etc., were such as Aunt Adah had worn on the morning of her departure. "Poor Aunt Adah!" murmured the slave-girl, as she mechanically dipped up the water from the spring, "she has been here to see me. How do you suppose that she knew I would come to the spring alone, Missus?" "Really, Missouri, although that form did very much resemble your mother, I think it scarcely possible that it was hers." "I wish that I had gone to her!" said Missouri; "but as soon as I beheld her, I dropped my bucket and ran for you, Missus." "I do not think it could have been your mother, Missouri," replied Annah. But the girl would not be convinced to the con- trary, and all the way back to the house persisted' in asserting such to be her belief. After she had served to her mistress a glass of the clear, crystal water, she ran to the kitchen, and astonished the other servants with the information that she had !f ' page: 104-105[View Page 104-105] 104 THE G OLDEN LADDER. beheld her mother at the spring, under the wil- low. "God bress my soul!" exclaimed old Aunt Judy, "why, dat woman has been dare a dozen times. I seed her, and know'd dat it was Adah; but I did not tell nobody, kase I know'd dat nobody would believe me." Missouri now went oftener than ever to the spring; but the figure of her parent never again appeared unto her. CfHAPTER XI. THE LOST SLAVE. NOT long after this occurrence Mr. Morgan announced his intention of going on a visit to his sister, who resided at- Portsmouth, and desired to know if his wife was willing that he should take Missouri to Norfolk, in order that. she might see her mother. This seemed, sufficiently plausible, but still Annah hesitated; she knew not why; however, she at length gave her consent, well knowing that her opinion concerning the affair was merely nominal. Winter had passed away, and spring -had come again. All of that winter Missouri had slept in the chamber of her mistress, who, every night before she retired, never failed to go to the little bed of the slave-girl, in order to see if she were well covered up and comfortable. There were many at the South just as kind and humane to their slaves as Mrs. Morgan, but that did not mitigate the evil of the system; no, not in the least. The day arrived, and Missouri, in her best attire, 5 ' page: 106-107[View Page 106-107] 106 THE aOLDEN LATDDER. went to say good-bye to her kind mistress. The girl always wore a white cambric handkerchief tied about her head in turban style, and her curls beneathh thp snowy muslin were a pretty sight to see, as she [ came to Miss Annah as usual to have her turban arranged. "It may be a long time, Zura, before we meet again. This may be the last time I may ever see you." "Oh! yes, you will, Miss Annah," said the girl, as the blood mounted to her cheeks, and the tears gathered in her eyes. "I am only going to Norfolkl to see my mother." "That is what your master tells us," replied Mrs. Morgan, "and it is as well for you to think so. Be a good girl, and remember Miss Annah's- advice. Farewell!" and her mistress held out her hand. The girl caught it, and, half choked with emotion, said: , "May I kiss you, Miss Annah." "Yes," replied Mrs. Morgan, and turned her cheek --her fair and beautiful cheek. The slave pressed her lips upon it more than )nce. Then Annah's love for the girl surged up in her heart, and, fearing that her husband meant treach. 3ry, she impulsively cried-: TE LOST SLA E. 107 "No, no, Missouri, I cannot part with you, for something tells me that if I do so I shall never see. my poor little handmaiden again. No, I cannot say" i farewell." Morgan, who was a spectator of this touching scene, ground his teeth with anger. "This girl is my property, Madam; I say she shall accompany me, and I am accustomed to have my own way," he cried. "You tell the truth for once in your life," replied Annah, with a sarcastic sneer. "I suppose you in- tend to dispose of this poor innocent in the same manner as you did her mother, years- ago." "By , I'll sell her, Madam, if I choose; you have no voice in the matter. Come, Missouri, no more of this whimpering; your mistress would make you as chicken-hearted as herself," he yelled, seizing in his fury the arm of the unhappy-slave, and forci- bly wresting her from his wife's embrace. "Farewell, Zura! farewell forever," sobbed Annah, as Morgan hurried her favorite from the room. Annah heard the carriage roll away, but could not summon courage to watch it out of sight; she flung herself on a couch, and sobbed as though her heart would break.' She instinctively felt that Mis- souri was gone from her forever. She knew that the man who would sell the mother would scarce hesi-, page: 108-109[View Page 108-109] 1.08 THE GOLDEJN LADDER. tate to put in the market this pretty slave. Years had given her experience, and well she knew the crimes of her husband. Wives often have a thou- sand times more perception than Husbands give them credit for, and they are often obliged to close their eyes and ears in order to maintain peace. Such was the case at Oak Lawn. What viper, what scorpion, what fiend can be more terriffic than the demon jealousy?-the " green- eyed- monster!" as he is well designated. "Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proof of holy writ." But when not "trifles," not fancy, not the mere fragments of an excited brain; but proofs, proofs indeed as strong in reality as " holy writ," are pre- sented to the wronged wife, then, indeed, may we pity her! All those who have lived, confided, and been de- ceived, can sympathize with the planter's unhappy wife. Not all the beauty of God's fair earth can give ppace to a heart which love has blasted. Joy is never again to be known! Oh! there is nothing so cruel, nothing so painful, nothing so destructive to human happiness, although thousands and thou- sands of mortals have passed under this dark cloud of sorrow. But, thank God! there is a world where ,TE LOST SLAVE. 109 the affinity will be congenial, and the attraction, the love, so pure, so powerful, that it will never fade or pass away-this is the spirit world beyond the skies. Such thoughts as these occupied the mind of the wife as she patiently awaited the return of her hus- band and of the slave-girl. Finally, a colored boy cried out one morning: "Missus, here comes marster; but I dqn't see Zura." Mrs. Morgan ran hastily to the door. The car- riage, all bespattered with mud, was at the gate, true ;enough, and the horses had the appearance of having been driven very hard. Mr. Morgan alighted and entered the house. He had evidently been drinking rather freely, but tried hard to assume - a piteous facial expression as he addressed some words to his wife. "Where is Missouri?" was the first question asked by Annah. "Don't ask me that," he answered, trying to ap- pear very grave and sorrowful. "The little fool was so much delighted with the city, that rather than return home,' she ran away and got lost. I don't know where the d-1 she has gone to." "You certainly do not mean to say, Mr. Morgan, that you permitted the girl to get lost!" / . , ' page: 110-111[View Page 110-111] "O THE GOLDElN LADER. "Yes! I took her to see her mother; but Adah had run away, and her master had not found out a word concerning her whereabouts. She has not been seen for two weeks, and Missouri, I suppose, has gone in search of her." "Well," exclaimed Mrs. Morgan, "this is most certainly a la-me story. Marcellas, you can never succeed in making me believe anything so exceed- ingly absurd." "I do not care a d-n, Madam, whether you believe me or not. Your ladyship is at liberty to ulit yourself, and to make up a story less absurd, and more to your very refined taste. But one thing at least is true, and that is that your eyes will prob- ably never more behold your beautiful slave! 'Tis my belief that it will be some time to come before she kisses you again." * . e - . ' CHAPTER XII. A NIGHT OF TERROR. TIME, the- reaper, mowed away the years after poor little Missouri was taken away, and yet no tidings were heard of her. Mrs. Morgan could not help lamenting her in secret, for she did not believe a word of the, story about her having been lost. She always% noticed an influx of money after Morgan had sold a slave.' She often thought of the Golden Ladder that her old mercenary aunt used to dilate about; and she wondered how people could love money well enough to barter their honor, souls, and everything else to obtain it. Mrs. Morgan's family, all excepting this one aunt, were anything but money-lovers. They lived in affluence, and, as her dearly-beloved father always said: "Money was made to use, and not to loard up and rust out." Mr. Foy was one of those whole-souled, charita- ble men, who are loved by all.,' He was particularly mndeared to the slave population, and to the poorer dlasses of white people; and when it was announced n the neighborhood that he was dead, it came upon page: 112-113[View Page 112-113] "2 THE G OLDEN LADDER. the people like an electric shock, so much was the death of this good man lamented. Marcellus Morgan had in his possession Father Foy's pet Jewel, as Annah's father always called her, when he would catch her and place her on his knee and stroke her glossy curls, and say, "Now kiss papa, and tell him whether or not mamma has pun- ished you to-day." From the day she went a bride to Poplar Hill, we have followed her. Now sad changes are about to take place. The government is determined to up- root slavery-just what we have depicted in cruelty. A clarion-call to arms rings through the land, the smouldering fires of rebellion burst into flame, and fair fields, where erstwhile flowers blushed and bloomed, are soon to be incarnadined with blood. Marcellus Morgan is clamorous for fight; but, like many others as cowardly as himself, he does not care to enter the lists and risk his precious life in the " struggle for freedom" that he talks so loudly about. Ah! had all Southerners been craven and despicable as Marcellus--had Jackson, Lee, Wise, and the thousands who girded up their loins and rushed to the battle's van, been as currish and cow- ardly as he was, the war would have had a speedier termination, and fewer homes would have been made desolate. A NIGHT OJFTERSOR " We say the war-cry vibrated through the land. O Mr. Morgan thbught that his slaves would surely leave him, and that perhaps his mansion might be burned by the UniDn troops, so he was much per- turbed what to do. He thought of removing to some other place. Upon hearing this news, Annah's. sis- ter Betsey paid her a visit. She was then a young widow, with one beautiful little blue-eyed daughter. Mrs. Morgan was delighted to have her sister visit her, for she had been previously most of the time alone. Soon a battle was expected to be fought near Carter's Creek, which was in close proximity to Oak Lawn, and of course none were more interested than Morgan, who fought bravely-with his tongue. One evening, wheL the excitement was at its great- i est height, Annah, after kissing her little niece and bidding her sister good-night, retired to rest; but she could not sleep, and watched her femme de clambre, whose regular breathing caused her mis- tress to envy her peaceful repose. Suddenly the girl awoke, and sitting upright, said in a loud whisper: t Miss Annah!" "Well, Rebecca, what is the matter? Have youl been dreaming?" - . . "Miss Annah, does ye year dat mournful holler?" Mrs. Morgan listened intently; all was silent; page: 114-115[View Page 114-115] "4 THES GOLDEN LADDER the stillness of the night seemed as profound as its beauty. "I heard it when I brung in your supper-and dere! I year it now." Again Mrs. Morgan inclined her ear to the open window, and this time she, too, heard a sound which made her blood creep with mysterious horror. She slowly approached the casement, as slowly followed by Rebecca, who, too faithful to leave her mistress, yet felt every particular fiber of wool standing on end with fright. Again that mysterious cry arose on the night air, and again all was silent; the stillness became pro- found. Toward the left of the house, and in that direction whence the sounds had appeared to come, was a dense and quite extensive forest; giant oaks, maples, and pines, with many others of smaller growth, formed a sort of wilderness. Into the depths of this wilderness the eyes of Annah vainly strove to pierce. It was into this swamp that she had once fled for refuge from the assaults of her brutal hus- band. Ahl the remembrance of that fearful night, haunted her for years. Then again all was silent. q "I hear nothing, Rebecca," whispered her mis- tress, relieved to recognize the sound of her own" natural voice, so unnatural had that other sound made all around appear. A NIGHT OF TERROR. 115 "You year soon, Missus," said the trembling maid. "I year um dis ebening ; you year umn soon; wake me up, an I year twice; soon come agin." Alas! it did come soon again, once, twice, thrice, at intervals of a minute between each. The first time, as the long, melancholy wail arose on the solemn stillness of the night, Annah felt her young blood freeze in her veins. When next it smote her ear, that organ told her heart that it was a human cry. The third echoing shriek convinced her that none but human lips in their agony could give vent to such a sound, and she knew that some one required and must receive assistance. "I will awaken my sister," was Annah's next thought; but then she recalled the ill and nervous state into which recent trouble had plunged Bettie, and she determined that her sister should, if possible, remain undisturbed. , "Where, then, is my husband--he who should be at hand to protect me, and to render assistance, if ne- cessary," thought the neglected wife. The master of the house had become almost a stranger at- his own home, so rare-had his presence there been of late. ("Oh! if my dear father views me from the happy land beyond the skies, does not he pity his sorrow- ing child? Why was I ever called the Jewel? Are not my qualities the same now as then? Age has- page: 116-117[View Page 116-117] "6 THE GOLDEN LADDER. not come to dim my luster. Nay, I have lived and suffered to but little purpose, if time and trouble have not somewhat improved and subdued me. Is there a cause for my husband's unkindness and desertion? Yes, there is a cause. 'Tis the fickleness, the in- constancy, the degrading selfishness of man. Were I an angel, it would be impossible to retain the affections of such a being as Marcellus Morgan. These thoughts coursed through the brain of Annah, while, by a counter-working of the mind, she had determined to venture into the forest. Re- becca earnestly endeavored to dissuade her mistress from putting this plan into execution, but finding her determined to venture, the faithful creature i resolved to follow to the issue. Cowardice is the idiosyncracy of the African. All about the house remained silent. Ever and anon that cry disturbed the midnight air; the only sound that broke the deathke stillness. Wrapping themselves in large dark shawls, mistress and maid stole noiselessly from the house, and crept carefully down the avenue leading to the woods. In about a quarter of an hour they had entered the forest, and stood tremblingly beneath the dark shadow of some young pines. The sounds had ceased, and although like most forests this was alive with the smaller animmals, by night quite as much as by day, every- I A NIfGET OF TERROR. 117 thing at that moment seemed stilled to the silence of death. In a whisper, low as the softest breath of the night wind, Annah informed the trembling girl j beside her that she awaited a recurrence of the dreadful sound, in order to learn in what direction to proceed. Scarcely had she ceased to speak when, as if at the sound of her voice, that cry again rang in their ears. Annah felt her blood curdle at this evidence of mortal presence not far distant. She turned her head to the direction from, whence the noise proceeded. Upon hearing the cry nearer, whatever it was, it seemed to have lost the evidence of suffering. Annah knew not where- fore, but it recalled what sheJ had read of strange sounds heard in wild countries in times of warfare. Mrs. Morgan and her servant had penetrated much deeper into the wood than they were aware of, and had unconsciously halted in a spot most favorable to concealment and to reconnoitering. "Come," said she, at length, ashamed of her fears while engaged in the rescue of suffering humanity. Scarcely had she spoken, when, in a direction opposite to that in which she had been going, she beheld two dark forms stealing noiselessly along. As the swaying of the young trees in the rising wind let in a rift of moonlight, Annah recognized -ii page: 118-119[View Page 118-119] "8 THE GOLDEN LADDER. two of her husband's servants. Like snakes they crept along, glancing timidly around, as if fearful of momentary detection. Suddenly one of them, though cautiously advancing, trod upon a dry twig; it snapped and disturbed some rustling leaves. They instantly paused, and became motionless; not less statue-like were the breathless women beneath the shadow of the young pines. Five minutes might have passed in this manner, during which the four seemed scarcely to respire. , The midnight call was now explained. Into Annah's remembrance rushed all she had ever heard of robbery, assassinations, and massacres. Late dep- redations had been committed in the neighbor- hood, extensive burglaries, and one gentleman had been dangerously, if not fatally wounded while defending his household. It was known that a bold and desperate band was abroad, headed by a lawless desperado, and as yet no arrests had been made. While these facts rushed upon Annah's mind the two men seemed to become satisfied that they had been watched by no inimical eye. For some time they conversed eagerly together. Annah strained every nerve listening; but only the sound of their subdued voices met her ear; not a word could she overhear. Once, in her eagerness, she A NIGHT OF TERROR 19 moved her hand to put aside the heavy tresses, damp with the dew, which had fallen over her brow; in raising her arm, it struck against a rotten branch, which fell to the ground. , The conspirators started, and one, a huge, brawny man, advanced a step directly toward the place where the trembling females crouched concealed. 'His companion- re- strained the movement, and for a little while the motionless quartette again remained almost breath- less. At length the men moved rapidly and silently away in the direction from whence the peculiar cry had proceeded. Annah silently prepared to follow them. "Whar you g'wine, Missus?" inquired her terri- fied companion, clutching the skirts Of her mistress' robe. "To follow those men, to see what this can mean, to endeavor to discover the extent of the danger that menaces us," replied Annah firmly. She had X ceased to tremble, excepting from excitement-she was heroic in everything through life, save in de- fending herself from Morgan's tyranny. , "Missus, Missus, don't go; dey will kill us." i "I have no fear, Rebecca. You need not accom- pany me, poor girl. Remain here until my return; i no one will discover you in this retreat." l "Missus, guess if you go I go too," answered the :] ^" i page: 120-121[View Page 120-121] : 120 'THE aOLzDRE LADDER. faithful creature, and then artfully added: "Better fust go warn Miss Bettie; suppose dese men git dare fust, kill her sure." "True, true, Rebecca!" her tmistress replied. ' Let us first go to the house." Hurriedly, but cautiously, they pursued their way back to the house. What thoughts swept through the mind of Annah! A sense of loneliness, of deso- lation, of absence of natural protection, rushed over her. For a time the timid, suffering woman's na- ture prevailed; soon, however, her heroism resumed its sway. On arriving at the house, she instantly sought her sister's room. Bettie was up and dressed. She had -also heard the mysterious cry, and had been to her sister's room, which, to her terror, she had found unoccupied. Bettie was now kneeling beside her bed, with her child clasped to her throbbing breast. "My father- less child!" murmured the unhappy woman. In a few words Annah explained the state of the case, and added that she feared all of the male servants must be in collusion with the' robbers; in fact, that as there was no one to protect them, she thought they had better fly while there was yet time. "Fly!" repeated Bettie; "why, they will track us wherever we go." And she clasped the sleeping child still closer to her bosom. A NIGHT OF TERROR. 121 "Where, oh, where is Mr. Morgan?" cried Bet- : tie, as Annah stood with downcast eyes, in deep reflection. "Absent, as usual," she said, scarce conscious that she spoke aloud. , Away at such a time as this, sister! What sort of a man is he?" cried Bettie, indignation awaken- ing something like spirit in her. Annah roused herself from the deep reverie into which she had fallen. ( This is no time in which to discuss the merits or failings of Marcellus Morgan," she said, a little sternly. ." It behooves us to fly, and that instantly. Delay is not only dangerous, but perhaps death." The energy and presence of mind of Annah re- turned as if by magic. Wrapping a large, warm cloak about her sister, without once thinking of her own apparel, she prepared to depart. Involuntarily they paused as they reached the outer door; to go was fearful, to remain was still more dangerous. Swiftly they passed the threshold and gained the eastern park. ("We must cross that hill," said Annah, in a cau- tious voice ; " there is safety on the other side." On they went. Annah knew that she had not exaggerated the danger; in fact, it was greater even- than she imagined, for the lawless plunderers gal- 6 I page: 122-123[View Page 122-123] 122 THE GOLDENI LADDER. lowed nothing to stand in the way of gaining their ends, and would kill rather than go away without spoil. "I can go no further," said Bettie, faintly, who was still an invalid. "Elizabeth!" exclaimed the firm voice of her sister, "give me the infant and follow." She at- tempted to take the child. The little sleeper opened its sweet blue eyes, looked wonderingly at the unwonted scene around, and, with a faint cry, resisted the endeavor of its ,:'A aunt. Bettie strained her child to her, heart. ; "Let me keep her, Annah," she said in a trem- bling voice.- "If you take her, she will cry out, and betray us; with her mother she will remain quiet." Annah felt no physical pain, but poor Bettie had lost one of her shoes, her feet were cruelly assailed by the briers, and she complained bitterly. Annah said nothing; she perceived that her sister was almost beside herself with fear. They walked rapidly, and had now reached a small skirt of pines; for a moment they paused beneath the shadows, 'while Annah considered whether it would be best to fly further. Suddenly she shrank back, and, grasping Bettie by the arm, the sisters stood as though turned to stone. A tall figure glided by. The flickering light admitted A NIGHT OF TERROR. 123 by the lightly swaying branches lent an unnatural appearance to everything in the eyes of the fugitives, so excited were they by fear. Ever and anon, the form would pause awhile, and then resume its course; finally it disappeared in the gloom cast by the trees. Five minutes passed before the sisters dared to respire freely. "Annah," whispered Bettie, "I am almost certain that person was a white man." Annah had arrived at the same conclusion. "In times like these there is no telling whom to trust," said Annah. "We would' gain nothing, and perhaps risk all, by accosting any one. Come, follow; I think that I can guide you to a nook inaccessible, or rather unknown to the marauders." . They resumed their weary way, poor Rebecca, the little slave-girl, first holding on to Annah's dress and then to that of Bettie, and penetrated some distance into the forest, where, having reached a most secluded spot, they sank down from sheer fatigue. An hour passed without a -word having been spoken on either side. Then the infant became restless; Bettie endeavored to sooth it, and shul- dered lest its tiny voice should betray them. At last Annah proposed that they should endeavor to make the best of their way to the house of a certain neighbor. A / page: 124-125[View Page 124-125] 124 THE GOLDEN LADDER . "Annah," said her sister, "the dogs would tear us to pieces were we to venture there at this hour of the night. You must recollect that even in the day- time it requires two or three men to keep them from assaulting visitors." -i "We are in the hands of God, and his guardian angels will preserve us from harm,"' returned Annah. "The same Power that saved the faithful- of old, amid their trials and tribulations, will bring us out of danger to-night. I know not how it is, but fear has utterly gone out of my heart; I believe that we shall not be destroyed to-night, and I almost wish that we had remained in the house." "Self-preservation is the first law. of nature!" murmured Bettie; "and oh! sister, you have no child." What a tender glance Annah cast upon the little innocent I what a volume it revealed! "For of such is the kingdom of heaven!" she murmured, laying her hand upon the young child's head; and holy was the smile which at that moment illumined her features. What memories were stirred in Annah's heart as she stood there that night-memories long stilled, and never willingly recalled, because she had long ibeen a wife. But to-night the voice of her heart ,would be heard. "Adrian! Adrian 1" was its cry of A NIGHT OF TERROR. 125 anguish. The night breeze seemed to take up the wailing cry, and "Adrian! Adrian!" was wafted away on the wings of the wind-away, away! and from indefinite distance came to Annah's ears the plaintive echo: "Adrian! Adrian!"It was the voice of the years that had gone! Ah! he whom she so passionately invoked was far away across, the broad Atlantic, unconscious of the peril to which his beloved one was exposed. Bettie had heard of him as the reputed admirer of her sister; but, between the sisters, never had his name been mentioned. Mrs. Morgan, even as Annah Foy, had never revealed the secret of her affections to any one except Julia Morrison-to but two on earth had the sweet sad tale ever been told, and one, her lover, had no power, alas! she gave him no power, to take her to his protectiing heart. Her aunt had effect- ually clipped the wings of happiness, and cast her into the Sahara, over whose burning sands she was now traveling. A wailing cry from the babe aroused Annah from her bitter thoughts. She looked down and caught the tender glance of her sister. The blood rushed to her face, she asked herself not wherefore? For a moment she was bewildered; so deeply'had memory been stirred, her glancing eye seemed to ask what is this, and how came I hither? page: 126-127[View Page 126-127] CHAPTER XIII. SHELTERED. NNAH accused herself of selfishness in so long having forgotten, in her dreams, those ,Q- around her. Now thoroughly aroused, she said: "Bettie, I really think that we had better attempt to reach Dr. Yerbie's as soon as possible. If our house has been really attacked, that of our kind phy- sician is the best place for us; on the other hand, should this prove to be a false alarm, it will appear much more dignified and proper for us to return home to-morrow morning in good Dr. Yerbie's car- riage, than to promenade Indian file and en dishabille out of this forest. Betty perceived that it would be unreasonable to demur, and forthwith they took up their march toward the residence of the physician. Not with- out fear of the before-mentioned dogs did they ap- proach the house; Bettie, especially, trembled with terror. "Remain here, with Rebecca," said Annah, with kind consideration, " while I go on to reconnoiter." SHELTERED. 127 Bettie refused, declaring that she would share the danger, if danger there was; but Annah was firm, and the young mother sat down to rest her weary limbs. Cautiously Annah approached the house; all seemed wrapped in profound stillness; the very spirit of silence seemed there to have taken up its abode. Step by step, Annah advanced, expecting every moment to hear the bark and rush of the dogs. To her extreme surprise, she neither heard nor saw them. Looking up intently, to perceive if there were any lights in the windows, she nearly fell over something in her pathway. Recovering her equilib- rium, she recoiled several steps, as she perceived that she had stumbled over the dead body of a dog. "This is very extraordinary!" she murmured. Several moments elapsed before she gathered cour- age to proceed. By degrees, she timidly approached the kitchen door; sounds of deep breathing within served to convince her that here, at least, they felt no alarm. Cautiously raising the latch, she entered. A dark form lay extended before the kitchen fire- place. By the aid of a ray of light that fell through a shutterless window, Annah perceived the pros- trate figure to be that of a woman, and a closer look enabled her to distinguish the sable features of good old Judy, the cook. The woman was well known to Annah, who had formerly been enabled to extend page: 128-129[View Page 128-129] 128 THE GOLDEN LADDER. to Judy many favors. Leaning over the sleeping woman, Annah endeavored to arouse her. At that moment the mysterious cry again sounded in her ears, long drawn out, and rising preternaturally upon the midnight air. "Aunt Judy! Judy! for heaven's sake, awake! arouse yourself, and summon your master!" The woman turned and groaned heavily in her sleep. One who undertakes to hastily awaken -a sleeping African enters upon no easy task. Again that cry, and the agonized Annah bethought her of Bettie and the child left in the outskirts of the woods. "Judy! Judy!" she cried, "oh! awake, awake!" The half-roused woman opened her eyes and raised herself on one arm. "Who calls Judy?" she asked; for, although her name was Jenny, yet she was generally called Judy. "Who calls Judy? 'Taint time to get up yet, 'pears like." Then she beheld the white-robed figure of Annah, who had lost her shawl in her flight, and who had left home protected by no more substantial costume than a muslin wrapper. Of all human beings a negro is the most superstitious, firmly believing in the most unaccountable spiritual visitations. Judy shrank up into as small a space as her vast proportions S3ELTEHRED I 129 would allow; her teeth chattered, and Annah could perceive the trembling of her form. "Lord, is de Yankees come?" she cried. "Judy!" said Anuah, gently advancing a step. Just then a long, wailing, fearful sound floated on the air, and an instant after another white figure rushed into the dim kitchen. The horror-stricken Judy at length found her voice, and she made the apartment ring with her shrieks. The new-comer was Bettie, whom that cry had frightened from the woods. Annah heard the inmates of the house rousing themselves, and while she was endeavoring to pacify the terrified cook, the doctor entered, with a lighted candle in- his hand. "God bless my soul!" he ejaculated, as he caught sight of the white-robed invaders, and nearly drop- ped the luminary, " whom have we here? What in heaven's name has happened? Are you all dead, or dying?" "Not quite dead, Doctor," replied Annah, faintly smiling; "but some of us very nearly so. If you will now kindly take us in and do for-us, as you are fond of, saying, we will enlighten you as' to the reason of our extraordinary advent at this hour." "I thought the army of the Potomac had arrived," said the Doctor. He had scarcely ceased speaking 6* ^ page: 130-131[View Page 130-131] A U I U GOLDEIrT LADDER . when again the mysterious cry arose. The Doctor started; he looked piercingly at the cook, who, withf distended, incredulous eyes, rolling from Annah to her sister, seemed still unable to believe the evidence of her senses. The phyJsician went to the door-it still wanted some hours to daylight. "It is strange that the dogs are all so silent, did none of them bark as you approached?" he asked. "I have heard no sounds excepting that cry, and Jennie's shrieks," replied Annah, significantly. The Doctor reflected deeply for a moment; then he said: "But come, I forget myself strangely! You both look exhausted, and so ghostly that I do not wonder Judy was frightened out of her wits. Come into ;he hou se, ladies." They followed the Doctor into the parlor, where hey found Mrs. Yerbie and her daughters were ,p and already dressed. Refreshments were i ffered, and Annah, after taking a glass of wine, riefly explained the occurrences of the night. The )octor's sons were absent from home in another Drtion of the State, but the brave old man ordered Lenty of lights to be shown, and declared that as s fire-arms were in capital order in case of attaIck, , meant to arm the ladies. Meanwhile Judy had SHELTERED. 131 sufficiently recovered as to feel enabled to carefully lock and bolt all of the doors. "The circumstances you relate, ladies," said the Doctor, " are very suspicious-" here he was inter- rupted by Bettie, who had swooned upon the sofa. Fright and over-exertion had been!too much for her feeble frame. That night, upon retiring, she had taken a hot drink, and was in a profuse per- spiration when terror had driven her from the house, and now she had fainted from the effects of reaction! It was some time before she" recovered and could be got comfortably to bed. Annah, whom faItigue forced to recline upon a sofa, and yet who cOuld not sleep, was still convers- ing with the Doctor, when, one of the young ladies came in to say that she feared Mrs. Hope, Bettie, was very ill. Anrlah flew to the bedside of her sister, followed by ;he physician. Poor Bettie was found to be in a burning fever. "Was Mr. Morgan at home when you left?" suddenly inquired the Doctor of Annah, who hung anxiously over her sister. ":e was not," she answered. "When did he leave home?" "Immediately after an early tea-" -^T "And has not since returned?" "No, Doctor." page: 132-133[View Page 132-133] 132 TEIE GOLDEN LADDEI.- "That is very strange; he was here about eight o'clock last evening. We invited him to remain longer with us; but he declined, saying that he must return, as Bettie and yourself were at home alone." Annah's beautiful lip curled, but she simply re- marked: "Had he been at home, we would have had courage to remaini there." Bettie's fever increased so rapidly, and she ap- peared so very ill, that in Annah's mind the sense of every other danger was absorbed. She scarcely heard the announcement wrathfully made by .the Doctor, that his fine and valuable dogs had all been poisoned. Bettie became delirious-and what of mental suf- fering does not delirium reveal? "My dear," said the kind wife of the physician to Annah, "you must now go and lie down; you absolutely require rest. I will take care of your sister." "My dear friend," replied Annah, taking her hands in her own, "look at me; do I appear weary? I am strong, I am well; I could not sleep were I to go to bed. I cannot leave my sister. See, here is a comfortable lounge; on it I will recline, so that I can both watch and rest. You go and SHELTERED. 133 sleep, and afterward I promise you, I will take my turn. It would be impossible fot me to slum- ber now." Mrs. Yerbie looked at the flushed face and lumin- ous eyes of AnnaL Morgan, and saw that she was, - indeed, still too much excited to sleep, so she herself retired to obtain some repose, necessary in order to enable her to take her turn in the sick-room. Left to herself, Annah breathed a sigh of relief. She went to the bedside and leaned over the young widow, whose delirium had, however, somewhat, abated. The patient breathed quick and heavy, but toward daylight fell into an uneasy slumber. Annah watched, listened, and reflected. - Had they flown only from a fancied danger, or had there been real cause of alarm? At any rate, they were safer here than in an unprotected house. "What a world ,of shifting scenes is this i" pon- dered Annah. Little thought I, as last eve I watched the early moon, that this morning's dawn would behold -such a scene of suffering! Beloved sister! Poor little innocent!" she:said aloud, as she looked upon ithe sleeping babe, "God alone knows what is in store for thee!" ! , Rising, she again 'noistened the lips of the sufferer, whose slumber wax becoming more tranquil, and then approached- the window; the sight that met ' . / page: 134-135[View Page 134-135] THE GOLDEN LADDER. her eyes wrapped her poetic soul in adoration, Day was just breaking in the golden east, and the deep obscurity which precedes the dawn had begun to yield to the returning light. Will the reader permit us to quote at large from our immortal novelist? "If -any earthly scene could be presented to the senses of man that might soothe his passions and temper his ferocity, it was that which grew upon the eyes of the beholders as the advancing hours changed night into morning. There were the usual soft tints of the sky, in which neither the gloom of darkness nor the brilliancy of the'sun prevails, and under which objects appear more unearthly, and, we might add, holy, than at any other portion of the twenty-four hours. The beautiful and soothing calm of eventide has been extolled by a thousand poets, and yet it does not bring with it the far-reaching and sublime thoughts of the half-hour that precedes the rising sun. In the one case the panorama is gradu- ally hid from the sight, while in the other its objects start out from the unfolding picture, first dim and misty, then marked in, in solemn background; next seen in the witchery of an increasing, a thing as different as possible from the decreasing twilight, and, finally, mellow, distinct, and luminous as the rays of the great center of light diffuse themselves in the atmosphere. The hymns of birds, too, have no novel counterpart in the retreat to the roost, or the flight to the nest; and these invariably accompany the advent of the day until the appearance of th6- sun itself 'Bathes in deep joy the land and sea."' As the day grew upon her vision, the sense of security which almost always accompanies returning light after a night of fear, stole into the heart of Annah. As objects became more distinct in the in- creasing light, it was strange that they seemed to fade and dim before the eyes of the lunconsciously weary watcher. She turned her languid eyes toward the bed; the rest of the patient appeared unbroken; she glanced at the quiet infant, she turned again to the window. Ah! sleep overpowered her senses, gradually her heavy head sank down, as a flower over-freighted with dew, and thought, feeling, sight became " st eped in oblivion." When Annah awoke, the bright day was in full career. At first she knew not where she was-could not recall what had happened. Some kind hand had placed a pillow under her head, and thrown a shawl around her. From the sounds that reached her ear she concluded that the household were at breakfast. She attempted to .rise, but sank back, feeling that her limbs ached. Another attempt en- page: 136-137[View Page 136-137] 136 THE GOLDEN LADDER. abled her to regain her feet. Her eyes sought the bed; the figure extended there was no unsubstantial vision. Annah approached; the sufferer appeared to sleep profoundly. The babe had been removed from the room, Annah well knew' by whose kind ! care. Mrs. Morgan, after a refreshing ablution, sought the breakfast-room, where she found- the whole family assembled, all of whom vied with each other in kind attentions to their favorite:, Annah. The good Doctor signalized the occasion by teasing Mrs. Morgan about her oft-boasted bravery, telling her that she made but a sorry heroine after all. As they arose from the breakfast-table, Judy came in to state that Mr. Morgan had been over to inquire if his wife was there, and upon being answered in the affirma- tive had " swore quite obstroperous j' "He g'wine sen for yer dis morning, Miss Annah," added Judy, dropping a courtesy as she spoke; "but he done say dat de berry nex time yer turn fool an run 'way in de night, you kin git home de bes way yer kin; he say dat de Yankees aint nowhar cnear him, and if dey war, dat Stone-Wall Jackson can whip de warld, and de Yankees too." Shortly after breakfast. a one-horse cart was driven up to the gate, and the driver inquired for Mrs. Morgan. This was the equipage sent by Mar- SHELTERED. 137 cellus to convey to her home his alarmed wife! The indignant physician offered his carriage; buit Annah, affecting to view the conduct of her husband in the light of a joke, declared that she would ac- cept of no conveyance but that so courteously pro- vided for her. "The rascal!" muttered the irate physician to himself. "To think that he would dare to ill-use such a woman!" Bettie, of course, was not sufficiently recovered to be removed, and Annah took her leave, saying that, after explaining the reason of their flight to Mr. Morgan, she would return to assist in the care of her sister. As she drove up to the door of her home, Morgan was crossing the garden, but he did not deign-to notice her. When, some time after, he entered the room, he said in a sarcastic tone, "How did you enjoy a drive in the cart?" "Oh, very well, indeed," she replied, cheerfully. "It certainly had the advantage of novelty." "I will bring your pride low before I have done with you, iMadam," he said, with a tremendous oath. Mr. Morgan had more reasons than one for being unusually unsociable that morning. It seemed that the fears and flight of his wife were not without cause. Their fowl-houses had been robbed in the page: 138-139[View Page 138-139] 138 THE GOLDEN LADDER. night, the thieves having had their own way. But this was not the cause of the strange noise and mournful cries that had frightened Annah and Re- becca. They emanated from -two of Morgan's col- ored women who had gone into the dark swamp to collect light wood, had lost their road, been be- nighted;' and were unable to find their way out of the forest until daylight aided them. Morgan had been on a visit to one of his female friends that night, and he had forgotten the dan- gers that menaced his household in this time of war while basking in the smiles of his inamorata. Had he been at home, as it was his duty to be, the disaster might have been avoided; but it did not please him to feel that the loss was his own fault. Annah shuddered when she heard that another house had been entered, and that a woman who gave the alarm and resisted the robbers had been most brutally maltreated. The marauders belonged to the Northern army; a band of them had forcibly entered the house, and an officer had -ransacked the bureau drawers and appropriated the bridal trousseau of a young lady, while his men made free with whatever edibles and drinkables they could lay their lawless hands on. There was an amusing incident connected with SURjLTERED. 139 this robbery. The officer, after despoiling the ward(robe of the affianced girl, sought to extend his depredations to her mother's effects; but the old lady seized a broomstick and so belabored tihe cow- ardly cur, that he was only too glad to seek refuge in fight, followed by the jeers of his insubordinate men. , page: 140-141[View Page 140-141] CHAPTER XIV. THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. t A HEN, after a few days, her sister returned to her house, Annah was shocked to per- ceive the sad alteration in her appearance. And, indeed, the decay of Bettie's health might be dated from that night of fear and ex- posure. Her cold developed into a cough that nothing could assuage. Marcellus Morgan was, of course, accessory to her illness. But Annah saw no signs of amendment or remorse in Marcellus. He was like the Rev. Pilate Patter, who had married Mrs. Mary Foy, and who wanted a long cloak with which to cover his conduct. TPatter and Morgan were warm friends-if one could call friendship any sentiment existing between two such unprincipled hearts. The young widow, feeling unwilling to remain longer in Morgan's house, wrote to the reverend gentleman, her stepmother's husband, that she was ill and desired to return home. In a few days Mr. Patter arrived. Bettie had some money, and Pat- THE GREEN-EYED MONSTE-R. 141 ter thought best to humor her when it did not too much inconvenience himself. He arrived, bringing his long coat, white cravat, and standing collar as stiff with starch as the owner was with sin. Could one have looked into his heart, he would have be- held there a host of peacocks, toads, and other loathsome objects. The peacock is said to denote pride, the toad pomposity; and if ever there was a pompous egotist with a cloven foot, it was the Rev Pilate Patter. Annah accompanied her sister home, and remained with her a few days. While crossing the Chesapeake Bay, Mr. Patter conversed with Annah about her father's will. This will ordained, that, if Andrew, Annah's brother, died before arriving at the age of twenty-one his portion of the property was to be equally divided among the other heirs. The other gentleman pretended to believe that the health of the youth was too delicate to admit of a hope of his arriving at manhood; but Annah saw his drift and did not encourage the conversation. "Well," said the mercenary parson at last, "I am afraid the slaves will soon be freed altogether, so I shall endeavor to sell Andrew's as soon as possible." But he was foiled in his attempt to get possession of his step-son's dollars, for the: judge to whom he applied for permission to take this step, peremptorily page: 142-143[View Page 142-143] I V "2 THE GOLDE N LADDER. refused to grant his application, far seeing that the wily minister meditated defrauding the infant heir, Bettie could not conceal from her sister that she was glad-very glad, to return home; nor could Annah blame any one for disliking to dwell beneath the same roof as Marcellus Morgan. Mrs. Morgan returned with her sister, passed a few days in the country, then taking leave, a tearful leave, of her sister, and the little blue-eyed Mollie, started once more for the Rappahannock, to dwell in a dungeon at Oak Lawn-a palace would a prison prove, were it poisoned with the presence of MLar- cellus. -He did not, would not, go with the army, but stayed at home, and blew a bellows. There are few, we trust very few, whose own experience enables them to comprehend the miseries endured by Annah during the twelve years that she was the wife of Marcellus Morgan. She had made up her mind to bear as bravely as she could the conduct of her husband, for alas! she could perceive no hope of a reformation. Bettie had been a source of great comfort to Annah during the few weeks she had resided with her, and it was a severe trial to part with her and the baby. But she engaged in the domestic affairs, and endeavored to be ever cheerful. THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. 143 A short time after her return home she was invited to a wedding-party. While making prepara- tions to attend the festivities, what fantastic thoughts engaged the brain of our heroine! "Josephine was happy on the Island of Mar- tinique," thought she, but did greatness enhance her happiness? Her .husband truly loved her, and yet he left her for another. Mine loves me not, and yet, and yet. Ah!" with a deep-drawn sigh- "there must be wisdom in all the mysterious afflic- tions that are showered upon mortals." The day arrived, and when the wife of Marcellus was duly adorned for the occasion, she looked herself like a beautiful bride. Her luxuriant hair was allowed to flow in natural 'ringlets, in which was entwined a delicate spray of orange-flowers. Scarcely whiter than her neck were the orient pearls by which it was encircled; perfect in every particular was, her elegant costume; to quote a well-known thought- "Her garments were rich, and she wore them most gracefully."' When she descended to the room where Marcel- * lus awaited her, he could not help starting at the vision of loveliness. " Do I suit you, Mr. Morgan?" she gently asked, observing that he was regarding her attentively. I * page: 144-145[View Page 144-145] 1X THgE BozDETx ARDDE. "Yes! you look very well this evening. Come, the carriage is waiting," he replied, After a long silent drive they reached the palatial residence of Colonel Carter, Fleet's Bay. The grounds were filled with carriages. As Mor- gan's dashing equipage drove up, all eyes were attracted to the new arrival. eWhen Annah alighted a murmur of admiration ran through the crowd. She heard her name repeated more than once, and encomiums pronounced upon her beauty. She felt somewhat confused, this being the first time that she had ever visited Northumberland County. In that direction, of course, she met many strangers. They were ushered into a dark room, but, almost instantaneously, at least two dozen wax candles, that were in silver brackets on the walls, were lighted, and a very pretty effect was caused by the rich jewels in the coiffures of fair ladies scin- tillating in the mellow irradiance that they shed around. . The intended bride, Miss Alice Carter, was a very lovely creature, with soft blue eyes, dazzlingly fair skin, and a beautiful mouth. The smile on her lip and the expression of her mild eyes immediately, prepossessed Annah in her favor. The bridegroom- elect, Mr. William K , was one of the wealthiest men in the country. THl GRSEEN-EZED MONSTER. 145 As Annah saw the fair girl yield her hand to the man who in a few moments was to be made the arbiter of her destiny, a chill ran through her heart. Her own bridal-day rushed upon her memory. The bowing willow, the bursting billow, and the wide- spread green lawn all appeared before her like a scene of yesterday. "God grant, sweet creature!" thought Annah, "that you may never, never have cause to regret leaving your father's house. May you never learn how fickle, how inconstant is man!'" - The ceremony was over, and the happy couple were receiving congratulations. As Annah turned away, after having offered hers, she could not help overhearing some compliments paid her by the bride. The groom was intimately acquainted with Morgan's family; indeed, his property was situated in the same neighborhood. Annah received a great deal of attention during the evening, and more than once overheard the remark: "How in the world came she to marry that man? Why, I never saw so unequal a match. The dove and the crow! i The jackdaw and the bird-of-para- dise! She is certainly exceedingly intelligent, and is said to'be very amiable. I am sure she looks so." "'Yes," said b young physician, "the people on the other side of the Chesapeake must view faces , . page: 146-147[View Page 146-147] "6 THE GOLDEN LADDEIR very differently from us. She is lovely, and he is a real ape." Annah's cheeks burned to hear the man she was compelled to recognize as her husband pronounced an ape ; yet she could not blame people for so think- ing. "The Golden Ladder!l the Golden Ladder! Ah! why did my avaricious aunt require me to scale it?" she murmured. The evening passed off delightfully. All hearts seemed joyous; but involuntarily a sigh would escape Annah's sweet lips; happiness was lost to her, and she was lost to her friends, and lost to society, for some of her relatives had not seen her since she was a child. At length Morgan came to inquire when she intended going home. "Whenever you please; Mr. Morgan," said Annah, gently. He looked dark and angry, so she knew that something had occurred to displease his lordship, and went to take leave of the "happy pair." The bridegroom said: "Mrs. Morgan, to-morrow, at Mars Hill, we have a party; Morgan and yourself must come over. Our invitations are verbal; we have issued no cards for the dinner at my house." "I shall be very happy to attend," returned Annah, "if Mr. Morgan pleases." THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. 147 "I shall please to stay at home, K , I think. I reckon we have had weddings enough now to last for some time," said Morgan. "Oh!" said Mr.,K , who saw that his guest had imbibed considerable wine, "you must certainly come, Morgan. I wish my wife to become better acquainted with yours; you are our nearest neigh- bors, recollect." A few more words of adieu, and they went out to, the carriage. - organ stood like a statue, while his wife uentered without assistance. Even after she was seated he did not move, but stood gazing at her savagely. "Are you not coming, Mr. Morgan?" said Annah, politely, although she could scarcely help laugh- ing at the ridiculous figure he presented. "Mind your own business," was the elegant reply she received. Then he suddenly made a rush for the door of the carriage, which came near being torn from the hinges by his violence. "Drive like the devil!" he shouted to the coach, man, and the carriage dashed over roots, and down hills, and into gullies, swaying to and fro, in mo- mentary danger of being overturned. "And you'll know it when you catch me at any more frolics, Madam," he added to his wife. "Ah," thought Annah, " were the frolic but held page: 148-149[View Page 148-149] "8 THE GOLDEIN LADDER. at the house of Kitty Fisher or Joice Powells, Mr. Morgan would be one of the most untiring guests." "Drive faster!" bawled Morgan to the driver; the horses were, then traveling at- the top of their speed. When they arrived at their own gate, and the driver alighted to open it, Morgan caught the reins and jerked them savagely, to the great detriment of the poor horses, who were all in a foam. The gate flew open; Morgan did not wait for the driver to resume the spat, but slashed away at the animals, as though determined to kill something or somebody that night. As soon as they stopped at the door he sprang out and rushed into the house, leaving Annah to take care of -herself. When she entered her room Marcellus had already thrown himself on the bed, and he capped the climax, even before she had dis- robed, by ordering her, in a loud voice, "to prepare to sleep upon the floor, for into bed she should not enter that night." Annah made no reply, but was an unusual time in undressing, hoping that Morgan would fall asleep, and that then she could quietly leave the room. But the cruel and artful Bajezet was on the watch, and, as Annah was about to open the door he raised his head and called out: THE GSEEN-ErD MONSTER. 149 ( Where are you going, you beauty, as you were called this evening? If you do not go back to that chair, and remain there, I'll 'beautify' you, and increase your vast stock of 'intelligence.' Sharp as you are, you are not quite sharp enough for Marcellus "Morgan." "Mr. Morgan," said Annah, allow me to leave the room. I am fatigued and wish to lie down." "Lie on the carpet then. Though you are so- perfect, I think I can improve you. I'll make you altogether independent of creature comforts. Your queenly appearance is quite different now to what it was a few hours ago, when you promenaded Col. Carter's parlors and every one paid homage to you. The nest wedding you attend, my bird-of-paradise, you shall wear a splendid costume of shilling calico. How will you like that, my gentle dove? If you do not lie down this moment upon the carpet, I will find means to make you; do you hear?" He was becoming so violent, that our heroine thought best to comply, as she well knew that he had no scruples about carrying his threats into execution. So wearied was she, that she actually fell asleep, while Morgan's ridiculous words and threats still sounded in her ears. It may be imagined that she felt no better next day for having couched upon the hard floor all night. page: 150-151[View Page 150-151] 150 THE GOLDEN LADDER. It appeared, from the language of Matcellus, that he had overheard the eulogies pronounced upon his wife, and consequently the disparaging remarks concerning himself. His love was like vapor, and- had long since passed away. The idea that others should consider her lovable was obnoxious. He was jealous-jealousy without love; strange anomaly! The day which was, appointed for the party to be held at Mars Hill arrived, and Morgan was the first to propose to attend. Well he knew that after all she had passed through -she did not feel like enter- ing into gay society, and hence he was determined that she should attend. He assumed his blandest manner as he, with "killing courtesy," informed her that they were to appear at the dinner given at M r. K 's. They went, and never was seen in a country place a more splendid entertainment. Even while there, surrounded by attentive acquaint- ances and gay companions, Annah often found herself sinking into deep and bitter reveries. Her mind seemed to soar above the trifles of time; alas! too deeply had the iron entered into her soul. The fickleness, the brutality to which she was subjected, was greater than she had conceived could exist in the heart of man. She, who had been the Jewel of Fabian Foy's mansion, could' date another era in THE GRBEEN-E YED MONSTER. 151 her existence from the time of the wedding-party at Mars Hill, for, from that period, Marcellus be- came trebly estranged. Once, when hp called for her at the house of a neighbor she was visiting, he obliged her to return home with him, making her walk and run by the side of his horse for hours, through briers and thorns, and-over freshy-plowed ground. On a frosty New Year's day he locked up his house, telling his domestics that they might all take a holiday. Mrs, Morgan was locked into a cold room, without fire, or fuel to kindle one, every- thing of the kind having been removed. There she remained benumbed with cold, expecting to be- frozen to death; but there was no redress as yet. Could mortal be hidden in a more wretched place? She often wished that the Yankees would pass that way. She feared them not half so much as she did Morgan. On one fine Sabbath morning in October, Mr. Morgan attended his wife to church. Salem was a Baptist church, in Lancaster county, and the Rev. Addison Hall, of Virginia, was the pastor; on this particular Sabbath he had selected these words for his text: " O thou aficted, tossed about and not com- forted, the Lord is tfhy husband." As he uttered this sentence the tears gushed from the eyes of Mrs. page: 152-153[View Page 152-153] 152 TEWE GOLDET LADDER. Morgan,-every word of the speaker sank into her inmost heart. She felt that she was tossed upon beaten rocks and nearly shattered to pieces. The storm was ceaseless and long-continued, and, her breaking heart cried aloud for compassion. She listened to this pious man, while the tears flowed down her cheeks. She had confidence in his doc- trine; he taught the Gospel of St. James. He was not a Pilate Patter, who had neither faith nor real piety, being a sanctimonious humbug who made a parade of his goodness on the Sabbath, but who occupied himself during the -week grinding down every poor soul at whom he could get a grip. The Rev. Mr. Hall was a good man, and his tninistry was blessed with thousands of converts. But even this able and eloquent man failed to make an impression upon Morgan, whose heart seemed to be hard as adamant and callous as sin could make it.' When the good man had concluded his remarks, Colonel Cameron offered up a prayer, and it ap- peared that even his words were especially intended, to touch Annah. She returned home feeling that she had derived great special consolation and in- struction; her faith was increased, hope revived in her drooping heart, prospects looked less dark; she began to believe that she would not be left to dwell forever under Morgan's baneful influence; that a t THE GREEN-EYED .MONSTER. 153 power of some quickening kind would come and pluck her out of his hand. Oh! ye daughters of this Eastern continent, ye fair virgins of America,! think for one moment, weigh well in the balance the troubles that this unfortunate woman has already passed through. And yet, only an infinitesimal part of the suffering she endured, the bitter anguish always at her heart, the ceaseless contumely with which she was treated, the brutal violence to which she was subjected during the years, the long weary years, which so slowly dragged away their length while she was Morgan's wife, have we mentioned. Were all the fiendish acts of barbarity that this human Satyr perpetrated upon this gentle, fragile woman, whom he had sworn to love and honor, related, the heart of the reader would sicken with disgust, a thrill of horror would chill the warm blood in his veins, and he would pause to consider whether it was possible that such a demon could exist on this fair earth, or whether the character was a; mere creation of the narrator's brain. Poor unhappy Annah! Well might she exclaim, in the language of Job: "Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it awas said, There is a child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let-the light shine upon it. Let page: 154-155[View Page 154-155] 154 THE GOLDEN LADDER. \ darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.' But by Him who guided the children of Israel with a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night was our heroine guided. Her frail bark was tossed to, and fro on a surging sea, which threatened to overwhelm it; but she trusted in God, the great ameliorator of all woes, and looked and praved unto Him for "surcease of sorrow." It was wonderful that Annah's mental faculties did not become impaired, many have gone down to the grave, bereft-of reason, without experiencing one tithe of the suffering that was the miserable wife's portion; but He who ordains all things did not so will it; instead, He gave her strength to bear the cross that Hie had laid upon her; and Hope, that beacon that always brightly burns for the world- worn and world-weary, aided her, for, far in the dim vista of the future, a glimmering ray of light struggled through the dense cloud-banks which ever shadowed her life, and gave promise of rest and peace in after years. t . . CHAPTER XV. A MODEL HUSBAND. WHAT a wretchedly 'dull day is this!" exclaimed Morgan, as he entered an apartment at Oak Lawn. "Indeed!" said Annah, who sat beside- a cheerful fire, engaged with her embroidery. She had fallen into the habit of saying just as little as was politely possible in reply to Morgan's remarks, finding that the best manner in which to preserve a semblance of peace. Mr. Morgan yawned, and stretched himself in his easy chair; then he sauntered to the window with his hands in his pockets, and " whistling as he went for want of-thought." Finding the prospect from the window uninteresting to his intellectual mind, he lolled for a while upon the sofa. Then he paced for some time up and down the room; finally he ex- claimed, with a loud oath, and bringing his hand hard down upon a table that be happened to be near: "By --, I have hit it! just the right thing! I page: 156-157[View Page 156-157] 156 THE GOLDEN LADDER. will sell out here and go to Norfolk. I am weary of this place, and I have sisters residing there." "I am willing to go," exclaimed Annah, involun- tarily. Her poor heart bounded at the prospect of a change, trusting that it would surely be one for the better. "Willing to go!" echoed Morgan. "Of course you are willing to go. You will have nothing to do but dress and flaunt the streets, like all other lazy vixens, and make the acquaintance of the blue- coats, who, like that'arch rogue Ben. Butler, have an mania for misappropriation, and, when they get 'spoons' on a man's wife, find but little difficulty in carrying her off." This stung Annah to the quick, and she could not help uttering the retort that sprang to her lips : "Your sisters, Mr. Morgan, you say, reside in Norfolk. I do not suppose that I shall appear in the streets oftener than they do, and whatever any members of your family do is always correct. I presume the Northern troops are there, and perhaps lwe may be better protected by your family being there." "Do not be'sarcastic, Madam; it don't suit you- you have mistaken the style; and one thing I can tell, had I a wife who traveled the streets as does Caleb Savage's wife, my sister Ellen, I should very A MODEL HUSBAND. 157 promptly put a stop to it. If I remove to Norfolk, I shall tell Nicholson to keep Eliza in the house, for all those women do is to make up fine clothes-and flirt around Portsmouth and old Point Comfort, in order to admire the fine-looking Yankee officers," he added sneeringly. "( Mr. Morgan, would it be wise to meddle in your sisters' affairs? It might give them a distaste for your society," suggested Annah. "( Do you suppose I care for that? I am my own master, and shall do as I please. Never have I been governed by a petticoat since I cut my mother's apron-strings, and all the Nicholsons and wild savages of Algiers cannot conquer me," and out he strode, with a countenance as amiable as that of a gorilla. As the daylight died away and twilight deepened, Annah's mind strayed far away from Marcellus, out into the fields of imagination. The room was dimly illuminated by the weird light an old-fashioned wood- fire that burned upon the brass andirons shed around. All was silent. Annah had to mourn over her troubles in solitude and loneliness. She had no off- spring; once this had been to her a source of acute regret, now, on the contrary, she was fain to rejoice' in her -heart that no child of hers called Marcellus- father. At last .a domestic opened the door, and Z ' ^ ' * page: 158-159[View Page 158-159] , 158 I THE GOLDEN LADDER inquired whether she wanted tea or' coffee to be served for supper. "Coffee, by all means," replied Annah, who re- called an insane attack made upon her once by Morgan because she had forgotten to see some commands executed about his lordship's coffee. The servant withdrew, but her presence had recalled Annah from dreams to stern reality. "And now we are to leave this beautiful place," thought Annah, "when my garden is looking so ex- quisitely beautiful and my shrubs are coming on so finely. The grape-vines that I have taken so much pleasure in attending under the new method, my favorite young orchard, just in its prime! Well, such is life-change, change, perpetual change! I wonder ifS Marcellus -was, or ever will be, contented. Ah!" a sudden light breaking in upon her mind, "yes, it must be so; I can guess the cause of his sudden caprice, his wish to go to Norfolk. He is aware that his conduct has become the subject of uni- versal remark, and hence his sudden desire to leave Lancaster. He pretends to fear his houses will be destroyed; that's all nonsense, he has some other project on hand. Poor man! victim of his own bad passions, he has none to pity him; all unite in meting out to him just retribution for his multi-, farious sins. * . * A MODEL HUSBAND. 159 Annah truly pitied the man who had inflicted so many injuries upon her, and she knew not by what contrariety of impression she found herself repeat- ing these lines: "Time's somber touches soon correct the piece, Mellow each tint, and bid each discord cease; A softer tone of light pervades the whole, And breathes a pensive languor in the soul." Here supper was announced; Mrs. Morgan has- tened to obey the summons. Marcellus was already seated at the table, and, with his usual courtesy, had helped himself without waiting for his wife. Annah was seized with a desire to know how Mar- cellus was progressing with his studies, particularly geography. He had made, in his ignorance, some most ridiculous mistakes when there were strangers present. ! "How about the savages of Algiers, Mr. Morgan, to whom you alluded this afternoon?" she asked. "Well, so I did. I heard a man yesterday read from a paper something about savages in Algiers, and, of course, he meant Caleb's family. But I thought he was making a mistake, because all the savages I ever heard of lived in Northumberland and Accomac." "Did you really think, Mr. Morgan, that the man who was reading meant Savages by name?" page: 160-161[View Page 160-161] 160 THE GOLD-EN LADDER. "Yes, of course he did; what else could he mean? I suppose there is some place named Algiers in Northumberland or Accomac."' "Oh! no, no, Mr. Morgan! Algiers is a country in the northern extremity of Africa, and the natives of those barbarous states are called savages because they are not civilized." "Well, I swear, Annah, you are becoming a bigger fool every day you live. To tell me such a thing as that! Do you suppose I believe such a Jie? To say that there are wild people in the world! Well, I have sometimes thought that you were going crazy, sitting here talking of 'stremities, as though you could fill my eyes with sand. I do not care anything about your extremes or'stremities; I know that the man meant some of 'Caleb's family, or Littleton's. You know Littleton, who used some- times to accompany me when H was 'a sparkin" you?" "Yes," replied Mrs. Morgan, unable to repress a smile. "What are you laughing at, Madam? You make fun enough of me, and I'll not have it. I will make you laugh on the other side of your 'pretty lips;' as Dr. Bernett was so fond of calling them at the wed- ding of K --." "I was not 'making fun,' Mr. Morgan, because I A MODEL HUSBAND. 16f, smiled. But what I tell you about the savages is true." "Mrs. Morgan, you have lolled in your easy-chair, and dawdled over your embroidery, and muddled your brain over old books, until you have lost your mind. You had Some sense when I married you and took you to!Poplar Hill; but since you have come to Oak Lawn, you have turned fool. I'd burn up the whole library if I were intending to remain here; but it will be just as well, and more profitable, to sell it off; and trust me, Madam, when I reach Norfolk you will 'lead another sort of life,' as your great friends, the poets, have it." Our heroine refrained from reply. When the meal was over, Morgan, for a wonder, took a seat beside the fire. "When are you going to be in readiness to remove to Norfolk'" he inquired of his wife, just as though he had been in the habit of allowing her a choice in res angzusta domi. "Whenever you are ready, I suppose, Mr. Mor- gan." "Well, two weeks from this day I shall saili for that city. Next Monday I shall sell, and I wish everything to look its best in order to bring a good price. I am tired of this place. The people are all too smart here, and, you are as big a fool as -any one page: 162-163[View Page 162-163] 162 THE GOLDEN LADDER. else." With which parting benediction he left the room. Annah thought in her heart, that of all the con- summate blockheads she had ever met, she would award the palm to the man the law recognized as her husband. "How I have been sacrificed " thought "the little Jewel" of Fabian Foy. "What was the use of my father going to the expense of educating me? what has education done for me, but to render me miserable? Had my mind remained as uncultivated as that of Mr. Morgan, then, perhaps, I should suit him better; then, perhaps, he would love me. If I speak to him in regard to his ignorance, and endeavor to teach him, he retorts that I am making fun of him. Heaven knows I never thought of such a thing. Oh! how miserable am I!" The household was soon all in confusion, making preparations for the sale and subsequent removal to the city. Each day brought forward some new excitement. Annah was both glad and grieved to leave the place. She regretted bidding adieu to her church and to her kind neighbors, but rejoiced to have Marcellus removed from his de- graded associates. She hoped that when he got among his relatives, pride, if not principle, would induce him to avoid women and wine; but we A MODEL HUSBAND. 163 shall see presently how Marcellus got along in the city. Mrs. Morgan often sought the meadow that she and Bettie had crossed on the memorable night when the latter fell into a brier-bush. Beneath a large oak, whose shade was refreshing to her weari- ness, Annah passed many meditative hours. She now sought it for the last time before her departure from Lancaster. Night was fast approaching, the moon had risen and shed her silvery light over the dew-spangled earth! stars twinkled in the heavens, while the bird that is said to denote death uttered its mournful cry, "Whip-poor-will! Whip-poor- -will!" resounded over her head. Even the croak- ing of the frogs see ed to convey an intimation of that sad word, "farewell!"Annah fixed her eyes upon the "spangled firmament;" her thoughts soared above and beyond things terrestrial to that land where " ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace," where birds warble their notes of praise to the great Creator, where the air is im- pregnated with the perfumes of flowers, and " where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest!" A feeling of unwonted beatitude entered Annah's heart. She felt that at some future day she would enter the glorious realm above, and that even in this page: 164-165[View Page 164-165] 164 THE GOLDEN LADDER. world her oppression would be modified. When the heavy dew warned her to hasten homeward, she bore with her an increase of courage and forti- tude. In a fevf days the sale took place. There were a great many who expressed regret that Mrs. Morgan " was about to leave the country. Why did they wish to break up and part with that beautiful plantation? was often asked. No one could account for Mor- gan's strange freak. A Mrs. Crittenden, the widow-of Lawyer Critten- den, was a great favorite of our heroine's. Annah had not a large circle of female acquaintances. Having had some experience of the treachery of women, she stood aloof from the masses; but this lady was a good woman, and Annah and she were warm friends and regular visitors. As soon as Mary Crittenden heard that Mrs. Mor- gan was about to remove from the county, she put on her bonnet and started off on foot to discover if it were really true. When she approached the house and gazed upon it and all its beautiful surroundings, she said to herself: '"It is not possible that they who own this elegant place, and have here all that heart could wish, are going to give it up and remove to a bustling city." But, alas,! it was too true. As Mrs. Crittenden A MODEL HUSBAND. 165 entered the' gate, Annah ran out, kissed her, and smiled as though she was happy. "Oh," said Mrs. Crittenden, "I have heard that you are going to leave us, but I cannot believe it, Annah." "But such is the fact," replied the planter's wife. "We shall depart in a few days." "Why, if I may ask, do you leave this splendid house and property?" "Marcellus pretends that there will soon be a battle fought on Cartei's Creek, and his house will be burnt. Therefore it is his desire to dispose of it, and you know it is my duty to comply." Tears ran down the cheeks of her friend. "Oh, Mrs. Morgan, I have always loved you so much! Indeed, so sincere and ardent has been my affection for you that I have even ventured to ex- postulate with Mr. Morgan regarding his unkindness and cruelty toward you. I heard the other day that he had- Oh, heavens! I will not say-it-it can- not be true!" "Too true-too true," said Annah, guessing what her friend had heard. "Oh," continued the excited woman, " were a man to treat me in that manner I do believe that I should kill him; and yet I hope that I am a Christian. But God never made a woman to be treated so Ed I .' page: 166-167[View Page 166-167] 166 THE GOLDEN LADDER. cruelly- as, to my certain knowledge, you have been." , Mrs. Crittenden wept-as she spoke. Annah was also in tears; she could not help saying: "My dear friend, if what you have heard was the worst I could bear it, but-"And here, almost overpowered by her emotion, she could say no more.' Bitter, bitter memories were in her mind, and her poor heart was almost bursting. She knew thaet the good woman had heard nothing, compara- tively speaking; but to reveal it would do no good, therefore she said but little. "Now," said Mrs. Crittenden, "I am going to ask you a question, Annah Morgan, and I wish you to tell me the truth; did Marcellus Morgan ever- Oh, I cannot speak it!" "I comprehend you," said Annah, " and I can answer you and say yes, that it is true.", And Annah wept more bitterly when the lady re- ferred to an inhuman act of her husband's, which she had just cause to remember. "Annah Morgan," continued her friend, persist- ently, " is that indeed so? lMy God! I have a child, yes, children, and the man who would dare to treat one of my daughters in such a manner I would bring at once to condign punishment. No woman de- serves or aught to submit to such treatment. I have A BODEE HUSBAND. 107 often, often noticed your sad countenance, and knew that you were wrestling with some secret trouble. Tell me, why did not Mr. Dunaway's family visit you, as you expected?" "When we were at their Union meeting some weeks ago, Mr. Dunaway's family promised to spend their time with us during our meeting. On Friday morning-I arose very early, in order to attend to all of my duties before the hour for church. There are many things that Mr. Morgan compels me to'do, although you see what a number of domestics we keep. While I was making my toilette, Marcellus came in- "Where are you going?' he asked. "' To church, of course, Mr. Morgan.' "' How are you going?' "' In the carriage,' I replied.' "'Well,' said my husband, 'if you go to Salem to-day, you will have to foot it, neither my horses, or carriage, or servants shall go until to-morrow 'after- noon.' "'Why do you say that, Mr. Morgan. Do you not know that the Dunaway family are coming here -that you yourself cordially invited them?' "'I care not for the Dunaways or the Duno- whos, I am not going to church..' "I then said, ' Why, Marcellus, that will be too .. page: 168-169[View Page 168-169] 168 THE GOLDEN LADDER. mean a trick to be guilty of-to invite people to accompany you home from church, and then not make your appearance. We are not ill, we have no excuse to offer, and it will be most shockingly Xude.' "' I am not going.' "' Well, Mr. Morgan, if we do not go to-day, I do not wish to go at all; because not to make our appearance there before Saturday afternoon would look as though we were trying to avoid receiving company. Those persons were so kind to us at their meeting, that I feel disposed to return their hospitality.' "'There is no use- in talking, I will not go; and if you do so, you can walk, the distance is about four miles--a nice little promenade for you, my lady.' "I saw that the case was hopeless. When Mr. Morgan left the room, I could not avoid weeping; but tears were of no avail, so I dried my eves and endeavored to busy myself, in order to distract myx sad thoughts. In the afternoon Mr. Morgan ordered his horse to be put to the single carriage, dressed himself, and drove off. I could not conceal from myself that the friends whom we had invited to our house would consider us, and rightly too, the meanest of people. Marcellus returned home at A MODEL HUSBAND. 169 dusk, and-and-oh! Mrs. Crittenden, I cannot tell you the rest, you have heard-" "Yes, I have heard; I understand it all, Annah, and I tell you candidly, that no woman ought to submit to corporeal chastisement from her husband. I may never see you again, but if you were my own sister I would give you the advice I now offer. Leave your husband, and apply for a divorce. He is unworthy of the consideration of any woman. Money can never supply the place of principle." "Ah!" thought Annah, " this is the Golden Ladder my aunt bade me ascend! i He swears that he will follow me to the end of the earth, and murder me if I leave him,"' she added- aloud, wringing her hands. "I should be happier living on bread and water, if free from Morgan, than faring sumptuously in a palace and compelled to endure his- presence." The friends separated after an affectionate and tearful adieu; the last and' most fervent wish ex- pressed by Mrs. Crittenden being that Annah should make the effort to release herself from bondage to a husband whose animal propensities were so strong. 8 page: 170-171[View Page 170-171] CHAPTER XVI. MORGAN S MACHNATIONS. T the appointed time the sale took place, '^^L *^Annah could not restrain her tears, as one Us^^p by one she beheld her favorite articles of vertu pass into the hands of strangers. "This,"' thought she, "will sever the slender cord' that binds Marcellus and I together. After all this property is sold, and Morgan obtains its value in cash, he will become even more licentious than ever; then there will be no bounds to his depravity and tyranny." It was necessarily very painful to Mrs. Morgan to see her Lares and Penates knocked down to strangers, and every cry of the auctioneer: entered her heart. Well she knew that most of the costly furniture that was then being sold had been purchased with her money, yet she feared that she would never receive much benefit from the disposal of it, and, in her morbid state of mind, she thought--"The day may come when I shall not have a place to lay my head. I feel that this day will prove an epoch in (t MORGA NS JMA CHNA TIONS. 171 my wretched life. Whether the change, which I instinctively feel is about to take place, will be for the better or wcrse, I know not. If I have still to suffer, my life will not be of long duration, and for this I am thankful, as death, and the glory that it will bring with it, will be in every way preferable to a miserable existence in this world of care." In two days the sale was over. Large sums of money were collected from purchasers; some of whom, however, only paid in part, and gave bonds, payable in six months, for the remainder of the amounts they owed. When Mrs. Morgan was packing her trunks, sub- sequent to the ruction, she opened her jewel-case for the purpose-of ascertaining if all her ornaments were within it. She at once missed her diamond ring-the sparkling, brilliant gage d'amour that Adrian had placed upon her taper finger in years goneby, in happy days when she reveled in his love, and little anticipated the dreadful future that was in store for her. A further scrutiny revealed the fact that a treasured relic, a breast-pin containing a lock of her mother's hair, the only memento of her *sainted parent that she possessed, had also disap- peared; and the poor creature, when she fully realized the loss she had sustained, sank upon a couch and sobbed aloud in the agony of her grief, while great page: 172-173[View Page 172-173] 172 THE GOLDEN LADDER. pearly tears welled to her violet eyes, glittered awhile on their sweeping fringes, then fell, bright opals, on her heaving breast. "Gone! gone! Would I had passed away ere, Adrian, I forgot my love for thee, and linked' my life to wretchedness and woe," she gasped, in a paroxysm of despair. That evening Mrs. Morgan was taken seriously ill; over-excitement and distress of mind had done its work, and thrown her into a fever. She was under the necessity of retiring to her room, leaving Marcellus sitting by the fire in company with an old lady who was in the habit of staying with them. Mrs. Morgan had been in bed about an hour, when she was startled by her husband, who burst into the room, exclaiming, angrily: "Annah, what have you done with my bond?" "Your bonds! Mr. Morgan; I have not seen your bonds. I know nothing about them," replied the exhausted and suffering woman, not even able to open her eyes. "You do know; you are uttering a falsehood," said he, furiously. "You have stolen and hidden them away, and if you do not speedily produce them I will kill you." "Good heavens! Marcellus, I am so ill that I can scarcely hold up my head, and I repeat that I know MORGAN'S MACHNATIONS. 173 nothing whatever about your bonds. Cannot that satisfy you? Oh! my head aches intolerably." Her face was flushed with fever, and her eyes glared with incipient delirium; but the heartless husband cared not for her sufferings. He still swore that she Lad hidden the bonds, and that he would institute a thorough search. Annah had seen the bonds in hi's possession, and had accidentally heard him mention the amount, that was the extent of her information in regard to them; but Morgan continued to abuse her so furiously. that she attempted to rise from her couch of pain in order to assist in the search for them; however, she sank back with pain while making the effort. The old lady, frs. Edmonds, who had told Morgan of the loss his wife had sustained, entered the room at the .moment. She looked with astonishment at Mrs. Morgan. "What is the matter with you, Annah Morgan? Are you crazy:? Do you intend to gratify your husband by rising from a sick bed to search for bonds which he is very well aware you know nothing about? He only wishes to torment you, and in- duce you to keep quiet about the loss of -our ring. Don't mind him, but be still." "No,"' said Annah; "h I must. endeavor to assist im the search, or he may do something terrible . . . page: 174-175[View Page 174-175] 174 THE GOLDEN LADDER. There are no bounds to; Mr. Morgan's temper; his wife, his domestics, his dependants, and even his horses and dogs live in continual dread of him." Then Mrs. Morgan made another attempt to rise, and succeeded in getting out of bed. She wandered around the room, with one hand pressed upon her throbbing brow, looking in every place where she, thought it likely a bundle of papers could have been hidden by accident or design. ".You poor, silly woman," exclaimed the visitor, "why don't you go to bed?" "No! no!" said Mrs. Morgan, nervously, "I must try to find these bonds, or else my husband will kill me. He has misplaced them himself, I know; but he pretends to think that I have them." "Poor soul!" exclaimed Mrs. Edmonds, involun- tarily, "you would be better dread than tied to such a fiend." After Annah had searched unavailingly in every direction, she crept along toward the bed and was about to lie down, trusting to the mercy of God to protect her from her furious husband, when Morgan again entered. "Here they are," he said. "I put them into the m'oney-bag, and had forgotten the circumstance." "Oh! you villain!" said the old lady to herself, "if the devil don't get you, he will be cheated for. them at all? H is only afraid that you will accuse him of stealing your ring," she added, aloud. "I am glad that he has found them," said Annah. "Now, I trust he will permit me to rest awhile. My head and heart ache - to bursting; my sorrows will soon be hidden in the tomb.'" "Oh, no!" protested Mrs. Edmonds. "You will outlive Morgan, 9nd, even if you do not, you will be clear of him at in early day, and then you will be able to accomplish some great good in' the world. But, as long as you are with him, so long you will be kept down; he is to you an incubus." The indignant old lady then bade Mrs. Morgan good-night, and retired to her room. Annah closed her weary eyes, nd eventually succeeded in falling asleep; but heri slumbers were uneasy, and her dreams were troubled visions. Even in her sleep, Marcellus, with his tyrannical cruelties, haunted her. When morning icame she found herself but little refreshed. Appropriate to her condition are the following lines: "Still wlTere rosy pleasure leads, See a kindred grief pursue; Behind Ithe steps which misery treads Approaching comfort view. The hu s of bliss more brightly glow, Chastened by sabler tints of woe, And blended, forms with artful strife The sttrength and harmony of life." I page: 176-177[View Page 176-177] 176 TE ll GOLDEN LDDER. The next day was that appointed for their de- parture, and Annah roused herself to bid adieu to all around her. Several carriages, filled with friends, arrived to escort them to the vessel which was to con- vey them to their destination. Among the number of regretful friends was old Mrs. Edmonds. With a full heart she had' come to see the last of Annah Morgan, 'whom she looked upon and loved as her own child. She had visited Annah -constantly for seven long years, and, indeed, had passed a great portion of her time beneath Annah's roof, for her own son, the betrothed of Miss Alice Carter, dwelt but a mile away. Mr. and Mrs. K , with their little son Rolly were also at the boat. At parting the ladies wept and kissed, of course, in true Virginian style. As the vessel left her moor- ings the assembled company on shore sang that beautiful old melody, "Good-by! Good-by!" and white handkerchiefs waved as long as the friends remained in view of each other. The beautiful Powhattan hoisted her white sails, and made her way out of the river. The sun had just appeared from behind the eastern hills, the sky was clear, and a fair wind filled the snowy canvas of the gallant craft. Mrs. Morgan retired to her state-room and wept. She felt that each day in her existence was to ac- MORBA NX MACzNVATIONS. 1" complish something new. Reality and romance abounded in her life. Weariness at length weighed down her eyelids, and she slept for several hours. When she awoke they were some distance out at sea. The wind had freshened, and half a gale was blowing, but Arnah was not frightened. After nightfall the wiqd lulled, and the captain invited Mrs. Morgan to visit the deck. She went above. Oh, what a sight was there! the ocean by moon- light! Annah, h had watched the stars by the sea- side, but never h d she beheld them from the deck of a vessel far out on- the ocean. "Ah,' thought the Virginian Jewel, " would I were only in that bright world above, where beauty is perfect and where holiness reigns supreme!" She gazed around -with unbounded admiration. Every passing craft attracted her notice, especially the steamship Roanoke, which came rushing by like' a storm. There is something sublime in the power of steam, and Annah's mind paid a passing tribute to Watt. In due courseq of time they arrived at Norfolk. The white sails were furled, the anchor cast, and the din and bust e of the ancient city saluted their ears. Annah thought it was a pleasant place, but not so fascinating as' her imagination had pictured it. 8* page: 178-179[View Page 178-179] 178 THE GOLDEN LADDER. Morgan's sister, Mrs. Savage, came down to the vessel and invited them to proceed to her residence, and they readily accepted the invitation. After having remained there some days, Annah said to Morgan: "When do you intend looking for a house? It is certainly time that we located somewhere." It then transpired that Mr. and Mrs. Savage had offered Morgan a portion of their house ; but An- nah would not consent to live with his relatives, so Morgan was under the necessity of renting one to himself. This residence was large and airy, and with any one else would have been pleasant. Annah exerted herself to make it comfortable, and put it in the neatest order. She had two servants at her com- mand, and she endeavored to make this, as far as feasible, a happy and attractive home. CHAPTER XVII. -FOUND AT LAST. O-HESRN this ill-assorted couple had dwelt a few months in Norfolk, Marcellus resumed. his old habit of frequently absenting him- self from home. What is on the tapis now?" wondered Annah. She feared her troubles were about to recommence. One Sunday morning Annah, as usual, inquired of Morgan if he intended attending church. "No," he answered, rudely; " go alone, if you wish. I shall not accompany you." Mrs. Morgan made a meritof necessity, and set out unaccompanied. She started quite early, think- ing she would take a stroll down toward the river. As she walked on she met a very pretty mulatto girl, nicely dressed, and, as our heroine glanced at her, she thought she had seen her face before. While trying to place the stranger/in her mind, the girl stood still for a moment and gazed intently into her face. In another instant the yellow girl sprang forward, caught Mrs. Morgan in her arms, and ex-' claimed: - \ .O page: 180-181[View Page 180-181] 180 THE GOLDEN LADDER. "Oh, heavens,! Miss Annah! Miss Annah! is 'this you?" Mrs. Morgan, struggling to extricate herself from the strange girl, said: "My name is Anpah! who are you?' "Don't you know your 'Zura;?9" and, bursting into a flood of tears, the girl clung to her former mistress. Mrs. Morgan gazed into the face of the girl, as if to scan her features. "Yes, Missouri, I now recognize you. I am glad to, 'meet you, for I never expected to see your face again." "Master Griffin told me you were in this city; but he did rot know where you lived, or I should have come to you on your arrival." Annah also wept to meet the little slave, whom she had raised and so dearly loved. Zura was now quite a woman, and was the exact image of Morgan's sister Ellen, who then lived in Norfolk. "Where do you live, Miss Ann ah?" inquired lMissouri. "Just here, around the corner, on Main Street," replied Annah. "C Why, you are near by us," said the slave. "We live in Bermuda Street, and I am so glad I have' I . . FO1UD AT4 LAST. 181 found you, Miss Annah. I was only going to the pump to get some water when I saw you, and, in an instant, I recognized you, although you do not look as well as you used to when I lived home on the old plantation." "Well, my health is not very good, Missouri, although I am better than I was when your master brought you to the city to see your mother. How was it you got lost then?"' "Lost, Miss Annah! I did not get lost." "Why, Mr. Morgan told me when he came back that you strayed away from the hotel just, as he was about to take you to -see your mother, and he sup- posed you were wandering around, the streets; but it was on the m orning that he was to return home, and, as he supposed that you would be found, and that the gentleman who owned your mother would take care of you, he returned alone." "No, no Miss Annah, that is not so. Master Marcellus sold me to the highest bidder; and when I was knocked off to Mr. Griffin, who is the master I've got now, and found I could, not go home to you again, I thought I should die. Young master never carried me to see Aunt Adah, and I don't know where she lives now." "'Isit possible, AMissouri, that you have not:seen your mother?" said Annah. r' - , - ^ page: 182-183[View Page 182-183] 182 THE GOLDEN LADDER "It is a fact that I have not, Madam," replied the girl, and she stood trembling all the while she spoke, "Poor child," said Mrs. Morgan, "you shall see your mother. I know the man who bought her and' where he lives." As they turned to walk toward the house, a colored- woman, one of 'Mrs. Morgan's servants, came tripping quickly down the street, and on seeing her talking to a stranger, stopped for a moment, then called her and said: "Miss Annah, are you going home now?" "Well, no, -Rebecca, I am not going home just this moment. Why do you ask me that question?" "Because, Madam, there is a strange colored woman in the kitchen who says she wants to see you very much; and as I saw you standing here, I told her I would run and tell you." So Annah directed her footsteps homeward. "I wonder who it can be," said Mrs. Morgan. , "Perhaps, Missouri, it is your mother; she may have just heard that we have removed to the city." "I hope so," said the girl, still weeping. It is strange that some people cry for joy, yet it is often the case. "Hush! hush!" said Annah, "don't cry so, Mis- souri, you make me feel sad." i po UND AT LAST. 183 "Oh! I cannot help it," said the girl, "for I am so glad you have come to Norfolk to live. Oh! I wish I could reside with you again, Miss An- nah." "Are your master and mistress kind to you, Missouri?" "Yes, Ma'am-I have a good home-they treat me well. I am .one of the chambermaids. I do not work hard, but they cannot feel to me like you, Miss Annah, because you raised me, and I always loved you so dearly." By this time Mrs. Morgan and the girl had reached the home of the former. On entering the kitchen Annah beheld, sure enough, Missouri's mother-her old slave Adah. "Lod! Lod! Miss Annah! cried the negress, springing from her seat and catching her mistress ' around the waist, "I'se so glad dat you is come to Norfolk. God knows, I nebber 'spected to see your face again. An here's my own little Zura! Zura! Zura! -Zura! is dis -you, my own little chile?" Then clasping her offspring in her arms, she pressed her to her breast. : "Oh I oh!" said Missouri, " this is Aunt Adah, my : own dear mother!"They wept in unison. H Adah sobbed, and said: "My little lost Zura! I went all de way down to " ' , +" page: 184-185[View Page 184-185] 184 TTHEl GOLDEN LADDER. de old plantation to see yer an' then came back without speaki-n' to yer." "What is that?" said Mrs. Morgan. "You went down to the old plantation?" "Yes, Ma'am," said Adah, still weeping-"I run'd away an' went down to de warf. I heard Cap'en Flowers was here, an' I went down an' told him I want to see yer and dis here chile. So he tole me ter jump on de vessel quick, fur she was jus' a startin', an' I sprung on quicker dan lightnin.' We was only two days g'wine down, an' when I got dar, I went :up home, an' I went to de spring whar I node Zura wud go fur water,- an' I sot dar for long time dat day; but Zura didn't come, an' I was so 'fraid ob young master, feared he would pass by an' ketch me, dat I lef' de spring an' went de cross meadow; dar I sot in de broiling sun almos' two days; an' on de las' day Zura 'come to de spring, an' Lod, Miss Annah, my heart jump up in my mouth when- I saw my little chile; but, jus' as she was g'wine to dip de water, she look up, an' den she drop de pail and she run like de debbil was after her, an' I didn't know what ailed her. Dar I stood cryin' under de tree, right opposite de spring, watchin' fur hur. By'm-by, I look up, Miss Annah, an' I see you comin' down to de spring, wid Zura; but even den my heart failme, altho' I want to see yer so bad; but , ' " ^. t , , a POUND -AT LAST. , 185 I was 'fraid yer wud tell youngmaster, so I run 'way, an' yer an' Zura stan' an', lcok after me. PDen I didn't go no more; but I go down to de boat, and come back to Norfolk and;nebber speak to my chile." "Whom else did you see when you were in Lancaster, Adah," asked Annah. "O! I see a great many ob de colored people in --de ney'brood, but was 'fraid ob g'wine to yer quarters fur fear de niggers wud tell Mas'r Mar- cellus; den he might rite down ter Norfolk an': tell dis here marster, an' he wud sell me agin or flog Lme." "You don't get whipped now, Adah, do you?" .. "No! no! Ma'am; when I come home I go right back to dis marster an' tell' him de truth, dat I'd bin down de Northern Neck ter see my chile, -.an' he nebber struck me a lick, but tell me go on an' mine my work." Then pushing up the sleeve of. her dress, she added,: "We don't furget dese here marks soon, Miss Annah; you remember dis, don't ver?" and she extended her arm toward Annah, showing her the scars of .the, wounds inflicted by Morgan before she left the old plantation. "Has not your arm got: well yet?" asked: Annah. "Oh yes, Ma'am! it's well, but it's weak from dat beatin'." page: 186-187[View Page 186-187] 186 THZ GOLDEN LADDER e "You are much better off now, Adah, than you were with us?" remarked Annah. "Oh, yes, Ma'am! I nebber wud lib wid him agin; but I wud like be with yer, Missus?' "Well, Adah," said Mrs. Morgan, "you and your child have met, and I hope that you will be happy in the future." "I feels 'fraid even now, Miss Annah, dat young marster 'll come home 'fore I get 'way," replied the slave. "Don't be afraid, Adah; he would not trouble you now." Then Annah, turning to leave, added: "You know where we live-come and see us when- ever you please." But, stopping again, she con- tinued: "I suppose you are aware, Adah, that you are all going to be free?" "De Yankees tell us so, but dey fights a long wile, and God knows I don't like dem anyhow,if dey do set us free. I hab seen 'neugD of dem in dis here city already. Dey remind me of young Marster Cellus. He was nebber satisfied wid de; nigger's work, an' all de wile licking us for nothin', so -de Yankees, when dey get us in dere power will be hard 'neugh, I know." "Ah!" said her young mistress, "you will soon be free, and then the law will not allow any one to lash you." i . * FOUND AT LAST. 187 "Sure 'neugh, Ma'am!" Mrs. Morgan then bade the slaves adieu, andc hurried off to church, leaving Missouri and hex mother to enioy a tete-a-tete after a separation of many years. page: 188-189[View Page 188-189] \ '- CHAPTER XVULI. SUNSHNE AND SHADOW. URING the summer Morgan determined to spend a few weeks at Old Point Comfort, at that time one of the most fashionable watering-places in Virginia, and, much to Annah's surprise, expressed a wish that his wife should accompany him thither. However, she was only too glad to accede to his proposition, for she thought that he would probably be kinder to her if away from the baneful influence of his relations, who had always cherished a secret dislike for his un- happy wife. The beauties of Point Comfort are not easily described, for the scenery is enchantingly lovely. Some of the houses are very elegant, the grounds and gardens laid out with exquisite taste, and the walks nicely graveled. The town itself is very romantically situated on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, and cool breezes animate the residents therein. Annah loved to be surrounded by the beauties of nature, and Morgan, who, for a wonder, behaved courteously and kindly to her, often accompanied her on a noctural ramble. One glorious starlit s VSHNE AN SHADOW. 189 night they promenaded the grounds and then seated themselves upon a grassy mound, and listened to the music of the moaning: sea and the gentle whisper-' ings of the wind as it soughed and rustled, through the virent leafage above them. All was enchanting! all was ravishingly beautiful! and, for the first time! in many long weary years, Annah felt contented. Her husband sat beside her, and his harsh nature seemed softened by the mystic grandeur,of the night. He smiled and asked his wife how she liked the scenery. She'replied' that she thought a more beautiful spot could not be found on earth, for even the heavens' magnificence seemed eclipsed. by the amalgamated splendors of the terrestrial planet. :Well, my dear, I am glad you like it; I feel pretty good myself; this dolce farniente business suits me occasionally, for I like to lie on my back and look at the stars. There's that bright fellow up there twinkles so merrily that one can almost imagine he's winking at the numerous comical scenes he's viewing. as he looks down upon this naughty worlda" said Morgan, jocularly. "I I love the stars, Marcellus. I think their mystic influence has inspired many of our best poets, and sitting here to-night reminds me of a poem written about this very place, that I read the other day," remarked An Iah. . . i page: 190-191[View Page 190-191] -190 THE ;OLDEN LADDEDI. "You've a good memory, my dear; can you re- peat it? I feel in a semi-sentimental mood myself to-night," said Morgan. Annah, only too glad to humor her husband while he was in such an affable mood, then repeated the following verses:- It comforts me yet on. Mount Comfort to ponder, When moonshine is silv'ring its turreted walls, But ah I of its sweet social dwellings I'm fonder, Where true hospitality reigns in its halls. There gorgeous-plumed parrots, with harmonized voices, Inspire risibility; mocking-birds, too, The nightingale's echo-all nature rejoices, For Hope, crowned with roses, enchanteth the view 1 Gay parties from Norfolk Mount Comfort have gladdened, Where all took their comfort, when sultriness ceased, While jubilants cheered human hearts that were saddened, Iced strawherry-creams, our delicate feast. The Olives of Peace then were flourishing there. Within that blest circle now Hope sits forlorn; Dread cannon may thunder, and flowerets fair, Ensanguined and crushed, of their beauty beshorn. "Those are what they call vers de societe, I suppose. I can't say that I exactly understand their drift, but they sound pretty. Let's go home now, Annah, for the sea air has made me thirsty, and I do believe I'd like a drink," said Morgan. Then they arose and proceeded to their residence, Annah thinking, as she walked beside her husband, "Oh! if I could only reclaim him! No man is S UNSHTNE A ND S '9A 7OV'W. 191 all bad, and Marcellus has presented his bright side to-night. Now that the gates of his heart are ajar, if I could only slip in, my future life might yet be happy." But 'Annah never afterward found Morgan in a compliant humor; hel never again walked with her by night, but devoted himself to pursuing his usual reckless course of dissipation, and when they re- turned to Norfolk, he was as coarse and brutal as ever. Soon after his return to the city, Marcellus con- cluded to give up housekeeping; Hso he took his wife to board at Caleb Savage's. Annah did not. like this arrangement, but, of course, she was obliged to submit to the coercion of her husband. They had not been long in their new quarters when Marcellus was taken seriously ill, and his relatives much commiserated- him; but Annah had then been more than twelve years the wife of Mar- cellus Morgan, and she was not quite so verdant about sick people as the "wild Savages" around him. She knew that her husband's sickness had been brought about by dissipation, though his rela- tions asserted that he was a victim to dyspepsia. During the illness of Marcellus, which was of several months' duration, the Rev". Robert Foy arrived in Norfolk for the purpose of consulting page: 192-193[View Page 192-193] 192s: ;:WE. G OLDEN iLADDER. pysieians in regard to his'health., He remained some months with his sister, DMrs. Morgan, who thus had the care of two invalids. But Marcellus became so peevish and so spiteful that he often ordered Annah to leave his room, and she could not repine at the dismissal, for her health was becoming impaired by such constant attendance upon a sick, unthankful, ireful man. -Her dear brother was in her house, and after Morgan ("Poor fellow!" as his sister apostrophized him") had ordered Annah out of his room, she concluded it her duty to remain. alto- gether with her brother. For weeks he remained very ill-at the very verge of death. Annah sat up day and night, and. watched over and .ministered unto him. ' - Ahl men may deride woman, as is their wont, accusing her of, shallowness and frivolity; but when illness, and: trouble comesj then they are willing to acknowledge her usefulness and su- premacy. Sir Walter Scott knew this when he wrote:- , D ' QOh, woman, who in our hours of ease Art changeful, coy, and hard to please, Or variable as the'shade ' - . By the light, quivering aspen-made-- When pain or anguish wring the brow A minisfte ring angel thou." . ' The members of the: church visited him regularly, SUNsarriv AND SHADOW. 193 and many were the prayers offered up in behalf of the sick msn. Morgan lay ill in the same house, and no one. ever came near him, save and except, of course, his brothers and sisters. Robert Foy had but one relative in Norfolk, namely, Annah. He was a man of unimpeachable character, an exemplary Christian, and an able expounder of the gospel; When Robert was a boy and once lay ill, his mother, just prior' to her departure for the Spirit- land, prayed' that her son might be spared, that God would ordain himr one of his apostles, to the end that he might be instrumental in saving sin- ners from the dark spheres of misery. God heard - and answered the prayer of that good mother. The child lived to be an excellent man and a good and influential minister,; but now his career draws to a" close. Had he been such a man as the Rev. Pilate - Patter, the churches of Norfolk would not have- offered up prayers to God to spare his lif!. Of all the most detestable hypocrites, a false- hearted minister of the gospel is, the one to be shunned. He gets up in a pulpit, and pretends- to I teach people the way to heaven while himself is : on the road to the dark sphereas. % *. . ::, . page: 194-195[View Page 194-195] 194 THE GOLDEN LADDER. Who could tolerate such a man? Yet, such an intolerable being was the Rev. Pilate Patter. Many were the secret tears shed by his unhappy wife; none but her God was the witness of her grief. A Mr. Foster, the pastor of one of the Baptist I churches, offered a prayer so affecting- that it caused all of his hearers to sob aloud. He prayed that Brother Foy might be raised up from his bed of sickness, and that God would bless his labors abundantly; but if it were His will to call him away, that he might be transferred into the bright realms of- glory, and there dwell forever with the pure in heart. He also prayed that his sister, Mrs. Annah Morgan, might be rewarded for her unceasing care and attention toward her dear brother, and that in the future world they might meet on the bright plains of immortality, should God see fit to separate them here below. Such were the prayers that for many months were offered to God for the recovery of this good man, who became improved in health, and was enabled to return to his family. Then Annah was left with- out a single friend. While her brother was with her, he gave her advice, and begged her to trust in the power of the Supreme Being. He was fully aware that --Marcellus was a perfect fiend, but he saw no means of liberating his sister. + . . CHAPTER XIX. "C OMNOG EVENTS." FEW weeks subsequent to the depart- ^ ure of Robert for his home, Marcellus began to recover his health. He con- - eluded he wanted some new excitement, so when the laundress brought home their clothing, he refused to pay for Annah's portion of the weekly washing. The woman applied to Mrs. Morgan for the money; Annah frankly told her that she had ! none, and the poor hard-working laundress was / obliged to leave without her due. At last, Mor- gan, pretending he could not afford such heavy ' . expenses, gave up housekeeping, and took board - : with his sister for himself and wife. Poor Annah - felt that this plan was concocted for some subtle purpose, and so it proved. The laundress applied ' for pay for having washed a dozen of Mrs. Morgan's X clothes. He refused to disburse a cent, and used . some horrible language. Annahl heard these words as they fell from his lips, and the spirit of her C: father was roused within her; she went to Mor- :Ii gan's chamber-door. page: 196-197[View Page 196-197] 196 THE GOLDEN LADDER. "I think it is a hard case, Mr. Morgan, that you refuse to pay for my washing. You know that it is impossible for me to do so myself. Think of the number of physicians whom you have employed. You laid ill for months, and now heavy bills are constantly coming in. Why, Sir, has all this ex- pense been incurred? For your base conduct, which has caused me a life of misery! Where is the ring that you stole from my jewel-case? stole, probably, dastard that you are, because you thought that when you deserted me, as I feel sure you in- tend doing, it might afford me the means of sub- sistence for a brief period," cried Annah, whose long pent-up wrath now burst from its prison in her breast, and broke upon the head of the scoundrel who had caused it to germinate. You lie!" shrieked Morgan, livid with rage, "I never saw your ring since the luckless dav that I wedded you. If you call me a thief, I'll kill you where -you stand." "I would care but little if you did, for death would be better than life linked to you; but, though you are brave enough to strike a woman, you are far too great a coward to slay her, for you dread the fate that is surely in store for you. Yes, you,- fine fellow, as you deemed yourself, will undoubtedly be hanged, and God will not have mercy on your OMNG EVETS." S soul," retorted Annah, her eyes flashing, and, her cheeks aglow with righteous indignation. The Savages, hearing the disturbance, at this period arrived upon the scene, and joining issue with Mor- gan, ordered her to leave the house immediately. "Give me money to pay my expenses, and I will depart at once!" cried Annah, while "Disdain and scorn rode sparkling in her eyes." "No!f we will not give you a cent, and you shall quit this house, for you have insulted my brother!" screamed Ellen, who had about as much brains as a plaster of Paris image. The strife raged high. Annah Morgan had come- to the conclusion that good-nature had ceased to be a virtue, and now, for the first time in" twelve years, she freely spoke her mind. The consequences were to her not wholly unexpected, .although the manner in which they arrived were quite unlooked for. The next day, the domestic storm having lulled into what Mrs. Morgan supposed a calm, she went out during the afternoon, and did not return until nearly dark. When she arrived at home she found the front door locked; a trial at the basement door proved that to be in the same condition. She went around to the alley gate; that also was fastened. She returned to the front door and repeatedly rang the bell., No one answered it. There she remained 13* page: 198-199[View Page 198-199] 198 THE GOLDE'N -L ADDER. for an hour. The weather was cold, the season November, and it had now become quite dark. "What shall I do?" thought Annah. Then it flashed across her mind that the Savages had com- bined to assist Morgan to destroy her. Theylhad cheated many poor souls out of their bread, and, besides, Morgan was assisting them with her money. Again and again she rang. No one came. She then walked off a few blocks. The wind made her shiver. "Oh, what am I to do!" thought the forsaken t woman. She returned to the house-the door was still locked. She could see through a window into the dining-room. Therein sat Marcellus in an easy chair, his feet in another. He was laughing in great glee. A fine coal-fire burning brightly in the grate made the room comfortable, and a hot supper had just been placed upon the table. She distinctly overheard her sister-in-law say, "Come, brother Marcellus, and Caleb, come to supper. I wonder where Lady Morgan is to-night! I reckon she will have a cold berth of it on the street." "Yes," replied Morgan, with a horrid oath, "I ' care not the d-1 where she is; she can go now where she pleases." "Oh!" thought Annah, "can that be the same man who said: 'Welcome home, my Jewel!' on "COMNG EVENTS." 199 that never-to-be-forgotten bridal day? Great God! of what is man made?"She was hungry and cold, and locked out. "Oh! what am I to do? I am a stranger in the city, and without a cent of money." In the bitterness of her grief, she uttered a wail of despair. Ellen came. to the window, and, per- ceiving Annah in the porch, laughed aloud, ex- claiming : "I guess she will have to stand there all night. She is on the stoop." "Do not open the door," cried Marcellus, let her freeze." Think, gentle reader, upon this moment in Annah's life. Here was the idolized Jewel of Locust Grove, here was the daughter of Fabian Foy, turned on the street by her husband and his savage sister. This was one of the upper rungs of the Golden Ladder which Annah's aunt bade her ascend. i This is no fiction, it is a positive fact. ! - There she stood, weeping, trembling with cold and faint from hunger. "Foxes have holes, the birds : of the air have nests," but, like her Divine Master, she had " not where to lay her head." Sinces she / had been the wife of Marcellus Morgan, her life's -a path had been one of prickly thorns, and of late .it had been a hornet's nest. Morgan's family were - ,X wors3 than venomous insects, and poor Annah fS t ;- , ' page: 200-201[View Page 200-201] O0 TlHE GOLDEN LADDER. suffered severely from their stings. For an hour or more she stood upon those cold, inhos- ' pitable steps, then, raising her mournful eyes toward the window of the room that had been occupied by her brother, she walked away, praying God that it might please him to spare the life of that dear brother, and that she herself might in some way be liberated from the tyrant Marcellus-- that she might be entirely separated from every member of the Morgan family, who were all equally corrupt, as, also, were old Pilate Patter and his daughter, the Mrs. Jacovs who had opened aX boarding-house in Baltimore. - Oh! that we could graphically picture the suffer. ings of the Virginia Jewel! But our pen is inade- quate to the task. Think, ye mothers, who have children at- your breasts; think, ye fathers, whose offspring is endeared to you by every sacred tie; think to what your children may come after death shall have taken you away; think of this, and never turn a beggar from your door! You may entertain' an angel unawares, or the mendicant may be some unfortunate being like Annah Morgan! And, above all, never advise a mercenary marriage, but remember the Golden Ladder, and the sufferings of the orphan girl who attempted to ascend it on the recommendation of her avaricious aunt. - "OMNG VENT." S 201 '! Pause and ponder on Annah's predicament. A: young and beautiful woman turned out in a vile and wicked city to pass the night on the streets, exposed to the lowest ruffians of the town. Yes! exposed to such base men as was the one who had ordered the doors closed against his innocent wife! Oh, that the anathemas of heaven may spare that family, for as " conscience makes cowards of us all," they no doubt suffer already for their wicked and ma- levolent treatment of a- guileless and gentle fellow- creature. After finding that there was no hope of gaining entrance to the house that should have been her home, Annah went to the residence of a Mr. Not- tingham and requested permission to remain during the night. Her cordial reception encouraged her to reveal to these kind friends the manner in which she had been treated by her husband and his family. As may be supposed, her listeners were perfectly astounded. Mrs. Morgan was kindly conducted to her room, but to sleep was impossible; her mind wandered all over the world, particularly across the Atlantic. The reader would 'scarce think Annah a rational being had she slept tranquilly that night. She thought of Robert, who was far away, and still ill. She thought of Andrew, her little blue-eyed brotler, page: 202-203[View Page 202-203] 22 THE G OLDEN LADDER. whom she had not seen for many long years. Nothing seemed to drive the impression of Locust; Grove from her mind, although her eyes had never viewed the plantation since that fatal morning when she entered the carriage that bore her to her aunt's abode. These thoughts crowded upon her mind, and at any hour of the night she could have beenX found awake, weeping. On the following morning she felt better than many would have felt under the circumstances, be- cause her organ of Hope was large, very large. After refreshing ablutions she descended to the breakfast-room, and the delicious meal to which she was invited was very acceptable, for she was exceed- ingly hungry. With many thanks for the kindness she had received, she paid her adieus and proceeded to the house where she had lived. By some acci- lent the door had been left open, so Annah entered md walked up to Morgan's room, and, bravely con-* ronting him, demanded to know why he had per- aitted his sister to lock her out. "Because I wished her to do so," said he, " and you do not leave instanter she will have you put at by the police." - Annah asked for money to enable her to go to Dr friends. "No, Madam; from me you will not obtain one "COMNG E V/.IS." 203 cent. Get to your friends, whom I hope you may find, in the best manner you can," replied her hus- band. While engaged packing up, just prior to the ex- odus from Oak Lawn, Annah had found by acci- dent, among some old papers of her husband's, a letter from Adrian, addressed to her, written in his old, loving style, breathing devotion in every line, and assuring her that the affection he bore unto her was steadfast. This letter was dated on the same day, month, and year as that which had been the principal cause of inducing her to steel her heart against Adrian Castle and wed the satyr Morgan. The destroyed epistle had been written in a very different -strain. It told Annah that the writer, Adrian, had forgotten his affection for her, and was content to remain in India and revel with dusky native houris. , Directly Annah discovered and perused the letter she found in Morgan's secretaire, her perspicacity enabled her to divine that she had been the victim of a gigantic fraud. It was obvious to her acute understanding that Marcellus had by some means intercepted the love-breathing epistle that Adrian had sent her, and, in its place, had substituted a clever forgery for the purpose of inducing her to forget her allegiance to her absent lover, and, actu- page: 204-205[View Page 204-205] 204 THE GOLDEN LADDER ated by a spirit of revenge, seek consolation by be- coming the mistress of Poplar Hill. Now, in her just indignation, she produced Adrian's letter and boldly presented it to her husband's gaze. "Marcellus Morgan, Satan himself must have had full possession of your heart when you so basely de- ceived me into wedding you. A liar, a coward, and a, brute I knew you were long since;, but not until we were about to leave Oak Lawn did I discover that you were a forger, did not suspect that you were vile enough to wreck two innocent lives simply to please your passing fancy. That a terrible retribution for this crime awaits you, I am convinced. I spurn you, and leave it in the hands of others to mete out to you the just award of your misdeeds," she cried, passionately. Then, gathering up her ample skirts, so that they should not be contaminated by contact with her husband, upon whom she threw a withering, glance of disdain and scorn, she swept proudly from the room, leaving Morgan pale and trembling and, foaming with impotent rage. She packed her clothes, and quitted 'the house, trusting that Providence would send her means wherewith to reach her relatives. On the wharf, ihe met a friend of her brother's who kindly loaned ler sufficient funds to enable her to cross the Bay. "COMNG EVENT:,7 205 After a few days Annah found herself at the house of her sister Bettie. She was, as she thought, forever separated from Morgan; and yet there was a gloom upon her countenance. In a few months Annah received the doleful news of .the death of her brother. Oh! what a terrible blow this was to her! she was almost alone now, her two other brothers having been absent for many years. She suffered all the anguish that the true heart of a sister can feel at such an untimely bereavement. She remembered all of his kind advice when she had hung over his almost dying pillow; she thought of his solicitude for his dear little children, who were now dependent upon a cold and heartless world- . all, all dwelt in Annah's mind, and her surcharged feelings found relief in verse. MONODY T Oh I my brother, dearest brother, -- Thou hast left us here below I -, Thou art in a realm of glory Where the souls of angels glow t Thou didst linger, long afflicted, :1 On the awful verge of death; .: No complaining sigh was echoed J: By my brother's dying breath I Now thy form, once griand in beauty, :- Shrouded lies within the tomb, X But thy spirit hath re-blossomed, Like the amaranth in bloom I page: 206-207[View Page 206-207] 206 THE GOLDEN LADDER Oh! how oft I've heard thee murmur: "Children, sister, I must leave, My confidence is in Jehovah, He will Love's own garland weave." . Thou wast often heard to utter Prayers for those who felt dismay- While thou languished thou wouldst whisper: "Soon my soul must pass away!" Ne'er can I forget thee, brother: Profiting by thy advice, For thy words to me were ever Precious pearls of highest price I Thou wast glowing with devotion, Holy, holy everywhere! When no longer at the altar, Sickness could not stop thy prayer. That green spot where thou art lying Ever, ever will be dear; Tho' in foreign lands I wander I'm beneath thy spirit's sphere. Now farewell, my dearest brother, Tho' on earth alone I roam, Kindred spirits will in heaven Find an everlasting home I CHAPTER XX.: THE STORM BURSTS. O NNAH deeply mourned heri brother, but ; "A Time, the adornei of the mind, S TThe bosom's comforter," - AsJ brought its usual healing qualities on its ngs. When several months had elapsed, lo and hold! Morgan arrived from Norfolk, with re- i vered health and a very penitent heart. He had me with the hope of inducing his wife to return . th him; but to this she was strongly opposed. ae Rev. Pilate Patter had deeply wounded her elings by asserting that she was indolent and did At care to soil her lily fingers by the necessary tention to household duties. Her sister Bettie ad married the brother of the reverend gentleman, a It Bettie's husband was a good man, very differ-f at from the minister. After much persuasion, and ' pon Morgan solemnly promising to be kind to her, espite the recollection of what she had suffered t his hands, Annah went to live with him on a lantation known as Sea Breeze, and here for a rhile they lived happily. She remained with Mar- : :,k!! page: 208-209[View Page 208-209] 208 THE GOLDEZ LADDER. cellus a year or more; but, like the hyena, he was untamable and soon resumed his old habits' of tyranny. The patient sufferer, unwilling to annoy others with her domestic miseries, remained quies- cent.- The year had nearly expired, when Mrs. Morgan became convinced of her unsafety with her husband, as she had discovered that Lucretia L--, his old flame, was residing in the neighbor- hood, and that he was in the habit of visiting her. Annah determined to again quit her home, for she would not sink her dignity so far as to share her husband's affection with another woman. She wrote to her brother Arthur, who. resided in Philadelphia, asking him to come and take her away; but Morgan intercepted the negro who was bearing her letter to the post-office, and, on ascertaining that Annah meditated leaving him, was madly incensed. He abused her terribly and vowed that he'would poison her rather than allow her to depart. Mrs. Morgan, however, was steadfastly determined to adhere to her resolution of separating herself from the man who treated her so badly; therefore she dispatched a verbal message to her sister Bettie, who lived at Modest Town, asking her for assistance, and stating that Morgan had,threatened to take her life. Bettie, too well convinced of her brother-in- law's tyranny, resolved to extricate his victim. She TEP STORM BURSTS.. 209 ,j acted cautiously, by sending her two children, Joseph and Molly, with Celia, her most faithful servant, to make observations. They resembled scouts sent into an enemy's quarters by a skillful general. The chil- dren stealthily communicated with Annah through a window, placing her in possession of intelligence that too well corroborated the apprehensions of the panic-stricken wife; for Morgan's slave, Christy, who - was courting Celia, had seen his master covertly load a pistol, and then conceal the deadly weapon in his bosom. Aware of his mistress's intention to emancipate herself, the trusty slave was ever vigilant ] in watching his master's movements. Annah felt i convinced of the absolute necessity of using prompt- X itude, The weather was exceedingly hot. Morgan had been his rounds to vent his spleen upon several servants, who had presumed to exhibit symptoms i of weariness after extra toil at noon. Being over- - fatigued, Marcellus threw himself upon a lounge, and fell asleep. His wife seized upon the moment.. In company with her friends, and in a short time, j crouching as they progressed, the fugitives passed . through the green corn and tall pea-vines. For hours they wandered about like soared fawns, every now and then alarmed by some sound;. a rusting , in the corn, however slight, was sufficient to occasion : dread. Then the moon. rose, and still the wanderers, i , . , j- page: 210-211[View Page 210-211] 210 THE GOLDW LADDER. stricken with terror, bewildered and faint, frequently retracing their steps, retrograding so that their efforts were sadly impeded-for they dared not ex- pose themselves above the leaves which shielded them from view. At length the whole party neared the village in safety; they were in front of a fence, and hoped soon to reach a wood in the suburbs. All was serene; the soft radiance of lunar and astral lights silvered every drooping flower and leaf begemmed with dew. Crystal rivulets meandered through the illuminated landscape, scintillating with reflections of the starry host. All around was so calm, so sweetly silent, that once again a smile played around the pale features of Annah. Tran- quillity reigned in every bosom, and they forgot that there was such a thing as a Union soldier on the peninsula. Thus, often, at sea, a dead calm pre- cedes a raging tempest. Christy stopped suddenly; not far distant he heard distinctly a plunging and struggling beneath the corn. Breathlessly they all listened, until they fancied that even the beatings of their own hearts might be heard. The noise was not repeated, and supposing it might have been caused by an eagle or a straggling fox, the scared little crowd, after a while, continued their onward career. Again, within ear-shot, the cause of alarm was repeated, and, almost instantaneously, Morgan appeared, habited in his sleeping-clothes, running at full speed toward them. In the pale, liquid light that the silvery moon shed around, the trembling fugitives beheld him, recognized his face, which was contorted by- the concentrated anger raging within him. Onward&: - hle came, bounding through the corn, beating and bearing it down as a famished tiger in pursuit of iprey breaks and parts the quivering canes of the tropic jungle. Almost paralyzed with fright, the pursued fled in various directions. Suddenly a vivid flash illumined the scene, and a loud, ringing report, that echoed far and neat, plainly indicated that Morgan had discharged the contents of a firearm at the unhappy people, who were fleeing before him as flies the meek gazelle before the beast of .prey. The chil-, dren shrieked, and Christy involuntarily exclaimed,: "0 God ! it is Massa Morgan ! He has done shot Miss Annah. Oh, Miss Annah, you is dead !" The panic-stricken servants, instinctively hurried to Bettie's cottage, taking the children and leaving Annah at the mercy of her ruthless husband, who1 dragged her across the road and through the mud, her skin being frightfully lacerated on the angular pebbles. Almost insensible, Mrs. Morgan was re-incarce- page: 212-213[View Page 212-213] 212 THE GOLDEN LADDER. rated, while her inhuman tormentor stood as a sen- tinel over her, with horrid oaths pouring from his lips. . Christy ran to Bettie's dwelling-house so soon as he recovered from his fright, and, bursting into an apartment where the widow was seated, gave a confused account of his master's attack upon Annah. "Dere him stood, Missus, like a big bar, reddy to eat us-all up. We run-poor darkey shot dead, me tink! Oh, Molly ! dat angel nebber more open her eyes. Oh, Missey Annah ! she gone to Hebben. Run after dem, Missey Bettie, an nebber stop till' yer git dere," he cried. Christy did not mean to suggest that Bettie should start for the world of spirits, but he was anxious that Morgan should be followed. His wishes, to a small extent, were soon gratified. Bettie boldly ventured forth, although it was nearly midnight, and she never stopped until she found herself in front of Morgan's mansion. She then thundered at the door, filling the air with piteous lamentations, which had never ceased from the mo- ment of Christy's heart-rending announcement. " Oh, my child !" she cried, " thou art wounded even unto death. The fright will kill dear little Mary. Oh, my beloved sister, thy fate is sealed; THE STORM BURST. - 1 213 the assassin has paralyzed thy precious heart !" Then, addressing Morgan, she added : " Come forth, thou ensanguined monster! Where is the body or my murdered sister ? Come down, thou cowardly miscreant, and brave, if thou darest, the vengeance of a desperate mother and sister." Bettie hammered upon the door with frantic vio- lence, until Morgan, pale from bodily fear, looked out from an upper window and spoke in a subdued voice: " My dear Madam, what, in heaven's name, is the matter ? We have retired to rest, as you perceive. Is the house on fire?" " Cold-hearted miscreant !" cried Bettie, " where is the corpse of my sister ? You have planted a bul- let in her bosom, and you have frightened my darling daughter into convulsions, and her death, too, is imminent." At that moment the colored help came rushing out to their mistress with the intelligence that Jo- seph had received no injury, and that little Molly was all right-a regular pine-knot. Bettie, thus partially pacified, renewed the con- ference with Marcellus, who stood coolly at the window, with folded arms, viewing his nocturnal visitor with a frigid smile of contempt. '" Your friends should keep you under restraint, page: 214-215[View Page 214-215] 214 THE GOLDEN LADDER. Madam, for you are surely insane," he calmly re- marked. "Villain! you would entomb me as you have done your unhappy wife? Monster, where is her body, I ask?" "You had better inquire of the poor soul herself; she knows more about her body than I do," replied Morgan. "Where are my sister's remains? She could not escape the snares of the fowler; but now the snare is broken, and she is delivered. Where are your wife's remains?" "Here we are!" cried Morgan, with a ghastly grin. "Here we are! If my better half is really shot, you see in me all that remains of her ; so, if you want my wife's remains, I say again, here we are!" "Oh, you mocking destroyer of domestic peace! I will raise the whole community, and have you lynched before your own door. Give me a rational answer. Where is the lifeless body of my sister? Deliver up that sacred relic, ahd I will even keep silent respecting the hideous crime, and leave you to that Omnipotent Judge to whom you will have to render an account of your misdeeds when you stand before Him at the judgment-day." Bettie's utterance became choked, and a- shower of tears flowed spontaneously. .c THE STOARB BURSTS. 216 Morgan, who discerned in the distance figures ap- proaching, began to feel agitated; he changed his tune, and addressed ;Bettie with more urbanity. ( Your 'sister is here, free from a wound; she can answer for herself. My character is so well estab- lished that I defy calumny. My pious friend, the Rev. Pilate Patter, will vouch, for the morality and kind-heartedness of Mareellus Morgan. Speak, Mrs. Morgan, and convince your sister of my veracity!". "( Mrs. Morgan, who under the circumstances felt that discretion was the better part of valor, cried in a melancholy tone: "Dear sister, I am still alive." "Then," replied Bettie, " at once throw off your natural timidity, and leave that Golgotha. No longer submit to the brutality of a petty tyrant, but set him at naught. I fear him not. Come down, Annah; as Daniel came safely from the lion's den, so shalt thou- from thy dungeon-home. I will con- vey thee to a sanctuary where thy tormentor durst not show his face." Marcellus was so daunted by this manifestation of Bettie's intrepidity, and having recently tortured a servant, he became conscience-stricken. He feared judicial scrutiny, and, absorbed in thought, noticed not that Annah had responded to the solicitations of her sister. Mrs. Morgan, although cruelly punc- page: 216-217[View Page 216-217] 216 TVfE GOLDEN LADDER tured by fragments of stone, and dreadfully bruised on the arms where Marcellus had grasped her so tightly, contrived to reach the outer door, which she managed to unlocli; in an instant more she had reached her sister and friends, and they hastened together to Bettie's homestead. They were soon joined by Mrs. L---'s good neighbors, Mary and Robert Williams; but, ere the persecuted wife was borne away in triumph, she gave vent to her long-, restrained anguish. "Oh! my sister, have you come at last, like an angel of light, to remove me from an abode of dark- ness, where my spirit has been crushed by an incarnate fiend, and my best feelings trodden down -where scarce a day elapsed without my life being in jeopardy! Oh! I have suffered a thousand deaths. I fear that my poor senses will give way; but no, Annah is not to be subdued. My frame is now fevered with pain, and my mind convulsed with visions of terror. Like the Indian martyr who triumphed over the stake, so will Annah to the last defy her tormentors by scorning to complain." Then Mrs. Morgan recounted a portion of the poem on the heroic death of Secono. "Pierce on, ye tormentors, I spurn ye in pain, Ye never, O never, shall hear me complain, Ye may tear, ye may torture; no pity I crave, For ye never can conquer Orlando, the brave I * -, THE STORM BURSTS. 217 "Ye ,may cut, ye may carve, ye can't conquer my soul- The will of Orlando ye cannot control!! With fagots of fire ye may burn to the brain, But the son of Secono will never complain." Annah had long submissively kissed the rod of affliction; but, although she attempted not to contend with a foe who was her superior, so far as physical force was concerned, yet she fully felt the consciousness of her own supremacy in mental power. Morgan was destitute of sentiment; his animal propensities predominated.! Two beings more opposite to each other in every taste and feeling were never yoked together. But, oh! the mercenary old Aunt Betsie was the cause of all of Annah's sufferings. That GOLDEN LADDER ever gleamed before our heroine until the very sound of wealth, power, and position became disgusting to her finer feelings, and she often wished herself in the spiritual world where dollars and pomp are no more thought of. 10 page: 218-219[View Page 218-219] CHAPTER XXI. RES ANGUSTA DOM. HE question will arise in the reader's PtS mind respecting the character of the Vir- , ginia planter, whether he had ever felt even a Platonic affection for our heroine. As far as such a being could love, Marcellus had loved Annah for a season. Novelty was charming to one so capricious. Soon after the honey-moon, how- - ever, his former passion for Lucretia'returned, and then the transient infatuation of the bridegroom for his bride passed away forever. Eventually his hatred toward her became most- inveterate; the purity of her spirit, contrasted with his, degraded him so deeply, even-in his own estimation, that, instead of abhorring himself, he hated her. His malignity was augmented by the baneful influence of a heartless courtezan. Cruelty and cowardice always go together. Annah was naturally too pas- sive; she inherited the extreme points of her Christianity from her mother; if smitten upon the right"cheek she would have presented the left for chastisement. There are limits to Christian for- RES ANGUSTA DOXI. 219 bearance. When we come in -contact with those who cannot appreciate its principles, then we must draw the dividing line, and deal with them in a manner that they can understand. i When married people cannot agree there is but one method left for them to adopt: let them--re- membering how great a matter a little fire kindleth- let them dissolve the union at once. Equally ap- plicable to the contentious couple are the nursery rhymes of Dr. Watts:- "Hard names, at first, and threatening words, Which are but noisy breath, 1 May grow to clubs and naked swords, : To murder-and to death." . The sophistry of those very nice people, who would rather leave a victim to languish than risk any family exposure, gives to such--as Morgan an un- limited latitude for thel perpetration of villainous acts. Mrs. Maryv Patter possessed many noble qualities, and she avoided any interference between . married people; so the lamentable position in which Annah was placed remained unknown even to her ' brother Andrew. . I This sort of lukewarm indifference is too preva- lent. In political circles a sirnilar squeamishness : is displayed by those psuedo-patriots who decline !. going to the ballot-box -because so mary rowdies , "':;}* ^ , 4:-'/f page: 220-221[View Page 220-221] 220 T7E GOLDEN LADDiER. and policy-dealers usurp the posts of honest citi- zens, so that, if there is really any integrity in these voluntary absentees, they render their virtues nega- tive, because-they are too genteel to form a majority over rogues by coming into juxtaposition with them., Consequently rascality rides rough-shod over the passive community, and any number of "white- washers" are to be found, who, for money, are always prepared to swear that black is white. Our heroine had reason to be contented withl her paternity; hers was, indeed, a goodly heritage. The memory of Secono was not more revered by. Orlando than was that of Fabian Foy by Annah. As contrast gives effect to everything, Morgan's father once lost a high position in consequence of having been convicted as a receiver of stolen goods. Yet this was the noble family Annah's aunt so much favored. Annah's inheritance consisted of the car- dinal virtues, practical Christianity, and that neces- sary adjunct, wealth. Now she was, for the time being, safe from persecution, being under the roof of her sister Betsie. Soon after the breaking out of the war, Andrew Foy entered the Southern army, and, was away from home until shortly after he gained his lieu- tenancy, when he obtained leave of absence, and at once repaired to the house of his mother. Mrs. RES ANGFUSTA DOM. 221 Mar Patter rejoiced, eXceedingly when her brave boy--now a tall, stalwart soldier, handsome as the Apollo Belvidere-caught her in his arms and kissed her pallid brow. It was a blissful reunion of two loving hearts, and the mother, from the very lowermost depths of her own pure one, fervently thanked the Great Spirit whose shielding arm had preserved her son from the dread shafts of Azrael. " Mother, I have long been anxious to learn more concerning our family,! for, though you told me much about it when I was a child, I feel there must necessarily be a considerable amount more to relate," said Andrew, one morning, as he sat with his parent in a pretty flower-embossed arbor that fronted the sheeny velvet-smooth lawn. " Well, my son, I shall be very happy to do so, especially as now I can tell You many things which I should have found difficult to explain to you in your more juvenile days," replied the gentle mother, anxious, as usual,, to indulge her garrulity. " Rob- ert, your eldest brother was a siclkly child; he was languishing when the| first Mrs. Foypexpired. When placed at a store, At fourteen years of age, his employer hinted at Ithe policy of talking over cus- tomers. The youth Icould not deviate from what accorded with the strict rules of integrity; he pre- ferred the loss of his situation. Under the auspices page: 222-223[View Page 222-223] 222 TIIE GOLDEN LADDER. of Mr. Gillot, a Baptist minister of Philadelphia, he entered college as a theological student, Ulti- mately, he became a distinguished divine, after having passed through Madison University, New York. His labors, for six years, were confined to Gloucester and York, in Virginia, where his popu- larity was fully established. The first church he superintended was poorly supported; his zeal'was superior to his physical powers, for Robert preached not for gain, and he was obliged to open an academy, The result of preaching three times a week, and giving diurnal instructions to his scholars, was to weaken still more his delicate constitution. Be- coming enamored of a young lady, despite his contracted means, he married. Two interesting children were the result of this union, and proud, indeed, was the good pastor of his little ones; but God saw fit to take him from this earth, and now his soul is in those ethereal realms that those who lead righteous lives below inherit when the spirit leaves the frail tenement of the body, and soars away beyond the azure skies. "Your sister Bettie was delicate, like her brother. She went to live with her Aunt Betsie, after whom she was named. She was sent to school to receive an ordinary education, the aunt designing her for servile employment; in fact, to wait upon the old- . 1 ', ; ' i . ' ' 1I RSW WNG UTA D o. 223 ! umaiden cousins, wiho were as caustic and sour- tempered as though they had lived always upon crab-apples. -The two daughters of Aunt Bettie, ' L jeah and Pauline, piqued themselves up on their historical knowledge' Pauline was named in honor of Napoleon's sister, that amiable creat ure who ! offered to share her brother's exile in Elba. apoeo n s sister was an old maid of the true type. I was just thinking that if those starched-up old frumps, Leah and Pauline, had lived in the days of King Ahasuerus, he would never have presented his golden scepter to either of them. Bettie was fortunately transferred to a more desirable guardian, who consulted her, hippiness, dressed her elegantly, and introduced her into the best society; as every young lady should be when budding into woman- hood. Bettie, in fact, soon married, but a sad fatality attended her directly after a child was born, Molly, of whom you shall hear more anon. Its father died. Bettie married again; i course of time she became the mother of three morechildren --then their father shuffled off this mortal coil. At the expiration of several years Bettie ventured upon a third husband, who, a short time subse- quently, was numbered with the dead; Leah and Pauline, who deprecated matrimony, maliciously enjoyed the untoward fate of their relative, for to 'I -- I page: 224-225[View Page 224-225] 224 TIM. GOLDEN TLADDiR. them the grapes were sour. Queen Elizabeth, in her old age, was a great enemy to her own sex, although in her younger days she fancied herself in love. Pope, the poet, was not only hump-backed, but, from an accident in infancy, was denied marital relations. He railed bitterly at Hymen!" "King Ahasuerus, Queen Elizabeth, and Pope!" exclaimed Andrew. "Well, mother, you had better introduce Pope Joan next!" The reader may think strangely of Mrs. Foy's talking to her son in this manner, and giving him a full description of all his family. The reason was, because he wished to know these particulars, for he had been absent for years, and knew but little of his domestic history. "I will introduce whom I please," said the mother, smiling. "I say again, in some cases it may be better to avoid the net of Hymen; nevertheless, I do dislike all backbiting old maids." Here Andrew placed a silver dish of raisins and burnt almonds upon the table; after partaking of a little of the fruit, his mother recommenced in a new strain. "Andrew, I was just thinking of that noble woman, Lady Harriet Ackland, who followed her husband to battle, as heroic as she was delicate and refined. Oh I she possessed a, courageous heart. But she RES, AN USTAS DOM. 225 was not equal to Jane of [Flanders. Would that our Annah possessed Jane's positive powers! But, alas! the power Of our Jewel is of a negative quality. Nevertheless, Andrew, one may display as much heroism in endurance or forbearance as X in opposition. However, such questions I am con- tented to leave to philosophers. You must now listen to an old English ballad, which exhibits the magnanimous spirit of Jane in all its glory," said Mrs. Patter. Then she spoke the following piece: JANE OF FLANDERS. "When Edward the Third, of England, made war On France-the king's nephew was Prince Charles de Blois,. Who fain John de Mountfort would scorn! Then fair Jane of Flinders beam'd forth like, a star, From the mist of a hot summer's morn! She fought for the freedom of Brittany!-.-Are Such heroines living Who'd think that a scar Of glory their charms would adorn? The people of Henebon well might be vain Of brave John de Mountfort's immortalized Jane." "There is much more of it, but that is sufficient to prove the spirit of Jane and the holiness of her cause. Now, with regard to the family to whom I at first referred, there was nothing of a martial character to recommend them!" "Then, for heaven's sake, Mother, why were Lady Harriet Ackland and Jane of Flanders introduced into the programrnme?" cried Andrew. page: 226-227[View Page 226-227] 226 THE GOLDEN ZLADDER. "To please my fancy, my son," replied his mother, with a comical smile. "'Tis true that Bettie had no military man to deal with, consequently she had no battles to brave. Yet, for all that, on one occa- i, sion she acted like a field-marshal, when she assisted in extricating from a dungeon home ' A J"eel of purest ray serene.' Jewels, you know, are found in the bowels of the earth." "No one possessing bowels of compassion would place them there-at least such jewels as you refer to, Mother. Is this a land of liberty, where incar- nate fiends may with impunity incarcerate their fel- low-creatures? Has a Spanish cloud been wafted hither, enshrouding the minions of a sanguinary inquisition, to torture the holy spirit of Freedom? Have the fiery specters of Philip and Mary risen up against us? Is Independence extinct? ' Awake! arise! or be forever fallen.' Let me fly instantly to succor the afflicted. Knight-errantry must be restored! Like a Perseus, I must slay the hideous monster who .has bound our fair Andromache." "My dear Son," said Mrs. Patter, quietly, "re- strain your ardor for a season. There are few women like Mandane, the mother of Cyrus, who RES ANGUS8TA DOMT. 227 '---- rear the tender thought, And teach the young idea how to shoot.' The mother of Alfred the Great would have shunned our shores; the maternal monitor of our magnani- mous patriarch would have exiled herself could she have witnessed the ignominy of modern society. External show is preferred to intrinsic worth; European gewgaws purchased in preference to na- tive productions; Parisian fashions and vices pre- vail; old-fashioned rectitude and domestic love are ridiculed; the boasted "and of the f-ee, and home of the brave,' we can sing now, nay be compared to the silver dolphin constructed 'y a half-witted courtier for the amusement of Queen Bess, when in her dotage; the gorgeous model contained a band of musicians- empty sound, and merely outside show!" "Mother!" cried the excited and amused An- drew, "I am not one of those degenerate natives- who can rest supinely and luxuriate on the fruits-of independence inherised from hierarchs who shed their heart's blood for future generations. Inform me of the real nlama of that persecuted wife, de- nominated the Jewe-, that I may at once seek 'to' avenge her cause." "My brave boy," answered the mother, "I glory in a dauntless spirit like that which inspired Put- page: 228-229[View Page 228-229] 1228 THE GOLDEN LADDER. nam to plunge down a precipice from among a host of armed Indians. Yea, Bettie was a Judith. I only wish that Morgan could share the fate of ttolofernes." "Morgan! who is this wretched cur Morgan? and who in God's name is his victim?" interrupted Andrew. / "Your own unsullied sister, Annah Foy!" Andrew almost gasped'with horror. Until that moment he had supposed the lady of whom his mother often spoke to be some distant relative, as Mrs. Morgan's destiny had been kept a secret from him. .Her marriage took place during his absence. From youth he had been immersed in commercial pursuits abroad, and knew but little of his antece- dents. Now that he learned the truth, he imme- diately ordered the carriage, and started for the residence of Bettie, which was at a considerable distance from town. To amuse him on the way Mrs. Patter gave her son a treasured relic, long garnered up, and much admired by Annah, entitled The Music of Nature. Passing a brook beneath the mountain, they listened to the lowing of cattle, the tinkling of a wether-sheep's bell, and pastoral pipes; the murmuring of the tidal waves echoed in the valley and marine grottoes. A bugle-horn sent forth its melody. On grassy mounds flowers abun- RES ANGVSTYA DOM. 229 - dantly bloomed and blossomed. In an old church- yard the birds were warbling their notes of praise, and bees were humming as the carriage entered an odoriferous grove, where tall stately trees interlaced their branches over the roadway. THE MUSIC. OF NATURE. "Each melody of nature is a spell t The gurgling brook beneath the mountain side The lowing herd, tae wether-sheep's soft bells The shepherd's pipe, the booming of the tide, Those echoes- sweet in vale or sparry cave, The dulcet horn 'neath vocal arched alcove, A bird's melodious anthem o'er a grave, The hum of bees ,wherever pilgrims rove, Fond nature's mins!trelsy is heard as in a grave." } * I ' page: 230-231[View Page 230-231] CHAPTER XXTT. THE SECRET DISCLOSED. AN NDREW, do you remember, many years ago, my telling you a story about a Mr. A , who-?" ("Yes, Mother, of course I do!" inter- rupted the young man. "He was the person who was so kind to everybody; especially to a poor fellow who could not obtain an employment, and who eventually died and was buried with peculiar ceremony. Ah! mater mei, many a time, when I have been far away from you, when I have felt sad and lonely, longing to gaze into your dear eyes and hide my head in your breast as I did in childhood, I have thought of that story; have wondered who that mysterious Mr. A was, and taxed my brain to the utmost in my endeavors to arrive at some definite conclusion as to why you, so persistently preserved his incognito. You will tell me now, will y6u not? I am a child no longer, and things which then you doubtless had good reason to conceal from me, should be revealed now," he added, imploringly. THE SECRET DISCLOSED. 231 "Ah! my child, it was not my fault that this has been kept from you; it was the request of your dying father that I should not tell you until you were twenty-one years of age. It would not have done you any good to have known it before you arrived at man's estate, and, now that you are old enough to understand it, I will tell you. There have been many changes in the family, both good and bad, and' some things, perhaps, you should know, and others it is as well vou should not hear." "Is it good, Mother?" said Andrew, smiling and biting his lips to keep from laughing, seeing that his mother looked sad. He no doubt expected to hear something that might!benefit him pecuniarily, as he had caught the contagion for money-making; to be a successful merchant was the height of his aspirations. "Why do you ask me that question?" inquired Mrs. Patter, "whether the secret be good or bad. Were it bad, and your dear father had requested me to unfold it to you, I would do so most assuredly; we are not to expect all the good things of this life, and none of the evil ones; therefore, it is the duty rof all to take life as it comes, and trust in the Providence of that All-seeing Eye which watches over his creatures. I have told you many things, Andrew, about your father, as you were only page: 232-233[View Page 232-233] 232 THE GOOLDEN LADDER., three years old when he died, and, of -course, had no recollection of him, and- the most important part of his life is as yet an enigma to you." "His kindness to that Mr. Gowin is certainly an enigma to me, and one I should like solved for my edification, as my knowledge of the world tells me very plainly that few impecunious strangers are received with open arms into the households of the rich and treated with the kindness and consideration SMr. A bestowed upon the mysterious stranger, who eventually died in his house. I guess most all poverty-stricken people get but a cold reception at the doors of wealthy folks, and, as a rule, they are glad to find a home in some alms-house, or a pauper's grave in the bleak, barren waste of Potters- field," said Andrew. "No! no! my son, not if they wear the keystone, having on it the cabalistic letters H. T. W. S. S. T. E. S. in a circle." "Well, Mother!" said Andrew, "in heaven's name, what does that mean?' Cabalistic letters H. T. W. S. S. T. K. S. in a circle? As people grow old-their ideas become strangely erratic." ( Well, my boy, you know that I have often told you that I always have a meaning, for what I say," She glanced at Andrew, and noticed that he looked TrE SEOERT DISCLOSSD. 233 grave, and, seemingly, he was trying to fathom the . meaning of the mysterious letters. Mrs. Patter sat for a few minutes watching his fine eyes and admiring his noble brow; but she saw that he was puzzled, and could not comprehend her meaning. She gazed wistfully into his face, and, in a few moments, drew forth from her pocket a small case, and, on opening it, placed it in his hand. - "That Mr. A - , my son, was an assumed name. The planter ,was no other than your own dear father, Fabian Foy!" Andrew started and cried: "Why, Mother is that so?" "Yes, my son; and here is the document that he requested me to place in your hands when you at- tained your twenty-first year. This paper unfolds all. Your father belonged to that most ancient and mystic fraternity, the 'Order of Freemasons.' Bound together by an indissoluble tie, the member s of this order, which holds place among all nations and in every corner of the known world, assist their brethren in every possible way that-lies in their power. In the midst of deadly strife, in the van of battles, where foes of differenit nationalities and speaking diverse tongues have lost all sense of aught save the impulse to hack and hew and slay, '4' page: 234-235[View Page 234-235] 234 THE QOLDSYN LABDDER. a-simple sign has stayed many a sword from drink- ing the life's blood of a prostrate foe. In scenes less fierce than these, but still as sad; in the sor- rowr-stricken household and by the hearth made blank and desolate by a parent's death, the beauties of Freemasonry oft-times show themselves. The solemn link that binds brother to brother through life does not break utterly asunder when 'the silver cord is loosened;' the willow and the fatherless' are not permitted to suffer privation or distress, but are consoled in their bereavement by the sympathy and aid of this noble fraternity. Andrew, it was your dying father's wish that, when you arrived at a proper age, you should become a Mason. The order-though the ignorant may sneer at it-has nothing bad about it. How could it have, when its basis is true religion and brotherly love? It incul- cates the holiest of principles, and instills into men's hearts the purest code of morality that can reign therein; therefore, I ask you, my son, to fulfill your father's last request, and become a member of the fraternity." "A Freemason!" exclaimed Andrew. "What am I to learn fromn this scrap of paper?" "That is a certificate, my son, from the Lodge, signed by the officers in Philadelphia." She then presented to him the keystone. This THE SECRET DISCLOSED. 235 little jewel had inscribed on it, in a circle, the mys- terious letters which she had before mentioned. "These precious relies were placed in my hand by your dear father a few days previous to his death, and he abjured me, by all that was sacred, to keep them, and when you were twenty-one years old to reveal the secret which I have just told you. Yes, my child, he belonged to this glorious order; he was a Knight Templar, and a man of the high- est honors-'one who carried out the teachings of St. James, 'Who did unto all men as he would they sh6uld do unto him.' He was a good hus- band, a devoted father, and a kind master. I would to God there were more such men in this age!" "Did he belong to the Church, Mother?" said Andrew, holding the relies in his hand and gazing at them intently. c; No, my son, he did not belong to the Church in the light that you might look at it; or rather, he was not a member. He went occasionally with his family, but he belonged to the great Church, the church that practices what it preaches. His labors consisted in daily and hourly seeking out the poor and relieving the sufferings of humanity, without seeking for himself name or,distinction; he was a true Mason, in every sense of the word, and when a man is a true Mason, he is a good Christian." page: 236-237[View Page 236-237] 236 ETHE GOLDEN LARDED . "Well, Mother," said Andrew, "this is a secret worth keeping, and, more so, worth revealing. I will keep this jewel and this document as long as I live." "This glorious fraternity, Andrew, never tries to make proselytes, yet I know from the earnestness your father displayed when he spoke upon the subject, that he wished you and his other sons to become Freemasons. There is much good done by this order; a good Mason is no whitened sepulcher." "What do they do, Mother?" asked Andrew, becoming more and more interested in his mother's conversation, for she spoke with deep interest. "Well, my boy, they do a thousand things; as citizens they are loyal to their government, and obedient to its laws; prompt in the duties they owe to society, and patterns of fidelity in all social and domestic relations. The anchor and ark are em- blematical of that divine ark that bears them over this tempestuous sea of troubles, and the anchor that shall safely moor them in a peaceful harbor, where no doubt your father already is. All good Masons visit the widow and orphan, and keep them- selves unspotted from the world. Now I have told you all in regard to your father, and I do hope that you will remember and treasure your father's dying request." TEU SECRET DISCLOSED. 237. "I will do so, Mother; and I can say as King Agrippa said to Paul, 'You have almost persuaded me to be a Christian, and a Freemason." Then, folding the paper and placing it in the case with the keystone, the little jewel he put into his vest pocket. He remained thoughtful for awhile, as though pondering upon what his mother had been telling him; after musing about five minutes he looked up perplexedly.! "I have often heard Masonry Spoken of, Mother, and, almost invariably, have afterward wondered why members of the order should so jealously guard their secrets, especially from women. Indeed, I have often heard it averred that the -order has moral depravity for its basis, and, like the monks of Med- enham, in Byron's time, that is the reason they wish to conceal their mysteries from the public gaze," he remarked, at length. "Andrew, no person or society that has for its aim a holy purpose is without deriders and detrac- tors; women are connected with Masonry by ties far more intimate and tender than you are aware of, or than I can even inform you of. The widow and orphan daughter of a Master Mason takes the place of the husband and father in the affections and good deeds of the Lodge. 'If their oharacter is unjustly assailed, the brethren are in duty bound to page: 238-239[View Page 238-239] 238 THE GOLDEVN LADDER. defend them. If they are in want, distressed for the necessities of life, the brethren will divide their - means with them. If, traveling at a distance from home, they find themselves sick and in want among strangers, they have but to make themselves known as the widow and orphan daughter of a worthy Master Mason, and lo, the hand of relief is stretched out toward them. The kind voice of sympathy is heard to cheer them. They are no longer strangers, but friends, dear friends, and thus they are con- strained to bless the society whose kind deeds- are not confined to the narrow limits of home." "But, MLother, any woman who found herself in difficulties, or, indeed, any female impostor, could represent herself as the near relative of a member of the brotherhood, and so fraudulentlv receive as- sistance," argued Andrew. "You are right, and it -was partly for the purpose of defeating schemes and protecting Masons that the order of the Eastern Star was established. Women, as you rightly observe, cannot be Free- masons, in the true sense of the term; that is, they cannot be -initiated into the secret mysteries of the aociety. This offspring of the ancient parent has digns and passwords connected with it, by the ren- lering of which a Mason is readily enabled to listinguish a 'sister' of the order. It has for its THE SECRET DISCL6SED. 239 basis the Holy Writings, and five Jemale characters prominent in them are selected for the purpose of illustrating the Masonic virtues. The badge of the order is a star, each of the five points of which is dedicated to one of the chosen virtues. The first point and degree is entitled 'Jephthali's daughter,' and illustrates respect to the bindimg force of a vow; the second, Ruth, devotion to religious principles; the third, Esther, fidelity to kindred and friends; the fourth, Martha, undeviating faitI in the hour of trial; and the fifth, Electa, patiezce and submission under wrongs. It is only those who are nearly allied by consanguinity to Master Masons of good repute that can belong to this holy order, and they are required to promise, upon their sacked hoozor as women, that they will never divulge the secrets of the sister- hood. - It is an order that has religion and Christian charity as its primary basis, and, as such, it is naturally in every way estimable. Your sister, Annah Foy, has expressed her determination to enroll herself as a member of the 'Eastern Star,' and I sincerely hope she will carry out her pro- ject." "I hope she will, Mother, for, from what you have told me, I am sure that the symbol of the order confers distinction upon the wearer," replied An- drew, fervently. page: 240-241[View Page 240-241] 240 THE GOLDEN LADDER. Mrs. Patter then repeated to her son the following verses: ODE TO FREEMASONRY. Eternal Archangel above! From Bethlehem's star in the form of a dove Descending to those who are shod With sandals of holy salvation. O Love I Inspire, every soul With thy blissful control, And the sweet, tender mercies of God I Hail! Prince of Jerusalem, hail! Beloved of Melchisedech--hallow the gale- The peace of God- breathe from above, That souls upon earth may no longer bewail I! Our Temple shall stand, Never built on the sand, The sanctum sanctorum of Love! Disciples of Solomon! blest-- Whose feet our Redeemer baptized with the rest Of those who are chosen above, All people to cheer the oppressed: All-saving the son Of perdition--have won The glory-of God, who is Love! Hail, Goddess! fond sister of Hope! And glorious Faith-ye have given full scope To Masons mankind to reform With Wisdom and Mercy; that mortals may grope No longer in gloom, But to blossom and bloom Like Sharon's sweet Rose in the storm! Pure Charity I Goddess adored By ev'ry accepted Freemason! the sword THE SECRET DISCLOSED. 241 Was sheath'd by thy spirit. The dove Of Peace her green olives for healing were stored In that mystical ark, Once containing a spark Of the Spirit of God, which was Love! Yea, peace and good-will upon earth! Freemasons in freedom no longer dread dearth. Like Joseph, no Masons inquire i Of brethren adopted the place of their birth: As sons who must call On the Father of all, Their spirits are flames of one fire I The Sophist, so learned of yore, And Jesuit, boasting of classical lore, Of wisdom would cease to profess If secrets Masonic they had to explore: Minerva environs All Solomon's scions- The wisdom of God to possess I Hail, Triiangle, Compass, and Square! Hail, true equalizer, the Level-prepare The proud for Death's Leiodge 'neath the sod I To prove all men equal as brethren, then share The grace that is given A- Which ne'er can be riven, While the Architect Love is our God! -,11 , page: 242-243[View Page 242-243] CHAPTER XXTTT. ANNAH'S PROBATION. SyN due course -of time they arrived at , Modest Lawn. The meeting, the greeting, g and the "interminable talks" which super- I vened can, as the reporters say, be better 3 imagined than described. Andrew's young, indignant heart burned to be revenged upon Morgan. Urgent were the pleadings of his mother before he could be prevailed upon to defer wreaking summary punishment upon the head of the cowardly scoundrel who had so maltreated his charming sister. - TThe good Mrs. Patter piously declared that she felt a faith, daily increasing in strength, that Annah, at some future day, would be entirely lib- ' erated from Morgan. "Yes, when she is dead!" said Andrew, bluntly. "I do not suppose that angels and fiends continue to consort in 'kingdom come,' whatever they may . be compelled to submit to in this world." His mother was obliged to use all her powers of persuasion before she could quell the roused spirit ANNAH'S PROBATION. 2458 of her son. Little did the brave boy dream of the extent to which his sister ha4 suffered previous to taking her from Morgan. Andrew was also as ignorant of his mother's trials with Pilate Patter, as, until recently, he had been in reference to the tribulations of the gentle Annah. At that time the reverend gentleman held the deed belonging to Andrew's mother, of a beautiful house and lot which Mrs. Patter had purchased from him during his wife's lifetime, and out of 'the money she obtained from Fabian Foy's estate. This property she had bought expressly for Andrew, and had paid for it, and had also paid the fee to have the deed recorded; but Mr. patter appropriated the money to his own purposes.. Time passed on, and as Mrs. Foy was a member of his church, she thought that it was all right, she forgot to ask him for the deed, thinking it was all right; and in some months Mrs. Sally Patter died; the minister then wooed and won the handsome widow, Mrs. Mary Foy, and after shed became Mrs. Patter, on con- versing with her husband, she learned to her utter ' astonishment that he never had the deed recorded, therefore he owned the property still, which she had paid for, and felt sure that it belonged to her son An drew. The consequence was that this deception practiced was always a thorn piercing .. page: 244-245[View Page 244-245] 244 THE GOLDEY LADDER. the heart of Mrs. Patter; she felt from that time that her husband was not what she supposed him to be; therefore, when she knew that he had deceived her, as a natural consequence, her love was on the wane. He, however, promised that he would will it to Andrew Foy at his death; so Mrs. Patter believing that he would do so, tried to rest quiet on the subject. Some years afterward the reverend gentleman died, leaving a will, but had given the property to his own children. Now that he had changed his mortal and took on his spiritual body, and whether he occupies the higher or lower sphere we leave to the imagination of the reader, as we have portrayed his character. What is something very mysterious is that when people gain property dishonestly and leave their children rich, it generally takes wings and flies away. This seems to have been the case with the Patter family. Mrs. Jacov, the minister's daughter, kept a a boarding-house in a large city; but although her father left her a small fortune, she soon failed and absconded, leaving her landlord, grocers, and butch- ers groaning over their heavy bills unpaid; and the last heard of the boarding-house madam was that she was living, couched with her four children, on a little pea-patched farm, with scarcely food enough to ANNNA'S PROBATION 245 have fed Elijah's ravens. It seems that her husband, Mrv. W. J , had previously held a position as postmaster in a modest little town in Virginia.; but it appears that during his stay there were many - letters went astray, and a very fine-looking black- eyed doctor, who was a special friend of the post- master's wife, declared that he would not post another letter in the office, especially with money enclosed-in them, while he was postmaster. It is an undeniable fact, that money dishonestly - gained rarely ever does people much good. Not only had Mr. and Mrs. Jacov become poor, but the minister's fortune was squandered by his children faster than he had gathered it together. This is the way the world goes, but the end is not yet. , j Mrs. Jacov, Mrs. Phips, and Mrs. Pitt, a little red-haired, insignificant woman, were warm friends, and whenever they met they never forgot to rehearse the misfortunes of Annah Morgan. Although our heroine had already endured 'everything except death, yet these slanderous creatures continued to gossip. However, the tongue of such nonentities ' -j never injure a pure person. Such a character as:a the wife of Marcellus Morgan could not be sup- pressed by those whllo were so fan her inferiors. . After Mrs. Morgan had -been released from,. durance vile by her sister, her trials became aug- i -M ' a { :?: ii "-'iyt page: 246-247[View Page 246-247] 246 THE GOLDEN LADDER. mented rather than mitigated. Bettie, on going to church one Sunday, saw Lucretia, the woman who had caused Annah so much pain, with the sparkling ring upon her finger which had been given to our heroine by Adrian. This information was imparted to Mrs. Morgan by her sister, and, when she heard the story of her husband's thorough baseness, Annah gasped for breath; she could only utter the i plaintive wail: "Oh, Marcellus Morgan, how could you take from me that precious treasure, and give it to your mistress?"' In course of time Andrew's business necessitated his leaving Virginia for awhile, and immediately' afterward incessant annoyances were occasioned- by the ghost-like visitations 'of Morgan during the night. He actually provided himself with a ladder, but it was not a golden one, as his wealthy, days were over, and poverty would seemingly be his portion, for the purpose of gaining the roof, which feat he eventually effected. He then attempted to force the window of the chamber in which Mrs. Morgan slept, but this maneuver failed, however, for every door and casement had been doubly secured. Believing that the intentions of Morgan were bent on murder, Annah became paralyzed with fear; fluttering like a timid dove, she crouched ANNAB'S PROBATION; 247 j,' in a dark corner of the room. Her sister and the children were equally terrified ' at the slightest : breath of wind, or rustling of: leaves'; every instant - they expected that an entrance would be made by i! the midnight marauder, who would not hesitate to destroy Aannah, even within the precincts of her sister's sanctuary-for he had sworn to recapture his wife, either dead or alive.- Prostrated 'in body and mind from the effects of over excitement, she rushed forth, bewildered with vague apprehensions.' Our heroine felt that she could not, by any possibility, escape from her tyrannical husband, and that her days were num- bered-self-destruction no longer appeared 'a crime, but instead resolved itself into a heroic virtue. In order to escape from torture the commission of suicide deemed no sin. The broken-hearted. wife hurried onward toward her native home. She yearned in spirit to behold, for the last time, those familiar scenes that first enhanced her soul in child- hood ; to retrace the hallowed footsteps of parents, brothers, and sisters, and then "go hence, to be no more seen in this vale of tears," when, like a lamb destined .for sacrifice, destruction was. inevitable. In this state of mind Annah wandered .from Bettie's abode one dark evening, in the direction of a plantation formerly possessed .by her father. page: 248-249[View Page 248-249] 248 THE GOLDEN LAIDDER. Every dark object that loomed up before the panic-stricken fugitive assumed the shape of Mor- gan, armed with a whip, of scorpions, like a demon of discord. Ever and anon these visionary terrors appalled her, causing her to falter; her progress, therefore, was slow; after walking three miles only, Annah felt a painful sensation of weariness. On reaching a -little village located midway between Bettie's house and Locust Grove, Annah entered a drug-store, with cool indifference, and purchased a vial of laudanum-the warning "Poison" was me- chanically pasted, on by the druggist, but no questions were asked-a criminal apathy is too commonly exhibited by the retailers of deadly ! narcotics. The night was unusually serene,. A mysterious beauty from the star-light above illumined the drooping, dew-spangled flowers, as a dense black I cloud "Threw her silver lining to the moon." No zephyr stirred a single leaf, a portentuous silence universally reigned, even the clouds hung motionless 'twixt earth and sky, and perfect peace prevailed. The soft music of nature at length soothed the wanderer's soul. The tinkling sounds ' from gurgling rivulets in the forest, the twittering of birds startled from their slumbers, and the ANNAH' S PROBATIOo.- 249 vailing cry of the "whip-poor-will," were sadly ,minous. Even the sheep-bell jarred on her ears, ret her mind was calm, free from the pangs of ;uilt, and she mentally offered up a prayer to then Creator that angels might waft her afflicted soul into that bright world where spirits dwell. Feebly the mourner pursued her way through devious woods and valleys, over sand and pebbles, . until, from sheer exhaustion, she sank down upon the door-sill of a cottage inhabited by an old man who had worked for Morgan several years before. I Hearing Annah's nmoans, the wife of the cottager called her husband Ito assist the poor lady who had so suddenly made her appearance among them. At first Mrs. Prescott took Annah to be a supernatural being, so ghostly and pallid was her appearance. The old couple had often communed together con- cerning the sufferings of that " amiable and talented woman, Mrs. Morgan." They attributed all Annah's misery to Marcellus, Iand, old as they were, they still had sufficient acumen to perceive that the culminating point of her misery was near at hand. They had never fully learned how much a the once beautiful girl had been tried, but the barbaric character of Morgan was too well known a:f to leave any doubt on their minds as to the cause of Annab's metamorphosis from a joyous girl to aE L, of nab's meI page: 250-251[View Page 250-251] 250 TE GOLDEN LADDER. melancholy matron. Mrs. Mor n was accommo- dated with a bed, and refreshed with tea and some home-made bread. A sweet sleep aleviated her sufferings-until morning she continued in repose, although the imagery presented by Somnus was of the same extraordinary character as usual. Morgan had often threatened to send' his wife to a private lunatic asylum. When sinking into slumX ber that recollection haunted Annah's imagination, producing the fantastic dreams of the Retreat, with all its mysterious dramatis persones. The main features of that visionary den of purgatory our hero- ine. knew, from the experience of a friend, to be singularly correct. Although revived and exhilarated with coffee, Annah did not relinquish her determination to court ;he sweet sleep of death. Cleopatra was not more lesirous to secrete an asp for her destruction than vas the broken-hearted wife who concealed in her ,osom a phial of poison, although with an air of heerfulness she thanked her old friends when idding them farewell. Mr. Prescott exchanged a ,oubled glance with his wife, and respectfully in- ired whither Mrs.- Morgan was wending her way. "Oh," replied Annah, "it matters little where a 'uised reed is drifted. A spirit that watched me infancy is guiding me to that green spot where ANNAS'S PROBATION. 251 - my happiest days were passed. There will I visit the graves of my beloved parents, and pray that our souls will be henceforth reunited." . "You are ill able to bear fatigue, Madam," re- plied the old man. "It is, I reckon, three miles to Locust Grove from this spot. Ah! to be sure, I remember you well--a little cherub, with light curly hair and blue eyes. And your dear good father too-ah folks lost their best friend when he died. I knownothing about the craft of Freemasons, but ! I knew your father, and always heard that he was one, and his charity will be remembered for ages to come." "That's so!" cried Mrs. Prescott. Fabian Foy was the negro's godfather, as one might say, and a brother to all mankind. Well, of course, your step- mother is one person, and I am another, but if my old man had died years ago, I could no more have married again, than you, Mrs. Morgan, would have gotten your neck into a halter, had you known but a half as much as you do now." "Hush! hush!" muttered PFescott, "that's no business of ours. We are poor f lks, but I do verily believe the poorer folks are the more natural affec- . tion they feel toward each otter. I often think when I see gay foreign flowers transplanted from the green-house of fashion, blooming for mere show apart from each other in proud parterres, I often ? t s page: 252-253[View Page 252-253] 252 THE GOLDEN. LADDER. think they don't look half so beautiful as the simple blttercups and daisies that flourish side by side, 1 and perish together in fields and meadows. Yes, blessed are the poor, after all.'9 "Blessed, indeed," responded the old woman, instinctively placing her arm within that of Peter's. "Still I can't help saying that Mrs. Foy made a bad choice of a name when she consented to become Mrs. Patter; I do not care if he is a minister and I a member of his church; his faults are not hidden from me; no, indeed!" "She thought, no doubt," said Prescott, " that a Baptist minister was a man worth having; but--" Here the old woman shook her sides with laughter; the conversation was reduced to whispers. Absorbed in sorrowful thought, Annah had de- parted while the old couple-were chattering and gazing at each other, as they conversed, as is the custom with those who "have lived and loved together for many a changing year." The bird had flown, so the antique pair folded their arms and sank off into a comfortable doze on a sofa that stood within the entry. What more pitiable scene can be depicted than that of a young and beautiful woman driven to desperation by an inhuman, gross-minded man? All her best feelings trampled upon; rivalled by \ ANNAH'S PROBATION. 253 ' the most degraded beings; her fair skin discolored with bruises from him who vowed at the altar to love and protect her. Alas! there is a secret yet to be unfolded. Was there no deception, no in- trigue sought aDd made use of in the marriage between Morgan and Annah? This is yet to be seen. As she journeyed toward Locust Grove, Jehovah hallowed the inner temple of her bosom with light, for her heart glowed with the light of life, and gasped for eternity. The world, with all its rank. weeds, seemed passing away beneath her. Her pure spirit already soared far above the sphere of such fulsome parasites of sin as Marcellus. The blissful reminiscences of first love charmed her soul, while her trembling lips murmured the name of Adri- an, as she drew near and trod the sacred dust near the graves of her parents. She felt willing! then to leave the world; her troubles were so acute that, human nature could endure no more. Drummond Town, with all its allurements, never awakened such heartfelt joy in Annah as did the antique home of her childhood. There every blade of grass seemed to have been consecrated by pa- ternal love. The old-fashioned portals, half worm- eaten; the stone steps of the stoop, crumbling to decay; the green-stained shingles; the dilapidated page: 254 (Illustration) [View Page 254 (Illustration) ] ,254 THE GOLDE N LADDER. fences; all, all those moss-mantled relies of time were more precious in the eyes of our heroine than 'much-refined gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." Here, in meadows where she had gathered cowslips with her little brothers and sisters; there, between two lofty cedars, a loving father had assisted her to swing to and fro under the glaucous foliage. One old rustic bench still retained our heroine's maiden name, carved by Adrian, and beside it was cut that of the youth she had loved in the olden time, she herself the en- graver. That bench was an enchanted landmark of love. After the expiration of fifteen years, the forlorn wife gazed upon the humble resting- place with feelings of rapture, mingled with in- tense agony, as, she mentally reviewed the past and present. Annah sank upon her knees, and kissed with devoted fondness every knotted plank. There was a mysterious melancholy in the coun- tenance of the devotee; she looked like a holy martyr gazing up into heaven with resignation and triumphant exultation as from her bosom she plucked the fatal phial, and swiftly and silently moved on through the grove toward the grave of her father. Bewildered with grief, Mrs. Morgan became almost skeptical as to the wisdom and justice of Providence page: -255[View Page -255] ANNAO'S PROBATION. 255 : in ordaining that aln innocent being should be sacrificed to a fientd. But, like a spiritual echo, sounded in her ears the words : "I will direct thy footsteps) saith the Lord." "Oh," meditated Annah, "what good can result from my destruction? Will God direct the footsteps of a suicide?" She burst into a flood of tears, and hastened to hide among the tombstones, lest an 'ntruder should deter, her from her purpose. As in a camera ob- scura, Mrs. Morgan 'eheld again and again that well-known building, ithe former residence of her father and mother, the home oft her childhood, which she had never seen since that fatal day when she had been sent to her aunt. In Imagination, all : her kindred smiled upon her. The disc of memory became dim-another retrospective view was re- vealed. She beheld al funeral procession, and saw the remains of her deceased parents lowered into X the cold, cold earth. $he fancied she saw the cedars fall on the lid of her father's coffin, and heard the 'Masons' song. But, ah! she began to think that : the craft did not tolerate suicide. She trembled. X She imagined that she heard the clods of clay fall - upon the coffins, producing mysterious hollow v ? sounds, so grating to human hearts, with that hid- eous creaking of the cords used for balancing the- .... ., "i' page: 256-257[View Page 256-257] 256 THE GQOLD;DN LADDER. coffin. She saw the black tassels thrown across the lid. The old pear-tree still reared its blackened branches over the tombs-a faithful sentinel, which seemed to mark the degrees between Time and Eternity. It was a strange reflection to make, that immortal beings should crumble into dust while an old pear-tree was destined to flourish from age to age; that a human jewel .should be crushed to atoms, while senseless stones were, through many generations, preserved with the greatest care. - An- nah sobbed aloud, and the sound of her own voice' roused her to a state of consciousness. A sudden gust of wind smote the locust-trees that grew in a row in front of the ocean., "Emblems of affection beyond the grave, I come!" whispered Annah to the voice of the wind among the trees. "The breeze that hath given motion to your leaves, is the breath of those who loved me on earth, and will love me forever. Oh, father, mother, sainted parents, descend to me now!" Closing her eyes, the weeping wife reclined upon a grassy, turf-covered mound. Her little blue-eyed brother, Andrew, frolicked before her, as was his wont, when they in childhood sported together in some creek adorned by Nature with shells and sea- weed. / ANNAB'S PROBATIONo 257 Annah was startled from her reverie by the shrill cries of the sea-gulls and sedge'-hens. The grave- yard reminded her of that holy place where Moses communed with his Maker, and was commanded to loosen his sandals. She reverently knelt at the head of her father's resting-place, and, after giving vent to a flood of tears, she raised her eyes to Heaven, and, in a soft, dulcet murmur, repeated the following stanzas: TO MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. Father, father, sainted father I You are in the heavenly land, Where the cherubim are singing, Circled in a happy band. I saw thy hard, expiring gasp, And view'd that last-drawn breath- And I knew thy soul had fled away, And was at peace in death I An orphan left when very young-- Not sixteen summers was H - One sweet little sister by my side, - When we saw our father die; There were three brothers weeping 'round, And gazing on the silent dead- Oh, how I trembled as I wept, And pray'd that I could-there je laid I The Mason's chart, it was thy guide , While in this dreary world below-- Thy brothers' songs did bear thee on To that bright world where thou didst go. page: 258-259[View Page 258-259] 258 oTE OOLDEY 1ADSDE. I heard t!he cold clod as it fell Upon my father's silent tomb, And the Mason's tokens were strewn around, With all their green and rich perfume. Th' acacias fell both thick and fast In upon the coffin lid, The emblem of the living soul Which had, flown where God had bid. -Now, dearest father, my faith is strong, I know death hath not destroy'd thy love, For a shadowy form hath often come And flitted 'round me like a dove. An angel from the world of light, Prom the seraphs' blissful dome, Hath come unto thy darling child, And view'd her in a quiet home. Sweet peace and comfort have been brought To her from realms of light, And cheer'd her in a gloomy hour, And in the dreary, silent night. Father, father, sainted father I Stay not from me far away-- Now fortune's changed and friends have fail'd, Oh, leave me-not a single day! The shipwreck'd bark hath long been toss'd Upon Time's rolling billows free, But teach me now what rock to shun, That in Heaven I may dwell with thee. Now thou art changed to another sphere, And view us now with other eyes-- For thy bright soulhath been borne away Far from earth, and above the skies. But, oh! when life's sad hour is ended, And thy dear child's hard struggle 's o'er, - May thy loved form to her descending Bear her on to that brighter shore! 5 4 CtHAPTER XXTV. 1: ^SE RING SOLACE. F^c TER repeating these lines Annah's con '^^k , science, which had remained dormant, awoke suddenly. Like a flaming arrow, a conviction is established, and an individual becomes impressed. with new ideas of right and wrong, of good and evil. Is such a change wrought by external or internal influences? Here we see through a glass dimly; but there, beyond our terres- trial sphere, twe shall see even as we are seen. We are i expressly told, by the holy apostle St. James, that the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord ? shall raise them up. What does that prove v Why, . I that those who are sick at heart from the effects of I sorrow, never yet prayed in vain. The power of sympathy between the Creator and his creatures is maintained through the spiritual medium of fervent devotion. Feeling herself utterly forsaken, that she could s not elude the vigilance of Morgan, and that, conse- i quently, her death was certain, Annah considered it 1 no sin to anticipate the executioner. She forgot Ci page: 260-261[View Page 260-261] 260 TBE GOLDEiN LADDER. that faith is only shown by those who firmly rely on God for preservation when all hope appears at an end. She should have remembered the world-worn, world-tainted, world-weary-grown man who, in his bitterest affliction, cried: "Gone the glad hope in a dawn of to-morrow, Faded, forgotten, the noon of to-day, Night closing o'er me, in sadness and sorrow, Gloom in the valley, and ghosts on the way. All the bright hours of the past I can reckon, Memories of anguish they bring unto me; Man cannot guide me, nor angel can beckon, God of the hopeless I whom have I but thee?" The despair-stricken- wife arose, uncorked the phial which contained -the deadly narcotic she had procured, and raised it to her lips. "O God!" she cried, "convince me whether I am about to do right or wrong!" As she uttered these words, trembling with emotion, she sank down upon the mossy ground, her bands flew apart, and the phial fell upon the tombstone and was shattered into fragments; the poison leaked away, and Annah lay fainting on the ground. When she recovered, she felt conscious that A Voice was secretly consoling her, Whose lan- guage might be thus interpreted: "Lo! I am thy God, and will overthrow thine enemies. Put thy trust in -ME, and I will bring it BSRAK/ING SOLACE. 261 to pass. Fret not thyself because of the ungodly, for they shall be cut down as the grass, and be withered even as the green herb. i "Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good; dwell in the land, and, verily, thou shalt be fed. "Delight thou in the Lord, and he shall give thee tliy heart's desire. "Commit thy ways unto the Lord, and put thy trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. "He shall make thy righteousness and thy just- dealing as the noon-day." From this time the sufferer ceased to mourn. With an unwavering faith in the protection of the Eternal Father of all, and -believiing that her spirit father, mother, and brother were ever near, and that eventually she would be rescued -from her brutal husband, Annah arose and -moveed slowly away, mentally murmuring: "Oh God, be merciful to me a sinner!"New hopes dawned within her, as dawns the light over the untraveled waves of the boundless, boisterous sea. She fancied that Adrian and herself would yet be . happy together-that her first lover was still living. X An undefined "warning dream" arose in her mind. -' Morgan stood before her, when the earth suddenly - i opened between them; Adrian smiled, when Mar '* -'I W .:! page: 262-263[View Page 262-263] MX TH77E GOLD EN LADDER cellus disappeared in the crevasse. Annah was spiritually -happy ever after. As our heroine arose from her father's grave, in all the seraphic majesty of divine faith, a lady, who had" been watching her movements, came for- ward. I "My dear Madam," said the stranger,. " from my window I first noticed you; so mysterious were your gesticulations, so pallid your complexion, that my mind was for some time impressed with the idea that I beheld a supernatural being. I feel convinced that no common affliction has weighed down your spirits. I know how to sympathize with a sorrow- ing heart; come to my home; I am too well ac- quainted with grief not to know how to entertain the unhappy." This unexpected welcome was as an angel's visit to Mrs. Morgan; she gratefully grasped the stran- ger's extended hand, and thankfully accepted the cordial invitation. A luncheon, consisting of pala- pable viands and chocolate, produced a salutary change in the mourner, who ingenuously confided the cause of her misery to one who appeared more like a sister than an unknown person. Mrs. Toliver had not been persecuted by a hus- band; but a near relative of her own had recently divorced a man who was a demi-god, in .comparison SEEKING SOLACE. 263i with Morgan, The sympathetic lady thus com- mented on the subject. "I have been blessed with a kind, good partner, o thank God, and I now know how to value him; but, had it been otherwise, I should have acted very decidedly. No half measures for me; the first act of infidelity would have been the last, and so with every premonitory symptom of barbarity. I now recognize you as the Virginia Jewel, for by that name your father called you in your childhood, and as the belle of the county, fifteen years ago. Alas 1! your charms have been sadly defaced. Cheer up, though ; there is hope for all who have faith in their guardian angel." As the lady ceased speaking, a knocking was heard without. Instinctively dreading a surprise from that trapper, Morgan, Annah retreated to a dark parlor. A stranger entered the hall, and Annah heard him earnestly inquire for Mrs. Mor-- gan. The voice of the inquirer was, familiar. With involuntary joy the poor fugitive advanced from her hiding-place; in another moment she was fondly embraced by her affectionate brother Andrew. The mutual congratulations of Andrew and his sister afforded heartfelt gratification to Mrs. Toli- yer, who fully appreciated the spirit of indignation page: 264-265[View Page 264-265] 264 THE GOLDEN LADDER. evinced by Andrew toward an infamous brother-in- law. His determination to bring the culprit to a x strict account, was highly applauded by the lady. And not only by her; several neighbors dropped in, who, whilome, had all loved Annah in childhood; they were enthusiastically disposed to give Morgan a warm reception. Annah's altered appearance pro- duced a painful impression upon all who beheld her. It had been universally believed that the marriage of Mrs. Morgan was a propitious one, and her husband a perfect saint-this, according to the reports of the Rev. Pilate Patter. Of-course this -amiable Christian represented Mrs. Morgan as a Xantippe, and, accordingly, poor Mr. Morgan was Socrates personified. Natural reserve, and a too great share of forbearance, caused Annah to sub- mit. A delicate tenacity of concealing domestic troubles was insisted upon, even by her sister Bettie, who knew that the world, in regard to matrimonial difficulties, always arrives at one con- clusion-namely, that there are faults on both sides. Mrs. Patter, ci-devant Mrs. Foy, implored Annah not to make'her domestic troubles public. "Morgan will in time see his errors," she would argue, "and it was a wife's duty to abide the time" of God's conversion. How knowest thou, oh woman! but that thou mayest save his soul alive!" exclaimed - e* SR Aw1 1 SOLACE. 265 Mrs. Patter, whose mind, from associations, had become tinctured with the cant of the Baptist minister, although his expressions, when uttered by Annah's step-mother, were sincere. She was a good-hearted, loving woman, but most credulous, otherwise she would never have been cajoled into uniting herself to, so despicable a man as the Pha- risaic pulpit-orator of Modest-Town, who rivalled Satan in appearing as an angel of light to those who sat in darkness. There was a peculiar taciturnity observed by Andrew, which gave evidence to Annah of her brother's determination to execute some project already matured., His lips were compressed, and his bright blue eyes seemed to flash whenever the name of Morgan was uttered. Annah timidly inti- mated the policy of acting with discretion, so as to avoid any expose of domestic affairs. "You need not dread the exposure," said Mrs. Toliver; "all of this false delicacy only gives your calumniators a wider latitude; decision of char- acter is absolutely necessary. It only requires manly or womanly resolution to annihilate a host A of backbiters. Prove yourself an adept in biting : ! sarcasm, and you will resemble a fruit-tree well -: protected with quicklime, for the otal destruction ' of blight, and the curculio, and God knows those .' -12 page: 266-267[View Page 266-267] 266 THE GOLDEN LADDER. insidious parasitical pests are not greater curses to green leaves, -blossoms, and. fruits, than the electrical tongue of that species of the semi-human gymnotus, termed a slanderer. The shocks given by that monster to a sensitive mind seems to be- numb every energy, so that the victirm becomes an easy prey. A cold-blooded assassin, who indirectly destroys an innocent wife, should- be spotted as a wife-poisoner, for a woman's peace and happiness must indeed have been saturated with poisons to induce her to meditate upon self-destruction. ":Ahaf" ejaculated Andrew, "'tis as I suspected- -that broken phial beside my; father's grave-" "Was wrested from my hand by the spirit- of my sainted father," added Annah, gently. Andrew drew a heavy sigh-he was not a believer in the supernatural--then caught the hand of his sister within his own, bade a graceful adieu to iMrs. Toliver, assisted Annah into his carriage, and drove away in the direction of Modest-Town. In a short time the affectionate relations were reunited. Bettie sobbed like a child, and for once in her life vowed that if Andrew Foy djid not do something in this case, she would take the law into her own hands. A generous, warm heart, when glowing with in- dignation, assumes a volcanic character, requiring an eruption to prevent it from exploding. CfTAPTERJ XXV. A -HOSTIL E MEETING. ,^/^fATO'lK-IN BEACH was certainly raised AXF by some good-natured Triton for the es- ok,+ pecial purpose of accommodating pic-nic parties. Situated within an easy distance of Gargotha Inlet, the enchanted island, crowned with salt-water bushes and long green grass, was a most delightful summer resort. Thither crowds of joyous spirits flitted in row-boats, and many-,a Midsummer Night's Dream was participated in by the merry-hearted Virginians. And a Calibacn was not lacking to give effect to -the'luminous scene,' whose broad shadow formed a striking contrast to the genius of innocent- mirth. Marcellus Morgan played the part of the fiend admirably. Old Jack Smythe, harmless, hen-pecked, and purblind as an owl, was a firm believer in the morality and friend- -" ship of Morgan; in short, he frequently made a , public boast that Morgan was as chaste as his own X wife and daughters. Had Asmodeus been present when the last declaration was made, he would cer- tainly have lost all sense of gravity, and indulged in a, hearty cachinnation. , page: 268-269[View Page 268-269] 268 THE G OLZDEN LADDER. ( Ho, Jack!" cried Morgan, "can't go free this morning; must have a drink." "Well, but cannot a fellow wait until after din- ner?" asked Smythe. "You know that I never drink anything but tea, coffee, and water." "D-e, Jack, don't be a fool; your wife would like you all the better if vou had a little more spirit in you. Now, then, drink! Here's to old King Alcohol!" Smythe was ,a weak-minded man, and could not resist the importunity of any crafty rogue; conse- quently, he drank until he became disgracefully in- ebriated. Morgan assisted the stupid ogre, whose body resembled a hogshead, into a lighter, and they rowed the slumberer into a sequestered creek, among a large patch of bulrushes.' The maneuverer then returned to Kegotank-- then Smythe's plan- tation-where the c]haste Marcellus boarded after Annah's departure. He there undertook to give Miss Smythe a waltzing lesson while her mother was dressing to accompany the gay grass-widower to a Matomkin Beach party. The lesson was a strictly private one, for even the doors were closed by the prudent young lady---at least it was so alleged. During the comfortable nap of Moses among the bulrushes, his immaculate lady and daughter, with the younger branches of the family, set off on their A HOSTILE ETING. 269 : sylvan excursion. But they first partook of plenti- ful rations of fat turkey and egg-nogg-the concoc' tion of the latter was an accomplishment of Mor- gan's. These congenial spirits prided themselves upon their ancestral antiquity. No doubt they descended from some of the families who followed William the Conqueror to England-the originators of a British peerage. It certainly was something of which to boast, that Morgan and Smythe could trace their pedigrees back to that mercenary gang of the Nor- man squatter. William was, indubitably, the first representative of squatter sovereignty. Momus, the god of mirth, waved his magic wand; : flashes of merriment combined with music; the : laughter of elated children and hilarious glees, transformed the quiet region into an "island of tranquil delights." To the summit of one of the hills Marcellus escorted Mrs. and Miss Smythe. I "How happy could I be with either 1" te grass- widower hummed to himself, alternately pressing the arms of the matronly and youthful ladies. Morgan was on the point of extending his walk with the fair ones when he was unexpectedly con- fronted by a- MAN-for Andrew- Foy possessed, all the qualities of his noble father, Eabian. The cred- ulous husband, having slept off the effect of the t-' v A page: 270-271[View Page 270-271] 4u t;UE mOpLD'.r ,AEDDR S 270 VTW GOLDRE LADDER. drinks which he and Morgan had enjoyed, now re, joined the '" happy family," -and had taken Morgan's position as the latter slunk out of sight into a ravine. "Where has that tyrannical miscreant hidden himself?" cried Andrew. "I mean that fiend in human shape, Marcellus Morgan. Are you not one of his profligate gang?" "I am' proud to say that I am a friend of Mr. Morgan," replied old Jack Smythe, with pompous emphasis. Mr. Morgan, who is descended on the paternal side from an ancient branch nearly allied to the mighty Ossian, and on the maternal side he can trace back his genealogy to Oscar and Ma- brina-" " To the first king that ever sat upon an earthly throne; it is easy to trace the descent of so worthy a gentleman as Marcellus," interrupted Andrew. " Ah !" eagerly said Smythe, "I see that you are a scholar, and understand heraldry. I was little aware of Mr. Morgan's real origin. Who was that first king, Sir?" - "His Satanic Majesty--he who fell like lightning fom heaven-" "-The devil!" exclaimed fat Jack, starting back. " Exvact-ly-, the devil himself, Sir; your quickness of comprehension is charming." A HOSTILE MEETING. 271 " Whom lave we here ?" demanded Mrs. Smythe, assuming a threatening attitude. "Oh'! Mrs. Smythe! Mrs. Smythe! 1" expostulated her husband. Then, turning a little to spell from a card ehanded him 'by Andrew, he added,' Andrew, * Fabian Foy. ,By Jove! he's a first-rate gentleman. A chip of the old block. His father was Fabian Foy, Esq., one of the crack planters of Virginia, who lived at Locust Grove. There is no doubt that he came from one 'of the noblest families that the world ever produced,' a chip of the old block.'" " A chip of the old block indeed, indeed! and a blockhead at that," wrathfully began the excited lady of Smythe; but she was interrupted by Andrew, ,who coldly said,: " My business here is neither with you, Madam, nor with this gentleman,: who, from his manner, I take to be your :liege lord." Andrew's blue eyes twinkled for a moment; but his sternness of manner immediately returLed as he, adaed: '"I came to seek one Marcellis Morgan; Le whom you are 'happy to call friend,' but whom I here pronounce the greatest villain unhung. Where is he, the tyrannical miscreant ?" "Mr. Smythe-- r. Smythe!" cried the enraged wife, poking at fat, Jack with her parasol, by way of stirring up his valor, "are you going to suffer tlii' page: 272-273[View Page 272-273] 272 THE GOLDEN LADDER man to revile our friend, Morgan, and to cast a slur upon my unimpeachable character?" "Tho Carthaginian general, Hannibal," said Smythe, whose brain was yet muddled from his unwonted libations, " the Carthaginian general, Hannibal, with two such heroes as Fabian Foy and Andrew Fabian, would not only have. dissolved the Alps with vinegar, but would have whipped the Romans and all creation. I only wish Andrew Foy was in old Bob Lee's place, he'd soon whip the d-d Yankees off our territory." "I am not here," said Andrew, "to discuss the war question. I only wish that this man I am seeking was in the hottest battle, so that I might' be saved the trouble of wasting powder on such a villain." "Mr. Morgan, Mr. Morgan," sobbed the neg- lected lady, "come to our protection, c-o-m-e!" "Have you any business with me?" said Morgan, suddenly emerging from ambush, and addressing Andrew. "Business that shall quickly be settled," was the brief reply, accompanied by a look that made Mor- gan's heart quail within him. ",Sharp work for the eyes," he muttered, as he put his hands into his pockets, with a braggadocio air, A OSTIL WRmTINTG. 273 Andrew grasped the arm ,of tLe planter: "Dastardly assassin, you would-fain attempt to scare me as you have done my sister; but such . animals as you are to be tamed by men like me." : Saying these words, and shaking the poltroon with the strength of a giant,: pdrew hurled him down the side of the steep hill. The women rushed to and fro, while the yet semi- inebriated -Mr. Smythe philosophically remarked: "Nothing but what I expected. The Foys are a ' . great institution. Must have descended from King Solomon, as Fabian was a Mason. -- The two women rushed to the side of the demor- alized Morgan, and frantically endeavored to remove the mud-stains from his face with their lace pocket- handkerchiefs. {"D--n it!" whiied the discomfited Marcellus, "have done this fuss. That fellow there could whip Yankee Sullivan or Tom Hyer. Don't you see that , - he has not fooled away his strength like me? He's X right enough; I have used his 'ister badly." "I could have trampled you beneath my feet," said Andrew, who now stood near the cringing cur; "but this acknowledgment of your-barbarity has, g as you probably surmised it would when you made' it, saved me from crushing out your life, as I would - that of a poisonous reptile&." i 12* . i I ' , page: 274-275[View Page 274-275] 274 THE GOLDEN LADDER.: "I know that I have not behaved well, Mr. Foy," cried Morgan, abjectly ; " but you should thank God for being so much my superior. You are a genuine angel; and, doubtless, you. are aware that when Balaam beheld an angel he fervently wished for a sword; but a bowie-knife would answer my purpose just as well, and I am an ass to be unprovided with one." Morgan remained for some moments in a sort of stupor; at length he cried aloud : "The latest American champion*! Mr. Foy, I should exceedingly like to whip you; but it seems I cannot do it at present." "Unfortunately, my mother has, until very re- cently, concealed the long martyrdom of my sister, or you might ere this have ceased to live. Hear me!-" "I can hear you where I am," the strange man replied. A Andrew, with his keen sense of the ridiculous, scarce knew how to keep his countenance; but the recollection of his pale sister and her sufferings came, and he knit his fiiei brows while he drew forth a paper. Prepared for every emergency, he like. wise presented Morgan with a pen, and unscrewed a portable ink-bottle. "Marcellus Morgan," he said, "here is a docu- ment which I desire you to sign." ] A HOSTILE MEETING. 275 "You are all right," said the planter. "There, 'Marcellus Morgan.' Poor Annah!"-here the-- hypocritical wretch attempted a sigh-"I must have been possessed; but those old spiteful spin- sters, Leach and Pauline, Annah's cousins, the Pol- lards and Haplesses, and your own pious stepfather, Pilate Patter, make them sign this paper. They, as maligners, have far outdone me; and, most espe- cially, I yield the palm in that particular to Mrs. Jacovs, the daughter of Patter, and to her husband, the righteous deacon of the church, at your service. You might give the holy deacon an additional nail for his coffin by reporting his honorable conduct when postmaster. You might add to the collection many others-" K "I wish to listen to no more of your remarks. Hear what I have to say. If, directly or indirectly, you ever presume to molest my sister before a di- vorce is obtained, I swear I will kill you. A divorce o will soon emancipate my dear sister. Until that : deliverance is effected, Mrs. Morgan will remain ! under my protection, and woe to any who molests '! her privacy!" ' "Ha! ha! so you are going to s-ie for a divorce. Foy, if you are smarter than I am, go ahead; I have - the money." , - "Damn your money!" said Andrew, clenching his ' j ::ii page: 276-277[View Page 276-277] 276 THE GOLDEN LADDER fist. "I will pay all for her, and she shall not be Annah Morgan one year longer. During the pres- ent interview I have studiously avoided the use of any weapons but those with which nature has pro- vided me. Should we ever meet again our encoun- ter shall be brief and decided. Look to it, das- tard!" Andrew, with a gesture of utter scorn, withdrew. Colonel Clinton, Annah's uncle, who was return- ing from a day's shooting, slapped Andrew on his shoulder, shouting: "Heigh ho! Andrew, my lad, I congratulate you on your glorious victory! A regular War of Inde- pendence! Only wish I was forty years younger! Ah, boy, what would have, become of your father's little ' Jewel' had there been no lapidary to give her a new setting? She would have remained forever hidden in her dark cave." The gray-headed veteran marched off down the road to Hopeland, a superb seat on the Atlantic Ocean in the neighborhood of Modest-Town. The Colonel's- amiable young wife soon entered with Annah and her sister, and the party concluded the eventful day in domestic enjoyment. Their satisfaction was enhanced by the unex- pected arrival of the Rev. John Morton, a worthy minister from Baltimore, whose pure character re- A HOSTILE MEETINV. 2" senibled that of the disciple whom Jesus loved. His fraternal kindness to Annah, and this Christian con- versation and consolation, soothed her perturbed mind. , page: 278-279[View Page 278-279] CHTA PTER XXVI. A GALLANT DEED. HE next morning Andrew conveyed Annah Hi on board a steamer bound for Baltimore, ?,5 and taking an affectionate leave of their friends, they were soon under way. :Foy jas advised, by the Governor to take his sister to Maryland, where, in defiance of Morgan, a divorce could be obtained. After a few hours' sail, Annah and her brother arrived at the beautiful monumental city, saved from Gen. Ross, the British officer, by the heroic Macomases. Annah was placed in a pleasant boarding-house, and in a few months she began to recover somewhat from the frightful dreams and visions which had haunted her for years. She had been called a sleep-walker; so she was, a perfect somnambulist; and it was Mor- oan's treatment that had caused her to fall into that nelancholy state l Our heroine's natural timidity had- been the rincipal cause of her matrimonial sorrow. Had he Masons been aware that the daughter of an A GA LLTAN T DEED. 279 Ateemed brother had been victimized by- such a ise man as Marcellus Morgan, they might have terfered in her behalf; but she was loth to pub- ' '! Ih her troubles to the world. Her father had , ! 6rried out to the fullest extent the pure principles' Freemasonry. 'During his lifetime his house was )en to every wayfarer; his interest was never : i licited in vain. It was most unfortunate for anah that she had not married a Mason. However, e "-Jewel," though tried in the furnace of affliction, me out unscathed. The halcyon days of youthful :1' iss had been overclouded; still, like the solar orb, e soul of Annah remained unchanged in its vital, Sections and wzarmth of friendship, imbued with ' at inherent intelligence which is really the light . light-for without it the world would all roll on a region of chaotic darkness. 'H Like the hallowed' mantle of Elijah, a holy ritage descended upon her from a benevolent, :e,! lightened parent, the boon companion of Solo.' )n's most intellectual sons, over them the ever. ' Atchful eye of Providence is beaming. It never : ases to beam upon those who,-struggling across -- , 3 sands of the desert. of sorrow, conifidently appeal ' the disinterested friends of the widow and orphan. ', . ie only true goddess, Charity, beautifies the veiled . 'li mples of Masonry. ':B * page: 280-281[View Page 280-281] 280 THE GOLDEN LADDER. An incident that once occurred at sea was never forgotten by Mrs. Morgan. Her deliverer, if living, will be grateful to feel that"- his manly conduct created an indelible -impression upon Annah's memory. Marcellus Morgan occasionally indulged in marine excursions, and sometimes during the first few years subsequent to his marriage, took his wife on board-not by the arm; she was left to follow. Upon one of these occasions a sudden storm arose, which agitated the erstwhile smiling sea, transform- ing the ripples to mountainous billows and breakers. Like flying fiery serpents, flames of electric fluid leaped from the sable clouds, and rived in twain the pliant spars of the schooner, which groaned and quivered as the waves lifted her high on their frothy crests, and then receding, bowed her down inthe dark valley of waters, while the billows burst and broke over her in cataracts, as though mocking her misery, thirsting for her annihilation. The rain fell in torrents and the tempest-driven spray flew in blind- ing sheets across the slippery decks of the dismasted hulk, as the mountainous rollers bore her swiftly along toward land and destruction. A long, low, sandy beach, upon which the surf broke with a hoarse, deafening roar, lay on their lee, and slowly, but steadily, the unmanagable craft was drifting to- ward it. The skipper, a stanch, weather-beaten old A GA LLANT DEED. 21 tar, lashed to the helm, endeavored to keep the Alice head to sea; but, as not a cloth could be set, his efforts were futile and the waves made a clean breach over the deck. "Clear away the long-boat, my lads; it will be our only chance now," he shouted through his speaking trumpet; and as his voice rang high above the din of the warring elements, the seamen severed the boat's-gripes and prepared to lunch her bodily over the side. But ere they could accomplish their purpose, a giant billow burst aboard, and, crushing the boat to fragments, carried it and four brave fellows overboard. A wild cry broke from all on that hapless craft as they saw their shipmates driven to their death, and an echoing cry from the lips of some " strong swimmer in his agony" sounded a mournful requiem. The Alice was now only a few cable lengths from the beach, and the captain no longer en- deavored to conceal from the passengers the dread peril that menaced them. 4"She will go to pieces directly she touches. Life- preservers are in the cabin; our only chance is to trust to them," he cried. Morgan no sooner heard this than he dived down into the cabin with the utmost alacrity, and heeding not the anxious inquiries of his terror-stricken wife, page: 282-283[View Page 282-283] - 282 THE GOLDEN LADDEf . who was praying therein, soon reappeared with one of the life-preservers encircling his waist. "Is there not a lady below; Sir?" inquired a man, addressing Morgan, to whom he was a perfect stranger.- "I believe so, I don't know," replied the trembling craven. The stranger's lips curled scornfully, as, without deigning to utter the anathema at his heart, he sprang down the companion-way into the cabin. "Come, Madam! we have not a moment to lose; the vessel will soon be ashore, and our only chance is to trust in Providence and the mercy of the waves." Then, without any further circumlocution, he seized her in his stalwart arms and bore her upon deck. Scarcely had they gained it ere the schooner struck with such violence that all on board were prostrated, and before they could regain their foot- ing, ]uge billows leaped aboard and washed them clear of the dismantled wreck. Had not the stranger been at hand, Annah's woes would have forever ceased. He never loosed his hold of the fair woman he had carried from the cabin, but drew her head upon his shoulder, and, with her fleece of locks fanning his face and her warm breath upon his cheek, struck boldly out for the shore. It was not A GA LLA T DED . 283 far distant, but the surf ran high, and broke ever and anon with irresistible fury. Thp stranger was strong swimmer, however, and- his brave heart, filled with desire to save his beauteous burden, gave him additional power with which to combat the angry, foam-capped waves. At length one billow higher than the rest flung high its human jetsam on the pebbly strand, and, ere ocean could redraw him to its hoary bosom, the stranger, though battered and bruised by the force with which the life-giving wave had hurled him ashore, sprang to his feet and bore the unconscious Annah beyond the reach and rage of- Neptune. While he was endeavoring to restore the inani- mate lady, he noticed a little Masonic badge-the square anid compass-which had formerly belonged to her father, and which she used sometimes to wear as a brooch, glittering on her bosom. "I have additional reason to be thankful that I saved her; some of her friends probably belong to our holy order, and I have rendered a brother good service," he murmured. ' By the time Annah's senses returned, Morgan and the rest of the crew, whose life-belts had saved them, approached. "My husband, Sir," said Mrs. Morgan,-faintly, in answer to the look of inquiry the stranger gave her page: 284-285[View Page 284-285] 284 TfIEJ GOLDEN LADDER. upon seeing Marcellus approaching her with his usual rude familiarity. "Had you been a Freemason, Sir," observed the stranger, "I should have been deprived of the pleasure of performing the most pleasant duty ever imposed upon me-that of saving the life of your amiable wife." Morgan, looking vacantly at the speaker, replied: "Stranger, I've no doubt you are a fine fellow-- though rather green about women, I guess. You are a Mason, eh?" "I am proud to be able to reply in the affirma- tive," was the rejoinder. "Well, that's all right as far as it goes," said Mar- cellus, " but Masonry is all bosh. I am an enemy to secret societies. I wonder the surf did not make us all members of a very secret society. So you saved my rib, did you? That is as much as to say, you have given me a bone to pick. He, he, ha! Well, good deeds reward themselves, you know; though I guess if you'd known Annah there was a married woman, you would not have been so anxious to bring her alqng through the briny." "I am a married man, Sir," proudly replied the Mason. "My wife is as dear to me as the apple of my eye." "Marriage is only an old-fashioned ceremony," A GALLANT DEED. 285 said Morgan, coolly. " 'Tis quite out of date in the present utilitarian state of society." The Mason started in disgust. Turning to An- nah, he impressively exclaimed: "' Cast not pearls before swine, lest they turn and rend thee."' Morgan was too much occupied wringing his sat- urated garments to notice the stranger's caustic re- mark. When the storm abated somewhat they pro- 1 ceeded inland, and found temporary shelter in a , cottage. Annah's preserver, however, became so " annoyed at the ill-timed levity of Marcellus, who, having just escaped from death, might; have at least been decorous, that he abruptly departed, and Mrs. Morgan, to her regret, never again: beheld the gal- lant fellow who had rescued her from a watery grave. Oh, that the holy order of Freemasonry might be established in every family throughout creation-' then there would be no more penury! The rich would then pay genius, talent, and industry accord- ing to their deserts, and those unable to work would be provided for. What Brother Mason, while fondling an innocent daughter upon his knee, can prevent the degradation to which the child may be exposed, in after-life if, like our heroine, she should be linked to such an individual as Morgan? page: 286-287[View Page 286-287] 286 THE GOLDEN LADDER. AN ALLEGORY. When Angels no longer wooed the daughters of men, and the holy flower-seeds of Eden had ceased -to hallow the earth with celestial blossoms, an an- cient man went forth, with his staff, in search of two GUARDIAN ANGELS who had once followed the footsteps of Adam. Those sacred hierarchs, like Moses after his descent from Mount Sinai, were veiled, commemorative of the fall of man. They were seldom visible ; when they were; with luminous colossal forms they diffused refulgent halos, causing human hearts to glow with joy! The ancient man walked onward for many days, but no such divine beings as those he sought could anywhere be found. A voice was heard to cry: "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." And wherever that war-whoop resounded, Adam's Guardian Angels were' unknown. The children of Israel rebuked the venerable sage, saying: "Lo! thou art seeking for the cherubim enshrined within the mystic are, the HOLY OF HOLIES!" "Nay," answqred the wanderer; "I seek for the Guardian Angels of man, and, sooth, I feel that they are not far distant." The patriarch beheld a battle-field not far off. The air was darkened by showers of arrows. Pon- A GALLANT DEED. 287 derous stones, launched from slings, cleft the atmos- phere on high. Hosts of almed men, maddened , with fury, rushed upon each other. Two combat- ants with swords and shields, more vengeful than their fellows, battled apart, until within bow-shot of -1 the ancient wanderer. At length one gained the vantage ground,; his brave opponent faltered; but,- ere he fell, that vanquished warrior made a sign. The weapons of the victor were cast aside. An- tagonists no more, the twain locked each other in a ' brot7lerly embrace! Smiling above themtwo gigan- tic winged forms appeared, descending from the' firmament. Satisfied with the travail of his soul, the good old man rejoiced with exceeding great joy.; for in those i heavenly sanctities he recognized man's Guardian Angels, who were known unto Adam as Generosity .i and (Gratitude. ^ As mother and daughter, they worshipped the . supreme Architect, Who proolaimeth unto every af- flicted spirit, "The stone which the budder rejected : hath become the head-stone in the corner." Who, . after that, can despair? The eternal key-stone of : the are of God in Emmanuel-'God with us. 1 By the wisest of the sons of men were .the sym- : bols of benevolence established. A sign is sufficient - to resuscitate the glowing GENIUS of GENEROSITY. s , . * "4 page: 288-289[View Page 288-289] 288 THE GOLDE2V LXADDER. Whose smiles of love awakeneth sweet GRATI- TuDE? Those seraphims reign \in every Masonic Lodge. A wicked and perverse generation seeketh after A SIGN. The only true signs are to be found in Masonry, whose free and accepted brethren visit the widow and fatherless in their affliction, and keeop themselves unspotted from the world. Who, after that, can despair? . \ CITAPTER XXVIL i FILLED TO THE BRIM. THE heroine of our tale left Morgan in possession of all her property; not even obtaining her' jewelry and her clothing for the space of two years. Her friends did as much as could be expected; she had but two broth- ers and one delicate s ster. Mrs. Morgan, while awaiting her divorce, exerted herself to obtain a school, in which project she suc- ceeded. A certain woman of her acquaintance was in want, and to benefit this person Annah went to board with her, willing to put up with her poverty for the sake of teaching and boarding in the same house. The name of this person was Foose, and Annah had been in the family but a short time when she discovered that she was a disciple of Bacchus, and drank all the spirituous liquors that she could obtain. But then Mrs. Morgan had a very good school; the weather, moreover, was exceedingly cold, and she thought perhaps it might not be gen- erally known that her landlady drank. Mrs. Foose was a spiritual medium, but she misused the attributes 13 page: 290-291[View Page 290-291] 290 . THE GOLDEN LADDER. with which she had been endowed from above-as do many otherswho apply the power given them for the purpose of diffusing " light to those in darkness," to meet their own ends of personal aggrandizement. Although there is not a shadow of doubt but that our spiritual friends visit earth, and hold communion with those they love, in order to guide and direct their footsteps through the miry ways of this world, yet we must bear in mind that spirits of evil also enter into mortal frames for opposite purposes; so we should be careful in ascertaining the moral status of mediums ere we patronize them, or attend their seances. We would not tolerate for a moment the teachings of any medium who does not live secretly a moral life; and we think such persons should be strictly religious, for this does not come from men, but from the angel-world. When Mrs. Morgan had been a few weeks in the house of Mrs. Foose, and her school was prospering finely, her landlady was called away by business to .Richmond, Virginia. Annah had proposed to leave, and endeavored to obtain another boarding place; but Mrs. Foose insisted that Mrs. Morgan should remain, and attend to her children during her absence. To this Annah, at length, reluctantly consented. Mrs. Foose left Annah in charge, and Specially requested her not to allow the children ' f FILLED TO THE BRIT. 291 to waste the provisions and money. Our heroine tried her best Ato do this, and m anaged to save all that was possible. But, upon the lady's return, the first salutation Annah received was severe abuse. Mrs. Foose sent her daughter Elizabeth out to obtain some whisky, and drank a quantity between breakfast and dinner-time. When Annah returned from her school duties, this lady again commenced her harangue. "Mrs. Morgan, since my return home I notice that there has been a great deal wasJed or destroyed in some manner during my absence, and the money which I left the children could never have been used in the family,--it has been otherwise expended." "What do you mean, Mrs. Foose? Do you dare -o insinuate that I spent your money?" "I did not say so; but I do say that my children could not have used it all." "Well," returned Mrs. Morgan, "that is as much as to say that I spent it. The children had it in their own possession; I never interfered at all with them, save to suggest -to them not to waste it Madam, I will leave your house immediately." Whereupon Mrs. Foose burst into a violent rage; her cheeks became like peonies, and her eyes re- , minded Annah of Morgan's when that gentleman was engaged in what he called a "frolic." :i ' page: 292-293[View Page 292-293] 292 TRE GOLDEf LADED '"Well!" thought Mrs. Morgan, "I am certainly beset. If there is a fiend in woman's shape, here it is. I must break up my school, and again re- move. I see that she is intoxicated. Oh! what an awful sight it is to behold a woman under the influence of liquor." Mrs. Foose ranted and raved like a maniac, even threatening to place Annah's things out upon the street. Mrs. Morgan answered not a word, but put on her hat, and issued out in search of a home. During her ramble she met a lady who had been teaching in the country, and who owned the house where she had taught. She desired Mrs. Morgan to go to this place, to inform the gentleman there by whom she had been sent, and, perhaps, he would permit her to take the room just vacated by the lady herself. Annah felt encouraged to think that she might obtain a school in the country, about a mile and a half out on the Hookstown road. She left Baltimore after four o'clock, the earliest hour at which she could be released ftom her pupils.: There were no stages or cars running the direction she wished to proceed, and the sky was over-clouded, but Annah hoped that she would be able to complete her little journey before the inpending strm .broke. She hastened along as fast as possible. 'When she ar- FILLED TO TE. BRIM. 293- rived at her destination, darkness shadowed the earth, and the rain fell in torrents. Annah repeated to the gentleman in possession what Mrs. Davis had told her in regard to the school; but he was unwilling that any one except- ing the landlady should teach. "O! what shall I do?" thought- Annah. "Here am I out in the country, in the midst of a storm." The rain beat against the windows, and the wind blew furiously. The wife and daughter of the, gentleman entered the room, and engaged Annah in conversation. Mrs. Morgan, after awhile, arose : from her chair; approached the door, looked out, and said:- . "I never in my life saw it rain more furiously. ! How shall I return :to Baltimore? The clay was over my boots when I came." She thought that these remarks might induce the - people 'to invite her to remain for the'night, but . they declined taking the very palpable -hint she threw out. Then Annah, knowing that she was not A well, ventured to ask if she could not stop all night, A for she could see no prospect of a change in the : weather. She was denied shelter. , "No! we can accommodate no one," said the X occupant of the dwelling. ,!aid page: 294-295[View Page 294-295] 294 THE GOLDEN' LADDER. "I will pay you," rejoined the poor, weary soul, who had about two shillings in her pocket. "No!" reiterated the hardened man, "you cannot remain, we have no accommodation." "Great heavens," thought Annah Morgan, "I have been living on -the earth with a race of beings whose hearts are hard as flints, yet I have never once suspected that such- a class existed on this beautiful globe." Here was a test! as the one she had left that same day. The sorrow-stricken woman again arose and went to the door. It was now half-past eight o'clock, and the rain still fell in torrents. Annah looked in every direction; the night was dark as Erebus; but she knew that she had to leave, for they had told her that she could not stay; so she -bade the inhospitable people " good-night," and issued into the open air. Every step buried her feet in the mire; the clayey soil adhered to her boots and impeded her progress, while the rain beat violently in her face; but she struggled bravely on until she reached Baltimore. As she entered the city the lamps gave a dim light. "Ah!" thought the weary creature, "the light of hope is as dim in my heart as these lamps are to my tired eyes. Could my spirit but leave this body, it would be well. Why am I permitted to , FILLED TO THE BRIM. 295- live to be buffeted from post to pillar by all classes and degrees of people?" There were no cars on that dreary route, or she might have rode. After a walk of several hours Annah arrived at the house where she resided. She rapped, and was admitted by Mrs. Foose, who, as soon as Annah entered, exclaimed: "Why, I thought that you had gone out in order to procure another boarding place." She saw that the unhappy lady was dripping wet, but little she cared--she was one of Lucifer's dar- lings. DMrs. Morgan took a seat beside the stove, intending to remain a few moments for the pur- pose of warming and drying herself; but Mrs. Foose again commenced to talk over what the children had consumed.' Then Annah started up stairs with the determination to remain up there all night, and sleep upon the floor-there were no beds excepting down stairs. Not very long before this event, while- her little scholars were learning their tasks, Annah had com- posed the following verses on the home of her birth; now they recurred to her mind with full force. REMNISCENCES. Oh tell me no more of the home of my childhood, Where sparkling waves surge on the shell-begemmed shore, Where forest-trees flourish, and willows are weeping By moonlight-I never shall gaze on them more I page: 296-297[View Page 296-297] 296. THE GOLDEN LADDEZR. Remind me no more of my once happy birthplace, Of childhoodcs enchantment, where giddy and gay, With kindred and friends, I then dreamed not of strangers Whose frowns have o'erclouded my young summer's day. Reveal not to me the cold tomb of my parents; Their unburied souls, as the ocean waves surge, Seem hymning a requiem-the words are melodious- While flood-gulls and sea-mews seem chanting a dirge. Like sere yellow leaves, my false friends all keep falling Away from misfortune and ciumble to dust, While naught doth remain for-the mourner to gaze on But Hope's fleeting shadow producing distrust. My country and home are now painful to muse on; The grass still is green and gay birds charm the grove, And cedars yet flourish; but where are those dear ones As gentle as turtle-doves glowing with love! Henceforth as a phantom I glide to my birthplace; The voices I loved I can never hear more; While lonely on earth I continue to linger The waves seem to mock me still lashing the shore. Here was sorrow tenfold!- She had escaped from the grasp of Morgan, but here were other troubles yet to be overcome. The wet and weary woman removed her drenched garments, put on others, then took a pillow which was in the corner of the room, placed it under her head, and, with some of her own clothing for covering, lay down upon the bare planks, there being no carpet upon the floor. Her troubled heart ached with every beat. "Oh," sighed the Jewel, "why has God spared FILLED TO THE BRIM. 297 my life? 'Why am I permitted to -live through all this punishment?" , While shedding the most bitter tears she fell asleep. When she awoke it was with difficulty that she could move; but she dressed herself and went out without having partaken of any breakfast. Seeing a bill in a window, "Apartments to let," she entered the house in order to inquire if she could hire the rooms. The inmates of the house were, evi- dently, poor, but seemed very respectable. Annah hired the first floor-two parlors-of the domicil, and, as it was in the neighborhood of her former residence, she removed her things that day. She gave her references to her new landlord, who did not seem to doubt her in the least, but said that he was satisfied to have her as a tenant. After Annah had been settled for a few weeks in her new residence, and had received some new pupils, Mrs. Foose sent word to her landlord that Mrs. Morgan would not pay her rent, and that she ' had been obliged to turn her out of the house. These people had been very kind to Mrs. Morgan, but after the receipt of this news they treated her with great coolness., Slander, thou vile and hideous reptile! Thou: incarnate fiend of perdition! The Hottest place in. the darkest, spheres is none too severe- for su;eh 13* I ' . -'t page: 298-299[View Page 298-299] 298 THE GOLDEN LAADDER. demons in human shape as this old "Medium," as she called herself, and many others just like her. We hope no intellectual, honorable person will tol- erate such people. Who would go to procure com- munications from such a creature? All vile char- acters injure the cause of spiritual progress, and will continue to do so until this class of people be- come more developed, and live pious, Christian lives. The Morleys did not know Mrs. Morgan, and of course they felt strangely about it. By this time the weather had become bitterly cold; everything was frozen. Annah had to heat her school-room or lose her pupils; the proceeds of the school was all' that she had to depend upon. In consequence of the extreme cold weather, which made it necessary to use at that time (people used mostly wood-stoves) a large quantity of wood, she became in arrears for- the rent. She requested her landlord, or rather the man Morley, of whom she rented the rooms, to be a little patient, and she would soon pay him. He had no feeling, but insulted her, informing her that if she did not pay her rent at once she must Iabide by the consequences. She then, on one bitter even- ing, started out to endeavor to borrow the money, supposing that the parents of some one of her pupils might loan the small amount; but not a cent could FILLED TO THE BRIM. 299 she obtain. She walked about from four o'clock until ten at night. The streets were in a dreadful state; there had been sand put down to prevent accidents by falling; bat poor Annah had to travel the slippery pavements in the endeavor to keep a roof over her head. When she returned home her hands were so stiff that she could not feel the key in her fingers. At one time she thought that she must freeze to death on the streets, but she succeed- ed in reaching home. "'Oh God!" she cried, as she stood on the cold steps, shivering, "will my mercenary old aunt ever be forgiven for her cruelty toward me, and in en- couraging me to marry so young?" At last she succeeded in unlocking the door. She entered her chilly, dreary apartments, and laid down, aching in every limb wijh cold all night. In the morning she arose early; made a fire, and endeav- ored to warm herself. During all this time of suf- fering she continually thought of Ler Aunt Betsie, the forged letter, and the golden ladder; also of her maiden' cousins, Leah and Pauline, now withered, and gray, who had always envied their beautiful cousin, therefore they pitied not her sufferings. Her Cousin George, a minister, was the only one ofi the family who had any sympathy with Annah dulm . ing these dark hours of lif. He was a dear good man, page: 300-301[View Page 300-301] 300 THE GOLDEN LADDER. Annah Morgan, the pet Jewel of Fabian Foy, was now mingling with dark spirits; yes, demons in human shape, such as this earth is infested with. Morgan and his co-workers had caused it all. He had deprived an innocent woman of her property, and these strangers took advantage of her penniless condition. What a sermon could Annah's aunt have preached her favorite Marcellus. In this singing process she should have warned him to flee the wrath to pome. On the following morning Mr. Morley came to her school-room and demanded the money due for rent. Annah told him how she had been disappointed; but he only swore at her, and declared that she must obtain it before ten o'clock. This she knew to be an impossibility. Mrs. Mor- gan's landlord was a low-bred man, so she excused his language, yet she was almost crazy with anxiety. Ah! was not her guardian angel watching over her in all this dilemma? Was not the spirit of her beloved father looking down from his heavenly home, witnessing these, her troubles? Most assur- edly. The magnetic cord between father and daughter was touched, and his elevated soul pitied her sufferings, and impelled another human being to search out his' darling child and relieve her woes. This is the way our spiritual friends aid us in this sorrowing world. They impress the minds of others FrrTT n TO THE BRIm 30l to relieve our sufferings. Whaj a glorious light has burst upon the world in the nineteenth century! Happily, a lady came that day with two children, and entered them in the school. Annah gained cour- age to ask for thei! tuition in advance, and it was paid, otherwise, no one knows what the consequences might have been. Annah Morgan began to feel that God- sat on the throne above, and, although her life's path had been one of thorns, she now hoped that the roses of Sharon would bloom for her; that the roots of the lily-of-the-valley were not dead, and that in the spring-time, perhapsi her troubles might pass away. In April she closed her school, intending to make a visit to her brother, when another difficulty pre- sented itself. Mrs. Morgan, wishing to obtain board for a short time, called upon a lady, by name Mrs, Ada B who " took in" lodgers. This lady was also endeav- oring to obtain a divorce from her husband; and, as Annah Morgan was ever ready to pity one in her own situation, she went to board with Mrs. B . The family of this lady Annah knew to be very re- spectable people; her father being a medical man, and her sister, Julia, a very excellent young lady. But Mrs. B-- was subtile. A more disagreeable page: 302-303[View Page 302-303] 802 TE dOLDEN LADDER woman could not be found. Her temper was like fox-fire, flashing at all times. Mrs. Morgan had lost much of the courage that she once exercised. When a child she killed a black snake one morning on her way to school, when her brother ran from the reptile; but now, seem- ingly, she could not hurt a worm. Although Mrs. B was a strange woman, our heroine was not disposed to believe all she. heard; yet she soon noticed some singular actions of her landlady. She remained some weeks; but, as soon as pos- sible, changed her boarding-house. Annah was once more again with Mrs. Burns, and a kinder and more Christain-like woman never existed. For a long time Mrs. Morgan heard no more of Mrs. B ; but, when she did, the information she re- ceived concerning her showed how much the woman was infamous. CHAPTER XXV1il. "UP IN A BALLOON. O^( ^0 show to what a degree imagination i' f may carry one, we wil introduce a few 'm verses composed by Mrs. Morgan upon the - occasion of a balloon ascension in Balti- more. This is one of the most marvelous flights that the mind of our heroine ever took. In the monumental city there Iwas la place par- ticularly set apart for the ascension of balloons. It was situated in the northern part of the city; and thither, with many others, had Mrs. Morgan resorted on this occasion. A woman was to make the ascent, but the fair creature did not make her appearance. The balloon was ready, but the heart of the female failed. Courage was not so conspicuous a quality in that damsel as in Queen Philippa, when she marched into the battle-field and assisted her troops in war. No one was prepared to take the towering flight above the trees, hills, and valleys. All eyes anxiously awaited the fair aeronaut, but she did not appear to fulfill her engagement. Annah stood gazing at the crowd. Her mind , . page: 304-305[View Page 304-305] 304 THE GOLDEN LADDER. was filled with thoughts of Adrian, who was then across the deep blue sea; and the reader may sup- pose that the Jewel thought of that wandering star on the East Indian shore who had been set at naught by Aunt Betty--the tyrannical, aristocratic old lady. Annah, as may be supposed, was much given to musing. After returning home that evening and partaking of the vesper meal, she went out upon the verandah, and, having comfortably ensconced herself in an easy-chair, gave rein to her fancy. Perhaps there is no pastime more pleasant to those who are care-worn and heavy-laden with sor- row than that of rearing castles in the air. During the construction of these edifices our troubles, trials, and exigencies are utterly forgotten, and sweet dreams of perfect felicity reign in their stead. But these, like all other earthly joys, are evanescent; a word,k r tought, will break the spell-our chateaux espagane vanish into empty air, and stern reality, with its bitterness and woe, presents itself, in all its hideousness, to our aching eyes. It was a calm and peaceful night-so calm- that scarce a leaflet fluttered in the air. Scintillant stars gemmed the dark azure dome of heaven, and no sound broke the solemn stillness that prevailed, save, at intervals, the sweet, plaintive note of Philo- "UP IN A BALOON." 30 mel, the bereaved, who tuned her nocturnal lament to the sleeping flowers. Fixing:her eyes upon that corruscation of bright orbs, the Pleiades, Annah fell into a deep reverie. At first she thought of the mythological story anent "the seven sisters"--how that they were the off- spring of Atlas and Pleione, and, being, beloved of Jupiter, were by the King of Heaven changed into stars; how that Merope fell from her high estate and dimmed forever her luster by marrying a mor- tal; and to this unfortunate victim she compared , herself. This was the commencement of the sum- mer vacation, and our heroine felt weary of labor and longed for rest; and while gaz'ng and thinking filled her mind with strange ideas, she longed to reach that spirit-land above the stars that smiled sweet invitations unto her, until at length her senses swam, and a dream, wreathed in fair flow- ers of poesy, brought bliss to her pain-pulsed bosom. The scene she had that day witnessed had made so strong an impression upon her that it influenced her sleeping thoughts, and-she fancied that she her- self supplied the place of the delinquent aeronaut. As a wonderful flight of fancy, it is well worthy of production; let us call it: ^ . ^ ., page: 306-307[View Page 306-307] 306 THE GOLDEN LADDE. AN A2RONAUT'S JUBILANT. The stars are all beaming with faces above me, Their smiles in the moonlight are silvering the sea, My father and mother, to show how they love me, Like jewels from heaven, send meteors to me. The spherical music I hear in the zenith, My brother is chanting the language of love As breath'd by the angels, I know what it meaneth, The power of sympathy is reigning above. What demon is that? Oh M. Icannot misconstrue Its characteristics, view'd often in sleep; A ghastly phosphoric, and dim-eyed sea-monster Is swatching for Annah below in the deep. It mounts to the refluent waves of the ocean, Enshrining the soul of Marcellus:-I'll dive Down into the depths, to watch every motion, And then re-emerge in the air, to revive. Ah! now in a bay some fond friend hath allured it, A fisherman's net hath entangled that shark; I know 'tis my Adrian who hath secured it, Lock-jaw'd with a stake, it can't reach my bark. O Adrian! -why is thy star ever cross'd, love; With doubt's heavy clouds while my vSyel I steer? Should I lose that star, truly Ishould be lost, love, Thy spirit reigns in it my spirit to cheer. To Asia I'll float in the firmament; Annah, Thy own guardian angel is reigning in bliss! 'Tis angels' food now that I sigh for-the manna Imbibed from a smile, and enjoy'd in a kiss. My, dungeon was rent by an earthquake; sulph'rous Blue lightning is harmless! A thunderbolt fell To crush my tormentor--a tyrant as furious As Lucifer. Star of the morning, farewell I "UP I A BALLOON." 307 But my morning-star hath never yet risen I Thine eyes, mine own Adrian, those are the stars- Whose light would transform the dark walls of a prison, Yea, into a mine lit with jewels'and Spars. Again I'm descending to float in the moonlight O'er glittering waves, and, like Psyche, my soul Is sighing for thine, love, to change into noon night, That night that hath held me so long iD control. I'll sear in the heights! There's an eagle beneath me; Its claws are of iron to torture my breast I But heaven's own silvery cloud doth eLsheath me- Marcellus no more shall thy Anuah molest. A comet is flashing; its radiance so fiery Appears like a falchion, a symbol of strife, V B O'er Sunderbunds* shining, where waters are miry Where tigers and poisonous serpents are rife. ,Upon .a white elephant sits my own lover He slew the wild savage, the fiend of Bengal. The head of the serpent he crush'd, and I'll hover Aloft as in triumph he enters Nepaul. The comet hath gleam'd o'er the orient regions.- Brave Adrian charges the foe without fear I His sword is enchanted to slaughter a legion- His own'guardian angel, fond Anna[l, is near. My father'and mother and brother are crowning With stars the brave victor; poor Aninah resign'd To tarry awhile, tho' Marcellus is frowning, He never can soar upon wings of the wind. * The Sunderbunds lie at the mouth of'the river Hoogly, a tributary of the Ganges, and are wastes and jungles, the only denizens of which are tigers, alligators, and Ivenomous reptiles. i' . - page: 308-309[View Page 308-309] 308 ToE GOLDEN LADDER. - Thy rifle-shots never can reach me, Marcellus- No maddening strait-jacket my powers restrain- No wild-horse can rack me: Lucretia be jealous, The lost Jewel's restored, and is free from a stain! O God! soothe my senses. Ah, list to a chorlus Of angels-the spherical music is sweet. The globe may dissolve, but while heaven is o'er us, The pure in heart ever shall flourish like wheat. d CHfAPTER XXTX. GALE-DRIVEN. if^^%^OME little while afterward Mrs. Morgan By was residing at her uncle's, determined to endeavor to recuperate her health by pro- ceeding upon a visit to New York, in a schooner belonging to her uncle, Colonel Clinton. She embarked at Gargatha Inlet, on the coast of Accomac. Captain Bloxsum was a hero in mina- ture, a Lilliputian in size, but a giant in soul. His logic was this, that "unless men could serve each other, the sooner they kicked the bucket the better." "Why," said he, "I should\ be ashamed to look my Newfoundland dog in the face if he had saved more people than I. A man's first duty is to learn swimming and diving. I saved many a life before I was twenty, and, actually, like Neptune, found my wife at the bottom of the sea. You may guess how that was. Phoebe was washed overboard by fate, on purpose that I should find a pearl of greatprice. I saved her from a watery grave, and she, out of grat- itude, saved me from being a grave bachelor." Annah enjoyed to her heart's content the sea- page: 310-311[View Page 310-311] 310 THE GOLDEN LADDER. breeze, and the natty appearance of the sailors, as they ran aloft like monkeys, or chanted in chorus their quaint refrains as they hauled the ropes that set to the zephyrs the snow-white sails. "How mysteriously silent all nature appears!" exclaimed Annah, whose mind was tranquilized more than it had been? for many years. "' When the spirit of God moved on the- face of the waters, ere the green earth emerged from the deep, the heavens would not have shone more gloriously with flame- colored clouds, and liquid gold, and-" "A rainbow," suggested Captain Bloxsum, with a comical grimace, "a rainbow," he added, "in the morning is the sailor's warning." Annah heard in the distance several peals of thunder. A colored girl, the daughter of one of the slaves of Annah's grandfather, had -embarked at the same time as Mrs. Morgan, and now came toward her, saying, respectfully: "I 'member you now, Miss Annah. Oh! how you am altered. I no rec'lee you at fust. Oh! how I prayed dat God would bring you out ob de lion's den, like He did Massa Daniel." The recognition of any kind spirit, no matter in what position of life, is always gratifying to one who has tried the good and evil amongst mankind. Vi- cissitudes teach us a useful lesson, to appreciate our GALE-DRITE . 3r fellow-creatures for their natural worth, only with- out respect to any acquired qualification, and Annah- had had so much sorrow that she could fully appre- ciate kindness, no matter from whbt source it came. The thunder rolled immediately over their heads; the entire circle of the horizon blazed with steel- blue gleams, and the firmament became enshrouded with somber clouds. It was evident that a storm was brewing, and, ere long, it bur t with full fury over the Cropper. With commendable prudence, -the skipper had caused all the light sails to be snugly stowed, and the vessel was dodging along under a close-reefed main-sail and storm-jib, when a sudden gust of ter- rific violence tore the latter sail fronm its bolt-ropes and it was borne down to leeward upon the wild wings of the whistling wind. While the crew were busily employed hoisting the reefed fore-sail, in place of the lost jib, another squall broke with such force over the staggering craft that it threw her upon her beam-ends, and there she lay a log, with the foaming billows making a clean breach over her. Mrs. Morgan was standing at the after door of the main cabin. Suddenly a huge wave burst over the quarter and threw the captain, who was at the helm, over the wheel, hurting hit considerably. Annah saw the danger to which the vessel was ex- '4 - page: 312-313[View Page 312-313] *12 TffE GOLDEN LADDER. posed, and, without hesitancy, she sprang to the wheel and put the helm a-starboard, thereby, in all probability, saving the storm-tossed schooner from destruction. The gale gradually -subsided, and Mrs. Morgan then had an opportunity of remeditating upon the various phases of human nature as portrayed by the unsophisticated groups on board; the terror- stricken passengers, whose anguish was augmented by the sad contrast between home comforts and troubles at sea, and the philosophical indifference of the hardy tars. Nor was the sublime majesty of the captain least conspicuous. His firmness and en- durance, his fraternal attention to every one in turn, his sublime expression of countenance when admon- ishing a feeble-minded fellow-creature, were all beautiful traits of the superior spirit, so sweetly delineated in that charming ballad of The Pilot, whose burden is: "Fear not, but trust in Providence, Wherever thou may'st be." There is more pure religion among seamen than many people suppose. Among those brawny sons of Neptune are specimens of men upright as God intended them to be, and who in the moment of im- minent peril confide in the protection of their Creator. GALPE-DRIE N. 313 "The greatest danger is over, I trust," murmured Annah, offering up a secret orison. "We are never really in danger at any time," the master replied with a smile,: "while the Great Cap- tain is aloft to answer our signals of distress. I have been weather-beaten from boyhood, but never struck mv colors. I always feel able to walk upon the stormy waves, for the holy hand of Jesus, stretched forth from the black cloud, is ever nigh to bear me up, when all human help has proved utterly vain." "Ah!" said Annah, "I have I experienced the same Divine aid during the stornmy days of afflic- tion on shore." "You have indeed, my dear lady,"e answered Cap- tain Bloxsum, " and nobly have you braved the fierce blast of tribulation. I should like to see your late governor in a stiff gale. Such men as Morgan make but chicken-hearted heroes. I guess he would soon give up the ship." "He has, at any rate been under the necessity of resigning command of the ' weaker vessel,' " replied Annah, referring to tie divorce. - "The 'weaker vessel?'" repealed the skipper. "A genuine strong-minded woman, you mean. I watched you when the winds were blowing great guns, and the hurricane-spirit laid me on my beam- " *^ page: 314-315[View Page 314-315] 314 THE GOLDEN LADDER. ends, How and where did you learn seaman- ship?" "I acted upon the impulse of the moment," said Mrs. Morgan; "I knew that some one should be at the wheel, and I prayed the Deitv to direct me." "Aye, aye, Madam, without fi18sdirectioh the skill of the navigator would be useless," cried Blox- sum. "Well, I do admire a woman of spirit, whose faith is unwavering. As the lightning shone upon your beautiful but emaciated features--I am no flatterer, my dear Madam--I felt an inclination to worship the divine genius that gave you a degree of animation and imperial grace, revealed only by such heroines as Joan of Are, or Grace Darling, whose countenances were lit up with enthusiastic inspiration. "Who has not heard of the Maid of Orleans, and the Darling of Scotland? she who, when no pilot would venture forth, battled with the breakers, and preserved a ship's whole crew, rowing them through a deluge to her father's light-house.- You would have done the same. -This morning, when hardy mariners, with blanched cheeks, gazed despairingly around, as our schooner levelled herself with the ocean, your smile of resignation, and your super- natural heroism at that critical moment, renewed confidence and hope." / '&ALS-D R'-" 315 D Bloxsum: havig resigned, the wheel to the: man' whose trick at it it wasj continued: "Ah Mrs. Morgan, if you: had only sooner slipped your cable from that rock of a husband, how much happier you would have been!" ," Were I so, tall to reach the pole, Or' clasp the ocean in a span, I would be measured by my soul, For that's the standard of a man!" quoted Mrs. Morgan., Captain Bloxsum appeared to increase in stature. The gallant pigmy on tiptoe promenaded the quarter- deck until nightfall. The light-hearted crew-were o cheered with a calm sea and gladdening moon- beams. One youthful passenger betrayed a decided pen- chant toward Mrs. Morgan. The countenance of that boy was radiant with intelligence; he had only been partly educated, yet he thirsted for the waters of life, welling up from the hidden springs of wis- dom. His superior spirit, like Moses, yearned to smite the rock of mental -darkness, that streams of knowledge might flow forth. Poor Oscar's ambition to become a learned man was unbounded; at the I sanie time, his natural suavity was peculiarly pleas- ing to lady passengers. But Mrs. Morgan engrossed the attention of the lad. He supplied her with -, page: 316-317[View Page 316-317] 316 THE GOLDEN LADDER. choice oysters, and dished up daintv rations of ham and chicken. He seemed as great an adept in the culinary art as Soyer must have been at sixteen years of age. Kind attentions are always appreciated by the fair sex. Oscar's amiable anxiety to anticipate the wishes of Annah created a sisterly affection in her warm heart. She was anxious to return the obligation with interest, by expatiating on geograph- ical and historical subjects, commanding breathless attention from her young disciple. At length she struck upon a holy chord, which responded like the Eolian harp of Memnon to Apollo's beam. "What do you imagine, Oscar, concerning that invisible power within your brain, which urges you to crave for angels' food-true knowledge?" This question of Annah's caused the youth to pause; he then slowly replied: "In the beginning the Almighty said,' Let thiere be light, and there was light.' Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world; a spark from the eternal Spirit; a spark that gives sight, hearing, taste, feeling, and the faculty of enjoying the fra- grance of sweet flowers. A spark that gives perpet- ual motion to my heart, warmth to my blood, and motion to all this wonderful machinery constructed by God. Yet, beautiful and mysterious though it GALE-DRl VO. 317 be, without that invisible spark the whole becomes sightless, unconscious of harmonious sounds or de- lightful perfumes. All, all is motionless, cold, dead. Death is when all thought bpcomes extinct." "Socrates himself had not a sublimer idea of the IMMORTALITY of the SOUL than you possess," said the enraptured listener. "Cultivate your mind, Imy boy, and you will not fail to emerge from obscurity. Your living soul resembles a vine that has sprung up beneath a dark ruin; its branches cannot be buried, they will rise' and grow green and fruitful in the glory of the heaven's sunshine. You were created to inherit light, for, like a burning-glass, the speculum of reason within you is filled with vital : light." , ;J An observer of human nature cannot fail of being " convinced that metallic influence actually produces mental blindness. The uncle of Oscar was a wealthy 1 planter, who had oneson, the heir to a large fortune, whom he idolized, though the idiot was capable only of eating, drinking, sleeping, and rioting to excess. :: Oscar,in his childhood, had been the playmate of this cousin, or, rather, the humble companion, subservient to every capricious whim of his stolid patron, whose neglected library was Minerva's Tern- ple of 'efuge to Oscar. An immortal and a mere : mortal could not long agree. Independent in soul page: 318-319[View Page 318-319] 318 THE GOLDEN LADDER. the poor relation preferred a subordinate position in life, among strangers, rather than longer partake of the poisoned luxuries of domineering aristocratic ignorami, whose wealth, ten-fold reduplicated, could never purchase Oscar's intellectual treasure. During their voyage Mrs. Morgan assumed the character of Mentor to a new Teleaachus. There is much vain boasting of civilization and enlighten- ment as the distinguishing characteristics of the nineteenth century, yet how seldom do. we meet with people possessing superior minds. What crowds of long-eared nonentities, like Midas, usurp those positions intended solely for :magii and virtuous be- ings. Dives' native planet, doubtless, is the earth, and unpatronized genius and merit must patiently wait until they have " shuffled off this mortal coil," to enjoy with Lazarus the heritage of immortal- ity. The Cropper crowded sail, and tacking about, soon made the Jersey coast. Annah was fascinated with a dreamy joy on first beholding the glorious panoramic view of lofty, verdant hills-and varie- gated valleys, intersected with silvery, undulating rivers, the picturesque yellow villas, with slate or thatched roofs, breaking the monotony of the land- scape. On passing through the Narrows a most enchanting prospect greeted Annah's sight. On the GALE-DRIVEN. 319 right hand, groves exhaled sweet perfumes, which light zephyrs bore on their wings across the sea; above, the cerulean sky, flecked-here and there with amber-tinted clouds, resembled a turquoise sea upon which gilt galleys sailed; to the left, ",Sunny Staten Island," clothed to its summit with bright verdure,. gleamed like an emerald mount; and Long Island, the garden of America, seemed to lay, a broad band of green, between the azure of the sea and sky. Annah knew that the skipper was fond of poetry, so she went into the cabin and composed the fol- lowing verses, with which the hearty old mariner expressed himself so delighted, that he deelared his intention of having them framed and hung, along- side his barometer. A STORM AT SEA. 4 Roll on, ye crested billows, Your waves are dashing high, But the Hand that made the ocean Can soon your foam allay. The sea it rages wildly, And the storm increases fast-- The mariner he rushes From the deck high up the mast. The horizon is darkened, The rain begins to fall, The thunder rolls in heaven As on a mighty wall page: 320-321[View Page 320-321] 320 -THE GOLDEN LADDER. The brave ship reels and rocks, And dashes to and fro Upon the foaming billows, Which are as white as snow. The captain at the wheel, He bends his brawny arm To bear away the ship, And save her in the storm. The mariners rush forward, The chains they rattle loud, And the sails are quickly furl'd That reach toward the cloud. "Hurrah, my boys!" the brave man cries, "Or we will soon be toss'd Among the coral beds of the sea; My brave crew will be lost." The sea-boys rush from stem to stern- Aloft they swiftly fly As the'ocean bursts its crested foam Up toward the lurid sky. The deck is wet with briny spray, And ler timbers bend and leap, And the proud ship swells as she bears away O'er the waves of the briny deep. Dark, deep, and boundless as thou art, The Hand that made can lull Each whirling billow as it foams And bursts upon the hull. For all at once the storm-is o'er, The wind is lull'd to sleep, And the bright moon sheds her silvery rays O'er land and the foaming deep. The serene blue sky once more is calm, . And the stars are shining bright; - All nature seems to speak the word That all God does is right. ' GALE-DrlVE . 321 The ship once more unfurls her sails, And the top-sail flies in the breeze, And the vessel glides o'er the bounding waves, And 'tis to home, sweet home she flees. The noble ship sails swiftly o'er The ocean's foaming tide, And soon the brave craft anchors close Down by the river's side. Captain Bloxsum accompanied Mrs. Morgan to the residence of a merchant, to whom she presented a letter of introduction from Andrew Foy. The commission merchant, having perused the epistle, was nervously assiduous in providing for the com- forts of his fair visitor. I Oscar threw off his traveling-garb, and gained Annah's permission to accompany her to the various bazaars and institutions. The magnificence of the worthy merchant could not have been exceeded by X an Asiatic potentate. His gorgeous palatial edifice ] on the Fifth ::Avenue' bespoke the liberal spirit and refined taste of its occupant. After remaining a few weeks in New York, Annah j returned to Virginia, via Baltimore, and impatiently awaited the time when the judicial fiat would an- nounce her free from matrimonial thraldom. An-! drew Foy, at his own expense, was prosecuting the matter: his chief desire was to see his step-sister freed from the tyrant who had made utterly wretched and miserable a life that ought to have been one of "* page: 322-323[View Page 322-323] peace and happiness. Little time had Andrew to attend to things connected with civil law, or family matters--a subaltern in the Confederate army who wished to win name and fame had sterner and more imperative duties to which to attend; but he employed able members of the legal fraternity in Annah's behalf, and generously placed his purse at her disposal. Oscar, the orphan boy, continued his studies, and the last Annah heard from him, he was getting along finely and would soon be a practitioner at the bar, and no doubt the youth continued to remember the admonitions and kind advice he received from Mrs. Morgan during his voyage to New York. CHAPTER XXX. HOW THE LADDER WAS REARED. 'E must now turn to one whose name we 5^ "hope the reader has not forgotten, for he plays a most important: part in the con- eluding chapters of this story. We refer to Adrian Castle, and as only cursory mention has been made of that amiable gentleman, perhaps we had better formally introduce him. Colonel Castle was by birth an Englishman, and one who had served with distinction in the British army. On his retirement from military service he emigrated to America, and purchased a plantation in Virginia which was in contiguity to Locust Grove, the residence of Fabian Foy. A friendship between the latter and the ex-colonel soon sprang into exist- ence, and the bond of unity was tightened by reason of them both belonging to that grand old craft the Masonic brotherhood. Adrian was a boy only six years of age when his father came to this country, and when he and Annah Foy first met they became fond of each other. Annah was three years old at this time. She was a pretty little blue-eyed girl, page: 324-325[View Page 324-325] 324 THE GOLDEN LADDER with golden curls, dimpled chin, and rosy cheeks; she was happy and as playful as her tamed gazelle. These children grew up together, and as the families were on the most intimate terms, Annah and Adrian were playmates during infancy;. and the period in which they were passing to the next stage in the drama of life, friendship ripened into love. Colonel Castle, like most old military men, had a decided penchant toward the army. He was an aristocrat, and being well aware how a young man gains re- fined feelings and tastes by being placed in an authoritative position, he determined to make use of the influence he possessed in order to obtain for his son an ensigncy in the British army. Colonel Castle was not rich, but in good circumstances, as the Vir- ginians say. Adrian, who had inherited his father's proclivities, when he arrived at the age of seventeen, and his parent first broached the subject to him, readily acceded to his proposition that he should join an English regiment; but he did not consider at the moment he gave his consent how great an effort it would cost him to tear himself away from the girl he so fondly loved,; nor did he for a moment con- ceive that he was sowing seeds from which his dar- ling would reap a harvest of misery in the future. It was pardonable, after all, this fit of boyish enthu- P siasm for the profession of arms. How many older \ 0 HOW THE LADDER WAS REARED. '325 and more experienced in the ways of the world than he was, have "become fascinated by the glare and panoply displayed by a regiment marching on to strife, and, forgetful of home joys, loves, and associ- ations, have thrown themselves recklessly in thg van? He did not think of Annah when he, to his father's extreme gratification, so promptly declared that he longed for " the tented field;" had he done so, he would probably have hesitated; but, his word being given, his decision registered, nothing could have power to induce him to retreat, to declare him- self a votary to women's smiles rather than an aspirant to glory. One sunny dawn the youthful adorers met near Drummond Town; they met to separate, perchance, forever.. "Oh! Annah," murmured the ardent youth, "I feel that when we meet again it will se in yon ; morning star that is fading from sight in a flood of gold. We have been very happy in the society of i each other, darling, but you will think of me some- times, I am sure; I am sure you will whenever you gaze upon this ring." The faltering boy drew a signet on Annah's finger, kissed it, and a tear sparkled upon the gem ! -that tear hallowed the maiden's lips, as she sealed the pledge of affection. Years after, in her . ..:1 page: 326-327[View Page 326-327] 826 THEtX G OLDEN LADDER. gloomy dungeon home, the dew-drop of love still seemed there, mingling with the rain that trickled from her own dim eyes. "Adrian," replied Annah, "I can never forget you. Something tells me that we shall meet again on earth. Ybu will become a great general, crowned with glory; and, when you return, a laurel-wreath, woven by Annah, shall deck your brow." Annah presented her lover with a gage d'amour, formed of two ruby hearts, upon which their names were engraved. Adrian placed the precious gift within his bosom, near to his heart, then entwining his arms about Annah, he convulsively embraced her. Coloneli: Castle's carriage was approaching. In tremulous accents the youth whispered: "Correspond with me continuously, darling; call me your star, and, as the mariner steers his course by some orb of night, so you keep me mentally in sight in all your wanderings. Pure love like ours will preserve us from evil. I shall address my letters to' My Jewel,' in remembrance of that talis-. manic ring you have received from me. Adieu, my own beloved Annah." A long, loving embrace; two throbbing breasts close-pressed; two pair of thirsty lips glued to- gether in one warm, long-drawn, but holy kiss; two deep sobs from two pulsing hearts ;then a shower P IOW THE LADDER WAS REARED. 37 of pearly tears dripped and dropped scintillant from the dew-dimmed eyes of a girl, fair as the ideal angel of a poet's dream, as pleasure gave place to pain, and the separation of Adrian from Annah was reluctantly consummated. A few days subsequently Colonel Castle and Adrian were pacing the poop of a Istately Atlantic packet-ship, as, with white sails spread to wob the western wind, she gayly bounded over the foam- crested, emerald waves, on her passage toward the "tight little island" that has held, still holds, in- deed, a foremost place among nations, and to which, this country-though her sons seem to forget it, now that they' have so effectually severed the ma- ternal apron-strings 'still owes a debt of gratitude for having given it life and nourishment- in its infan- tile years. The prestige which Colonel Castle had gained while in the British army, and the high esteem in ' which he was held by those in military authority, - rendered the object of his visit one of easy attain- ment, and, within a month of Ad-ian's arrival in England, he was gazetted to an ensigncy in a regi- ment then under orders to proceed to India. The Himalaya carried the -th, Adrian's regiment, through the Straits of Gibraltar, and up the lovely Mediterranean, and after-crossing the"' Isthmus of * '; page: 328-329[View Page 328-329] 328 THE, GOLDEN LADDER. Suez, he re-embarked on board a P. and 0. steamer, that, in the space of a fortnight, landed himself and comrades at Bombay. To follow the career of the brave boy exactly would be, we opine, to test beyond its utmost limits the patience of our readers; therefore, we shall merely submit for perusal the first letter that Adrian received from Annah subsequent to his arrival upon "India's coral strand;" but still, in justice to him, we must not omit to state that he won not only golden opinions from his superiors, on account of the valor he displayed on several different occasions, but became a universal favorite with all those with whom he came in contact, by reason of his urbanity, sagacity, inherent bravery, and the gentleness of his disposition. "AccoMAC, VIRGIA, U. S. A. "Star of my Soul,-I wander alone, now that you are gone, dear Adrian but the pleasure of knowing that you will welcome this letter with your lips will cheer me until I can reciprocate by enjoying the same dalliance. Oh! there is a sacred, modest, guileless kiss. What ecstatic delight the remembrance of' one inspires. My soul thrills with rapture while musing on my Adrian. Closing my eyes, I feel as if our spirits were embracing; spiritually we cannot. HOW THE LADDER WAS REARED. 32t be separated. In the visions of the night we roam together. I judgei of your fidelity by my own. Although a disconsolate feeling may sometimes oppress the bosom of Annah, yet the star still irradiates the jewel I Like the poor Laplander who beholds the sun sink down beneath the horizon, and solaces his mind through a long season with the hope of seeing the solar orb re-emerge from a frozen sea, so I derive consolation from the reflection that my star will yet shine in Virginia. My father is dead, and I am living with my Aunt Betsie. I am riot happy. She W ishes me to marry Marcellus 'Morgan, and I will tot do it willingly. "Hopeful anticipations gladden my imagination, even as the aurora borealis illumines a sunless firma- men;. May Annahls guardian angel combine with thine to shield thee on the battle-field, and restore thee to her who loves thee dearer than life. "Anxiously awaiting a reply, I remain, Star of my Soul, thine owen unblemished Jewel, "ANNAH FOY. "Postscript. ' TO ADRIAN. "When, a yearlago, we parted, : My eyes streamed tears like rain, m For thy beaming smile and loving eyes ii I may never see again. e I ,1 page: 330-331[View Page 330-331] 330 THE GOLDENr LADDER. ;' Another may have won that smile, And caused thine eye, so bright, To sparkle with love's hallowed flame As she draws near thy sight. "But oh, when night's dark mantle comes, And the sun has withdrawn his light, And the pale moon shines in her lofty dome, While the'stars are twinkling bright, "Thy face in visions oft appears; In hours when I'm alone, I feel thy tender, gentle hand, Is pressing on my own. "I hear thy voice, so silvery sweet, I feel thy charming kiss, And start and wonder if 'tis a dream Or am I in: a world of bliss I "'Tis then my heart throbs loud with joy, And a spirit voice I hear; It whispers, 'Let not thine eyes be dim, Thy Adrian's ever near.' " To this love-breathing epistle Adrian replied thus: DELmT. "My own precious Jewel,-I fear, dear love,/that you must think I have grown strangely remiss, or else utterly forgotten any allegiance to you, on account of my not having written to you since my arrival in this country. But I have many pleas to advance in extenuation of my seeming negligence. On the very same day that we landed Prom the HOW THE LDDER WAS EARED. 331 steamer that conveyed us from Aden to Bombay, we were dispatched 'up country,' and, since that time, I have scarcely hada, moment to c11l my own until now. I have seen mich that was u; terly strange' to me since my arrivalin this country. I have passed through scenes whichi in horror, wou d far eclipse the most frenzied fancies of a mlaniac. I have seen blood pour forth like water, i and trickle in crimson rivulets through the streets; I have heard the piteous wait of strong men, who writhed and tw[sted in the las6 agonies of death ; I have seen fierce, greedy flames, leap and twine about- ruins wher:ein my fellow- creatures were immured; and I have suffered priva- tions and encountered dangers whi(ch, a few months back, I should have considered mystlf totally unable to contend against. But, amid all the terrors of a protracted siege; on, the battle-fieli, on the long, toilsome march under a broiling lun; over open J plains or through deep jungles, where lurked the tiger and serpent, and anmid almost impenetrable fast- nesses, into whose valleys the enemy hurled ponder- ous masses of rock from above, I iave never, even for an instant, forgotten thee. You have been, still are, I trust, my guardian angel. L:ike a beacon to the storm-tossed mariner is the knowledge of your love for me; it beckons me on, and gives me hope and comfort, enabling me, by its invigorating influ- ence, to 'suffer and be strong.' page: 332-333[View Page 332-333] 332 THE GOLDEN LADDER. "Ah! Annah, my own bright, blue-eyed darling, what would I not give now to be permitted to clasp you in my arms for one brief moment, to kiss your coral lips, and feel your warm breath upon my cheek as I listened to the sweet cadence of your silvery voice and drank eagerly with my. thirsty ears the heart-felt;, loving words that it would pour therein. "This is a magnificent country, my jewel. Nature has been lavish in endowing it, but yet it seems to me a desert, for Annah is not here. "Men say I have been brave, credit me with doughty deeds, and praise me exceedingly. This adulation is naturally pleasing, but I would dispense with it all, aye, more, I would almost consent to be stigmatized as craven, if for such concession I might be permitted to. clasp your dear form to my breast and feel our hearts pulsate once more in unison. "I was, indeed, very much grieved to hear of the death of my amiable friend, your father, and I most sincerely condole with you in your affliction. It is a terrible bereavement, dear Annah, for one so young as you are to sustain; it is sad to know that he whom you loved and venerated has passed for- ever from earth; but even in our deepest affliction, God finds some solace to instill into the mourner's heart, and, when you consider the numerous good deeds your estimable father performed while in this d .. BrOW THE LADDER WAS ELARRED. 333 world, no doubt as to! his welfare in the spirit-land beyond the skies can agitate your mind. He is at peace now, sweet ond, at rest in that glorious king- dom which is reserved for those whose attributes and conduct here below entitles them to a place therein. "It is, I consider, shamefully wicked for your psuedo-friends to wish you to unite yourself in wed- lock to Marcellus Morgan, and your Aunt Betsie's creed, 'marry for wealth and position,' has wrecked more lives and been the cause of more misery than could be accurately estimated. I need not impress this upon you, for I know your own good sense will tell you that what I state is perfectly correct. I need not bid you be true to me, darling, for I know that v . while I am steadfast iin my love for you my affection will be reciprocated. Wherever I may be, dear love, in spirit will you be also. I can never forget, never, even in my dreams, lose sight of the jewel that, like a guiding star, has lighted my path so far through the tortuous and intricate mazes of life, and which will in the future lead me to the haven of rest which I shall find on the bosom of my blushing bride. "In heart and soul,.here on earth, or in the spirit- . world,' "Your lover, "ADRIAN CASTLE." page: 334-335[View Page 334-335] 834 -6 rr SOLDmE LADDSR. This letter arrived at Accomac during Annah's absence, she being upon a visit to her friend Julia Morrison. Aunt Betsie placed the letter upon the mantel-piece, and, when Morgan called, he exhibited his usual curiosity by examining the superscription it bore. "From India, eh? Then she corresponds with that idiotic youngster, Adrian Castle?" he said. "I presume so; but I think she is very silly to do so, for the chances are that he will never return to fulfill his boyish promises. The loves of children are very evanescent, Marcellus, and I think that you will not have much difficulty in weaning away her affections from young Castle," replied the old woman, who, with -her accustomed- reverence for the "Almighty Dollar," wished her niece to sacrifice herself upon the matrimonial altar, to endanger her pure soul by essaying the perilous ascent of the Golden Ladder. "I am going over to see Annah to-day; shall I carry this letter to her? She will, doubtless, be glad to hear of the welfare of the half-bred Britisher who is her correspondent," said Morgan, with his hateful sneer. "'By all means, Marcellus. I suppose I should not be justified in withholding the epistle fromher, or, I confess, 'I should feel great satisfaction in i. gOW TEE LADDEiR WAS REARED. g 35 burning it before she oould peruse the soft nonsense it is sure to contain," answered the worldly-minded, avaricious old woman l Morgan left the house rejoicing. The enemy's dispatches had fallen into his hands, and he was I lk determined to turn this stroke of luck to good account. He took the letter to his own house, and, though his evil-looking face was rendered more hideous than ever by lan angry frown while he was engaged in its-perusal, his eyes Sparkled with joy when, after a moment's consideration, a bright idea dawned upon him. So thoroughly .n unscrupulous man as Morgan was not likely to long hesitate ere he put- this suddenly-conceived plan to euchre his opponent into execution. A few hours' practice en- abled him-like a mischievous ape, he was an apt imitator-to copy Adrian's caligraphy so nearly that an expert would have had no little difficulty in detecting the difference between the two hand- writings. He then carefully penned the following letter, forged Adrian's signature, and, enclosing it in the envelope which had contained the original epistle, he resealed it and delivered it to Annah. -I ANYWHAEIE, HNDUSTAN. Jewel of my Souls,--Thus in my days of romance I would have addressed you, Annah; but eastern .,! ' ' page: 336-337[View Page 336-337] 336 Tor! GOLDER LADDER. pomp, and the luxuriant pleasures of the- Orient have transformed a mere romantic simpleton into another sort of being, and Asiatic beauties are so fascinating that all of my former puerile ideas of loneliness have vanished like -the mirage of the desert. I revel now with houris of Paradise, and would rather be cap- tured by Sepoys than return to the cold, insipid realms of Europe or America. The dusky nymphs of my harem would compel the belles of Virginia to 'hide their diminished heads,'-you among the number. So, my dear girl, as a friend, I advise you to emancipate yourself from the enchanted bondage of delusion. Consider me as dead, slaughtered in battle, if you please; nay, 'cut up into little stars,' as the woman says in Sir Plagiary's Spectacle of the Spanish Armada, 'that you might put into your pocket.' "I write in an off-hand manner to show you how easy it is to divest one's self of namby-pamby senti- mentality, and all that sort o' thing. I now care no more for love-tokens than I do for the Natural Bridge in Virginia. Your amulet, by the by, I gave to a baby to play with, while an elephant was fanning it with a palm-branch to keep off the flies. Elephants make better nurses than half of the mothers in America. Ah! but one must come to the East Indies to see the elephant! I am now going to per- HOW THE LADDER WAS'REABED. 337 form in the private theatre of the' officers, in the character of ' Wild-love,' in the Day after the Fair, which, as far as I am concerned, is exceedingly apropos. Do you take the allusion? "You perceive, An ah Foy, that I am very blunt,! although 'as keen and polished -as my sword,' as Sir Lucius O'Trigger says. I would fain, like a skillful surgeon, 'cut beyond the wound' to make the cure complete. "So, Annah, I remain, no longer a wandering star, but plain - - I ".ADPJAN CASTLE." "P S.--I do not send you my address, because I object to receiving abusive replies to my letters." This daring counterfeit had the desired effect, though Morgan did not dare remain to witness the success of his Scheme. i He would have liked to have done so, but he feared that the girl might accuse him of malfeasance, and le knew that his wicked eyes would droop, his cowa rd spirit quail, and his guilty countenance betray him if she should openly im- peach him; therefore directly after he handed her the letter he quitted the apartment. He,d he remained, had he witnessed the silent agony that convulsed his victim when she read that her lover was. false, even his wicked, stony heart would have ached with pity ;: 15 - I a,1 page: 338-339[View Page 338-339] 338 TE GOLDEN LADDER. for her. For some moments she did not shed one tear nor utter one single word; she sat like one dazed, her eyes,/glassy and dim, fixed with a vacant stare upon the lying letter in her tight-clinched hand. Then from- her bosom burst a bitter cry, the dread wail of a woman's misery, the floodgates of her heart sprang open, and, as the mountain torrent sweeps along with its mighty force all obstacles that lie across its path, so the swift current of her grief surged on, saving her reason, but shattering her heart, wrecking it upon the jagged, cruel rocks of unrequited love. In her simplicity, in her guileless innocence, the poor girl had chosen an idol before which to bow down and pour out her soul. She -had placed fanatical faith in it, worshiping and praying to it, confidently believing in its supremacy and power. Now the veil which had hitherto half-hidden it parted, and disclosed a vile and loathsome thing in all its naked hideousness. What wonder then that the unfortunate girl should be broken in spirit, careless of what the future should bring forth? Like a reckless gamester she had hazarded her all, her happiness, upon one single chance. Fate was un- propitious and misery was to be her future portion. For a little while subsequent to the receipt of the forged letter, Amannh was seriously ill; but she pos- seSsed a good constitution, and wrestled so bravely HOW THE LADDER WAS REARED. 339 with the sorrow that had come upon her and shadowed her young life, that soon the bloom re- turned to her fair cheek, though there was a pensive sadness in her countenance that none could fail to observe. Thoroughly careless as to the future, now that he, whom she had so fondly loved, was false to her, urged partly, perhaps, by a desire of retaliation, she did not strenuously oppose allying herself to Marcellus Morgan, in whose interest Aunt Betsie, whose mercenary nature only permitted her to con- sider the desirability Of the union from a monetary point of view, worked most assiduously. We have /5 followed the career of poor Annah so closely sincej/ the fatal day bf her miarriage that it is needless for us to further remark upon the result of the alliace she contracted with the heartless wretch who had wrecked her life by fraud, the hideous satyr, Morgan. page: 340-341[View Page 340-341] COA PTER XXXT, PREPARING FOR COMBAT. DRIAN CASTLE was in India at the period the Sepoy soldiers chose for revolt- ing. Through the whole of the terrible struggle that ensued he passed, fighting in many bloody battles, suffering many privations, and being several times slightly wounded ; but his heroic spirit sustained him in every hour of danger and difficulty, and the gallant deeds which he performed, and'the prowess he exhibited while lending his aid to quell the mutiny, are still fresh in the minds of hundreds of those who shared his peril, and whose , names, with his, are. enrolled upon the scroll of fame, to be revered by posterity. It is probable that, when peace was restored, Adrian would have taken advantage of an offer of leave of absence in order to visit his native land; but he heard of Annah's marriage, and the news had such an effect upon him that he absolutely disliked to hear America spoken of, and whenever the west- ern continent was being discussed during his pres- ence at the mess-table, a dark cloud would mantle PkBPARZrANG FOiR COMra. 341 his brow, and his appetite for even the most delicate viands would fail him utterly. Had he not been a strong-willed man, he would have probably followed the example of so! many army-men upon whom trouble has fallen, and sought relief in that soul- destroying, insidious, pseudo-comforter, "the juice of the grape," upon which so many praises have been bestowed by poets prone to print dithyrambics. But Adrian possessed moral as well as physical courage, and he bore up bravely under the terrible weight of woe that had fallen upon him. He knew' that the bottle would only give him evanescent i solace, and would entail still further misery, per- haps disgrace, upon him in the future.; therefore his face Tore a smile though his heart was sad, and, like the Spartan boe who concealed a stolen fox in his bosom, he simulated pleasure and light-hearted- ness though his sufferings were intense. As time wore on, so did his sorrow gradually i lessen as he becaume resigned to force of circum- stances; but still ro thought of ever returning to the land of his nativity did he ever for one moment entertain until the Lews of the rebellion in America broke like a thunder-peal upon the world, and so- biety in general-peer and peasant, seer and sage- became agitated and engrossed by the dark war- cloud that overshadowed 'the vast continent over ,/ page: 342-343[View Page 342-343] 342 TBB GOLDEN -LADDE . which the "star-spangled banner" had floated in unsullied purity, pregnant pride, and brilliant beauty ever since it threw off the yoke of the oppressor and proudly proclaimed itself a righteofs Republic. Then,/waiving all ulterior considerations, willingly resigning the high position his daring achievements had won for him, he quitted Her British Majesty's service, of which he was a lustrous ornament, and left the sunny Ind, with all its pomp and gorgeous- ness, its luxury and its lassitude, in order to enlist in the army his native State, " the Old Dominion," was sending to the field-to cast his abilities, en- ergy, and experience into the scale that was to mete out justice, to decide between right and wrong by I wager of war. Though, as we have said, Colonel Castle, senior, was an Englishman, Adrian had been reared in Vir- i ginia, and, therefore, he considered it incumbent upon him to link his fortunes to the Southern cause. We do not, by any means, wish it to appear, from our hero's siding with them, that we were in sym- pathy with the secessionists during the dreadful struggle that convulsed the land of -our birth; though we did not care to run unnecessary risk by expressing our views, our prayers were for the preservation of the Union. Rebellion at any time is hateful, but it becomes absolutely detestable when it Jt , PR?.PA4iN a FOR COMBAT. 343 advocates oppressioln. Many, let us in charity trust amost, of those possessing erudition and abilities of no common order, who boldly declared themselves in favor of the Southern cause, were misled by aJ natural enthusiastic feeling, consequent upon the knowledge that their inherited institution, slavery, vj was to be demolished and their "rights" invaded, themselves coerced into meek submission, by the j long-winded, "cute," and thoroughly unscrupulous ("Yankees," who, with hypocritical snarl, hurled such fierce invective and denunciation into their midst. To fight for "party" is one thing, to combat for country is another.' In extenuation of the course the denizens of the :i Southern States pursued, we declare it to be our . firm conviction that "stump oratory" and the detest- able habit the New Englander possesses of boast- ing himself above his fellows, did mor6 to foster and give birth to the revolution which deluged our fair country in blood, laid waste her fields, sent thousands . of brave hearts to the glory of the grave, and tempo- ; rarily enfeebled her position among nations, than : any absolute desire to keep in bondage, in trammels, , and in life-long servitude those upon whose brows Ad the curse Cain received when the world first was, has been indelibly printed. He is but a sorry seer who predicts past events-to use an obvious anach- :!, *-=- -t a' '1 13 , : ii i page: 344-345[View Page 344-345] 344 THE QOLDEN LADDER. ronism; and now that all strife has ceased, and erst- while foes are friends once more, it would be more than useless to enter upon a disputation as to the causes, merits, and results of the disastrous con- tention among kindred which the whole civilized world was glad to see brought to a termination. m A great battle at Cedar Creek was about to be fought, and the very foundation of the Southern cause was trembling. The question, " to be or not to be," was to be answered. The Union was in the as- cendant, and if its armies could repulse the foe in a few more battles, the war would be brought to a grand finale, and the "United"States become fully entitled to recognition as one of-the greatest nations on the face of the globe. But Lee,! Beauregard, . Wise, and thousands of the bravest men who ever waved a sword or led an army to battle for an un- righteous cause, were still in existence, and it was with a heart full of hope for the success of Southern arms that Adrain Castle linked his fortunes with the rebels, who, on account of the service he had seen abroad, at once assigned to him the rank of colonel. * When he took command of his regiment his men welcomed him with loud cheers, for in him they recognized no effete leader, but a gallant soldier who had "seen service," who had fought against, PREPARING FOR COMBAT. 345 and aided to subdue, a fiendish and enormous mul- titude of the most subtle, blood-thirsty, and treach- erous wretches that ever encumbered God's fair -- earth-the Sepoys of Hindostan. \ Adrian still retained Annah's girlish picture, and though he, of course, knew that she must have changed materially, bloomed into maturity, he was fond of gazing u on the lineaments of the fair, youthful face, and thinking of past bright days, when he had reveled in the consciousness of her love. An active military life, and the experience he had gained by contact with the world, had dissi- pated most of the romantic fancies of youth; but a j few yet lingered, and in his heart he still cherished an affection for A-nnah, though he -knew that she had broken the vows of fidelity she took when they parted long years before. So strong had been his love for her, so unbounded the estimation in which he held her, that, even after the tidings of ,her marriage reached him,'he could not shut out from his heart his passion for her; and seldom," through all the long years that elapsed ere he returned to America, did a day pass without his mind reverting - to the 'sweet,'bluereyed girl who had clung to his bosom, ere he left the home of his childhood and ' girded up his loins to fight Britannia's battles in . the Eastern world. : I page: 346-347[View Page 346-347] 346 THE GOLDEN LAD DER. At the period of which we are about to speak Adrian's regiment was encamped in the vicinity of the Shenandoah. Early was the general in com- mand of the Southern forces, and Sheridan was the able leader of the Union troops. The latter, think- ing that his opponents would not venture to remove from the position they held after having sustained such recent disastrous defeats, proceeded to Wash- ington upon business. Early became aware of the absence of his astute and intrepid foe, and at once determined to endeavor to outwit "Little Phil" by a skillful maneuver. Adrian, when he first received an intimation that an action between the two opposing forces was inevitable, feeling that dread uncertainty which must always fill the heart of one about to engage in a hazardous enterprise, knowing not how soon death may come, wrote the following epistle, which he wrapped around Annah's likeness and enclosed in an envelope, addressed to her, that he carefully stowed "away in the breast-pocket of his tunic: "THE VALE OF TRE SHENANDOAH. "ANNAH,--It is very probable that long ere this you have forgotten that I ever existed, but I cannot forget you, though I have oftentimes tried to do so. Had I been able to shut out all recollection of you from my mind, I might have been happier in the PREPARING FOR COMBA T. 347 past; had I never known you, my life would not have been a cheerless blank; but it was decreed by One whose will none can dispute that we should do so, and the result has been everlasting misery to me. I have but little time to write, for we are on the eve of battle, therefore I must be concise and brief. I feel a presentiment that I shall not survive the conflict which is about to ensue, or I should not risk the probability of offending you by recurring to times and scenes long past and gone. "Annah, dear Aunah--yes, I must so address you, even though you are lost to me forever-I gave you my love in the olden time, and your reason for forsaking me I have never been able to ascertain, or even guess at. Were you merely trifling with me? No! I am sure I held a place in your affections, for one who glanced as I did into your eyes and read in their blue depths innocence and purity of soul, could never for a moment believe that you were capable of practising glowing deceit, or wrecking a man's life to please Ia foolish whim. Why did you break your plighte troth to me? Why, so soon after our parting, d'd your love for me wane and fade so utterly from your heart as to induce you to link your life with that of one other than myself?- This is a question I have often asked myself, but never yet have I been able to solve the enigma. ] page: 348-349[View Page 348-349] -348 THE GOLDEN LADDER. gave you an honest love, Annah, a love that was steadfast and true, as the mere fact of my now writing to you will indicate. God only knows the f1ll extent of my suffering since the time when I received the first intimation of your having mar-- ried Marcellus Morgan. Forgetting, for awhile,- the terrible agony that racked me, when I thoroughly- realized that you were lost to me forever, I mourned for you in sadness and in deep lamentation, knowing full well that the step you had taken was a false one, never to be regained.; that would entail upon you misery and affliction in the future-misery and woe it would not be in my power to avert, for- from henceforth I was to be as a stranger unto you. I was not surprised, therefore, when, on my return to America, I heard that you were unhappy; I was not astonished, for I knew your husband to be little better than a brute; but my heart ached with pity for you-you from whose lips I had once culled the sweet delights of immnaculate love, you for whom I have ever cherished the tenderest affection. "If you ever receive this letter it will only be when I am numbered with the dead; under no other cir- cumstances would I have written it, would not have laid bare the heart you tortured in the past. Well! let the dead past rest! He who orders all things deemed it best that ours should be diverse pathways PREPARINGa FO COMBA T. 349 through the labyrinth of life, and we must not exclaim against his ordinations. I am, going forth to the strife, to battle, perhaps to death; my last prayer will ever be that the sable cloud, which has of late years overshadowed thy young life, will burst in twain, and the bright glory that it reveals will bring with it peace and tranquillity that will last through your declining years, and until we- meet in that fair land beyond the azure empyrean, where all souls unite, and the world-weary are at rest., "In death, as in life, - "Yours faithfully, "ADRIAN.' page: 350-351[View Page 350-351] CHAPTER XXXII. BOWED DOWN. S we have said, General Early, on hearing 1 ^ of Sheridan's absence, determined to sur- '. prise the Union army. He strengthened and thoroughly organized his forces in his forest-screened camp near Fisher's Hill, then he moved out at nightfall, October 18th, 1864, with the intention of flanking the Union position by cross- ing Cedar Creek. Leaving the turnpike road, the rebel army moved over rugged paths along- the mountain side, which, in-many places, was so steep as to necessitate the men holding on by bushes and tufts of grass, and forded the north-fork of the Shenandoah-the second time in the very face of the enemy's pickets. Maintaining the most perfect order and the strictest silence, the divisions of Gor- don, Ramseur-under whom Adrain held his com- mand, and Pegram stole by on the left of the Union army; those of Kershaw and Wharton simultane- ously flanking the left. An hour before dawn the rebel regiments arrived at the positions assigned to them, waited until day glimmered in' the east, then fired a volley, and with a hoarse, wild yell, BOWED DOWN. ' 351' their battle-cry, charged furiously down upon their astonished foes. Taken completely by surprise, thrown into inextricable confusion by the sudden- ness of the attack, overpowered-by the violence with which the enemy assa'led them, after fifteen minutes' attempted resistance, Iduring which one battalion of the picket-line lost one hundred killed and seven times that number wounded, the army of West, Virginia be- came converted into a flying mob. The rebels, know- ing well every foot of the ground, followed. Emory rallied his men and tried to stop them, but with no chance of success. Assailed on both flanks and in the rear by an overwhelming power, the Union forces had to evacuatle their position, with a loss of twenty-four guns, camps, defences, equipages, and twelve hundred brave fellows numbered among the killed and wounded. Hurried as the conflict was, conclusive as, at this stage of the proceedings, it appeared to be, it only illustrates the truth of the time-honored aphorism which prophetically warns the impulsive not to "' holler before they're out of the wood." The rebels, in the full flush of victory, rejoiced ; the tide of glory and enthusiasm ran!high, and none thought, none' dreamed, of its suddenly ebbing and bearing away the laurels gained, to float lorn waifs upon the dark angry waves. of the critical sea of contemporary page: 352-353[View Page 352-353] 3527 THE GOLDEN LADDER. nations. Sheridan, who, on the morning of the 19th of October, was on his way from Washington to the Shenandoah Valley, scented powder, as scents the vulture the corse of one newly slain. With that keen instinct ,that has been since time immemorial the heritage of all famous military leaders, "Little Phil" knew that something must have gone wrong; go he hurried onward. The fying columns of his army told him the tale long ere he reached them. As his panting charger, withl foamy, heaving, blood- dripping flanks bore him into their midst, he rose in his stirrups. "My lads, you are taking the wrong path. Your 'road lies in the opposite direction. We'll lick the rebels out of their boots, boys! If I had been here this would not have happened," he cried, as he rode along. Then the Unionists, recognizing their leader, knowing his ability, willing to rush headlong to, death if their pet commander led them, replied with a cheer that ran along the valley and echoed among the hills, whose lengthening shadows poured upon the scene of carnage, victory, and defeat. It did not take so skillful a tactician as Sheridan long to reorganize his demoralized- forces. His pluck, his dash, his universally recognized valor, re- invigorated his men, who, still stinging with defeat, r i B BOW ED DO 8353 rushed upon the foe With such ardor that the assault was irresistible. Thb Southern troops fought gal- lantly-they almost invariably did; now we are friends again let all have their due--but their ef- forts to restrain thqe advance of their foes were of no avail. Ramseur's division was in the hottest of the fray, and strenuously the regiment under Adrian's command strove to maintain the prestige it had that morning won, to retain the laurels its pre- vious exploits had gained for it. Suddenly the whisper ran-a cry is but a whisper mid the din of war--"Our General is killed;" and ere the fierce fires o:' revenge had fairly lighted in those Southern hearts, another murmur coursed through the thinning ranks-"Brave Castle's slain." Ramseur had indeed fallen mortally wounded; and Adrian had reeled in his saddle and sank, ap- parently in the swoon of death, into the stalwart arms which instinctively stretched themselves forth to receive the stricken leader of their brave and brilliant band. Then those who in the gray dawn of morning had been assailants, and who now in the crimson and violet splendors of declining day were defenders, worsted at every point, leaderless and disorganized, sought, what the bravest must sometimes seek, refuge in flight. Willing enough were those who had linked themn- I , .. .7 page: 354-355[View Page 354-355] 854 fE! GOLDEN LADDER selves to an unfortunate cause to peril liberty and life-while the latter remained few, indeed, would have refused to stand their ground-but their cause -was their idol, and they knew it to be their, duty to live for it, and not rashy seek the immolation which would be, swift and sure did they longer resist. Therefore they obeyed the trumpet-given signal to retreat, and withdrew from the battle-field, bearing with them the almost pulseless bodies of those who had lately been their leaders, and the sad knowledge that the victory they had gained in the morning had been blurred and blotted out from the register of fame by the stigma of subsequent defeat. General Ramseur was taken prisoner and died on the following day; but Adrian Castle had become such a favorite with his men, that a party of them, heedless of their own danger, bore him from the field. When they arrived at a place of safety, a surgeon was instantly summoned to ascertain the nature of the wound the brave fellow had received. He shook his head as he withdrew his probe from the orifice in the stricken soldier's thigh, up from which the crimson life-blood welled and trickled slowly down upon the sun-scorched grass. "A bad case," he whispered to one of Adrian's brother officers who stood near. The ball has sev- ered the femoral artery, and the hemorrhage, has '.i A , B oWEsD DOWN. 355 been very great. I will do my best to save him; but the operation I shall have to perform in order to extract the ball is a delicate one, and I think, before I attempt it, you had better ascertain if he has any wishes to be fulfilled, in case death should ensue. Captain Johnson turned toward where his friend was lying, moaning in agony, and tears started to the brave man's eyes as he took the hand of the sufferer. "Colonel, this is yery sad, a great- blow to us all, your being so badly wounded. The operation of extracting the bullet from your thigh will be at- tended with danger; of course I sincerely trust that you will recover; but, if you want any messages sent to your friends, or wish any commissions exe- cuted, it would be as well to give the instructions at i once. I am entirely at your service, and earnestly beg that you will command me in any way you may deem fit," he said. "Thanks, Johnson, you are very kind. I do not think I shall survive the operation, for I feel very weak and my wound pains me terribly. If you will be kind enough to d liver this packet into the hands -into the hands, miid-of the lady to whom it is addressed, you will confer a, favor upon one who feels that he will soon pass away from this earth to page: 356-357[View Page 356-357] 356 THTE GOLDEN LADDER. the bright spirit-land above. Tell her,--whisper, Captain,-tell her that I have been true to her through life, and, in these my dying moments, she fills my heart and thoughts. If you should ever -" overcome by exhaustion, the wounded soldier swooned ere he could conclude his message. Early's army was virtually destroyed in the en- gagement at Cedar Creek, and, excepting two or three skirmishes, there was no more fighting in the valley. Captain Johnson, feeling confident from an expression the surgeon in attendance upon Adrian gave utterance to when he saw his patient sink into a comatose state, had not the slightest hope that his brother-officer would live many hours; therefore, in compliance with his injunction, he determined to at once seek out Mrs. Morgan and deliver to her the package Castle had intrusted to him. This was an undertaking attended with no little difficulty, for the lady was residing at Hope]and, Colonel Clinton's mansion, in Accomac, and- it was extremly danger- ous for the Confederate soldier to venture into the Union lines. But he was a skilled strategist, and, by adopting a variety of disguises, he managed to reach the house of Annah's uncle. "I believe I have the pleasure of addressing Mrs. Annah Morgan?" said the messenger, inquiringly, when that lady, still beautiful, though her fair face BOWED DOWN. 357; bore evident traces of suffering endured, entered the ornate and richly-decorated apartment into which the visitor had been ushered. "I am, Sir. May I ask to what fortuitous circum- stance I am indebted for the honor your presence confers?" ' "I am Captain Johnson, Madam--"Annah courte- sied-" and belong to a Southern regiment of which Adrian Castle was lately Colonel." "Adrian Castle, lately! Does he npt still hold that position?" cried Annah, her starting eyeballs and quivering lips betraying the apprehension the soldier's words inspired within her. "At the .battleof Cedar Creek, Madam, he was wounded severely. I loved him for his multifarious attributes; and he, knowing my regard for him, feel- ing confident that I would obey his behest, intrusted me with this package, which he adjured me to deliver into your hands. I have not reached you without much difficulty, and, even at the present moment, I am in danger of being taken prisoner by the enemy; but I hold my toil and trouble and my present-peril in light estimation, knowing that I have fulfilled the last wishes of one who was bound unto me by a- sacred bond that nought but death could sever." "Dead! Adrian dead!" gasped Annah. "Oh . God! then life is death to me indeed!" she moaned, ( page: 358-359[View Page 358-359] 358 TEE GOLDEN LADDER. as she sank upon a prie-dieu and, burying her face in her hands, sobbed convulsively. Captain Johnson, his manly heart bleeding at the sight of the poor woman's agony, waited until the first paroxysm of grief had somewhat subsided ere he spoke again. "How did he die? He remembered me in his last moments, or you would not be here,. What message did he send?" murmured Annah, so soon as her throbbing heart would permit of her giving utterance to words. "He bade me to tell you that he had been faithful to you through life, and that his dying thoughts were of God and you alone. Will you not open the packet? perhaps it contains some written token of the affection I am witness he bore unto you." With tremulous fingers :Annah broke the seals upon the envelope the soldier handed to her. She glanced hurriedly at the picture of herself-the miniature that portrayed her in her purest prime- then laid it aside, and with greedy eyes devoured the contents of\ the epistle Adrian had penned the night prior to the eventful engagement at Cedar Creek. - Fast flowed the tears down her damask cheeks as she read what Adrian had written unto her; she did not seek to restrain them, she was oblivious of the BOWE:D DOWN. ' 359* presence of a stronger-and they fell, glittering ' opals, in showers, as she learned how true had been Castle's love for her, how: pure was the heart that she had been deceived in the past into believing sullied and estranged. Woe filledher pulsing bosom, agony was at her heart. She had by fraud and vil- lany been lured into taking a step forward upon life's pathway that she could never retrace; she had been induced to marry a man she did not love, and to make blank and desolate, simultaneously, her own earthly career and that of the- noble youth who had been faithful unto her amid all the dangers, temptations, and trials by which he had been sur- rounded. To bear had been her portion through life, and now no slight assault could shake her nerve; but when she came to that part of the letter in which Castle stated that it would be only in case of his death that she would receive it, the burden that fell upon her was greater than she could bear. So far her matchless spirit and her eagerness to glean intelligence of the fate of him who had been her beau-ideal of all that was true and manly had sus- tained her. But now ow hat the full knowledge of her misery came, and she knew that she could never ask forgiveness from or gaze upon the man who had idolized her in the bright, happy days of' sunny maidenhood-her overstrained feelings surged page: 360-361[View Page 360-361] 360 . . THE GOLDEN LADDER. strongly up, and broke the bonds that tried to bind them in her breast, and, with the shrill heart-rending cry, "Adriani! Adrian!" she sank inanimate upon the silken couch. Captain Johnson, with the innate delicacy which indicates the true gentleman, had been gazing ab- stractedly out of one of the windows while Annah perused the letter which he brought; when the words she gave utterance to fell upon his ear, how- ever, he glanced suddenly round, and, readily com- prehending the state of affairs, he rang the bell violently and then elevated the head of the uncon- scious lady. "Call Mrs. Clinton, bring water quick, my girl!" cried Johnson to the juvenile negress who answered his summons. The dusky complexion of the girl changed to an ashy hue from fright at beholding Annah senseless, and she ran along the corridor uttering frantic screams. They aroused Colonel Clinton; he quickly quitted his apartment, and arresting the slave-girl's flight, he sternly demanded the cause of the demon- stration. "Oh! -Marster, Miss Annah is killed, sure. There is a stranger along with her corpse in the drawing- room," gasped the affrighted girl. The colonel hurried along the- passage and BOWED DOWN. 361 entered, sans cerem9nie, the apartment designated by the negress. He halted on the threshold, fairly astounded at beholding Annah. prone upon a couch. and a tall man, whose handsome features were en-I tirely unfamiliar, bending over her. -: What, in God's name, Sir, is the trouble? What X is the matter with my niece?" he cried. Noticing at a glance that the stranger was an equal, he forebore to question him as to the cause of his presence. "I ani the bearer of sad tidings, Sir. Colonel Castle fell in the late battle at Cedar Creek, and the news of his demise has overcome Mrs. Morgan," replied Captain Johnson. Annah's uncle said nothing; he knew the relation in which Adrian had once stood to Annah, and guessed that the old- love she bore unto him in the v past had not died utterly away. Tenderly lifting the fairy form of the inanimate lady, he carried her to her bedroom, and called his wife and the female servants to assist her withl the delicate attentionsI and sympathy women invariably show to the afflicted. He then returned to the drawing-room, and, entering into conversation with Johnson, soon learned from him particulars of the battle and Adrian's sad fate. At nightfall the gallant captain would have taken his departure, but his genial host would not countenance any such proceeding, and 16 - ' page: 362-363[View Page 362-363] 362 THE GOLDEX1 LADDER insisted on the soldier remaining all night, which he consented to do when Annah sent him a special request not to leave until she could see him and thank him for his fidelity to the man she so dearly loved. From her own lips, the following morning, Johnson heard the story of her life. She told it to him plainly and truthfully, concealing nothing, and, when she finished the recital of her wrongs, he could not avoid giving utterance to the sentiment of his heart. "Whatfa mean, dastardly scoundrel Morgan must be l" clied the noble-hearted fellow, whose mind revolted at the idea of the gentle lady before him ever having been subjected to maltreatment and ignominy. Annah had dressed herself in deep mourning, and her pale face contrasting with the sable habiliments. of woe, made her look so exquisitely beautiful and interesting, that Johnson could readily appreciate the long-lasting affection that his friend Castle had borne unto her.- Tears bedimmed the bonny blue eyes of the suffering woman as she bade adieu to the man who had been the trusty friend of him who had been the light of her life in days long past and gone; him whom she would never more behold until welcome death should reunite their souls in the happy summer-land of eternity. X/. BOWED DOWN. 363 -,.- ADRIAN'S VOICE FROM SUMMER-LAND. Hark! I hear a spirit's voice Whispering in the air, He brings to me glad tidings From yon bright world afar; He tells me of a summer-land, Whose fields are ever green, He tells me of the golden streets No mortal eye hath seen. He speaks to me of pearly gates That dazzle human eyes, When we have passed away From earth beyond the skies. What beauty in the summer-land- There is no weeping there, No sighing mother or pining babe, No father pressed with care. He speaks of birds whose tiny plumes Are fluttering in the breeze, Whose, notes swell the enchanting choir, As they fly amid the trees. He tells of flowers rich and rare, Whose petals are so bright, There fragrance floats upon the breeze In that fair world of light. He speaks of gurgling rivulets Whose waters gently flow I In that not far off summer-land Where spirit friends do go. He tells of dear ones in that world Who have learned to love eaqh other, They live upon a sacred plain, As brother should with brother. page: 364-365[View Page 364-365] 364 THE GOLDEN LADDER. lMuch to Captain Johnson's astonishment and exceeding joy, when he rejoined his regiment he found that ,the surgeon had managed so skillfully to extract the bullet from Adrian's thigh that the wounded man was rapidly recovering his health and strength. When his messenger gave a full account of his interview with Annah, conflicting emotions convulsed Adrian's enfeebled frame. Great glad- ness filled his breast when he learned that Annah still loved him; righteous indignation caused the hot blood to suffuse his brow when Johnson recited the tale of Morgan's malicious scheming to win his wife, and his subsequent ill-treatment of her; and sorrow half effaced his joy when he learned that she whom he loved better than life was suffering bitter anguish and much misery--mourning him dead. His first care was to write to Annah, and in the letter he sent he told her how he had been ever true to her; told her how he pitied her, and bade her bear up and have every hope that the future would be bright and pleasant as the past had been dark and dreary--the future that he hoped to share with her; for, as soon as the matrimonial link that bound Morgan unto her was severed, he would take her unto himself for wife. The reader can better imagine than we can describe the joy that filled Annah's heart when she BOWED DOWN. 365 received this letter and her trembling hand broke the seal, and she saw that it was from him her soul worshipped, whom she had supposed dead, as the foregoing verses, her composition on the subject, will indicate. page: 366-367[View Page 366-367] CHAPTER XXXII. THE RETRIBUTION. IGHTENED of a heavy load was Annah's A heart when she received the glad tidings that her beloved Adrian was still spared unto her, that the bolt from "Azrael's deadly quiver" that had laid him low, had not parted them forever on this earth. Until the colonel was sufficiently recovered to take the field again, a reg- ular correspondence was maintained between them; but when Adrian was enabled to rejoin his regi- ment, duty, time, and place prevented such continu- ous intercourse. The division of which Castle's regiment formed a part had been so decimated at the battle of Cedar Creek that it was found neces- sary to draft men into it. By one of those very sin- gular coincidences which sometimes occur, Marcel- lus Morgan, who, having squandered his patrimony, could no longer raise funds to pay for a substitute, was drafted into the very same corps that was com- manded by the man he had so deeply injured. Time had wrought so many changes in the ap- THEE RETRI UTION. 367 pearance of both Adrian and iMarcellus, that for some while they did not recognize each other.' Morgan was the first to discover the fact of his being subordinate to the gallant fellow whose sweet- heart he had lured away by cunning devices, and he possessed sufficient sense to keep the secret to him- self. But a young pfficer, who had been well ac- quainted with the ex-planter-in the days of his pros- perity and debauchery, happened to mention at the mess-table, in Castle's presence,-the fact of Mor- gan's having been compelled to descend from his high estate to that of private in the --th regi- ment; and Adrian, upon instituting inquiries, found that his adversary in love was now absolutely in his power. His was, however, too noble and generous a nature to take advantage of his authoritative position to inflict condign punishment upon the traitor. His sense of honor was too strong to even allow of his annoying the culprit by any indirect means; therefore, though whenever his eye lighted upon the debauched miscreant who had wrecked his life and rendered miserable that of an innocent girl, he felt sorely tempted' to strike him to the earth, he pretended not to be aware that he had ever seen or heard of "No. 4, Company G," before the enrollment of that estimable gentleman in the regiment under his command. page: 368-369[View Page 368-369] 368 THE GOLDEN LADDER. "The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small." In a sharp brush with the enemy -a skirmish the dispatches designated it--Marcel- lus received so severe a wound that the doctors, directly they examined it, declared it to be imtpos- sible for him to exist a day longer on earth. Some one of his comrades who had not become hardened and thoroughly callous by the exigencies of war, told him the surgeon's fiat, and earnestly besought him to make his peace with our Great Master, who has promised that " when the wicked man turneth away from the wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth the thing that is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive." Like Voltaire, Paine, and many others who, while in rude health, have declared themselves atheists, Morgan, now that he felt dissolution coming, feared to die with his sins unredeemed and thick upon him.. "Comrade, will you tell Colonel Castle that I wish to see him? Tell him I am dying, and I do not think he will refuse to come to me," he mnoaned. The man did his bidding, and Adrian responded at once to the summons. Strenuously he tried to conceal his feelings--the gratification that the ex- planter's death would force upon him. "You wish to see me, I am told. What can I do THE RETRIB UTION. . 369 : for you?" he said, coldly: he was not hypocritical enough to affect sympathy.; "Forgive me!" groaned the wounded man. "Col- onel Castle, though you have seen .me daily since I joined the regiment, you have failed to recognize in me one who deeply ijured you years ago; I am Marcellus Morgan." I "I know'it-discovered it weeks ago." "You knew it, and yet never took revenge when your position would have so fully enabled you to do so! Surely you could never have loved Annah--" "Listen, comrade," whispered Castle, in a gentle tone that fell like a h1ymn upon the sufferer's ear, "He before whom you will soon stand to render up I an account of your life on earth, has declared ven- geance is His alone, and I am one who acknowl- edges His supremacy. Throughout the long years, which have been to me centuries of torture, since last we met, I have neyer forgotten my love for her whom by chicanery you wooed and won. Though my heart seemed like to wilt when I heard that she had wedded you, yet I struggled on, toiling through life without aim or purpose, but ever constant to the vow of fidelity unto her that I registered on the eventful day of my departure for the East. How you could have found it in your heart to so basely deceive an innocent girl I cannot imagine ; why you / 16* ' page: 370-371[View Page 370-371] 370 THE GOLDEiN LADDER. ill-treated her when you accomplished your .design of making her your wife, seems to me to be beyond mortal ken. But I will not upbraid you now; you have not long to linger here below, and such conso- lation as these my last words can convey to you is freely given. I fully forgive you the injury you wrought me in the past. I pray God to be merciful unto you, and I exhort you to endeavor, to the best of your ability, to make your peace with Him, so that you may gain admittance into His Heavehly Kingdom," said Adrian, with impressive solemnity. "Colonel, yd are a good man, and will reap your reward hereafter. You are sincere in this, as in everything, and if the prayers of the righteous are of avail, I may find that in death which I have never found in life-perfect tranquillity," murmured the dying man, as he seized the colonel's hand, kissed it with his lips, and blotted it with hot, scalding tears of remorse. An hour later the sin-stained soul of Marcellus Morgan had winged its flight to another sphere. CHAPTER XXXIV. PORTr AT LAST. ICHMONUD had been invested and Lee's army had surrendered. Bravely as those ^ who linked their lives and fortunes with the Southern Slates strove to gain the ascend- ancy over their brothers of the North, they could not succeed. Their cause was an unholy one; they fought for slavery, not freedom, and the God of battles favored their adversaries. When peace was formally declared, Adrian in- stantlyv proceeded to Accomac and to the house of Colonel Clinton, in order to obtain an interview with his loved Annah, who was still residing at the house of her uncle. "Is Mrs. Morgan within?" inquired Castle, ad- dressing a dusky domestic who answered his appeal to the bell. "No, Sir! she's out walking; guess somewhere down on the beach," replied the servant. Adrian turned on his heel and took the nearest path to the water's edge. He soon gained it, and after the rough scenes, the swampy camping-grounds, r 9 ' page: 372-373[View Page 372-373] 372 THE GOLDEN LADDER. and the dusty marches he had been of late accus- tomed to, the view before him seemed one of supreme splendor. Before him, far as the eye could reach, lay the ocean "Deep set with agate and the azure sheen Of Turkis blue and emerald green." Above, the light fleecy clouds, flecked with sun- rays, resembled islands of floating roses ; behind him hill and valley, clothed in glorious verdure, backed up the tawny sands on which he stood, and away, far away in the distance, he detected the garments of a lady fluttering in the breeze. Quickening his - pace, he hurried along the sparkling sands, his head bent downward, his eyes riveted upon the in- dentations that a pair of tiny feet had printed on the golden strand. Almost before he was aware of it he became con- scious of the close proximity of his long-lost Annah. Though time, with his unscrupulous fingers, had carved deep lines of care upon her face and seamed the fore- head that in its pristine freshness had resembled -pol- ished ivory, Adrian had no difficulty in recognizing the features of the woman who had held his heart in bondage through so many long years, as she came toward him, her somber habiliments-the mourning garb for a man she never loved-floating in the wind, and her sweet, sad face smiling from beneath' ! . PORT AT LAST. 373 the white "weeds" 'that fringed her brow. Adrian, struggling to alppear calm, doffed his hat as he neared Annah. Thhe hot blood surged up and flushed her fair c eeks with living flame. A mo- ment she paused, as though doubting her senses, then giving utteraince to the .shrill cry, "Oh, Adrian! Adrian! at last!" she sank, half-swooning, in her lover's arms. Tenderly he he d her, softly he pressed warm kisses upon the r by lips of his darling, until the ; light of life glowed once more in her violet eyes, glowed and burned into vivid love-fires. : "Oh! my love," he murmured, "this repays me ? for all the misery T have endured, all the suffering I have experience/. I am so happy that we have . met here on the w:ld sea-beach, where there is no eye to witness our joys and sorrows except the Great Omnipotent who created his creatures to love for- :- ever. I will not unbraid you now, my pet, I will not say aught about fthe agony which convulsed me X when I learned that you had wedded Marcellus Mor- 2 gan-when, as I thought, you forgot your vows of : fidelity unto me, and purposely tossed my love aside a as a thing unworthy of consideration. I know that you were basely deceived by your late husband. : How he could have found it in his evil heart to so -.1 torture two innocent persons I cannot conceive. : I - - - , : 1 page: 374-375[View Page 374-375] 374 THE GOLDEN LADDER. However, he is dead now, and you are free to be mine. Will you repledge yourself unto me, sweet one? will you share with me the future that now beams so brightly before us?" "Oh! Adrian, this is what for so many long years I have been praying for--this reunion of our hearts. But do not, merely to satisfy your nice sense of honor, sacrifice yourself for my sake. I am not fair- faced as when in the olden time you pledged your- self unto me. I broke that pledge; on me alone then let the punishment fall. Some other--" "C Can never fill any place in tmy heart. I love you with-tenfold greater affection than ever. Time has matured my regard for you, made stronger the pas- sion that burned in my youthful breast. I am yours-,- Annah, through weal or woe, until death do us part." "Adrian, do you remember this little ring?" "Yes, dearest; you have kept the gage d'amour carefully; I have still the ruby trinket you gave me." I "I lost this once, Adrian--after I lost, as I thought, your love, this ring also disappeared. There is a strange story connected with it. I missed it from my jewel-case some years after my marriage. Though I sought for it most energetically, I could not recover it, a nd at last I felt confident that Mar- cellus must have purloined it. I gave it up as 'APORT ALAST. 375 i utterly lost, when, to my great astonishment, it was returned to me a few weeks ago by the mother of a girl named Lucretia L- , to whom Morgan had ,] presented it when -ie was carrying on an illicit cor- respondence with her. See, it sparkles brightly yet, though its luster seemed to dim when I married Morgan." a... "It will beam brighter than ever, darling, now that we are reunited. Let us go to the house, sweet one, for your uncle, knowing of my arrival, is doubt- less anxiously awaiting our advent," said Adrian, as he linked Annah's arm within his own, and slowly , sauntered along the golden sands. Adrian rehearsed the sad tale of his father's death- and the many long years he had spent in the East; but now all was gladness and sunshine. Happy were the hearts of the two lovers. Years of absence and tribulation had intensified their affection, and now everything seemed bright and beautiful unto them. Even the plashing waves, mournful as their music had seemed to Annah when she strolled alone along the beach, now changed their tone, and wlat had erstwhile been a murmur- ous monotone now became a happy hymn. A month after the arrival of Colonel Castle at Hopeland, the usually quiet Clinton household was disturbed to a tremendous extent by the prepara- : *! page: 376-377[View Page 376-377] 876 TEE GOLDEN LADDER. tions for the festivities to be inaugurated on the marriage of Annah with Adrian. A gay party soon assembled in the spacious mansion, which was superbly decorated throughout with festoons of flowers and evergreens, and none were merrier or more light-hearted than Andrew Foy and Annah's stepmother, Mrs. -Patter, and her sister oBetsie. They had been true and steadfast to our heroine through all her tribulation; and now that the sable clouds of care had vanished, it was but fair that they should obtain a glimpse at the golden glory that irradiated the pathway Annah was soon to tread. Bright and beaming was the Vwidow's face as she stood beside her handsome soldier-lover and heard the minister -pronounce the solemn words that de- clared her once more a, wife--a wife, not only in name, a mere household chattel, but a trusted, well- beloved companion, to share equally joy and sorrow, the inevitable concomitants of existence in this sub- lunary sphere. When Annah had linked herself to Morgan, an awful storm, typical of the fate in store for her, had raged, and the bride had noticed the omen; now the whole of earth's surface, and even the azure sky, seemed flushed with gladness: this augured future felicity. Reader, Annah's trials are. over. We have fol- PORT AT LAST. 3" lowed her on her direful course over the rugged- pathway of life, seen her bowed down by sorrow, buoyed up by hope, and made happy at last. Let ! those in affliction 'ear in mind the fortitude that aided her to struggle with adversity, so that, emu- lating her, they may learn " to suffer and be strong;" and those who may be tempted to make mercenary marriages hesitate ere they place foot upon the "Golden Ladder" that leads to the pinnacle of re- morse and woe. Let perfect Faith, truthful Hope, and omnipotent Charity be the guiding stars of our lives, and we may rest assured that we shall receive the rich reward of our actions when our spirits soar to the summer-land above. THE END.
