Weekly Messenger, Volume 1, Number 54, Vevay, Switzerland County, 22 September 1832 — Page 4

V K T It V .

3IV X.VTiVE ISL1.V Oi-! till n-e not of f v. rer lands, It.neath. a btiftiiter sk'; Oi' strewn fiat tot! oVt- gulden sandsi A;id ft-yxtn that never ditJ My native isle! try n-itiv-s xsW. Though bsrs stu! Ldesk thoe be, n! s'M-it r.iJ cold thy tunvnrr smile. ThiMi'.V alt ti e worij ta me! The (I a-.t that on thy mountain's brow, W i-.ru wintry windi ass.til, Securely sl-ep beneath thosnow, Its cold s;td kt i lly veil Transplanted to a ri .her so;?, Where g"-.ial brctze play, It sickly bi ! n v droop awhile. Then wither a id decay. 5n':t, su-.h the sh-ltcrinpr embrace v hen stones prtwii I feel ply f-i! a' lather's resting plu-v, i cold, yet kindly still. A;1 j f.V.! the. fl-iwfrti'j f.ite were mine t; doomed l.io;r thee to part T, j-ij k. it fiViw decline, fiiucaaktv of lite heart. L-!Vf il-s.;- hn-:M, fri en (ship's strong ties, litt r:tf.d my bosom twine &.J'. part rieaght, present j-ys. My r.utive i!st! t.rc thir.e. r?nU were jonc, like summer Jet-, bet".:re the tnoi'tun beams; IricrrU, Uut pass no;, 1 should view l: ti:V" r jcks an.i sre&ius. O: ! trm tiv. y still, thy chaiig mV. skies,

"Love them! No, Martyn no; I hated thorn hated them with a dead ly hate." And at these words her fart gretv lividlv pah, and her eyes fixee on her husband's with it strange and snake-like glistening, that his marrow thrilled again, and hi? heart beat thick lie spoke to her, however, in a rneel. voice, and said "Why tiidsl thou hate them so Alice?" "By cause that they were drunkard?

d faithless. Marty n; and, therefore.

I hated them so; and, therefore, were it possible thou shouldst be such, I

roiis and drunken noise. jRe sat as late as any, and left them with the full determination of putting his plan into effect that very night. Oa his w) home, he trdd casually upn a piece ol apple-rind lying in the path, and, slipping, fell in the mire; for it had been raining all that day too. At fust he was not a little put out but, after a little reflection, remembering that this very mischance might Ue made servicible to his scheme, with disordered dress, bending knees, di doping mouth and half-closed eyes (assuming as Much

as he could, the beating of a drunken

! tittered these words in a lone of deep tenderness, and fell ween'mir on hi.

necki

He strove, both bv caresses and assu ranees to sooth her; but it was some

jshould even hate thee, much, very , man,) he presented hi tnsejf at his door.

.-Hen as i uo now love tnee. She His wile, although it was lain in Ihe

night, had sent the servants to bed, and

had herself sat op foe tiira a mark of

attention that some very loving wives

do at lime? pay their husbands, often

more to (heir annoyance than comfort.

I.-

! mists, be mill: !

Ai.u tne sju lust sa v my m:r:.ig rise, Glti'ii on r.-.y ',.-. "i Uchsie. I4y na'.iv i... ; my i-.uive isle! Ihrugl. bic.ik H ij bite thou he, vVn-i scat and c-.ilii tljy summer smile, Tisuu'rl :ni tS.e acu j.) to na.". TiiU WIDOW'S WOOIill. J!? -i'.)s u .tti lho- lioiiied words Tiit vo-n--i t n e tn l.e:ir, 'fh-se j-e.itle fii'teries tlial Ull S(. f .v -- i tin every f.tr : lie ttils nv- :ha: r.n face is fair. Too i-iif for ,tri' to shade; l'y ciieek, lie s s. wis revtr meant la sorrow's g;ooro to t ide, sitti.ls betide me v.'iien I ing Tf'e s-;iips of other day, vA v. l!;pcrs in love's t"hri!linf tones. The a-o-Ms ;! 'heariK'tt praise ; rsd of'.tfi in Siiy ces h- looks, fo e uns-xc'imjj !ui- ft see, la t! h- there ca'i only read The faith of memory. iie little kr.ows uim thoughts swak With every Renl-a word; ?:.-, by !iis look? and tones, the fourrts O: tar. leruess f.re stirred. "i'hy vi-.i.)!i3 of ray vii return, Jv.ys f r too br'ght to lust, Ar.M vhile lie s-pvuks rrTUirE biiis, 1 ihiii'rt but oi the pisr. .':ke h'.'Tips in e.tstern Mrpu'chres, A;n d tny heart's itep gloom, .Atircfou rheds its holiest tight L'po'i iriV husband's tomb. -d, a tln-se lamps, if brought once more To upper air, grow dim, So m foul's love is coi l and dea, Ur.iess it eUiw tor him.

time before he could do so. The con- In the present instance, however, no

Till Mill; OF SliVEX HLSUASDs. A LEGEND OF LONDON. Concluded.) This day seemed to have haen the oegiriiiing of a new life for Mrs. Alice; she became from that time a gayer woman, and mingled more itt compatn

than ever she had done before; for,

with all her god qualities, she had lived hitherto rather a retired life: and yet she certainly did not lly lo sovj ty, as I am afraid some moden;

housewives do, to escape from the fellov.fhip of her husband; but rather, to

it seemed, to give her a greater Z'-st

therein for she loved him almost to

devotion, and he was equally attach

ed to her. They had been married

for iiearl) four months, and not yet a

cross word or look had passed helweei

them; their mutual RiJ'eclioo, indeed .

seenud on the increase, w hich is nol alwavs the ca-. with a new-married

couple, especially after the honey

ntooo; but, as Master Lessomour took

care to exact from his wife nothing ei

tlicr mreasonahlc, or what she thought

so, he found her all doty and obedi

c-nce. Many people, indeed, whisper

?u that all this would not Inst loni

fjr they had not forgotten her othei husbands, though iljnight almost seem that master Lessomour and Mrs. Alice herself had done so. It chanced, however, that, as they were sitting together silently one eve

ning upon a iow stool or settle, (in

shape something like a modern settee,

yy with quaintly carved frame and

i.-lhows.) gazing upon the dying embers of a wood-fire, that had been piled up between the brazen dogs on the

versatiou was not resumed, and they

retired in bed. But Jlariyn s mind continued Very restless, and lie lay a wake long after his wife had gone to ?leep; he could not dimiss her words from his brain, nor efface the impresion they had made thereon; and, after turning the matter over a great many times, he came to the resolution (lut he would see a little into the matter. At lat he fell asleep, but it was only to wake from a wild dream. He

thought he and his wife were still sittins on the low settle, as they had been that evening; and that their faces were lit up, as they had been, by the fitful glimmering of the d)iajj embers that her'd wore the same livid hue, find her

eyes glistened in the. same snake-like manner, that had then so frightened him; and that they were fixed, as 'hen. and, though her look was most shocklog, that he was facinalcd by it, and could not move away his glance from her's; and her face kept glowing paler and paler; and her eyes brighter and brighter, and more and more ter table; and he grew sick and sicker at heart, mid felt a reeling in his brain, and a choaking in his throat; and still he Could not turn his eyes from her. And behold! her long black curls, that hung about her neck and shoulders, seemed of a sudden, and )et slowly, to

become instinct with life; and, one by one, they ancurled themselves some moving their ends to and fro, and up and down, as he had seen leeches do in a vase when they sought lo fix their heads somewhere others, again, twined themselves round the carved railwork of the settle while others, anth-

ing and stretching themselves out, twis

ted round hi? neck so tightly that they nearly throttled him. lie woke up in alarm and agony, and found his wife's

ong hair, indeed, arotrnd his neck

and her arras too; and her head was lying on his chest, and she was sobbing

violently. He asked her what ailed her, and she said she had had diead-

fol dream, all of which that she could recollect was that she had seen him

murdeied.

Martyn slept nn more that night;

thing could have happened more to

Lessomour s wish. Tho moment his wife saw him, her I'ace fltishf d even lo darkness, and her Uurge black eyes widened to a greater s'ze, as si e said in a tone half of anger, half of dread ''Why, M.irtyn, what is this! what ha? befallen Ihee?'' "I hnvo been with some friends, my love," he replied, speaking thickly. "Martyn! Martyo!" she answered.

and bit her lip and, shook ker fcead,

and see thou heed this warning better . i. . .i i . . . a

not forth today Martyn: r, going,

Alice." "Good be thes;, Martyn,.

than thou hast done mine others. Go good bye," whs all her answer, and

that was said in a low, very solemn,

come not back to me as thou hast been and vet kind tone of voice. He lin-

wont of late to come. Belter that thoo-gered in the rocm for a moment or twq stay from me altogether: bat better in the hope she would say something yet that Uiou stay with me altogether, more to him, for he felt less inclined to. Martyn." (pursue his fraud that day than he had "Nay, nay, I needs must go, Alice'jever felt before; perhaps it was from "There needs no plea, Martyn, bat a letum of love he felt this, perhaps thine own will tine own stubborn will from far she said, however, nothing that will not bend to thy wife's pray- more indeed, did not seem to notice er. Ay! 1 said I would not pray thee, his presence; so after saving, "Well,

.mi i uo now. Jook! see, Marljn! I good bye, Alice," he withdrew. He

went at once to his next door neigh-

bors,and requested them to hold them

selves in readiness, in case he should

want their assistance in the night, for

he had some idea, he said, that (here

would be -n attempt to rob, or perhaps

to murder him that night. This greatly alarmed his neighbors, and they pro

mised to do what he requested, and the moment he had left them they sent for a reinforcement of tkeir friends; and also begged of th fitting authorities that there might be an additional watch set in their neighborhood that night. Lessomour returned earlier by some hours than usual, and to his wonder, found his door not fastened within He entered and called, but no one ar.swered he fastened the door and went

up to his bed-room, wheie he found

am on my knees here to thee and there are tears in mine eves! and.

kneeline and weeping thus, I pray thee

go not forth to day. I hate had dreams

of late dreams of bad foretoken, Mar

tyn; and only last night 1 did truly dream that " Here shegul ped, as if for breath. "Thou wilt lose

thy li le, an thou go forth to day, Martyn." Cut Martyn Lessomour, like Julius Ca?sar, was not to be frightened from a tixed purpose by a wife's dreams, and he answered her ''Wife, wife, thou art a fearful wo

man, and makest me ear thee but,

nalhless, I shall go." "Go then," she said, and rose and

left t!e room; and he shortly after vtent from the house he returned in

the evening in the same assumed state

'a get thee to thy bed I will foils an before, and went to bed. Tor the his wife already in bed. and seemingly

quickly."

He went accordingly; hut it was

some time before she did follow him, and she lay down by his sid without speaking a word to him- He pretend

ed to be asleep though he did not re ally sleep all that night; no more, he thought, did she for she tosed about and seemed very restless, now and thei muttering to herself; and soon a morning broke, she rose and dressed herself, and left the room. The whole of that day he staid at home, feigning

to have a tad head-ache. Sua was

very attentive to him, but in no way-

hinted at his conduct of the foregoing

evening. In tw or three davs he re

ieated the elpftriment, and with nearly the same success, saving that Mrr. Alice seemed a little more gloomy tin:

following da v. He tried it a thiiil time, and a fourth, and that night shg did not come to his bed at all. Th

next morning she spoke to him for tb

last two days that he had played thU part, since his wife had begun to use

threats, he had gone when he left his own house, either to a friend's or a tavern, where he slept away all the lime he was absent, in order that he might lie awake during the night to watch what his wife would do: but during

this day he had not, for disquietude of

mud, been able to sleep at all but now that he was in bed, such a drow

siness came over him," that in spite ofi

nis endeavors, he soon fell into n sound deep. From this he was aroused by his wife getting out of bed yet, allho' he at once started into thorough wake

fulness, he had the presence of mind to pretend to be still asleep, and lay still and watched her; She had thrown a night gown around her but her hair was loose, and hung straggling about

her neck, and as she passed the foot of

the Uert, the light from a lamp that was

burning on n table, fell through her

tirst tin e, upon the subject; sh ei.-j locks upon her face, and Martyn saw pressed raor sorrow than auger ! that it was that livid paleness, and that

talked kindly to him said she had.no -jher eyes were brightened by that hateped once, twice, and even thrice, thatjful Snake-like look, which he had only

his coming home full of liquor might have been a mishap; but she no'.v felt forced to fear that atunkenness was be-

and the next morning, he rose beticnes

and, pretending business, he weiil out

coming an usage with him; acd she begged hiin,-w'uii tears in her eyes, as he pried i?.r happiness, to stop in good time, ere it did in truth bcacome an usage. Fie was moved by her earnestness, and promised her, and at the time, himself determined to disquiet her do father on this head: bu an impulse, which somehow h could not resist, urged him in a few days to break jlis word. Twice more his conduct

called foith pressing entreaties from his wife tbe last time, indeed, they

t an early hour. Business, however, were mingled with some reproaches:

he had none. He walked forth at Ihe hut it all was of no effect on Lessa-

Cripplegate, and stroMed through the moiir, he continued in the career he

r-insbune helds, and so away into theihad begun. The day after he had re-

counlry, without any hxed determina turned home, for the seventh time, in

4ion or even knowledge of whither he

was going. It was a drizzly day, too: but he seemed unconscious of it, iho' he was soon drenched to the skin. But he kept walking about, thinking over the scene of the last evening, and ail the stories he remembered to have heard of his wife from the day he first saw her, and all the other stories he could remember ever to have heard of

witches and their cunning, till he began to hold hrs wife for one in real ear

nest; or, if she was not a witch, sSel

certainly was something else of an un usual nature, but what he could not

just lhn bring himself to decide. Still

lie felt that he was not, somehow or other, safe with her, in spile of all her fondness for him; and reflecting upon her expressions of deep hate for her former husband, and the cause w hereto she had ascribed that hate, he con

ceived a design to try her love, which

once before beheld in reality, though in memory, thousands and thousands oftim s: he saw too that she had a small knife in ene hand. Slowly and stilly like a ghost, 6he gilded on but away from him; and going up to the place where she had hung her gown up when she undressed, she took it down, and ripped open one of the sleeves of it, and look something out; she then wetit to the hearth, where there was tire burning, for it was winter, and having laid the knife and

whatever else she held in her hand,

beside the lamp upon the table, shp seemed searching for something about

the hearth. At last Martyn heard he

mutter "ivjot here how foolish heed

less of me 1 must go and fetch it from

fast asleep; this was the first time she

had not set up for him. He made a great noise, overturning stools and boxes, and sundry other things, and then cursing at them, after the manner of drunken men but his wife seemed la sfeep soundly ; he spoke to her, hut she made no answer. Really believing she was asleep, he got into bed, and pretended himself to sleep and lo snore; still she lay qniel. For two hours af

ter he got into bed she never moved; but then she quickly but silent slipped from Ihe bed, hurried, but still witlv out noise, to a stool near the tire, took from under one of the cushions a small iron ladle, and what Martyn knew again for Ihe leaden weight he had seen, in the morning this she put into the. ladle, and kneeling upon vne knee, et it upon the fire; in abotit a minute she

turned her face lo the bed, and then-

raised it up, and Martyn saw that tho

her features were frightfully writhru

with bad passions, there were fears in he r eyes that bespoke an inward struggle. Slip rose notwithstanding, and

whispered, ''Now no flinching" and walked up to the bed, with the ladle containing the molten lead in her right hand; and just as she brought this A-r wnrd so as to pour it into her has-t-and's ear, he started up with a loud outcry, seized her hand, and jumped out of bed, at the same lime saying "Shameless assassin! have 1 caught thee! Help, h! help, neighbor-! Help! murder!" Alice did l otseieam nor start even but stared in her husband's face, and with a strong effort freed her hand flung Ihe ladfo into the tire, sank on a stool behind: her, and hid her face in her hands. Lfssomour continued calling fr hrlpK which call his neighbors, to do them

justice, were nol slow lo obey but to

the number of three score and odd,

Tuick hearth, that Mrs. Alice fetched a he determined to carry into immedi ale execcution. It was long after sun

"vt.y dost sigii, sweetheart?' saidiset when he returned home, and he

her hushayd; "art riot h ippy ?" I I knew n.-t that I sighed, dear Martyn," she said. ''Certes, it was not for la k of happiness, for I am right

happy

(went straight to bed. pleading cold

and weariness. i lie next day he sat all the forenoon with his wife; hut, in spile of her kindness and attentions, he

I could not overcome the disagreeable

"I am glad to hear tf;ee say so, and' feeling that was upon him. He rethink thou sayest eooth--if I may at ma'tned reserved, and almost sullen;

an l-ioge nom mine own nxari tor Hand, at last, Mrs. Alice seemed infect-

srn hnj-pier than I ever yet have been.

"And so, ur tmih, am I. Martyn

for I am happy now; and, indeed, I ne

ed in the same manner. At noon he left his house, and went straightways

to Master Andrews, who lived not far

ver knew happiness till I knew tee."ioli", with the purpose of inducing from "Nay, now thou art surely caiidig'him a recital of some of those m irvel

me, sweetest. Meanest thou, thou: lous tales wherewith he had, on a for-

a pretended state of drunkenness, his wife said lo him, "Martyn, I have prayed thee till 1 am wearv: I now warn

thee take heed. As my husband, I owe thee love and duty; but I ran pay neither to a drunkard- Heed my warning, or woe apon us both!" And did Martyn still gn on with the pursuit of his experiment? He did. Although he saw it was losing him his

wife's love, and winning him her an

ger her hate he went on, with at unswerving resolution, which in such a

cause, seemed obstinancy, or madness.

of worse. In the present enlightened

age, I should not like to say he was be

witched, or to attribute to any supernatural influence the 6lron impulse

which led him to do as be was doing.

in spite of his better feeling in spite of the love he had unquestionably

borne his wife in spite of the danger

which he felt was thrusting himself in to and feared: and yet I equallyy dis like to suppose that he was tempted tt

this severe trial of his wife's love and

duty cither by too great faith in them

or want of it; though something, perhaps, of a similar nature was the trial

to which Henry put Ins Emmat and "os tkumu$ his Imoent: in neither case, in

deed, so seven a one, nor, for his personal safety, may he, so dangerous: but whatever might have been his motive, it certainly to himself was as inexplicable as he owned it to be irresiitable. Again, therefore he transgressed, and was again threatened: again he roite.

rated his offcnee and then his wife

billow." She moved towards the door well armed, they forced the outer door, Martyn's heart beat high within him, and were hastening up the stairs. Ai

As

ns he thought the moment she should tht v iveie i Iosp nni th hrrl-ronn.

be gone, he wonld lean from the bed door. Alice took her hands from her

and ruh past her down the stairs and her facr,and with u hollow voice said.

UUIUI uuse ior ne strangely tell j".artvn Lessomour, before the ever

lo oe alone would be more dreadful In imr Clt. I MmirhM ihU hih . k-.rw

, - - - V m - V " . afUS-IS 11(1 J-

wert never haphy till now?"

"I say till 1 knew thee, never never!" As she said this with great stress on the word P-Cttr, Marty o, whose

arm was girdling he?, felt her shudder

strongly, and he shosk too. After a -short pause he resumed "Didst thou, then, not lov3 thy other husbands, Alice?"

aier occasion, regaled him. His pur

pose was, ho.yever, so far forestalled ;

for when he came there, he found he

had some friends with him, and, ofjday.'

said to him Ihe next day, ''Gocst thou If.., it. Il..,....n

vi tn nm(n, tMaiiyii!

"1 mtm indeed, Alice," he answer

ed, "I have weighty business to do to-

course, he was not anxious louvike his

wife's conduct' matter of public ak. He sat, therefere, the whole evening

neaily in silence; for which, however,

tuey made full a-.nends by their boiste

" Then mark me, Martyn. fam not

going to pray thee: but I have warn

td the once, and- I have warned thee

twice, and 1; now warn theo for the

third and last time. Go at thy risk,

than to be in her most dreaded pre

aence. She stopped, however, at the door laid hold of the latch, but did

not raise it and continued in a low1

mutter, "Not here; inavhan it was for

some good end that I forgot it may-

nap mat I should give him one more trial yfct shall I? I shall one more trial I will give thee,dear martyn, dear still, though lost, 1 dread one more one more;" and saying this, ghe harried back to her bed, and leaning her head on Martyn's shoulder, sighed and sobbed, not loudly indeed hut as if her iieart were cracking and he he lav deadly si ill by her side, for he really feared lo speak to her, even though it were to speak comfort; or when he thought of doing so, the remembrance of her words, "one trial more," stiOed him shw seemed soon after to doze. In the morning he took care to rise before, and woke her up in so doing he

went up, as if by accident to the table and saw that btside the knife thvre

lay a smallish round lump of lead.

"What is this for, Alice?" he said in

a cartless tone for he knew she was

watching him.

"What is it?" she replied. He took

it to her bedade. "That." she con

tinued, "is a weight from the sleeve of

rny gown: I cut it out last night to put

in a smaller, tor I find it too heavy." Martyn laid it down, and presently

left the room. It was some time be

fore his wife joined him below stairs, and when she did at last come, her

eyes iooKeu so swollen find red, that 1lrlnn m II I I

malign vtrts pretiy sure sno nad oeeo) weeping; he said nothing about it. however, but in a few minutes rose, and taking down his cap, said, "I am bidden forth te dinner again to-day,

pened." Before he Oould reply, his' neighbors and the wnlch were n lha

room, and, upon his charge, seized his wife. The next day the coffins of her former husbands were all opened, and in the skulls of each wns found a quantity of lead, which had plainly been poured in through one of the ears.Mrs. Alice was soon after tried upon the evidence of her living husband, and that of her dead ones, which tho

mute was no less strong. She would

say nothing in her defence ; indeed, af

ter the words she spoke to her husband in Iheir bed room on the night of her apprehension, she never uttered another: only, in the court, during her

iriai.wneu Lrssomour was bearing witness that he had pretended drunker; ness lo try what effect it would have upon her when he swore to this, Al

io, whose back had hilher been towards him, turned rapidly round, fixed her glazing ey upon his, and uttei-

ing a shriek of percing anguish, would have fallen, but that her jailer caught her in his armsr and that look and thn sound Martyn Lessomour never forgot to his dying day. Jfis wife was found guilty of petit treason, and was burnt to death in SmithfielJ, according to the law of the land. And so great a noise did this story make, that in the course of Uiat year a statute was passed, more determinately to settle the office of coroner and the powers and duties of him and the jury he should summon to the it quest. Martyn Lessomour lived to e a e ijt old, and, as had been foretold of hima very rich man bat he never was ihappy one..