THE DANBURY REPORTER VOLUME 1. THE REPORTER. PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY PEPPER & SONS, *' „ :! J -:-i» raoraisTom. RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION. ' Om Year, payable in advance, - $2 0 81* Months, - - - 100 Jaadv RATES OF ADVERTISING. Om Square (ten lines or leas) I time, $1 00 F«r V»cli additional insertion, - 50 Contracts for longer tiflic or more space ctiD be made 10 pWftoffloifTO the above Mrtes. - Xnuulant advertisers will be expc«ted to according to tbu.se rated at tho time they send their favors. U>cal Notices will be charged 60 per cent, higher than above ra'cs. Business Cards will be inserted at Ten Dol lys, par annum. Bam l Whit*, John A. Jaubob, G. E. ScHKM.MAN. WHITE & BftM/HMAN, Wholesale dealers in HATS, CAPB, PURS, STRAW (iOOI)S AND LADIES' HATS. ll*. 318 W. Baltimore street, Baltimore, Md H. M. LANIER, with B. P. BAYLBY & CO., importers of CHINA, GLASS AND QUEENS WAKE, LAMPS, Ac. 27 Hanover street, Baltimore, Md. " E.TTTWiLSON, or N. 0., WITH K. W. POWERS k CO., WHOLESALE DRUGGISTS, and dealers in Paints, Oils, Dyes, Varnishes, French Window Ac., Ho. 1305 tf&in St., Richmond, Va. Proprietor! Aroma/if Peruvian Bitter! If Com pound Syrup Tolu mid Wild Cherry. J.W. RANDOLPH k ENGLISH, BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS, AND BLANK-BOOR MANUKACTERERS. 1318 Main street, Rirhmond. A Large Stock of LA W HOOKS ulicißyi on nol-Orn hand. A L. ELLETT, A. JUttSON tVATKINS, OLAY DREWRY, STEPHEN B. UUOHES A. L. ELLETT k CO., importeis and jobbers of DRY GOODS AND NOTIONS. Nos. 10, 12 and 14 Twelfth street (between Main and Gary) al-ly RICHMOND, VA. HARTIHAN & WHITEHILL, WHOLESALE CLOTHIERS, CLOTHS, CAfi- SI MERES, JCTO. SI and 323 Baltimore streets, Baltimore, Md. nol-ly O. F. DAY, ALBERT JONES. DAY & JONES, Manufacturers of SADDLERY, HARNESS, COLLARS, TRUNKS, .j-c. No. 336 W. Baltimore street, Baltimore, Md. nol-ly W. A. TUCKER, R. C. SMITH 8 R. BPRAQINR. TUCKER, SMITH & CO., Manufacturers and Wholesale Dealers in BOOTS; SHOES; HATS AND CAPS. 250 Baltimore street, Baltimore, Md. •l-ly. JNo W. HOLLAND with T. A. BRYAN k CO., Manufacturers of FRENCH and AMERICAN CANDIES, in erery variety, and wholesale dealers in FRUITS, NUTS, CANNED GOODS, CI GARS, .j-c. 339 and 341 Bnltimore Street, Baltimore, Md ptt" Orders from Merchants solicited. "6^. C. W. THORN, J E. ETCUISON C. H. THORN & CO., wholesale dealers in HATS, CAPS. STRAW GOODS, AND LADIES' TRIMMED HATS. 1800 Main Street, Richmond, Va. CHAS. F. UALSLKY, with CHAS. P. STOKES k CO., Manufacturers and wholesale dealers in all kinds of WOODEN, WILLOW AND TINWARE, Richmond, Va Broom, Bucket and Tinware factories, Harvie town, Va D. 11. STEVENSON, MORT. W. ROQKRS, L SLINIiLUtT. STEVENSON, ROGERS k CO., wholesale BOOTB AND SHOES, 324 W. Baltimore Street, (near Howard,) Baltimore, Md. BSTABMSHRD 1825. RED SOLE LEATHER. E. LARRIBEE & SONS, Importers and Dealers in ■BOB FINDINGS AND FRENCH CALF SKINS. Manufacturers of OAK-TANNED HARNESS AND UPPER LEATHER. Ho. 10 South Calvert street; Baltimore, Md- Consignments of Rough Leather solicited. _ R. E. BEST, with ■ENBT RONNEBORN & CO., WHOLESALE CLOTHIERS. SO Hanover Street, (between German and Lombard Streets,) BALTIMORE, Ml). H. SONNIBORN, B. BLIMUNE. B. F. KING WITH JMNBON, SUTTON k CO DRY GOODS. Not. 32# and 328 Baltimore street; N. E. cor ner Howard, BALTIMORE MD. T. W. JOHNSON, R. M. SUTTON, ! J. B. R. CIIABBE, fI.J. JORVBON nol-ly. BANBURY, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1877. SNATCHED FROM THE BRINK. BY MAUDE A. HILTONt ? i fa Hi "Alioel Aliool whore are you, little truant?" oried Harry Holmes, as be Btralled through Squire Earl's extensive grounds, looking light and left lor Squire Earl's pretty daughter, his affiaucud wii'o. a qqxM lot elonU lie was a handsomo follow, and just now looked especially so, with the ligty of true lovo in his dark eyqa, and a smile lighting up his frank, open coun tenanco. '■*>.. Ed Like magic, the sunile faijod, pnd the light died out of the dark eyes, as Har ry came across a little form, robed in while, with brown, wavy hair falling in careless disorder around a pair of plump, white shoulders, and hsr fair face hid den among the tender grass and flowers that grew on the laised mound of earth, against whioh she reclined. The fairy form was shaken by dry, tearless sobs that seemed to rend hor very heart, and when Harry raised her in his arms, as if she had been a little child, he cried out in horror at the sight of her pallid face : ''My daring !my own AUie, what is it?" ho whispered, and very soon she explained the cause of her grief. For the past year her iudulgent fath er, who w»i a confirmed invalid, had been traveling in Europe by his physi cian's orders. Three months ago he had married a young girl iu England, and written to Alice that his health was so much improved that he hoped to be able to bring home his bride in the summer. Summer had oome, and instead of (he father she loved, and the bride 9he rath er dreaded, came a black-edged letter froui the latter, containing the sad intel ligence of Squire Earl's sudden death. It was a sad blow to the motherless child, and even the love of Harry Holmes could not at first console her for the loss of the father sleeping in a for eign grave. Mrs. Earl announced her intention of joining hsr unknown stepdaughter at once, and, for her dead father's sake, Alice would try to make hor welcome Harry was more tenderly devoted than ever to the orphan girl, and tried to oota sole her for the loss of her parent. She loved him devotedly, and as weeks glided by she tried to forget the poignancy of her grief for his sake At last tho young widow arrived She was only five years older than the gentle Alice, and as beautiful as a syren, with great, glowing midnight eyes, and olive complexion. She folded her hus band's daughter in her arms at their meeting, with a great show of affection ; but the pure spirit of the obild seemed to slirink with an involuntry loathing from contact with the brilliant, beautiful woman >f the world. On the day of her arrival she chanced to enter the parlor while Harry and Alice were alone therein, and at sight of Harry standing by one of the open windows with an arm encircling the waist of Alice, the beautiful widow ut tered a faint exclamation, and withdrew from the apartment before they bad be come aware of her proximity. She had grown suddenly pale, and her breath came quick and bard, while a dangerous gleam shot from her beautiful eyes. As if the air of the house stifled her, she glided out iuto the garden, and when Harry left Alioe a few minutes later, and was on his way to the gate, she stepped before him like some dark spirit in her sweeping robes of'orape, holding out both bands to him, and looking into his faoc with eyes that were dim with tears. "Harry!" "Laura!" were the simu'- tsneous exclamations that escaped their lips, aud Harry drew back as if to avoid a contact with those outstretched bands, while Laura drew closer to hint and caught his arm in a nervous grasp. "Oh, Harry! do you hate me so bit terly ? Is there no memory of' the past in your heart ? Is there no way in whieh I can atone for my folly «nd win yoar forgiveness ?" she sobbed, wringing her soft white hands, and almost kneel ing before hiui in the abandonment of some great grief or remorse. 000 would scarcely have reoognised the face that looked down on her as that of Harry Holmes', it was so white and passion-stirred, and there was such a look of utter and withering contempt in his dark, angry eyes. ••"fa ymi «re the syren who oaptured the wealthy squire? Did a knowledge df yoto* trub Character *kive him to the gfcaire, Laura IMortne 7 How dare yon Mvofcc memories of the past—how dare yott me, whose life yon well nigh those bygone days when I was mad enough to love you ? Oat of ntT'pMfc, WflKnan ! of I ahull forget yoar sei, *f»d that yoo were my dead friend's wifeuF' \ His voice was hoarse with a terrible passion, and he raised his arm as if he wouKl gladly have flung the beautiful pleader from before him, and his with ering ?lances seamed to brtro it»*o he' heart. But she would not be repulsed ; she crouched still lower before him, and clung to him as a drowning wretch would eling to tha ark of lafety. ''Be merciful ! I was so young when I sinned, and I have repented s> bit terly," she wailed. He laughed loudly, a laugh that was terrible to hear, and his voice had the same harsh, discordant ring in it, as he replied: "So young when you sinned ! and yet you had the daring of Satan, and the cunning of a fiend. You were an or phan, the child of one of my father's friends who had died miserably poor. — My father took you into hie home and your brilliant beauty pleased him. lie learned to love you, secpnd to myself, j bis only child When I returned, a boy fresh from college, 1 fell madly in love with your syren face, and father was I content; it was the desire of his heart { to see us united. Shortly after our be trothal his health failed him, and 1 was | seat by hiui to settle up some business I affairs in a city fifty miles distant from ; our home I was compelled to romain , away two months, and during that time ; bow much had happened. When we | parted you hung around my neck and i wept, deolaring that you would not live I until I returned to you. "I had not been gone a fortnight when a low adventurer, u miserable traptzc performer, saved you from being crushed to death by the hoofs of a runaway horse, and straightway you fell in love with bim. He returned your passion, but be was wretchedly poor, and even for his love sake, you could not bear to share his poverty. The devil was strong in both your hearts, and between you both you concocted a plan by which you hoped to possess yourself of my father's wealth. My poor father sank rapidly, and when it was apparent that he had not many days to live, he asked that I might be sent for. You were his aman uensix. and read all his letters. Those that I had written for three weeks pre vious to his death you suppressed, and you kept back his message which would have brought mo to his bedside. When his hours drew to a close, and he called piteously on the son who should have been with him, you produced a letter cunningly forged by your accomplice | and bearing my name, affirming that I had married a dancer in the city, and would not come to my father until he consented to receive my wife. You read this damuing epistle to him amid a storm of sjbs and tears, and my poor, mis . guided father, thinking that I bad bro ken your heart, and half maddened by his belief that I had contracted a dis ' graceful marriage, sent for his lawyer in hot haste and made a will leaving yon his entire fortune, and cutting me off' | without a single dollar. He died one i hour after the will was signed, broken hearted, his end hastened by your das tardly work. "You marriod'your low-lived adven turer seoretly ; but, as if heaven frowned upon your sio, your husband was killed in a railroad accident on your wedding day. With yoar ill-gotten wealth yoa left the country. Where yoa went, or what your life has been from that time until you duped Marie into a uurriage with you, I do not know or care. 1 suffered—heaven knows bow bitterly, and it seemed that all my faith in womanhood w»s destroyed by your baseness, until fate threw to my path the fair young creature who has promised to be my wife. By my own exertions I have succeeded in making money enough to support her in comfort, if not in loi j ury, and with heaven's help I shall make .her happy. I bad almost forgotten yoar false face, Laura Karl, until yoa oame npon uie jnst now like an evil spirit.— ' You have sinned so deeply that I cannot I forgive you, but for the sake of the man whose wife you were, and tho girl of whose home you are mistress, T will be silent as to your'past. 1 will take Alice away as my wife at no distant day, and then you may enjoy the wealth that you have schemed for in peace, and, per ohance, ensnare another victim." He swept past the beautiful woman without waiting for her to reply, and when he was no longrt- in Bight, she rose from her crouching ppature and sboolt her clenched hand in tho direction in which he hail gone. "Wo shall see, Master Harry. I have humbled myself in the dust to crave forgiveness, and you have spurned mo. We sball seo who shall triumph iu the en 1 t" sho muttered; but when she joined Alioe a few minutes later her face was calm and smiling. On the following day Harry came as osual, greeting Mrs Earl with courtesy, and, when alone with Alice, urged her consent to an immediate marriage.— Gentle as she was, Alice would not con sent to this. He must wait till her year of mourning had expired; and, since be had pledged his word to keep Laura's secret, he was obliged to keep silent as to the real reason of his desire for haste Laura was gentle and kind toward Alioe, but the girl never overcame the secret aversion that had entered her heart on the first day of their meeting | Every one spoke in highest terms of praiso of the beautiful widow, and Harry began to believe that she was truly re pentant. They often met alone, and Laura, who was now wildly infatuated with the lover of her girlhood, tried all her wondrous arts to win him back to bis old allegiance; but his love for Alice Dever wavered, and the beautiful syren | grew desf>erate at last. "If Alice were out of my path I would win him," she thought, and a dark pur ; pose formed in her evil heart. One day Harry came for bi» usual I visit, and found that Alice and her stcp tinaher were out walking. He inquired *of Marie, Mrs Earl's French maid, in wbat direction they had gone. Mario answered readily that they had spoken of climbing the cliffs down by the seashore, as her mistress wanted to sketoh a little group of islands of which the cliffs commaodod an excellent view. He scarcely knew why be followed tbem, or why his feet seemed to speed over the ruad with such unusual swiftness The cliffs, down by the seashore, was the gloomiest spot imaginable, and one very seldom visited save by strolling ar tists. As Harry drew near the cliffs an iey chill crept over bis heart, and bis very breath seomed to cease a 9 he saw the two figures on one of the highest points of rock, dimly outlined against the bine sky. Alice sat on the extreme edge of the oiiff, leaning partially aver to watoh the 'waves breakipg into white foam below her, and Laura, with an expression of devilish triumph on her face, was gliding behind her with oat-like tread, and hands extended to push the unsuspecting girl over the oliff into the depths below 1— For one seoond, which to him was an eternity, Harry's tongue seemed to oleave to the roof of his mouth, and he could •'not utter a sound; then his voioe rang out in % terrible cry. Aiiee sprang to her feet, just in time to evade the murderous haod that would -b*vs sent her to her doom ; and Laura, who knew that Hairy would hsve no meroy on her now, and not oaring to live since all hope was over, uttered * wild, despairing ory, and sprang far into the boiling, Barging waters, wbo«e waves hid from sight forever the fare that was as false as it was beautiful 1 When Alice opened her sweet, brown eyes on awaking from the deadly swoon into which she fell on beholding this terrible aot, she found herself in the arms of her lover. "Harry ! oh, heaven ! was it not ter rible! No oarthly power could save ber, the water is so swift-flowing acd deep. She must have been mad. Harry, do you think she was really mad ?" Alice questioned, in tones of horror; aad Harry, who had kept the seoret of tke living Laura's past, would not betray the dead Laura new; and, holding bis rescued Alice elose to bis heart, he an swered, simply: '.'Yes, my darling; she was mad—and death wae a hajipy release Whims are harder to remove than sorrows ; for time, instead of weakening, strengthens them. Human Failures. Man generally is true ncitlier to him self, his friends, nor to his God Of all oreatiou he has made himself the sud dest and most lamentable failarc. From the knowledge of his own heart and from his experience, he fears his brother man, and turns to the rocks, the rills, the mountains, and the forests to admire the boauty and completeness of nature. He finds no treachery, no selGshness, no hatred—nothing Ontrue among the bar monious iflaniwWes We pity the Soul so chilled and un like a soul that it can gartier no pleasure from the mnsio of the rippling stream, the roaring of the ocean's depths, the zephyr's peri tie and mysterious touoh, or the whirlwind's thundering voice. We would oot wish the eye .that eould not see the beauty of the mountain top kissing the blue arch of heaven, and presenting its snowy orowns to the touch of descending sunbeams ; that could oot behold the splendor of the valley as it stretches out beyond the range of vishn, with its grilden fruits and meandering streamlets. We do not eovet the ear whioh can net hear the sublime eloquence of the voioe of the Eternal in the studded sky of evening, the lightning's vivid flash, the thunder's muttering roar upon the darkness, in the sunshine, upon the wa ter, in the biado of grass and tioy peb ble, and iudeed in til inanimate nature which the eye beholds throughout the vast universe. These things were all created for our instruction aud enjoyment. With his advantages man should be noble, and proud of his nobility. lie is the mon arch of the earth, the moulder of the soil, the shaper oi the forests, the trainer of the beasts, tho master of the light ning, the possessor of like intelligence and like faculties with his God, and na ture is subservient to his use and huppi. uess. Soureely can he Hud a truer ex pression af his privileges than tho words penned to ridicule his claims : '•For me kind nature wakes her genial power, Suckles each herb and spreads out every flower; Annual for me the grupe, the rose renew, The juice ueetxrious aud the balmy dew. For me the mine a thousand treasures brings ; Forms health gushosfrom uthoiismi 1 springs; Seas roll to waft me—suns to light me .ise, My footstaol earth, my canopy the skies," Equally true is it that man was in tended (or the use of his fellow-man His band should smooth the pillow of his dying oomrade; his tears should moisten the green grass upon the silent tombs his bosom should warm the freez ing frame of the homeless orphan ; his words should kindle the hopes of the despairing; his prayers should touch the blackened heart of the hardened ; his example should ehsrm from the mire of wretchedness tho fallen, and eonduct them to paths wbioh lead to happiness and to God. But, alas 1 he fails to do it. In the hardness of his heart he turrit* from the bedside of sickness and of death, by which even the dog watches unceasingly with unmistakable sorrow and solicitude ; he stands with an astonishing unconcern upou the shore, while that faithful ani mal plunges into the water to save the drowning ohiid. His neighbor starves It is a pity, he exolaims, but the tomb hides all from sight and memory. The mother weeps in the shadow of the scaf fold, from whioh her unfortunate ohild bids her a sad farewell; but it is not his child, and he turns from the scene and forgets it. The orphan weeps beside the tomb of her who gave it life, who stroked its little brow and taught it first to pray ; bat his children have a mother, and h does net eare to mar his own happiness by contemplating the sorrow of the little shattered heart which wildly throbs in the ailenon of thai churchyard. Tho heart may not be able to entirely sup press its natural sympathy for the mis fortunes of humanity, but does its ut moat to give the least possible evidence of its existence. GossiriNa IDLERS —The idle levy a very heavy tax upon the industrious when by frivolous visitations they rob them of their time. Such persons beg their daily happiness from door to door, as beggars their bread, and, like them, sometimes meet with rebuff. A mors gossip ought nut to wonder if we evince signs of weariness, seeing that we are indebted fur the honor of liis visit solely to the cirrumstance'uf his being tired of bis own omiipuity. NUMBER 48 A Safe Business. A young man from the country who lmd recently come into possession of a few thousand dollars, visited an uncle in the city, an old merchant, to get his ad vice about investing his capital in bus iness. '-Go back to the country, young man," said the merchant, "and invest jour money in land. Buy a farm, settle down on it and dj a safe business. I have been in business hero nearly forty years, and have accumulated a fortune, but it has been done by fearful risk, heavy responsibility, constant toil and worrying anxiutiiig. A d zen times I have been on the verge of bankruptcy, and twice I have been sorely tempted to lake my own life. Of ten men who commenced business here wh n I did only one beside myself succeeded. The rest all failed, one after another, some draggirg their families down to poverty and disgrace. Take my advice. Keep away from the city and its delusive busi ness avenues. Quiet contentment on a moderate competency in the country is the best fortuno I could wish you." This advice, from one who had made trade a success, ought to have weighty influence on young men who contemplate abandoning the farm for a business life in town. It ought to have much great er influence than similar advice from one who had failed of success, for obviou* reasons The old merchant's conclu sions are corroborated by the experience of thousands, and by facts obtained by investigation. A recent statement in an eastern paper says that out of every one thousand traders, but seven succeed. Of one thousand one hundred and twelve bankrupts who took the benefit of the bankrupt law iu Massachusetts, only fourteen were farmers, and of two thou sand five hundred and fifty in New Yoik, only forty-six were farmers. That is, less than two per cent, of all bank rupts were farmers, and over ninety-eight per ceut. were traders. The difference & largely increased wlien the large ex cess of the farming population over that of trade is considered. Married or Single. It is very hard to tell whether mar ried people are happier than single ones, or whether single ones are most blessed. With the gout, and no one to find fault with, bachelor is apt to envy benedict; while, during the progress of a curtain lecture, benedict depreciates the joys of wedded life. It is nice to come borne with a latch key when one pleases, and to travel the wide world over, if one chooses, with a false collar and a comb byway of baggage ; but then it is also nice to have an adoring creature always keepiug watch over one's incomings aud outgoings (we are speaking of men, of course), and believing one to be—tfhat he knows he is not—a man of mighty intellect and Herculean strength—in short, the authority of the world. It is comfortable (here we speak of the softer sex) to be able to keep one's hair in criuipingpina all day, but yet it is delightful to have some one who cares how one's hair looks. It is not agreeable to be up all night with a baby suffering from a combina tion oF colic and crossness; but it is en raging to bear the airs of people with lovely infants in skirts two yards long, when you haven't one yourself. Single people certainly have more peace and quietness, but now and then they find themselves rather too severely let alone. Married people rejoice in the joys of oompanionship, but as there may bo too much of a good thing, they, perhaps, sometimes enVy St Simon Stylites, who lived on top of a pillar and "had his meals sent OD to him" in a basket. On the whole, I should say, if poshed otoeely for a serious oi.swer, that those who have been tuurriod would have been uiuoh happier if they had rcuiaiucd single, and that those who live and die in a state of single blessedness wculd have been more blessed had they mar ried. Why, sir, tlayes' Southern policy, as they call it, is the Democratic platform of last November It is the utterances and principles of the party for tho past ten years being carried into effect. How long do you suppose Chamberlain and Packard would hive remained if Xilden Irad received his tights'! Not a day, sir. No, not even until tho inaugura tion." It has been just a hope that they &>u!d carry oh the old game that in duced them to hold out as long as they haivo.— t'ererh/ 'fur Lit.

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