Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1821-02-13
TERMS.
From Hogg's Winter Evening Tales.
DUNCAN CAMPBELL.
(COncluded.)

DUNCAN CAMPBELL
(COncluded.)
AT another time, the year following
my father, 10 the course Of his evening
devotions, had reached the 10Th chapter
Of the book Of Judges; when he began
reading it, Duncan was seated on the 9TH
er side of the house, but ere it was half
done, he had stolen up close TO my fathers
elbow.--"Consid Of it, take advice, anu
speak your minds" said my father, aud
closed the book" Go on, go on, il you
please, sir,o said Duncan" 20 on, and
let us hear what they said about it." MY
father looked sternly in Duncan's face, bat
seeing him abashed on account Of his has
ty breach of decency. without altering
word, he again opened the Bible, and read
the 2Oth chapter throughout ;notwithstaD.
ding Of its length. Next day Duncan
was walking about with the Bible below
his arm, begging every body TO read il to
him again and again. II his incident pro-
duced conversation between my parents,
on the expenses and utility Of education
the consequences OF which was, tha, the
week following, Duncan and were sent
to the parish school, aud began at the
same instant to the study Of that most i'm.
portaDt aud fundamental branch OF Iiera-
ture, the A, B, C.. but my sister Mary,
who was older than /, was already an ac-
curate aud elegant reader.
This reminds me Of another anecdote
of Duncan, with regard to family worship,
which have often heard related, and
which myself may we'll remember. My
father lappeoing to be absent over aighl
at fair. when the usual time of worship
arrived, my mother desired lad, one Of
the servants, to act as chaplain for that
night, the lad declined it, and SUNK away
to his bed. My mother testified her re-
gret that we, should all be Obliged TO go
prayerIess to our beds for that night, OBJ
serving, that she did not remember the
time when it had SO happened before.
Duncan said, he thought we might cou-
trive to manage it amongst us, and instant
ly proposed to sing the psalm and pray,
il Mary would read the chapter. To this
my mother with some hesitation agreed,
remarking, that if he prayed as he could,
with pure heart, his prayer had as good
chance Of being accepted as some others
that were better worded. Duncan could
not then read, but having learned several
psalms from Mary by rote, he caused her
to seek out the place, aud sung the 23d
psalm from end to end, with great sweet
sess and deceocy. Mary read chapter
in the New Testament, and then (my
mother having child on her knee) we
three kneeled in row, while Duncan
prayed thlis--s o Lord, be thou our God,
eur guide, and our guard until death, and
through DEATH" that was sentence my
father often used 10 his prayer Duncan
had laid hold of it, and my mother began
to think that he had often prayed previous
to that time. o Lord, tho" --contin-'
ucd Duncan, but his matter was exhaust
ed; a long pause ensued, which | at length
broke, by bursting into loud fit oflaugh-
ter. Duncan rose hastily, aud without
once lifting up bis head, went crying to
bed and as | continued to indulge in
laughter, my mother, for my irreyerend
behavior, struck me across the shoulders
with the tongs our evening devotions
terminated exceedingly i'll, | went crying
TO bed after Duncan, even londer than he,
and abusing him for his useless prayer,
for which had been nearly felled.
BY the tine that We were recalled from
school to herd the cows next summer, we
could both read the Bible with considera-
BILE facility /; but Duncan far exceeded me
nperspicacity and SO fond was he TO read
Bible history, that the reading Of it was
now our constant amusement. Often have
Mary and he and I, lain under the same
plaid, by the side Of the corn or meadow,
and read chapters about in the Bible for
hours together, weeping over the failings
and fall Of good men, and wondering at
the uncomfortable might Of the heroes Of
antiquity. Never was man SO delighted
as Duncan was when he came to the his
tory Of Sampson, and afterwards Of Da-
vid and Goliath; he could not be satisfied
until he had read to every individual with