Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1821-02-06


swath--iu every hiilock. When the
swarm was large, they would beat US of.
day after day. Ia all these desperate en-
gasements, Oscar came TO our assistance,
and provided that none of the enemy made
Judgment in his lower defiles, he was ale
ways the last combaiant OF our party on
the field. / do not remember of ever be-
ing SO much diverted by any scene ever
witnessed, or laughing as immoderately as
| have-done, at seeing Oscar involved in
moving clond Of wild bees, wheeling,
swapping on all sides, aud shaking his ears
necessarily.
The sagacity which this animal possessed
is almost incredible, while his undauDted
spirit and gen II would 10 honor
to every servant OF our own species to
copy. Twice did he save his masters
life at one time when attacked by fu-
rious bull, and at another time when be
fell from behind my father off horse
into flooded river. Oscar had just
swimmed across, but Instantly plunged in
a second time to his masters rescue. He
first got hold Of his bonnet, but that COM
ing of, he quilted it, and again catching
him by the coat, brought him TO the side,
where my father reached him. He walked
Duncan at certain hour every morning,
and would frequently turn the COWS of his
own will, when ne observed them wrong.
II Duncan dropped his knife. or any other
small article, he would fetch il along 10
his mouth and If sent back for lost
thing, would infallibly fndi it. When six
teen years OF age, after being unweil for
several days, he died one night below his
masters bed. On the evening before,
wben Duncan came in from the plough,
he came from his hiding place, wagged
his tail, licked Duncan's hand, and re-
turned TO his death-bed. Duncan and
iamented bin with unfeigned sorrow, bn-
ried him below the old rowan-tree at the
back OF my fathers garden, placing
square stone at his head, which was s;;ii ...a
standing the last time was there. With
great iabour, we composed an epitsph
between us, which was once carved on
that stone; the metre was good, but the
| stone was SO hard, and the engraving so
faint, that the characters, like those Of
our early joys, are long ago defaced and
extinct.
Often have ! heard my mother relate
with enthusiasm, the manner 10 which she
and my father first discovered the dawn
Jugs Of goodness and facility Of conception
10 Duncan's mind, though, confess,
dearly as loved him, these circnmstan-
ces escaped my observation. was
| my fathers invariable custom TO pray
with the family every night before they
retired to rest, to thank the Almighty for
his kindness to them during The bygone
day, and 10 beg bis protection through the
dark aud silent watches Of the night.
need not inform any Of my readers, that
that amiable (and now too much neglected
and despised) duty, consisted in singing
few stanzas OF a psalm, ia which all the
family joined their voices with my fa-
theirs, SO that the double octaves OF the
various ages and sexes sweiIed the simple
concert. He then read chapter from
the Bible, going straight on from begin-
ming to end OF the Scriptures. The
prayer concluded the deyoiions Of each
evening, in which the downfall of Anti
| christ was always strenuously urged, the
ministers of fhe Gospel remembered, nor
was any friend or neighbor in distress
forgot.
The servants Of family have, in gen.
eral, liberty either to wait the evening
prayers, or retire to bed as they incline,
but no consideration whatever could in-
duce Duncan TO go one night to rest with
out the prayer, even though both wet and
weary, and entreated by my parents to
retire, for fear Of catching cold. 1t seems
that I had been Of q more complainant dis
position; for was never very bard TO
prevail with 10 this respect nay, my
mother used to say, that was extremely
apt to take pain about my heart at that
time Of the night, and was, of course,
Frequently obliged to betake me to the bed
before the worship commenced.
| 1t might be owing to that that Duncan's
emotions on these occasions escaped my
notice. He sung a treble to the old
church tunes most sweetIy, for he had a
meiodious voice and when my father
read the chapter, if it was in any Of the
historical parts Of Scripture, he would
lean upon the table, and look him 10 the
face, swallowing every sentence with the
utmost avidity. At one time, as my ia
Their read the 45th chapter of Genesis, he
wept SO bitterly, that at the end my father
paused, and asked what allied him ? Dun-
eau told him that be did not know.
Remainder in our Dert.)