Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-07-20

ment, may have added the austerlty OIL reiiSioh
to the venerabIeness Of old age. Smiles from
old Laurence Logan the Seceder, were like rare
sun glimpses in the gloom, and made the nusn
of his house pleasant as more cheerial place.;
for though the restraint laid on revereni youth
by feeling akin 10 fear, the heart ever ano
anon bounded with freedom in the smile OF inc
old mans eyes Plain was his own apparel,
suit ofhodden grey. His wife, when IN iaii
dress, did not remind me Of Quakeress, for
Quakeress then had never seen; but clteh
think now, when 10 company with sun, sen,
sible, cheerful, and comely vsaged matron oil
that sect. of her. Of Logan Braes. No miser
was she Of her tears, or her smiles, or her words,
or her money, or her meal, either among those
Of her own blood, or the stranger or the oeggar
that was within herga,es. You heard not her
foot ON the f1oor-yet ne YER was she idIe-mov-
ipe about in doors and out, from morning till
night, so placid, and so composed, and always
at small cost dressed so decently, so becoming
ly 10 one who was not yet old, and had not Tor
go,,en-why should she not remember it-that
she was esteemed in youth beauty, and that II
was not for want Of richer and younger lover,
tina, she agreed at last TO become the wiie OF 'he
Laird Of Logan Braes.
Their family consisted Of two sons and
neice.
Never were two brothers more unlike In all
things-in mind, body, habits and disposition
than Laurence and Willie Logan: and see, as
iii glass at this very moment, both their I'M
ages "tVee wise WilIie"-for by that name
he was known over several parishes-Was one
of those extraordinary creatures that one may
iken to a rarest plant, which nature sows here
and there-sometimes for ever unregarded-
among the common families of flowers. Early
sickness had been his Discontinued with
scarcely any interruption from his cradle to
school years-so that, not only his stature was
stnted, but his whole frame was delicate IN the
extreme; and his pale small featured face, re-
markable for large, soft, down-looking, hazel
eyes, dark dashed in their lustrc, and sweet
feminine character, that correspondent well,
with his voice, his motions, and his in door pur-
suits-all serene and composed, and interior
ing with the on-goings of no other living thing
All sorts Of scholarship. such as the parish
schoolmas,er knew, he mastered as if by intui
lion. His slate was quickly covered with long
calculations, by which the most puZzling ques-
lions were solved; and ere he was nine years
he had made many pretty, mechanic" contfi-
vances. with wheels and pullies, that showed in
what direction lay the natural bent OF his gent
US Languages, too, the creature seemed to
see into with quickest eyes, and with quickest
ears 10 catch their s5unds--so that, at the same
tender age, he might have been called lin
guist, sitting with his Greek and Latin books
on stool beside him, by the Preside, during
the long winter nights. All the neighbors,
Fwho had any books, cheerfuliy lent them to
l"Wee wise Willie" and the Manse boys gave
him many delightful supply At tie head
| Of every class he, OF course, was found-but no
ambition had he to be thcrc--and, like bee
that works among rsany thousand others on
1.-The clovcr-lcaf, heoda-ss of tiIrfr murnurs, and
! in,en, wholly on its own fragrant toll, did he go
from task to task--although that was no fitting
name for the studious cleature's medi,ations,
on all he read or wrought--no more a task for
him to grow in knowledge and in thought, than
for lily Of the field 10 lift up its head towards
the sun. That child's religion was like all
the other parts Of his characterize prone TO
tears as that of other children, when they read
Of the Divine Friend dying for them on The
cross; but it was proiounder far than theirs
when ii shed no tears, and only made the pale
ness OF his countenance more like that which
we imagine to be the paleness of ghost. No
one ever saw him angry, complaining, or dis
pleased, for angelical indeed was his temper,
purified, like gold in fire, by disease. He
Stunned not the company of other children, but
loved all, as by them all he was more than be-
loved. In few Of their plays could he take an
active share-but sitting little way of, still
attached to the merry Brotherhood, though in
their society he had part TO enact, he read
his book on the knoll; OF happy, happy dream
or, sunk away among the visions of his own
thoughts. There was poetry in that chld's spi-
ri,; but j, was too essentially blended with his
whole happiness in life, often to be embodied in
written words. A few compositions were found
in his own small beautiful handwriting after
his death-hymns and psalms! Prayers, too, had
his heart indited-bu, they were not in mea.
sured language: framed, in his devout simplici-
ty, on the model Of our Lords. How many
hundred times have we formed circle round
him in the glooming, all sitting or lying on the
green sward. before the dews had begun TO de-
scend, listening to his tales and stories Of holy
and heroic men and women who had been great
ly good and glorious in the days of old! Not
unendeared 10 his imagination were the patri-
OTIS, who living and dying, loved the liberties
of the and-Tell-Bruce-or Wallace-he, in |
whose immortal name thousand rocks re-
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